Introduction :
Since Apple first introduced the AirPods in 2016, competition has stepped up and is now providing an incredible selection of TWS earphones with an ever-expanding feature set and at steadily decreasing costs. With its Buds 4 Pro earphones, which are more concentrated on the former than the latter, Xiaomi attempts once more this year.
They actually call for more than rivals like OnePlus’ Buds Pro 2 or even Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 Pro and are quite similar to the AirPods Pro. Xiaomi’s Buds set themselves a fairly lofty goal at €250. There is definitely a lot to explore in this review because they have all the bells and whistles: high-quality streaming, active noise cancellation, a long battery life, dimensional audio, and head tracking.
Design :
Xiaomi opted for a sleek, sophisticated design, and the colour scheme is official rather than playful. There is a Star Gold variant in addition to the Space Black one that we have. With a matte finish on the bottom and a glossy one on the lid, both choices have two-tone designs. This part of the joke caused some division among workplace coworkers because some thought it was “too much” while others didn’t. However, the glossy finish of the lid actually draws grease and smudges, which are also quite obvious.
The earphones’ distinctive design makes them stick out. Sure, they still have the typical TWS bud form, but the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro have stems that resemble squares rather than curved ovals and, like the case, feature a two-tone design. The matte, soft-to-the-touch material that is in contact with the ear is durable. However, Xiaomi retained the curves there to make them more comfortable to wear in the ear.
It also works because the Buds 4 Pro are undeniably comfy. Even though we put them through rigorous testing in a variety of challenging environments, they will never fall off as long as you get the right size for your ear tip (Xiaomi includes three sizes in the retail package).
However, as with any in-ear design, extended listening sessions will cause your ears to become a little, well, fatigued. Additionally, since no two individuals have the same ear shape, in-ear designs are generally a personal choice.
Features and software :
Although the Xiaomi Earbuds software is available in the Google Play store, the Buds 4 Pro can be used without it as well. Each earphone’s gestures (double press, triple press, press and hold), in-ear detection, voice detection, ANC mode and level adjustments, and, of course, locating your missing earphones are all customizable.
Screenshot from the Xiaomi Earbuds app
The ANC options are prominently displayed, and a persistent notification provides easy access to switching modes. Transparency mode, Off, and Noise reduction are your options; they are all fairly self-explanatory.
Additionally, there is a toggle for automatic noise cancellation, which we found to be excellent because there is no discernible difference between the automatic setting and the ANC being on all the time. Depending on your surroundings, the algorithm seems to be doing a decent job of appropriately adjusting the ANC level. Since ANC won’t be on constantly, this should theoretically result in some energy life savings.
The voice detection function was quite convenient to use, particularly when someone approaches you to initiate conversation. The volume is reduced when the earphones recognise your voice, and Transparency mode is activated so you can hear the other individual. It performed poorly in a noisy gym, for example, despite being reasonably dependable in a moderately noisy setting. When you speak loudly, the microphones simply find it difficult to take up your voice.
sound clarity :
There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to the audio clarity of the Buds 4 Pro, which have 11mm dual-magnet drivers. Up to 990 kbps, 96 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res audio streaming using Sony’s LDAC codec is enabled.
They all sound great; we’ve tried them across a variety of musical genres. which, in the case of tiny blooms like these, is unusual. Manufacturers frequently attempt to adjust their earphones for genres with more bass.
With the Buds 4 Pro, that is not the situation. Vocals are clear and high-frequency noises are crisp even at high volumes, while the bass reproduction was passably good.
A lot of musical instruments and acoustic music also sound crisp.
When playing a live concert recording or viewing a movie, the Dimensional audio feature may aid in immersion, but the total sound quality suffers. Everything sounded distant, and high-frequency noises became somewhat muddled, which we didn’t like.
Only a small number of Xiaomi phones—the Xiaomi 13, 13, Pro, 13, Lite, 12X, Mi 11i, Mi 11, and Mi 11 Ultra—support this function at the moment, but more should in the future.
We were surprised to find that the noise cancellation option doesn’t cause much interference. To tell the difference, you really need to watch for small adjustments. Bass sounds slightly less spacious when the ANC is turned off, as if you are hearing in a small, echo-friendly space.
It should be noted that these are very subtle adjustments to the general sound quality, which is excellent news because ANC is known to significantly obstruct musical enjoyment. Here, Xiaomi has achieved a decent level of equilibrium.
