Friday, March 29, 2024

Redmi Earbuds S review: Democratizing true wireless audio

Share

The true wireless earphone space has fast become one of the hottest segments for audio products. Options are available at all price points, but the budget segment is often fraught with products that overpromise and under-deliver. With Xiaomi’s Redmi brand joining the fray, do customers finally have an affordable option that does the job? The Redmi Earbuds S promise to do just that.

We find out if Xiaomi’s latest can deliver high-quality wireless audio freedom at a budget price in the Android Authority Xiaomi Redmi Earbuds S review.

About this review: I used Redmi Earbuds S over a period of seven days. The units were supplied by Xiaomi India.Show More

Redmi Earbuds S review: How’s the design?

Unlike the myriad Airpods clones, the Redmi Earbuds S take a different and, dare I say, better approach. The in-ear style ensures a much better seal than the semi-open hard plastic design of the AirPods.

Each earbud is finished in matte black plastic, which makes them easier to keep clean than some glossy options on the market. Additionally, the rectangular design is discrete enough to fit within the concha of your ear with minimal overhang. The entire design is comfortable, and at just over 4g each they are light enough to comfortably wear for hours on end. Indicator lights on each bud signals the current status: red for charging and white for pairing.

The design of the Redmi Earbuds S is discrete and light enough to wear for hours on end without fatigue.

Xiaomi supplies a range of silicon tips to suit individual needs; I found the default medium size to be comfortable enough. That said, the seal wasn’t quite the best and I could certainly hear ambient noise even with the music bumped up. Prospective buyers would be well advised to invest in a pair of Comply foam tips if they want total isolation. It would be nice to see foam tips included in the package.

A picture of Redmi Earbuds S in charging case with lid open

The Redmi Earbuds S rely on physical buttons for controlling the earbuds. A long press will either put the Earbuds S in pairing mode or turn them off. I had no issues with connectivity at all. In fact, I was able to walk right across my apartment without dropping the connection, a feat I haven’t managed with any other true wireless headset — even those that cost 10 times as much. This is particularly impressive, as my two thousand square-foot apartment has numerous brick walls.

Connectivity is rock solid and I could listen to music across my apartment without any dropouts.

Additionally, the Redmi Earbuds S ship with a low-latency mode for avid gamers that can be activated by pressing the button on the earphone thrice. I’m not much of a mobile gamer, and latency wasn’t really an issue for me even in regular mode, but the option is available for those who care.

related articleEditor’s Pick

15 best free Android games available right now!

We all know that free Android games aren’t always free these days, but many of them are very close if you have a little patience. Most free to play bottlenecks occur when players get impatient …

Finally, the earphones are IPX4 rated, which means they are sweat resistant. I would, however, advise against taking them for a run in the rain.

A picture of Redmi Earbuds S and case being slid into the pocket

The pill-shaped charging case is compact enough to easily slip into your pocket without any unsightly bulges (unless you prefer skinny jeans). Magnets hold the earphones in place, and while the top-lid is a bit flimsy, it too is held down by magnets.

The buds and case are finished in black matte, all of which feel reasonably well built and could almost be mistaken as premium buds from a distance. The only real compromise here is the microUSB connector for charging. It really makes no sense, considering most of Xiaomi’s budget line-up uses USB-C connectors at this point.

How do the Redmi Earbuds S sound?

A picture of Redmi Earbuds S in the ear

If you were expecting audiophile quality, these are not the earphones to consider. The Redmi Earbuds S claim to be tuned for India, which invariably means heavily amplifed bass. That turned out to be exactly the case in my time with the earphones.

related articleEditor’s Pick

Best true wireless earbuds – there’s more than Apple out there

If your new phone’s missing the headphone jack, you’ve probably already had to entertain the idea of switching to Bluetooth. Why stop there? Why not go with a true wireless option, and ditch even the cables connecting …

The Redmi Earbuds S are far from the best sounding earphones I’ve tried, but they do the job for the low price they command. Bass is over-emphasized to the point where loudness overrides clarity. This can be heard in the song RTJ4 by Run The Jewels; the percussive elements of the song make it hard to hear vocals at times.


