Realme Buds Air 5 review: Hits the right notes

Realme Buds Air 5 Review: Realme launched the new Realme Buds Air 5 on August 23 priced at Rs 3,699. And after using the True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds for a couple of weeks, I realize that Realme has done an excellent job of presenting the feature-packed buds at this price point. Although there are cheaper TWS headphones on the market, the sound and music quality justify this price. Let’s dive into the details –

Realme Buds Air 5 review: build and design

The buds come in a well-made case that weighs around 45.5 grams together with the buds. The buds I received were the Arctic White variant, but you can also opt for the Deep-Sea Blue variant depending on your style. The case has a smooth, glossy finish that can be slippery and difficult to hold for some people. However, the case is sturdy and even after dropping it a few times I haven’t had any issues. There is a USB-C charging port on the bottom. In addition, Realme has also added a pairing button that you have to press for three seconds to enter “pairing mode”.

The lid can be opened and has a relatively solid hinge. The earbuds are lightweight and the design of the earbuds and stem fit snugly in the ear canal. It may loosen up a bit after a few vigorous nudges or when you’re headbanging along to your favorite song, but it still doesn’t come off that easily. The headphones have an IPX5 waterproof rating, which means they can withstand heavy rain and you can exercise with ease too.

Realme Buds Air 5 review: Bluetooth v5.3 and Google Fast Pair

Since the headphones are equipped with Google Fast Pair, pairing the gadget with your Android phone is a breeze. First, you have to press and hold the pairing button for three seconds to enter pairing mode. You then need to turn on Bluetooth on your phone, open the charging case, and then follow the Google Fast Pair pop-up instructions.

iPhone users need to follow the regular pairing process. With the latest Bluetooth v5.3 on the device, there was a strong, stable connection and thanks to the low latency of 45ms there was hardly any lag between audio and video.

Realme Buds Air 5 review: noise cancellation and transparent mode

When the earbuds are placed in your ears, 50dB active noise cancellation is automatically activated and you can feel the surrounding noise being significantly reduced.

I used the headphones when traveling on the Delhi Metro during rush hours and they really blocked out a lot of the ambient noise. That noise cancellation is unreal and surprisingly good for this price point.

You have to tap and hold on both sides of the touch area to activate the transparent mode, which disables the noise-cancelling function and you can hear the surrounding sounds. This is a really good feature of the device.

Realme Buds Air 5 review: sound and microphone

Speaking of performance, the buds sound phenomenal. When I unpacked the headphones and played the first song, I was really blown away. And in fairness, they’re loud — really loud. Combined with the noise canceling function, the 12.4mm mega titanization driver and dynamic bass greatly improve the listening experience.

I was listening to “Hotel California” on Spotify with these headphones and honestly I was blown away. The guitar’s clarity, bass and crisp tones were really impressive – and they really are top notch at this price point.

As for the microphone, the 6-mic noise-cancellation on calls is decent and the person on the other side can hear you clearly. However, sometimes noises penetrate, but they are not a cause for concern.

Realme Buds Air 5 review: battery and charging

Right out of the box I’ve been using these headphones for a while and haven’t felt the need to go back to my comparatively more expensive earbuds. After almost two hours of daily use, there was still 50-60 percent juice left.

Realme states that the buds can last up to 38 hours on a single charge. It comes with a 460mah battery in the case and a 43mah battery in the headphones, which ensures a long runtime. Also, it supports fast charging with the Type-C charging port, and Realme states that it can easily last 7 hours after charging for 10 minutes.

Realme Buds Air 5 review: touch controls

According to the user manual, you can play or pause music and answer or end calls with two taps on either side of the headphones. Triple tapping lets you skip to the next track, and tapping and holding for a few seconds lets you either reject an incoming call or change the control mode to either noise-cancelling or transparent mode.

One of the best parts of this device is the designated “touch areas,” which have a different texture. One can easily find the “touch zones” when using the buds and they are very responsive.

Realme Buds Air 5 Review: Final Verdict

Honestly I’m quite impressed with the product that Realme has offered priced at Rs 3,699. Sure, the mics could have done a better job, but the company hit the spot with the device’s sound, noise-cancellation, touch controls, and battery backup. Honestly, at this price, it’s a bargain.

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