In the ever-evolving tech-life market, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds have gained immense popularity due to their convenience, portability, and quality and the new realme BUDS Air 5 is definitely a testament to how far it has grown both in design and audio features.
Just a bit of a background, I am more of a music guy than the “you can talk to me anytime” TWS earbuds user. But I do use it often for online meetings and such, especially when I am on the move. Also, I am a commuter and I bike, so a pair of lightweight and water-resistant TWS earbuds that produces amazingly clear audio with excellent noise reduction features is going to be my go-to device.
For the uninitiated, TWS or True Wireless Stereo technology refers to the use of wireless Bluetooth connectivity to deliver a stereo audio experience without the need for physical cables. In the context of TWS earbuds or headphones, this means that they come in a pair, and each earpiece functions independently without any wired connection between them or to the audio source.
I’ve had my hand on quite a lot of TWS devices from different brands, some of it was just for review and then some I’ve used extensively. realme BUDS Air 5 is my third from realme – I am still using the Buds Q and the Q2S.
There are several things that I always take into consideration before purchasing a new TWS earbuds:
- Sound Quality
- Comfort & Fit
- Battery Life
- Connectivity & Range
- Water & Sweat Resistance
- Controls & Features
- Call Quality
- Brand Reputation and Reviews
- Price
- Compatibility
In a nutshell, the new realme BUDS Air 5 is a winner in all fronts, however if you’re an audiophile or music purist, you’ll find a better experience of course with the realme BUDS Air 5 Pro because the Air 5 is missing some codecs that most audio junkies are looking for like the LDAC and APTX HD. But in terms of weight, driver unit size and price, the Air 5 wins!
Let’s go dive into some of the realme BUDS Air 5 features that that’ll knock you out:
COMPACT DESIGN & LIGHTWEIGHT
The Air 5 is available in two colors – Arctic White and Deep Sea Blue, and comes in the signature realme yellow packaging. What I have on hand is the Arctic White variant. The pebble-shaped charging case is simple, neat and elegant-looking. I really love how it’s all white on the outside and then black on the inside making the stem earbuds stand out when it’s opened.
The package includes a USB type-C charging cable and two pairs of silicone ear tips (small and large). The medium ear tips are pre-installed on the earbuds.
The charging case weighs a total of 45.5 grams (weight includes the two earbuds) having dimensions of 68.1mm x 50.8mm x 23.8mm, along with a lid that opens at 105° and snaps in place when closed through its magnets with each earbud at 4.4 grams having dimensions of 30.8mm x 20mm x 24mm. The earbuds themselves are also engineered and is meant to fit different ear sizes comfortably while being worn for long periods of time.
The buds are also rated IPX5 Water Resistant – enhanced protection from splashes of sweat, water and other light liquid substances while in use. You can use it in the rain but don’t submerge it in water.
FAST CONNECT & SUPER LOW LATENCY
The Air 5 is so easy to set up. It is able to detect and connect to a compatible device right out of the case via Google Fast Pair. Paired with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, the device can be freely used within a maximum range of 10m even while moving around. It has Dual Antenna Switching technology that also helps ensure connection stability.
The Realme Link app on your mobile device serves as a central hub where you can explore a range of features – from customizing audio settings to keeping an eye on battery levels, and in enabling the super low latency game mode that promises a near perfect 45ms sync between audio and game visuals. Latency with gaming mode not activated is at 250ms.
Navigating through my playlist and managing calls even while on my bike is amazingly easy and seamless. From skipping to the next song or juggling calls, the controls felt very responsive. The ability to switch to transparency mode with a long press is also a very nice feature, letting in ambient noise when needed is indeed a premium feature.
MORE SOUND, LESS NOISE
realme BUDS Air 5 utilizes dual-mic noise cancellation using the two embedded microphones (feedback microphone + feedforward microphone) in order to detect unwanted external sounds and any excess noise in the ears, then send out opposite sound waves to cancel up to 50dB.
It makes full use of the feedforward and feedback microphones embedded into each individual earbud along with a 6-core noise cancellation chip to achieve a 4000Hz ultra-wide band noise cancellation as an added feature to allow an excellent music listening experience.
The Air 5 maximizes the full array of six microphones built into the device to be able to accurately pickup and enhance a person’s voice while in a call alongside being able to effectively minimize external noise inclusive of wind noise and any other unnecessary ambient noise.
The device is also able to intelligently identify a variety of settings where unwanted ambient noise is known to get excessive and calibrate the amount of noise cancellation it delivers to match the surrounding environment.
12.4MM LARGE AUDIO DRIVER
Having an increased driver size from the previous realme Buds Air 3, the now larger audio diaphragm also comes with a titanium coating that is able to help produce more solid and crisp audio quality while also improving the device’s longevity of use.
The Individual Rear Cavity Design uses a lower damping mesh in order to greatly improve the audio output for low and mid frequencies while retaining sound clarity.
Also, the dynamic bass boost feature allows the device to intelligently adapt to the audio of whatever type of media is being played and compensate for portions of the audio where low frequencies or bass is lacking without sacrificing mids and highs, while avoiding any sort of distortion.
The Air 5 makes use of four speakers (2 in each unit) for a more immersive surround sound experience. It also supports Dolby Atmos when connected to a device that also supports Dolby Atmos.
LONGER LIFE & FASTER CHARGING
realme BUDS Air 5 allows a total of 38 hours of use with the batteries of both earbuds plus the charging case combined. The earbuds both house a 43mAh battery that lasts up to 4.5 hours with the volume at 50% while having ANC turned on. They can also last up to a total of 7 hours with the volume at 50% while ANC is turned off. Combined with the charging case, the total battery life of the device is at up to 22 hours with 50% volume and ANC turned on; but having a capacity of up to 38 hours with the volume at 50% and ANC turned off.
Fast Charging capabilities allows up to 7 hours of total playback time (at 50% volume with ANC turned off) within only 10 minutes of charge. Charging time indicated is with the two earbuds placed into the charging case for 10 minutes. Charging case input is at 1A (1 Ampere) with a Rated Power of 1.748W. Charging time for both earbuds to full in the charging case is 1 hour, and full charging time of the case with the earbuds inside is 2 hours.
- 12.4mm Large Audio Driver
- 50dB Active Noise Cancellation
- 45ms Super Low latency
- 7 Hours Playback Time for a 10-Minute Charge
It’s true that big brotherAir 5 Pro has a more premium sound, but we could all agree that the realme BUDS Air 5 is one of the best in its category and price point. Let’s just say that if you’re giving this out as a gift for the holidays, the receiver would remember this as one of the coolest gift they’ve received this year!
realme BUDS Air 5 is now available online at realme Lazada and Shopee Flagship Stores, and at all realme physical stores nationwide for an SRP of only 3,499 Pesos.
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