The modern world is so filled with various sounds that they negatively affect our psyche and well-being. Therefore, headphones are not only a way to enjoy your time, but also a help for those who dislike the hustle and bustle of a big city and prefer silence and tranquility during walks. The market offers users a multitude of models with various functions to fit any budget. Today, we’ll talk about an interesting device that is worth every penny – the realme Buds Air 5. What can these headphones offer for approximately $70?
Read also: realme Buds Air 3S headphones review: Good sound for an affordable price
Technical specifications of realme Buds Air 5
- Type: in-ear
- Connection interface: Bluetooth 5.3 (HFP, A2DP, AVRCP)
- Speakers: 12.4 mm
- Codec support: AAC, SBC
- Charging port: Type-C
- Battery life: approximately 7 hours of headphone usage without ANC, approximately 4.5 hours with ANC (up to 35-38 hours with charging case)
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Sensitivity: 15 dBm
- Noise cancellation: active – ANC
- Protection certification: IPX5
Positioning and price
To be honest, I was intrigued by this model. Firstly, because it’s a 2023 release that came out in October and promises to be excellent. Secondly, this model isn’t as well-known as the Pro version yet, and there’s very little information about it online. If you try to search for it, the system automatically suggests realme Buds Air 5 Pro. But I believe users will still learn about this new release, especially after reading the review on our website.
As for the Pro version, we have a test, a very successful model:
The hero of our review costs approximately $70, which means we’re dealing with a mid-range budget segment. Additionally, along with the affordable price, we have everything we need: active noise cancellation, 12.4mm speakers, long battery life, and touch controls. What more could one wish for?
The Pro version costs $18 more and differs by supporting the advanced LDAC codec, working with two devices simultaneously (multipoint), and slightly longer battery life. Not everyone will be willing to pay extra for this, as 35+ hours of operation is still a lot, and the difference between regular SBC and LDAC is not relevant for everyone.
Read also: Realme 11 Pro+ review: Truly extraordinary
Package contents
In fact, the package is minimal. In a tiny yellow package, we find headphones, a Type-C charging cable, caps of various sizes, and a short user manual.
Design and ergonomics of realme Buds Air 5
The realme company sticks to its “elongated-round” design solutions, and this model is no exception. I like this ergonomic shape because it’s comfortable and secure to hold the case. At first glance, the case resembles a flattened white pebble.
The exterior of the case is white, but if you open the lid, you’ll see black glossy plastic. This contrast has become an interesting design element because usually, we have a monochromatic case.
The case is made of smooth glossy plastic, so it gets scratched almost immediately – unfortunately, this is a downside.
The case features one functional button, which is responsible for the initial pairing with a new device, as well as a USB Type-C port for charging.
The case assembly is perfect, the magnets in the lid work well, I could open the lid with one hand. It all weighs very little (only 45.5 g), so you can easily carry the headphones with you in a bag or in your jeans pocket.
On the front panel of the case, there is an LED indicator that shows the battery level of the headphones and the case itself (if the headphones are removed).
The earbuds themselves are miniature, lightweight (4.4 g), and have medium-sized stems. The default ear tips installed are size M, but there are also options for S and L, for smaller and larger ears. It’s worth trying them out and choosing the right fit.
Despite their aforementioned miniature size, the earbuds fit well in the ear canal and look sleek and attractive. On each of them, we see magnets that are responsible for securely holding the buds in the case.
I spent a lot of time with the realme Buds Air 5 – on long walks, during workouts, and also while working – and didn’t feel any discomfort. I even forgot I had something in my ears.
The realme Buds Air 5 can be found in two color options: classic white and blue. The blue one also looks quite striking.
While the water resistance of TWS earbuds no longer surprises anyone today, it is still a valuable feature, especially for people who are on the move in any weather and regularly engage in sports. Thanks to the IPX5 certification, realme Buds Air 5 are protected from sweat and water splashes. However, it’s worth noting that this applies only to the earbuds themselves, not the case. Additionally, it’s not recommended to submerge them in water.
Read also: Realme 11 Pro review: A mid-ranger that looks like a flagship
Touch screen control
Control is done through gestures. If you want to activate a specific “function,” you need to tap on the top of the earbud.
- A double tap is used to play or pause music, answer or end a call.
- Triple tap is for track switching.
- Press and hold the top part of both earbuds for 2 seconds to switch the ANC mode/accept an incoming call.
The information mentioned above can be found in the included manual or in the realme Link app. Everything works smoothly without any issues.
With the application, you can customize gestures, and the selection of options is vast, even compared to more expensive models!
Connection and app
A nice bonus – if you’re using an Android smartphone, simply open the lid of the new earbuds, and the phone will immediately offer to connect them (Google Fast Pair feature). It worked right away with my Samsung and Xiaomi. With an iPhone, you can connect the headphones simply through the Bluetooth settings.
Additionally, every time you open the lid, you’ll receive notifications about the battery status – such a “built-in” feature is very convenient.
What else? The special realme Link application allows you to customize the headphones according to your needs and is available on both iOS and Android.
