The Redmi Buds 5A were unveiled in India along with the Redmi Pad SE at Xiaomi’s ‘Smarter Living and More’ launch event in April this year. The audio wearable comes with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Google Fast Pair support, as well as an IPX4 rating and a companion app. These true wireless earphones (TWS) are also the company’s cheapest wireless audio offering in the country so far. After using it for about a few weeks, let me tell you why it’s a good option if you’re looking for an ANC TWS in a low budget.
Redmi Buds 5A review: Design and features
The Redmi Buds 5A sport a traditional in-ear design and offer three ear tip size options. In the box, the earphones come with a medium-sized tip that mounts on the earbuds and two additional pairs of silicone tips – one small and one large. The largest of these ear tips gave me the best fit. However, a charging cable is not included in the box. The only other item in the box is the information/instruction leaflet.
Redmi Buds 5A comes with Google Fast Pair support
The Redmi Buds 5A earbuds have charging ports on the bottom of the stem, which have no direct contact with the skin, saving some people from dealing with metal allergies. Tactile control areas are located on the top of the stem.
Sleek and lightweight, the Redmi Buds 5A Charging Case comes with a “polished pebble” design, according to the company. Now, sure, you won’t mistake the oval case for a lakeside cobble, but it’s small enough to withstand the comparison and be a handy portable accessory. What makes it easy to carry is the weight, which is around 41.2 grams including the two earphones along with the charging case. Each earbud weighs approximately 3.6 grams individually.
The Redmi Buds 5A charging case has a USB Type-C port at the bottom. When the case is charging, a steady white light appears next to the port and turns off when fully charged. The light is visible even when the earphones are on, i.e. when the case is open. Two identical indicative white lights appear on the top of the earphones when turned on.
Redmi Buds 5A review: Apps and specifications
Although the Redmi Buds 5A comes with Xiaomi Earbuds app support, it offers very few controls. Once you connect the earphones to your smartphone, it prompts you to download the app. Once the app installs successfully and it recognizes the earphones, you get a very simple, straightforward layout. Below the image of the earphones in their cases, you see the battery life of the charging case as well as the battery percentage of the left and right earbud separately. This last option disappears as soon as you close the case back on after removing the individual earphones.
Redmi Buds 5A controls, as seen on the Xiaomi Earbuds Android app
One of the controls the app offers is to choose between ANC modes – transparency, noise cancellation, and ANC off. Once selected, the special mode appears marked in blue. Just below the ANC controls, there’s an option for ‘Additional Settings’. This leads to a tab with three more functions. At the bottom of the screen, there is a ‘Remove Earphones’ option, which allows users to remove control of the Redmi Buds 5A earphones from the app.
You can also find a ‘Rename earphones’ option which you can use to rename the TWS earphones, the name by which they are identified on the connected device. The third option is a toggle to turn ‘Low Latency’ mode on or off. The low latency mode is claimed to provide users with a smoother gaming or video watching experience, the potential of which we will discuss in a bit.
However, the app is unimportant to me, as the Redmi Buds 5A’s ANC and latency modes can be accessed through simple touch controls. This may not be completely unnecessary, as some people may find it easier to control these functions through the app.
The Redmi Buds 5A feature 12mm dynamic drivers, up to 25 dB ANC, IPX4 rating for splash-resistance earbuds, AI-assisted environmental noise cancellation (ENC), and support for Google Fast Pair and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. The earphones only support the SBC codec, and in this review, we will discuss how it affects the listening experience of users.
Redmi Buds 5A is claimed to offer up to 30 hours of battery life.
Redmi Buds 5A review: Performance and battery life
Budget ANC supported TWS earphones are known for the convenience. In a word, this is what the Redmi Buds 5A offer. ANC under Rs. 1,500. Easy to carry, lasts all day long. These are made for casual use and convenience and they live up to the expectations in these categories. They are ideal for you if you use them to escape traffic or light noise and immerse yourself in your favorite podcast or music.
