Huawei is doing a tremendous job with its accessories; The Watch Ultimate 2 is the ideal upgrade if you’re using a Samsung smartwatch, and the brand’s brand new mesh router also serves as decorative lighting. But it’s audio where Huawei is really proving its uniqueness, and I realized this as soon as I started using the FreeBuds Pro 5.
I’ve used Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 earbuds for most of the past six months, and the reason is for the fit and sound quality. These are the areas where Huawei is aiming to overtake Bose, and after using the FreeBuds Pro 5 for the better part of a month, I think Huawei has pulled it off.
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Huawei says it has tested the buds extensively on over 10,000 ear samples, and this is evident when you wear the buds. They are so comfortable that I didn’t feel any fatigue and was able to fit in securely. That said, you get four sets of tips in the box, which is a nice thing. You also get IP57 ingress protection, making the buds a good choice for workouts.
There’s no doubt that the FreeBuds Pro 5 fit better than the QC Ultra Gen 2, and the case itself is significantly smaller and has better portability. The annoying thing is that I didn’t get the blue model of the case; That variant has a leather charging case and looks excellent, and while the sand color looks good in itself, it doesn’t have the same presence. I would have preferred a matte texture as the glossy coat on the buds is not to my liking, but that is the case with most products today, including Bose.
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Where the FreeBuds Pro 5 really shine is noise isolation; Thanks to the new dual-engine ANC system, the buds tune the sound to a greater extent than most products in this category, and it’s immediately noticeable. This is a big deal if you’re out and about wearing earbuds, and they’re able to meaningfully block out any ambient sound. I used these on a flight recently, and the buds did a great job at drowning out engine noise.
Awareness mode is also great, and it automatically switches to it if you start talking to someone, so there’s no need to take it out. Although I didn’t make many calls, the buds did a good job in this regard.
Most audio brands are leaning towards dual drivers in their buds – like Status Audio Pro X – and Huawei are no different. The FreeBuds Pro 5 have a standard dynamic driver along with a planar driver that handles treble, and the combination of drivers and tuning gives these buds a distinct advantage.
The result is that the FreeBuds Pro 5 sound amazing, and they hold their own against the best in this category – there’s no doubt about that. The bass is lively and has a satisfying rumble, the mids are clean and detailed, the vocals come through with a natural timbre, and the treble is airy without sibilance. Overall, the Buds have an enjoyable sound that is suitable for any genre, and they are fun to listen to.
One issue in this area is that there is no aptX codec, so if you have a phone that uses Qualcomm high-resolution codecs, you miss out on this mode. There’s LDAC and L2HC, but most phones I tested with — like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Find X9 Pro — come with aptX instead, so that’s an omission. That said, Huawei’s spatial audio itself is very good, and it gives you a sense of immersion when listening to music.
Each bud has a 60mAh battery, and battery life is perfectly average, lasting five hours between charges. The QC Ultra Gen 2 lasts an hour longer, and Huawei really needs to do better in this area.
coming in At £179 ($240) in the UK And at $229 on Amazon US (via a reseller), the FreeBuds Pro 5 are available at a price significantly lower than the latest buds from Bose and Sony. While battery life could be better, that’s the only real downside with these buds, and if you want an alternative to the QC Ultra Gen 2 with a better fit, you should consider trying the FreeBuds Pro 5.
