Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 Review: Sonically Impressive

Asia Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 Review: Sonically Impressive Ben Sin Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover consumer tech in Asia New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jul 28, 2022, 04:40am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Product render of the FreeBuds Pro 2 Huawei Wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen these days (almost literally, as I do have over a dozen laying around the house), so I don’t bother covering them unless they bring new technology or particularly good performance, and Huawei’s new buds, named the FreeBuds Pro 2, fits both descriptions.

Launched last month and on sale in Asia and Europe, the FreeBuds Pro 2 are, as the name gives away, the second generation of Huawei’s flagship wireless earbuds. So what’s new about these buds and what sets them apart from the dozens of other earbuds I have? The earbuds. Huawei The Basics The FreeBuds Pro 2 at first glance is like any other pair of wireless earbuds you’ve seen, they’re housed in a case, and they have the stems that Apple made famous with the AirPods.

But look a bit closer and you can see specific fine touches. I like that the stems blend into the buds in this liquid metal form, it’s less angular and boxy than last year. The buds are also very light, at 6.

1g per bud. The case, too, is smaller than rivals, at just 52g in weight. Despite the small size, the buds offer a bit more than six hours of audio playback with active noise cancellation off, and four hours with noise cancellation active.

The case adds another 4-5 charges for a total of 18 hours with noise cancellation on, or nearly 30 hours with noise cancellation off. Charging is done via USB-C, and the case supports wireless charging, too. MORE FOR YOU China Detains Fallen HNA Ex-Billionaire Chairman Ahead Of Airline Restructuring Vote Nasdaq Listing Of Freshworks Creates Windfall For Indian Founder And Hundreds Of Employees Ninja Van Becomes Singapore’s Newest Unicorn After Raising $578 Million From Alibaba, B Capital FreeBuds Pro 2 ben Sin You can control music playback and volume control by swiping or pinching the stems (they work the same in each bud) and I enjoy the ability to adjust volume on the fly, as that’s something Apple’s AirPods don’t offer.

Dual drivers Each earbud packs 11mm audio drivers, which is the same size as Apple’s AirPods Pro, but Huawei adds a secondary planar diaphragm driver that allows the buds to reach a wider frequency range of 14Hz to 48kHz (most headphones have a smaller range, from 20Hz to 20kHz). I’m no audiophile, but even I can hear definitively fuller audio from the FreeBuds Pro 2 than Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. As for how it compares against Apple’s AirPods Pro, I’d have to say it’s a virtual tie to my ears.

I also own other lower-priced earbuds like the Nothing Ear 1 as well as several buds from Jabees and Xiaomi, and those can’t compare to the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2’s audio. It’s in a class of its own along with Apple’s earbuds. But then again, Apple and Huawei’s buds are pricier than all the other buds mentioned here.

Devialet partnership Perhaps part of this has to do with Huawei’s partnership with French audio firm Devialet. According to the two firms, they spent the past year developing the audio profile for the FreeBuds Pro 2, including specific EQ profiles. I like that the earbuds don’t simply try to turn up the bass to force the illusion of that extra “oomph,” instead just letting the fuller audio drivers and well-balanced sonic frequencies do the job.

The FreeBuds Pro 2 case. Ben Sin Noise cancellation that’s not just active, but dynamic The third thing that helps the FreeBuds Pro 2 stand out is it has the best active noise cancellation and transparency mode I’ve ever heard for an in-ear earbud. Huawei developed this algorithm that uses the mics of the FreeBuds to actively identify surrounding noise, and adjust the noise cancellation dynamically in real time.

It really is “active” noise cancellation, as I can hear the shift from stronger noise suppression when I’m on the street to a more natural, less stuffy noise cancellation level when I’m at a quiet park. Huawei says the earbuds can also intelligently tune out specific constant sounds, like the whirring of an air conditioner, and I can vouch for this, too. But perhaps more importantly for me, I’m a fan of the transparency mode, which essentially lets outside sound in on purpose, so I can wear the earbuds and still be aware of my surroundings.

I find most earbuds’ transparency mode to dial up outside sound too much, to the point it hurts my ears when I’m in a noisy Hong Kong street. But here, the noise that gets through is just about accurate to real world levels, and they sound crisp enough that I can hold a conversation while having music playing. A bit lower priced than rivals The FreeBuds Pro 2 is on sale throughout Europe and Asia now.

In Europe, it’s priced at £169. 99 ($206), and in Singapore and Thailand, it’s even more affordable at roughly equivalent to $180. That puts the FreeBuds Pro 2 a bit lower priced than rivals like the Apple AirPods Pro or the Bose QC earbuds.

The Freebuds Pro 2 comes in three colors. Huawei At this price, I think the FreeBuds Pro 2 are a fair value—they’re premium looking and sounding earbuds with more sonic kick than most, with more real world controls including volume adjusting, at a lower price tag. Follow me on LinkedIn .

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