Touch controls on the Redmi Buds 5A are straightforward – double tap to play/pause or answer a call and triple tap to reject/end a call or change tracks. Users can press and hold for two seconds each to switch between ANC modes, while to change the latency mode they need to press and hold the touch zone for 1.5 seconds at the same time on both earphones. The exclusion of single tap controls ensures fewer accidental commands when adjusting the fit of buds, or one’s long hair.
At the given price, I’m not expecting anything better as far as sound quality is concerned. When I played Stuck in the Middle With You by Steelers Wheel on these Redmi Buds 5A, I didn’t expect to hear the details of the arrangements. I did not listen to him. Expectations were fulfilled. The bass-heavy sound still provides a good enough experience for me to enjoy the songs. However, at higher volumes, around 60 or 70 percent, the sound appears muffled. Moving towards something with more guitar and piano, Hozier’s Too Sweet plays with a similarly cloaked overture at 50 percent. If “lo-fi, Hozier playing in the other room while you study” interests you, you’re in luck.
But once we go to 70 or 80 percent volume, distortion becomes noticeable in most tracks. It’s not ideal, but not a deal breaker either.
For example, when I play Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks, the bass-heavy, slightly muffled sounds are nothing distant from Ray Davis’s lament about unfair tax rates. It even makes tracks like Fall Out Boy’s Immortals or Gorillaz’s Feel Good Inc. sound bright and enjoyable. Certainly much more than the horns and screams of urban traffic.
The sound quality is somewhat compromised due to the only support for the SBC Bluetooth codec in the Redmi Buds 5A. It provides a stable connection but lossy sound processing. They also do not support the AAC codec, which is preferred by most iOS smartphones and tablets.
Even with 60 ms latency, I experienced considerable lag on the Redmi Buds 5A with games like Battlegrounds Mobile India. This is not unexpected. Despite turning on low latency mode, it did not make much difference. However, latency was not noticeable when it came to online or offline video playback, thus proving once again that they are only suitable for casual use.
Redmi Buds 5A does not come with a charging cable in the box
With ANC off, the Redmi Buds 5A earbuds are claimed to offer up to five hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 30 hours of total playback time with the storage case. I got about five hours of listening with just earphones, ANC off and at 50 percent volume. For reference, this is about the first four episodes of Hiramandi or four and a half episodes of The 8 Show.
However, if we turn on ANC, the battery of the Redmi Buds 5A drains quite fast. With ANC on, with just the earphones, I got only three hours of use at 50 percent volume. With a 10-minute fast charge, I can use the earbuds for about an hour, with the same volume and noise cancellation settings.
The charging case of the Redmi Buds 5A houses a 4.40mAh battery, while each earphone has a 34mAh battery. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the case using a 67W Redmi adapter and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable. Case in point, the earphones take about 45 minutes to go from zero to 100.
Last but not least, call. The AI-backed ENC on the Redmi Buds 5A overcomes the noise of a quaint residential area, but not the noise of a bustling street. When taking a call using these earphones, the mic provides greater clarity just like your surroundings. If you are not a fan of shouting excessively incorrect ETAs to your punctual and impatient friend in a public place, then avoid taking calls using these earphones. Instead, use your phone. But with a stable connection, the voice you hear from the other end of the call using these TWS wearables is quite clear, even if not particularly muffled.
The Redmi Buds 5A charging point is on the bottom of the stem
decision
If your budget is extremely limited and you are looking for ANC-supported TWS earphones, the Redmi Buds 5A for Rs. 1,499 is a good option. At the given price, the earphones are best for casual use. They don’t promise anything they can’t deliver. The sound clearly lacks detail compared to mid-range TWS offerings and products with higher and better specifications. But the power and bass they provide are worth the price. The lack of a charging cable in the box can be easily avoided as you can use any old USB Type-C cable to charge it. If not used primarily for heavy mobile gaming, even 60ms latency is almost incomprehensible.
However, if you are a little tight on budget, you can consider the Noise Buds Venus TWS Earphones (Review), which is currently available in India for Rs. Rs 1,699 for slightly better noise cancellation, lower latency and better battery life. At Rs. Priced at Rs. ₹400 more than the Redmi Buds 5A, you can also get the Honor Choice Earbuds Come with IP54 rating. Accompanying app.
