HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: Bright Earbuds With Cool Sound

Testing Freebuds 3 – the first earbuds to feature Active Noise Cancellation technology and some other exciting features.

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: Design

After the release, Freebads 3 was available in white and black, but we were lucky – a novelty arrived in the editorial office in a new bright red color. The headphones have a compact round case with a magnetic cover, made of glossy plastic. In its manufacture, two layers of paint and a UV coating were used for long-term color retention.

Most likely, over time, small scratches will appear on the case, but during a couple of weeks of the test period, we only noticed fingerprints that quickly cover the glossy case.

The headphones themselves are reliably magnetized on the charging pad inside the case – if anything, they won’t fall out. Perhaps we will not compare the entire review of FreeBuds 3 with AirPods. Yes, they are similar, but in fairness – all modern wireless earbuds are similar to each other, and Apple’s only fault is that they were one of the first. 

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: How do they sit

As we said, these are in-ear headphones. Unlike vacuum earplugs, which can be matched with comfortable ear pads, Freebads have a fixed shape that will either fit your ears (which is more likely) or not (which is sad).

The manufacturer has done everything possible for a comfortable fit – Dolphin Bionic Design’s special ergonomic design, based on dolphin anatomy, helps the headphones to sit securely and directs sound to the ear canal.

Each earbud weighs only 4.5g and is barely felt in your ears. However, everyone’s ears are different, so if you get the opportunity to try on headphones before buying, we advise you not to neglect it.

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: Sound, Microphone, And Noise Reduction

The headphones are equipped with 14.2 mm drivers and separate tubes for low frequencies. The device uses the modern Bluetooth 5.1 standard with BLE support and audio processing technology at 356 MHz for signal transmission. The Kirin A1 processor is also responsible for the sound quality, which helps the microphones to recognize background noise; and a vibration sensor, with which the headphones recognize and amplify your voice.

All these technologies ensure a stable connection between headphones and a smartphone and clear voice sound on the phone in practice. You can answer calls on a busy street instead of looking for a quiet corner to talk.

The manufacturer promises that the headphones can even suppress the wind noise when cycling at speeds up to 20 km / h – we, of course, did not check this, but we just worked in them in the office. You can’t even compare with full-size headphones or vacuum plugs – yes, it helps with conversations (when it cuts out noise to amplify your voice), but it doesn’t even isolate you from the clatter of the keyboard during work, let alone the noise in the subway. However, the perception of sound largely depends on the listener: the manufacturer also warns about this in its application.

When it comes to music, the HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 are among the few headphones we couldn’t find fault in it. And this is taking into account the compact form factor, in which, in principle, it is difficult to use a large driver and some constructive refinements.

Freebies have a very balanced sound with even bass, mids, and treble. In compositions with many soundtracks, not like David Bowie – Under Pressure, details are not lost, and “heavy” hits like AC / DC – Highway to Hell sound very rich.

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: AI Life app

All functions of the earbuds can be configured in a relatively simple AI Life app. They offer to download it via a QR code that you will find in the box with the device. There are versions not only for Google Play but also for the branded App Gallery from HUAWEI. You can add all the smart devices of the manufacturer that you have to the program.

On the main screen, in the tab with the headphones, their charge level will be shown – conveniently, the case battery is also taken into account. Interestingly, when working with HUAWEI smartphones, both headphones will discharge evenly. Due to the dual-channel technology, smartphones based on EMUI 10 synchronously transmit the signal to both headphones, not in turn (first to the right, and then to the left).

Another feature available to fans of the Chinese brand is determining the position of the device. Put, if you remove the headphones, playback will stop, and when you put them back in your ears, it will start again. Since we tested Freebads 3 with a HUAWEI smartphone, this feature worked without a hitch.

Also, in the AI ​​Life app, you can customize controls and noise reduction. Both earbuds support double touches – switch tracks, activate the voice assistant, or turn on / off the noise reduction. The headset does not notice light tapping, so it is challenging to pause music if you hit your ear accidentally.

The noise reduction is adjusted using the circular slider – depending on the surrounding sounds. Their filtering intensity will change. As practice has shown, it is enough to set it up once so that the noise reduction will remember the specified parameters.

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: Charge And Work Time

The earbuds can be charged both over the wire (here the USB-C connector is used) and wirelessly – using the charging station. Of course, it is faster from a standard charger – with such a charge, a power of 6 W is used, while with a wireless one – only 2 W.

In half an hour at the outlet, the case was charged by 70%, and the headphones by 95%. It’s pretty fast. A fully charged case will power your headset four times.

On a single charge, the headphones will last about 4 hours in playback mode – enough for several subway trips or air travel. However, the runtime also depends on the volume and whether you are using noise cancellation. With the included noise reduction device, the gadget will discharge a little faster.

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Review: Conclusion

If you value good sound and love earbuds more than earplugs, the Freebads 3 will appeal to you. They last a long time on a single charge, have a sensitive microphone for talking on the phone, and look stylish. It would be best if you did not count on complete isolation from external noise – after all, these are small earbuds and not full-size headphones. Also, the buyer may be confused by the price of the device – about starting at $119.71. But, as you know, you have to pay for quality, so you just have to accept that good headphones cannot be cheap.

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