Today we are reviewing new TWS headphones from the Chinese company Huawei: FreeBuds 5i. The model is equipped with a noise reduction function, a built-in equalizer, touch controls and a 10 mm dynamic radiator.
Let’s consider the features of the new product and talk about the experience of operation in isolation from the brand ecosystem, which the company has been emphasizing recently.
The headphones are packed in a simple square cardboard box with color printing. Inside is the following set:
- Huawei FreeBuds 5i
- 3 pairs of ear pads (S, M, L)
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- documentation
The ear pads are made of high-quality translucent silicone and it is better not to lose them, since their shape is quite unusual (it resembles Apple AirPods Pro in shape, but without Huawei, they are without a rigid attachment).
With other ear pads, the headphones may not fit into the case. Given the unusual shape, I would like to see at least 5 sizes in the set, because the step between them is quite large and a person may not fit any of them for complete comfort.
The headphone case looks good: a small oval pill of lavender color with specks visually resembles a stone. The matte surface of the case is pleasant to the touch and does not collect scratches with prints.
The headphones themselves are completely made of glossy plastic. It is not so noticeable on the light version, but most likely the black ones will collect scratches on themselves, although it is not so noticeable if the case was glossy.
Also available in black matte and white glossy.
The fit is quite tight and reliable not only so that you don’t have to worry about them falling out of your ears during operation, but also for playing sports, so with the right selection of ear pads, the model can be considered as an option for jogging or the gym. The headphones are quite light, but still feel in the ears.
Management is carried out using gestures. The sensitivity is good, especially on taps, but not as comfortable as in models with flat surfaces on the bodies.
Noise cancellation is surprisingly good when listening to music, but when there is no sound, the headphones are a bit noisy. It is possible to adjust the power of noise reduction, depending on the selected mode, the power of ANC will change
Active noise cancellation – noise cancellation, which is important for people who are sensitive to this function.
The penetration mode makes even more noise than ANC, but this is to be expected, since the microphones can pick up those sounds that we do not hear in ordinary life (draft, noise of computer coolers, etc.).
The quality of conversational microphones is at a high level for this price segment. Apple AirPods are not quite up to the level, but they can be used as a headset.
It is not possible to download the program for adjusting the headphones directly from the AppStore or Play Market. To do this, you need to follow the link displayed after scanning the QR code in the instructions, then download the APK file of the Huawei AI Life program from the official Huawei website, install it, and only then configure the Huawei FreeBuds 5i. Unpleasant crutches that immediately spoil the first impression, but this is the specifics of the company’s work.
Modes are managed through the program. In it, you can configure gestures (and set the noise reduction switch to one of the gestures), update the headphones, select the sound quality mode (priority of connection or quality, which can already tell the user about the quality of the connection), test the correctness of the selected ear pads and search for headphones.
The application could not find the headphones, regardless of the distance and the smartphone, so the function is not working yet, or will not work in isolation from other Huawei devices at all.
In the room at a close distance, the connection with the smartphone is maintained well, but on a busy street during traffic and in the subway, there are constant drops, which greatly interferes with listening and drives the user away.
The problem was solved with the help of the Huawei program, and in a rather non-standard way. In mode priority of sound quality the connection is as stable as possible, and enhanced connection mode the sound is constantly interrupted, which is absurd, but the problem was solved in this way. You need to keep this in mind when testing headphones.
Headphones without a charging case at full playback volume and with alternating noise reduction modes work for an average of 4-4.5 hours. From the case, the headphones are charged from 50% to 100% in about 20-30 minutes or in 10-15 minutes from 75% to 100%, so for everyday use the charging speed is comfortable.
Fully discharged headphones and case charge from 0% to 100% in 2 hours 37 minutes.
By default, the equalizer is set to boost low frequencies, and the connection priority is set to sound quality. Accordingly, the first impression from listening is created as from a maximum bass device. When the equalization was turned off, the headphones did not sound too low and showed a good result.
Not the best processing of middle frequencies, which is characteristic of TWS in this segment, but good detailing of low and medium frequencies. The headphones are pleasant to listen to in saturated genres of music such as rap, pop and light electronica, but on fatal compositions and orchestral music, the model falls apart and the sound starts to mix.
The stage and arrangement of instruments is clearly audible on artists who emphasize it (for example, Foals or Gorillaz), but if the emphasis was not made, then the user will not hear it.
When switching between priority connection quality mode and priority sound quality, there is no significant difference. Equalizer modes affect the sound significantly and audibly. Testing was conducted on a Google Pixel 4a smartphone, a Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 laptop, and an Astell&Kern SR25 audio player.
| Dynamic | 10 mm dynamic |
| Audio technology |
Active noise cancellation Mute noise during calls Transparency mode |
| Bluetooth | BT 5.2 |
| Battery capacity |
Headphone: 55 mAh (min)* Charging case: 410 mAh (min)* |
| Playback time |
Music on 1 charge: 6.0 hours (ANC incl.)** Music on 1 charge: 7.5 hours (ANC off)** Music with charging case: 18.5 hours (ANC incl.)** Music with charging case: 28 hours (ANC off)** |
| Charging time |
About 60 minutes for headphones (in charging case)*** About 110 minutes for charging case without headphones*** |
| Headphone sizes |
Height: 30.9 mm Width: 21.7 mm Depth: 23.9 mm Weight: about 4.9 g ± 0.2 g |
| Dimensions of the charging case |
Height: 48.2 mm Width: 61.8 mm Depth: 26.9 mm Weight: about 33.9 g ± 1.0 g |
| Protection against splashes, water and dust | IP54 |
At the bottom of the technical characteristics of the device battery are the following clarifications:
The cost of Huawei Freebuds 5i headphones is UAH 3,299 – for such quality of sound, design and materials, the price is very pleasant.
For about the same price, buyers can consider options such as the Sony WF-C500 for UAH 2,999OPPO Enco Air2 PRO by UAH 2,999 or Anker SoundCore Life Dot 3i for 2,599 UAH
From sports options, for a small surcharge, you can also consider the Sennheiser Sport True Wireless at a cost UAH 4,099 not sporty, but quite interesting, Sennheiser CX True Wireless on average UAH 3,600.
Pros:
good sound quality, good conversational microphones, case design, autonomy, noise reduction, price
Cons:
communication interruptions and software problems
Conclusion:
a great model for its price with a pleasant and ergonomic design, good sound and good autonomy.
The only significant minus concerns the operation of the software, which the manufacturer can adjust in the future after the release of updates, and the problem is not permanent, so it is not critical.
The model is recommended for listening in the segment up to $100-150.
