Unleash Seamless Audio with Redmi Buds 6 Review
Redmi Buds 6 Review: A Great Affordable Pair of Earbuds
The Redmi Buds 6 is Xiaomi’s latest entry-level wireless earbuds that have impressed us with its features and performance. Coming at an affordable price point of INR 2799, these earbuds are a great value for money. In this review, we’ll delve into the design, comfort, software, audio quality, microphone performance, and battery life of the Redmi Buds 6.
Design and Comfort
The Redmi Buds 6 have a similar design to the previous generation model, with the case sporting a rectangular design reminiscent of an Impact Mints case. The top and bottom of the case feature a matte finish, while the sides are glossy. The earbuds themselves feature an updated design with a glossy strip on the outward-facing edge.
Comfort was excellent for my ears, with the earbuds being barely noticeable once worn. They slide in and out of the ears with minimal pressure on the inner ear, and I found myself wearing these for hours without any fatigue or discomfort.
Software
The Redmi Buds 6 are compatible with the Xiaomi Earbuds app, available for both Android and iOS devices. The app allows users to control various features, such as audio effects, gestures, and more. You can also fine-tune the ANC mode and adjust individual options.
One issue with the app is its annoyances, including a giant banner for a three-month free Spotify subscription, which can’t be removed. The app also forces you to sign into a Xiaomi account to update the firmware on the earbuds, which is an unnecessary step. Additionally, the app goes full screen on Android phones, hiding the status bar at the top, and the ANC buttons could be better centered.
Audio Quality
The Redmi Buds 6 have good audio quality, with a mid-bass forward tuning that provides a pleasing sound without being overly boomy or overpowering. The overall sound is full-bodied and balanced, with good vocals and detail. However, the sound lacks sparkle and air, and the higher frequencies are slightly obfuscated.
The ANC performance is impressive for a product in its price range, attenuating everyday sounds like fans and air purifiers, but struggling with high-frequency sounds. The earbuds do a decent job in noisier environments, such as on an aircraft, but let in more noise in the mid-range.
Microphone
The Redmi Buds 6 have good microphone performance, with clear and natural voice quality in quiet environments. In noisy environments, the voice is still discernible, with the background noise well-isolated. However, there are some loud popping sounds at times.
Latency
The Redmi Buds 6 have poor latency performance out of the box, with horrible latency when using non-Xiaomi devices. The low latency mode on Xiaomi phones helps, but it’s not available in the Xiaomi Earbuds app.
Connectivity
The Redmi Buds 6 have good connectivity performance, with no dropouts or pairing issues. The earbuds support dual device pairing and work fine when paired to two devices at once.
Battery Life
The Redmi Buds 6 have a rated battery life of 10 hours with ANC disabled and 6.5 hours with ANC enabled. The company claims that 10 minutes of charging gives 4 hours of playback with ANC disabled, which we tested and confirmed.
Conclusion
The Redmi Buds 6 are a great value for money, offering comfort, good audio quality, and decent active noise cancellation at an affordable price point. However, the software experience could be improved, and the latency performance is poor without the low latency option. If you can ignore these issues, these earbuds are a great option for the price.
