Not so long ago, we tested Redmi Buds 4 Active on our channel Tech Brothers, but now Xiaomi has released the next generation of earbuds. In this article, we will be testing Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5.
The main features of the new Xiaomi wireless earbuds are 46dB active noise cancellation, noise reduction and transparency modes, 12.4mm driver, mobile app support, and long battery life up to 40 hours.
By the way, the price of Redmi Buds 5 is about $30, so these are very affordable wireless earbuds.
We will be comparing the new Redmi Buds 5 with the previous generation a bit in this article. Looking ahead, there are many upgrades.
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 - Aliexpress
$32.99
Unboxing
So, I bought the Redmi Buds 5 in black and white colors to show how they both look. On the box, you can see a picture of earbuds in your color.
The package contents are the same for the black and white earbuds, such as the charging cable, silicone ear tips of different sizes and user manual in Chinese.
Design
So, if we compare Redmi Buds 5 with the previous generation Redmi Buds 4, the new earbuds have a new design of the charging case and the earbuds themselves.
The touch panel is good visible on the white version because it is silver.
I didn’t find any information about water protection of the Redmi Buds 5, so I don’t think they’re meant for sports or even swimming or showering. However, the earbuds fit very comfortably in my ears, and they do not fall out.
Overall, I like the design of the new Redmi Buds 5 earbuds, especially in white color.
Control Functions
Now, let’s talk about control functions.
I want to say right away that the control functions can be changed in the app, but we will talk about that a little later.
A triple tap on the left or right earbuds switches to the next track.
You can also press and hold any earbuds for 2 seconds to switch between noise reduction and transparency modes.
Of course, you can use the earbuds to accept or reject phone calls.
In-Ear Detection
Another important feature of the Redmi Buds 5 is the in-ear wear detection. When you take one of the earbuds out of your ear, the music automatically stops on your smartphone. When you put the earbud back in your ear, the music continues to play. This is a very useful and convenient feature.
Before we test the latency in games, let’s take a look at the app.
Xiaomi Earbuds App
First, I tried to pair the Redmi Buds 5 with the iPhone. However, the earbuds were not detected, and I didn’t find them in the list of supported devices.
Then, I tried to pair the new Xiaomi earbuds with an Android smartphone. Fortunately, I was able to do this. If your earbuds are not detected, make sure the region in the app is mainland China.
Then, we can switch between transparency and noise cancellation modes, or turn it off.
The first two options are in Chinese, but I think they mean single tap press left earphone and single tap right earphone.
You know, I was looking for how to add a gaming or low latency mode, but you can’t do that here. In addition, you cannot activate game mode through the app. It looks like Redmi Buds 5 doesn’t have a game mode at all. Now I’m really interested in testing latency in games.
The additional settings have in-ear detection, ear tip fit test, dual connection, take calls automatically and rename earphones.
Then, you can update the firmware of the earbuds. My current version is 1.0.2.6.
The last options in the app are user manual in Chinese, FAQ and about earphones.
Latency Test
So, the biggest surprise to me was the lack of a game mode.
Let’s check the latency in games.
Unfortunately, the latency is quite high. It is not very comfortable playing games with these earbuds.
Microphone Test
Now let’s move on to testing the microphone.
I cannot test this right now, because I don’t have a strong wind outside, but we can create a noise simulation on the TV.
Now I turned on the noise simulation on the TV. It is very loud in the room right now. Can you hear me? One, two, three, one, two, three.
Sound Quality
Talking about sound quality, first, you should know that Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 has a large 12.4mm dynamic driver and titanium-coated diaphragm.
My impressions of the sound, first I think it is louder than other earbuds. 50% of the volume was enough for me. Nevertheless, even at higher volumes, the sound quality doesn’t suffer.
These are probably some of the best, or even the best, sub-$30 earbuds I’ve tested.
ANC
Another feature of the Redmi Buds 5 is the active noise cancellation.
For the test, I will turn on white noise on my smartphone, and measure its level with a noise meter.
When the noise level goes up to 50db, you can barely hear it in the earbuds.
The noise is clearly audible in the earbuds at around 60dB, but if you take them off, it is very loud.
By the way, Redmi Buds 5 has three levels of noise reduction: mild noise reduction for library and office, balanced noise reduction for street and gym, deep noise reduction for subway and airport. The earbuds automatically adjust the level of noise reduction depending on the noise level.
Battery
Finally, let’s talk about the battery. A single earbud has a battery capacity of 150mAh, while a charging case has 500mAh battery.
This is another significant improvement over the Redmi Buds 4.
Conclusion
To summarize, I will say that Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 surprised me.
First, the design of the charging case has been updated, and now it has two LED indicators.
The earbuds with stems look appealing as well, especially in white color.
The mobile app provides some additional functions, for example, audio effects. Overall, the sound quality is very good. I also like how the ANC works.
Among the disadvantages, I would note the lack of water protection. At least, I haven’t found any information about it.
In addition, the new Xiaomi earbuds do not have a game mode. I think it is the main problem with Redmi Buds 5. Perhaps a game mode will be added later via software updates.
Overall, the Redmi Buds 5 are great for their price.
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 - Aliexpress
$32.99
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