Noise cancellation :
Xiaomi claims that the Buds 4 Pro can block out sounds up to 48 dB, but the truth is a little more complicated. As most of you are aware, noise suppression is most effective when low-frequency noises are continuous; however, abrupt high-pitched sounds do not suppress noise.
Three microphones (one on each earphone) on the Buds 4 Pro gather up background noise, and a Voice Pick-up Unit (VPU) is always on the lookout for your voice when you’re on the phone or when the Voice detection feature is activated.
The buds also have a clever AI-powered algorithm that, in addition to the hardware upgrades, removes wind noise of up to 32.4 km/h during phone conversations. Although this feature performs admirably in moderately windy conditions, don’t anticipate miracles.
In any event, we discovered that the noise cancellation performed well even in noisy settings. For instance, the typical exercise noise and its obnoxious music are effectively muffled. It’s difficult to hear over the noise of the metro and other crowded public transportation. The noise cancelling may only allow cars to pass you on the street. Additionally, we tested the ANC against a relatively noisy vacuum cleaner, and the earbuds performed admirably.
Microphone :
Overall, the efficacy of the microphone is very good. Your phone conversations won’t be interfered with except in loud environments with strong side winds. However, the typical gym noise or street commotion didn’t obstruct your conversations. Rarely do small TWS buds work so well during phone calls.
Connectivity :
TWS headphones of today. LDAC, SBC, and AAC streaming formats are supported by the buds. Providing your phone has the necessary capabilities, LDAC enables audio streaming at up to 990 kbps with 32-bit audio depth. If not, AAC will be used instead.
The earphones also allow you to pair multiple devices, for example, if you want to stream audio from your laptop while still using your phone to answer calls.
We are unimpressed with the real connection performance. Only when the smartphone has a direct line of sight to the target are the stated 10-meter ranges valid. If your apartment has more than a few rooms, you will need to take your phone with you. Additionally, when carrying our phones in our pockets while strolling down the street, we have encountered sporadic hiccups and cutoffs. Although we were unable to pinpoint the reason, it only ever occurred when ANC was turned on. Even so, we don’t know what caused it.
In any case, these problems, along with the in-ear detection, should be simple to resolve with a future software update and may be related to the fact that our set is a pre-release.
Battery life and charging :
The case has a 565 mAh capacity in addition to the 53 mAh batteries in each earpiece. That is fairly typical for a premium set of earbuds, but the Buds 4 Pro have one significant advantage over their competitors: the case can be charged both wirelessly and with a cable. The earbuds should work with the majority of chargers and smartphones that support backward wireless charging because they support standard Qi charging.
In our experience, both the case and the earbuds charge very quickly. Xiaomi states that 3 hours of uninterrupted playback can be obtained with just 5 minutes of charging, and that seems to be true based on our observations.
Unfortunately, the actual battery life we obtained from the earbuds is significantly less than the 9 hours of listening time that was promised, or a total of 38 hours when you take into account case recharging. Xiaomi did, however, try the earbuds while disabling all other features, including ANC and Dimensional audio, and streaming music in the battery-friendly AAC codec.
However, when we streamed music in LDAC without ANC, we received between 6:20 and 5:20 hours, based on the specific bud. You did read that correctly. For some reason, the right bud releases much more quickly, occasionally leaving a 16% gap.
Even though these outcomes fall far short of expectations, they are still very strong. The Pixel Buds Pro is the lone exception to the norm, with most rivals appearing to provide comparable battery life. With ANC on, they can operate continuously for more than 7 hours, or 11 hours without.
The charging case offers roughly 3.7 charges, bringing the total amount of time for listening to audio to just over 20 hours.
Conclusion :
There are many advantages to the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro. Their outstanding sound quality is possibly the most crucial thing to take into account. There aren’t many issues, and the sound quality is still outstanding even with ANC turned on. The design is also pleasant, the microphone performs admirably in most circumstances, the battery life is respectable, and we appreciate the flexibility of charging.
On the other hand, we are unable to give the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro an unqualified recommendation due to the software issues we’ve experienced, including the in-ear detection, the cut-offs, the somewhat constrained Bluetooth range, and the voice detection. Additionally, the high price is difficult to stomach, and we believe the flowers need to lose nearly €100 in order to be profitable.
The good news is that almost all of the problems we ran into were software-related, so the majority of them will undoubtedly be fixed in upcoming system updates. Furthermore, given that Xiaomi frequently holds sales on its goods, perhaps these will soon be considered a steal.
