Realme has solidified its presence in India, which isn’t any imply feat contemplating the corporate set foot within the subcontinent a mere three years in the past. In that point, the model has not simply launched a bevy of engaging smartphones, however has managed to create an ecosystem of merchandise that includes IoT gear, TVs, audio merchandise, and different equipment. And, it seems just like the model goes full steam forward, as the corporate lately launched a slew of recent earphones within the nation, together with the Buds Wi-fi 2 Bluetooth earphones. I managed to get my arms on a pair and right here’s what I make of it.
Desk of Contents
Design and Consolation
The Buds Wi-fi 2 seems undeniably like a Realme product, which could be accredited to the unit’s yellow accents. Now, a few of you might need grown out of the corporate’s iconic colourway, however I nonetheless adore the model’s fashionable accents. That mentioned, you may go for a extra inconspicuous grey shade too, which is good.
I’d additionally like so as to add that the earphones draw loads of parallels to the Buds Wi-fi Professional launched some time in the past. Core specs apart, the 2 earphones look fairly related, although the Buds Professional contains a thicker lapel that rests across the neck. On the flip aspect, the Buds Wi-fi 2 opts for a rubberised, silicone chassis that’s delicate to the contact. It additionally helps that the fabric doesn’t itch, and the earphones, on the entire, weigh simply 29 grams. However, the person earpieces are fairly chunky and the pair protrudes out fairly a bit – you’d need to suppose twice earlier than carrying the pair to mattress.
Nonetheless, for probably the most half, the Buds Wi-fi 2 will supply a snug listening expertise. In truth, you may even use the pair while you’re figuring out because the wires stemming from the neckband are simply the proper size, thereby guaranteeing that you’ve got ample room to maneuver or tilt your head with out the earbuds snapping off. Oh, and you needn’t fear about sweat or water splashes when utilizing the Buds Wi-fi 2 because the earphones are IPX5 licensed as effectively.
Shifting on, the Buds Wi-fi 2 ships with music playback controls, which could be discovered positioned in the direction of the neckband’s right-hand aspect. The controls enable customers to play or pause a monitor, or bounce ahead or return a music on their playlists. What’s extra, the corporate has a devoted toggle (the oval-shaped button) to change between totally different ANC modes as effectively. And, that’s not all, as you may double-tap the identical to change the Buds Wi-fi 2’s connection between two totally different gadgets as effectively. You’ll additionally get Google’s Quick Pair help with the Buds Wi-fi 2 and may merely snap the magnetic earbuds shut to show off the earphones as effectively.
It’s clear that Realme has gone above and past with the design of its newest product. Not solely do the Buds Wi-fi 2 look good, however they pack a bevy of options that make them that extra handy to make use of. Now, let’s see if the earphones impress within the sound division too.
Audio High quality
Spec-wise, the Realme Buds Wi-fi 2 attracts various parallels with the Buds Wi-fi Professional launched some time in the past. As an example, each the earphones ship with a pair of 13.6mm drivers, supply help for Sony’s LDAC codec, and are high-res licensed. That being mentioned, in my testing, the Buds Wi-fi Professional sounds significantly better. Now, actually, I can’t put a finger on why the Buds Wi-fi 2 doesn’t sound pretty much as good – it may have one thing to do with the brand new Realme R2 chip which has been put instead of the S1 chip, or perhaps the corporate has employed totally different 13.6mm drivers. Regardless, I want to preface that whereas the 2 earphones share the identical spec-sheet, their acoustic prowess couldn’t be any extra totally different.
So, how do the Buds Wi-fi 2 sound? Nicely, the earphones supply a bass-forward sound signature as well, that may overwhelm different frequencies. Nonetheless, with the ‘Vivid’ preset enabled from the Realme Hyperlink app, the bass output modifications for the higher. Particularly, the vocals open up and the beats sound much less boomy. Sadly, the bass nonetheless bleeds into the remainder of the frequency spectrum, thereby muddying the general sound output. The identical was evident in Tyler the Creator’s Juggernaut and right here, not solely did the vocals sound gratuitously deep, however the devices within the background struggled to make a mark. Equally, the highs felt lackluster with little to no sparkle and fast roll-offs, even earlier than a notice hit its peak. Listening to The Killers Mr. Brightside, I used to be anticipating the refrain to sound energetic, however the treble output made the strums from the electrical guitar really feel a bit too relaxed.
Now, it’s no secret that patrons eyeing the Realme Buds Wi-fi 2 may have OPPO’s Enco M31 shortlisted too. To that notice, I can confidently say that the Enco M31 sounds significantly better than the Buds Wi-fi 2 earphones. In truth, I’d say that the Enco M31 is the one Bluetooth headset south of Rs 5K that truly advantages from Sony’s LDAC codec – the unit outputs extremely detailed sound. Nonetheless, the Buds Wi-fi 2’s bass-forward sound signature will certainly appease the plenty. Furthermore, Realme’s providing packs a wallop within the battery division, and ships with ANC too, so let’s speak about that now.
Battery Life, Name High quality, and ANC
The Realme Buds Wi-fi 2 allegedly presents 10 hours of battery life on LDAC codec with ANC enabled. In my testing, the pair managed to final me a bit of over eight hours off a single cost, and that’s with the ANC and LDAC enabled and the amount hovering round 70-80 p.c. That mentioned, you will get significantly better battery life out of the pair when you use the AAC codec as a substitute. What’s extra, the unit additionally ships with the corporate’s Dart cost expertise which ought to come in useful when you’re in a rush because it presents as much as 12 hours of music playback off a 10-minute top-up.
The decision high quality was to my liking as effectively. I didn’t discover any erratic voice drops, and the readability was chic too, so no complaints right here. As for the ANC, effectively, it’s improbable too – a minimum of for the worth. It’s not as robust as what you’d get with the Buds Wi-fi Professional, which mixes FeedForward and FeedBack mics to maximise ANC. On the flip aspect, the Buds Wi-fi 2 solely presents FeedForward mics, which is to be anticipated given the earphone’s wallet-friendly pricing. Regardless, the earphones managed to dampen all kinds of noise, together with development noises ensuing from the home subsequent door that’s present process renovation, to the birds chirping close to my window, and so on.
Verdict
The Buds Wi-fi 2 retail for Rs 2,299 and for the worth, deliver lots to the desk. That mentioned, the earphones can’t maintain a candle to the OPPO Enco M31, which in my books, continues to be the perfect neckband-style wi-fi headset round Rs 2K. So, when you preface the audio high quality over all the things else, I’d suggest you go for OPPO’s providing. Nonetheless, if you can also make do with a bass-heavy sound signature and wish added niceties like ANC, in addition to higher battery life, then the Realme Buds Wi-fi 2 is a stable purchase too.
Editor’s score : 3.5 / 5
Professionals:
- Handsome, sturdy design
- Highly effective ANC
- Lengthy-lasting battery life
Cons:
- Sound signature may do with some tuning