The open in-ear form factor has been getting more attention from brands in the last few months and Xiaomi’s Buds 5 are the latest pair of TWS buds to omit the silicon tips. Despite not carrying the Pro moniker, these are Xiaomi’s flagship earbuds and come packed with 11mm dual-magnet dynamic drivers, sound tuning from Harman Kardon, and aptX lossless audio support.
Even more impressively, they still deliver active noise cancelation (ANC) which claims to drown out 40dB of surrounding noise via a triple microphone array. Add in spatial audio, dual device pairing, a claimed 39 hours of total listening time, and the Buds 5 look like a solid contender. So just how good are Xiaomi’s latest earbuds and are they worth the €99 asking price? The short answer is pretty darn good as long as they fit your ear shape.
Design and fit
Buds 5 come in three colors – Graphite Black, Ceramic White, and Titan Gray which is the one we got as a review sample. The buds feature pronounced curvatures and a dual-tone finish with a predominantly matte finish and a glossy swooping line around the outside of the stem.
The earbuds feature short stems and opt for a squeeze gesture pad near the bottom. Each earbud weighs 4.2 grams and features triple mics. You also get IP54 water and dust resistance.
The case weighs just over 36 grams and is shaped similarly to the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro which came through our office last year. Opening up the oversized case lid reveals the earbuds sitting vertically held in place by strong magnets.
You’ll immediately notice the shiny top half of the case which a can serve double purpose as a tiny mirror. In terms of size, the case goes in and out of pockets easily thanks to its round corners and fits comfortably inside the coin pocket on your jeans.
And now the most important aspect of any pair of earbuds – their fit. Just like in-ear buds with silicon tips are not meant for everyone’s ears, the semi in-ear fit on the Buds 5 will not suit all users.
This reviewer found the Buds 5 very loose fitting when inserted into his ears straight. An upward twist improved things but the buds still felt like they could pop out at any moment with more sudden movements.
Two ways of wearing the Buds 5
We should mention that these buds will not suit you for runs and gym sessions as they are more than likely to fall out of your ears than competitors with in-ear tips. We did enjoy the lightweight and unobtrusive way the Buds 5 stay in your ear. This reviewer used the Buds 5 for entire workdays without any discomfort – that’s not something that can be said for competitors with in-ear tips.
Features and companion app
Xiaomi Buds 5 are equipped with 11mm dual-magnet dynamic drivers with support for high bitrate audio streaming via the aptX Lossless codec. They cover a 16Hz-40kHz frequency response range and offer Harman AudioEFX tuning.
Buds 5 pair over Bluetooth 5.4 and support Snapdragon Sound and Google Fast Pair for Android devices. Xiaomi is also throwing in a nice bonus with 4 months of free Spotify Premium for all new purchases so you can take advantage of the high bitrate music streaming.
You also get wide-frequency active noise cancellation (ANC) which Xiaomi claims can drown out 40dB of surrounding noise – more details in the performance section of the review. You also get AI noise reduction during calls which Xiaomi proudly claims can handle winds up to 12m/s.
Buds 5 also feature wear-detection sensors for pausing and resuming media and dual device pairing. Both of these features worked flawlessly in our tests which included simultaneous use with an iPhone 15 Pro and a Macbook Pro 14.
Xiaomi’s Earbuds app is a mandatory download if you want to take full advantage of all the features that Buds 5 have to offer. You can assign single, double, and triple presses on the stems as well as a squeeze gesture. In terms of media playback you get play/pause, next/previous song as well as volume controls which is always a plus.
Xiaomi Earbuds app and features on Buds 5
The app also features a toggle for noise cancelation and an EQ setting buried under the Audio balance toggle.
One clever feature that you don’t see that often on competing earbuds is the built-in audio recording function. Buds 5 can record up to 3 hours of audio and store that data directly on the buds. You can record audio with the buds in your ear or by placing them inside the case and opening up the lid.
Recordings can then be transferred to your phone via the Xiaomi Headphones app where you can playback the recording, save it to your files, or share it via apps that support audio recordings. The recordings are stored in the Ogg format so do note that you’ll likely need a separate app to playback recordings outside the Xiaomi Buds app.
We found the audio recording feature quite useful for those times when you want to quickly record something or take a note without reaching for your phone. For those wondering what happens if you try to record a call – Buds 5 will play a notification sound that the call is being recorded to warn the other side.
You can also assign a press-and-hold gesture to launch the camera app and take a photo but that is limited to Xiaomi devices running HyperOS. Buds 5 features a low latency mode which claims to dial connection latency to 73ms.
Performance and Sound quality
We weren’t expecting great ANC heading into the review, mainly because of the Buds 5’s design and the lack of in-ear silicone tips. Unfortunately, those expectations were correct, as Buds 5 simply can’t create a proper seal around your ear canal like in-ear type earbuds can.
Buds 5 barely managed to drown out lower-spectrum sounds, like a running air conditioner and water cooler. They simply can’t isolate you from the outside world like Sony’s WF-1000XM5 or Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 can. So while you have some form of noise reduction, it’s barely noticeable and will not make a huge difference in your daily usage.
Moving on to the sound quality, Buds 5 deliver surprisingly strong bass which caught us off guard. The mids are well preserved and the high frequencies also come in nice and clear. Instrument separation was another high point. Overall, Buds 5 bring a lively soundstage and we enjoyed our time listening to all types of music genres, and podcasts.
If the default Harman AudioEFX sound profile is not your cup of tea, Xiaomi’s Earbuds app offers 5 equalizer (EQ) options including Enhance voice, Enhance treble, Decrease bass, and Classic. You also get a 10-band custom EQ setting which allows you to finetune the sound to your preference.
The dual connection feature worked flawlessly in our testing as did the wear detection sensors. Call quality was average with okay voice pickup in quiet areas but it was not able to do so well in noisier environments.
Battery life
Xiaomi claims Buds 5 can last for 6.5 hours of music playback with ANC off while the case extends total playtime to 39 hours. We found those values to be a bit exaggerated as we got 5 hours and 15 minutes of playback from the Buds 5 in our tests with ANC turned on.
A 10-minute quick charge will net you 2 hours of playback as long as the charging case has 35% or more battery.
Verdict
At €99/£70, Xiaomi Buds 5 deliver good sound quality with support for high-bitrate audio streaming. We enjoyed the neat audio recording feature, the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously, and the programmable squeeze controls on the stems.
The semi in-ear design on the Buds 5 is a double-edged sword. The lack of in-ear tips helps take pressure off your ear canal which allows you to use them for hours on end without any ear fatigue. But that also hinders the buds from staying in one place which could be a potential dealbreaker if your ears aren’t the correct shape.
Xiaomi delivered a great pair of earbuds for users who don’t like the in-ear tip factor and the Buds 5 offer some of the best audio quality we’ve seen from this type of earbud design. We would like to see better battery endurance and improved call quality on the next itteration.
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