Realme Buds Air 5 Pro review: Budget earbuds with ANC, Hi-res spatial audio

At Rs 4,999, the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro offers ANC, 360-degree spatial audio effect, 40ms low latency, LDAC codec for Hi-Res wireless audio, and multi-point connectivity

Chinese smartphone maker Realme on August 23 launched in India the Buds Air 5 Pro wireless earbuds. The earbuds boast ANC, 360-degree spatial audio, 40ms low latency, LDAC codec for Hi-Res wireless audio, and multi-point connectivity. At Rs 4,999, the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro seems to be a value proposition in the wireless earphones segment. Is it? Let us find out:

Design

The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro has a no-frill construction with stem-type in-ear design. Its case is a capsule- shaped lightweight unit with glossy design and Realme engrossed on the top side. It comes in sunrise beige and astral black colours. The case is easy to open, but it is not so for the earbuds since these have glossy texture. The case has a silver accented button on the side for reset and pairing function. While the overall build is decent, the case gets scratched easily.

As for the earbuds, the in-ear design makes the fit comfortable. These are lightweight and do not come off easily, making them convenient to use in the gym and any other outdoor activity.

Features

The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro boasts active noise cancellation to filter ambient noise as strong as 50dB. As you put in the earbuds you can feel the noise outside fading away in seconds by double tapping on the stem with your fingertip. The Buds Air 5 Pro has a transparent mode, which allows you to listen to the outside sound without having to remove them.

The earbuds support simultaneous connection with two devices at a time. It works with phones, tablets, and computers with Bluetooth connectivity. The earbuds stand for its claim of 40ms ultra-low latency. Music playback and answering phone calls are easy and intuitive, with simple touch controls. However, the touch area on the earbuds is hard to locate. The earbuds are IPX5 rated, which means these are resistant to water and dust ingress.

Audio quality

The earbuds support 360-degree audio effect for spatial sound experience, and it works like a charm. Though not as accurate as you get in some of the premium earbuds, its performance fits the bills. The addition of Hi-Res (LDAC HD) is a welcome addition. The earbuds sound muffled at high volume levels.  Besides, the earbuds are loud and tuned for bass-heavy output. The best of earbuds performance can be experience after taking a five-minute audio test in the Realme Link app. Overall, the Realme Air Pro 5 is good for music and voice calls.

Verdict

The sound quality and noise cancellation featured at the price is good, but the touch controls on the buds hampers the experience. The accompanying app for the earbuds is packed with useful features for personalised experience. That said, the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro is a sound pair of wireless earbuds with premium features.