Android:
iOS:
The only issue was that during the first two weeks after the realme Buds Air 5 appeared in stores, the application didn’t detect this model. We had to wait for an update, so we couldn’t publish this review right away. But now everything is working smoothly.
Pairing with the application won’t take much time. You open it, register an account (unfortunately, it’s necessary), and connect your device. The realme Link app is a simple tool that will help you customize the headphones to your liking.
The interface is simple and understandable. In realme Link, you can check the battery level of the headphones, select the ANC mode, choose a sound effect (Serenade for better vocals, Original sound, Clear bass, Deep bass), or adjust the equalizer. You can increase the maximum volume, boost the bass, enable or disable wear detection, adjust the fit, update the software, change gesture controls, and more.
One interesting feature is that the realme Buds Air 5 supports a gaming mode with low latency: it’s just 45 ms. Playing games and watching videos is no problem – the mode works flawlessly on both Android and iPhone, providing perfect audio and video synchronization. Additionally, there’s a rare option to find your phone using the earbuds.
In my opinion, the most important thing is that the realme app has a full-fledged equalizer, while many headphones are limited to adding only a few presets. Here, you can easily adjust the sound exactly as you need it.
Simplification compared to the Buds Air 5 Pro – there’s no ability to work with two devices simultaneously.
Read also: Realme C67 4G review: stereo sound, IP54 and battery life
Sound quality and ANC
How do the new realme ones sound? Sensational! For me, for example, it’s always a pleasure to deal with gadgets from this company because here we see a balance between functionality and price.
The sound in the realme Buds Air 5 is delivered by 12.4 mm drivers. The supported Bluetooth version is 5.3. The current codecs are AAC and SBC. There’s no advanced LDAC here, but we’re testing a model in the mid-price range.
The sound of the realme Buds Air 5 is rich. The sound spectrum is wide, with sound and individual tones evenly distributed, and no distortions were noticed at all.
I’m satisfied with the quality bass, which slightly dominates over other tones, but the other low and mid frequencies are also clear and “juicy.” If needed, the bass can be “boosted” in the realme app. Similarly, with the volume, although, in my opinion, the default volume is sufficient. I tested how the model performs in different places and situations because it’s important for every user, and it’s known that each of us has different levels of ambient noise in our surroundings.
The active noise cancellation (ANC) system is equipped with 6 microphones and can reduce noise by up to 50 dB. It does well with monotonous noise, such as in a store or on the street – it’s not flagship-level, but for around $70, it’s quite decent. High-pitched sounds can still be heard; I wasn’t always completely “cut off” from the world.
The level of noise cancellation can be adjusted in the realme Link app:
- Auto – automatically reduces the level of noise depending on the surrounding environment.
- Max – optimal level for noisy places, such as on an airplane or in the subway.
- Medium – best suited for noisy environments, such as streets or public places.
- Moderate – gentle noise reduction for home, library, or office.
- Custom – user-selected settings.
I used the auto mode and have no complaints.
Since we have ANC, we can also use its antagonistic function – that is, the transparency mode. When this option is enabled, external noise is not filtered out but slightly enhanced. This option may be useful when riding a bike on the street or during casual conversations. It works well, although some “white noise” may be heard in the background. For this mode, the realme Link app has a voice enhancement feature, as well as additional wind noise reduction, which is very convenient outdoors.
There were no issues with voice transmission; I actively used social media, recorded voice messages, and the earbuds worked well during online meetings. My colleagues didn’t complain about the sound of my voice, and I was always clearly audible.
Combined with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, the device allows for use within a radius of up to 10 meters, even while in motion. The earbuds also utilize dual antenna technology for better maintaining a stable connection. During testing, I didn’t notice any problems.
Read also: Review of the budget smartphone realme C55: unusual in everything
Battery life
The manufacturer provides approximate data on battery life: 7 hours of headphone usage (with ANC – 4.5 hours) and up to 38 hours with the charging case. From my own experience, I can say that I didn’t have to charge the earbuds every day; even after 3 days, they were still working. Since I usually conduct short testing sessions in various conditions rather than wearing them all day long. There were moments when I obviously needed or wanted to wear the Air 5 longer than usual.
The approximate battery life of the earbuds in my case was 6.5 hours – sometimes more or less. This result is subjective as it depends on the usage scenario. However, modern lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 45mAh definitely don’t discharge quickly.
The manufacturer claims that the case fully charges in 2 hours, but I was able to fully charge it in just 1 hour and 50 minutes. However, please note that this time may vary depending on the adapter used.
Conclusions
Should you pay attention to the realme Buds Air 5? In my opinion, yes. The earbuds offer decent active noise cancellation, a reasonable price, quality and clear sound, and long battery life. With the realme Link app, you can conveniently customize gestures on each earbud and other settings. Additionally, the ergonomic shape of the case and sleek design are worth noting. Personally, if I had to choose earbuds for myself right now, it would definitely be the new Air 5 from realme.
However, if you need more advanced sound quality and features like multipoint connectivity, it’s worth paying a bit more for the “Pro” model.
Read also:
- HUAWEI Watch Buds review: smartwatch… with headphones inside
- OPPO Enco X2 headphones review: is sound the most important thing?
- Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro review: great sound and high-quality noise cancellation