The high, treble frequencies are rolled off and aren’t emphasized enough. You can certainly hear them, but there is a certain lack of clarity. The vocal range is a bit more emphasized, however, you still don’t hear them cutting through as well as you’d expect. Hip-hop and pop music fans might enjoy these, but rock music definitely doesn’t shine here.

Coupled with the decidedly lo-fi SBC codec, the audio reproduction is good enough to listen to while on-the-go or on background, but these won’t cut it if you are looking for intricate vocals and a lot of detail in your music.

How’s battery life?

A picture of the charging port on the Redmi Earbuds S case

The Redmi Earbuds S certainly don’t match the exemplary battery life offered by the likes of the Galaxy Buds Plus, but they’re not too bad either. The company claims four hours of use on a single charge and the Redmi Earbuds S lived up to it. With the volume set to about 50%, I could easily get four hours of playback. Crank up the volume, and you can expect a bit less.

The Redmi Earbuds S deliver on the promised 4 hours of playback, with another 12 in the case.

The case packs two more charges, giving you a total of 12 hours of playback time. It takes a little over 90 minutes to completely top-off the earphones, while the case takes two hours to charge from scratch.

Are the Redmi Earbuds S good for calls?

The microphone worked just fine for calls made indoors. The audio was clear on either end, though I was unable to test audio calls outdoors. In my experience, the cellular calls I made on my Mi 10 sounded better than those made over the internet on my MacBook. The microphone, in particular, sounded distorted, likely due to a low-frequency de-emphasis, at the other end of a Zoom call.

The Redmi Earbuds S might not be the best option if you are planning to use them for video calls.

Should you buy the Redmi Earbuds S?

A picture of the Redmi Earbuds S charging case

Make no mistake, the Redmi Earbuds S are far from the last word in audio quality. However, they really do stand out as one of the most reliable options in the category and it certainly helps that the price comes across as a pleasant surprise. Priced at just Rs. 1,799, there really is no reason not to buy the Redmi Earbuds S.


Rs1799
.00

Redmi Earbuds S

Buy it Now

Redmi Earbuds S

Buy it Now


Rs1799
.00

In fact, these could easily go up against true wireless options at double the price point on the merits of the reliable connectivity, build quality, and solid battery life. The crowd-pleasing, bass-heavy sound won’t appeal to audiophiles, but the product simply isn’t meant for the discerning listener.

With the Redmi Earbuds S, Xiaomi is doing exactly what it did with smartphones. The Redmi Earbuds S commoditize true wireless earphones and make them accessible to all.



Beats Solo Pro noise cancelling headphones Lightning connector input Apple

Beats Solo Pro review: The Beats to beat


Lily Katz
4 days ago


Title card which reads, "undersetanding Bluetooth codecs" overlayed atop an image of the JLab Epic Air Elite true wireless earbuds.

Bluetooth codecs 101: Everything you need to know


Lily Katz
5 days ago


Sonos home theater scene

Save $100 on a Bose 700, and more of the best sound bar deals!


Ryan Haines
5 days ago


A blended image of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus vs Jabra Elite 75t true wireless earbuds.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus vs Jabra Elite 75t: Which earbuds will you choose?


Lily Katz
6 days ago


Apple new AirPods 2 outside of the case resting on a book.

What we expect to see from the Apple AirPods 3


Lily Katz
1 week ago


Sony WH 1000XM3 at angle on table

What we want to see from the Sony WH-1000XM4


Lily Katz
3 weeks ago


The Jabra Elite Active 45e earbuds hanging on a road bike tire.

Jabra Elite Active 45e review: Keeping outdoor athletes safe


Lily Katz
3 weeks ago


Logitech G432 gaming headset connection adapter

Logitech G432 review: Good for gamers on a budget


Lily Katz
3 weeks ago


A picture of the Apple AirPods Pro earbuds in a man's open hand with an iPhone in the background.

Apple AirPods Pro review: Third time really is the charm


Lily Katz
3 weeks ago


New AirPods 2 on comic book.

AirPods (2019) review: Simple and convenient, but Android users have better options


Adam Molina
3 weeks ago

Read more

More News