Huawei FreeBuds 6i headphones review: a stylish upgrade
By ForGeeks In June 2024, Huawei introduced a new model of TWS headphones – FreeBuds 6i. They combine the latest technology and stylish design, designed for active young people who demand high sound quality and ease of use. Let’s take a closer look at what innovations and features these headphones offer.
The FreeBuds 6i headphones are designed for active young people.
The Huawei FreeBuds 6i
package and appearance
When I first picked up the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6i, I immediately noticed the minimalistic design of the packaging. Inside the box are the headphones themselves, a charging case, a USB-C cable, three pairs of interchangeable silicone ear cushions of different sizes, and a brief instruction manual. In general, we can’t hope for any additional accessories in 2024. And they are not really needed. Although it seems like a protective case would have come in handy.
The headphones look pretty stylish – just look at that purple (or is it lilac?) color. Surprisingly, the casing is matte! And that’s great, since it doesn’t collect all the fingerprints. But of course, you are not safe from scratches in your pocket. Of course, there’s only a button and a USB-C port on the case, so everything is standard.
And the headphones themselves are already glossed over so that they shine in your ears. Overall, it looks organic, although I personally prefer matte surfaces everywhere. Yes, they look less premium (probably), but they are practical. The control of this model is touch, that is, you have to tap and swipe on the earpiece. Sometimes there are problems with this, it’s enough to accidentally hit the earpiece and the music will stop. In general, you can get used to it, but the nuance should be taken into account. Inside the case, the FreeBuds 6i are magnetically secured and won’t fall out, and the lid opens smoothly, so there’s nothing to pick on.
In general, the appearance of the headphones is as unified as possible and they look a lot like the previous model – Huawei FreeBuds 5i. Well, in general, this is a normal behavior for the current time. The company finds a convenient form factor and begins to work not on the design, but on the internal filling. Remember, smartphones used to be different, too?
Huawei FreeBuds 6i specifications
- Earphone type: In-canal, True Wireless Stereo (TWS)
- Noise Cancellation Technology: Intelligent Active Noise Cancellation 3.0
- Transducers: 11mm dynamic with four magnets
- Supported codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- Frequency range: 14 Hz to 20 kHz
- Battery life: up to 8 hours (without active noise cancellation), up to 5 hours (with active noise cancellation)
- Work time with charging case: up to 35 hours (without active noise cancellation), up to 20 hours (with active noise cancellation)
- Charge time: 10 minutes of charging for 4 hours of playback
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
- Moisture protection: IP54
Features of Huawei FreeBuds 6i headphones
Huawei FreeBuds 6i features an advanced active noise cancellation system that includes three microphones and 11mm dynamic drivers. This allows the headphones to effectively suppress noise in a variety of environments, whether it’s a noisy office, subway, or airplane. I won’t say it’s the best noise canceller, but it works quite well. When traveling in transportation, most of the noise was really cut off and listening to music was comfortable. The four-magnet dynamic drivers provide powerful and clear sound. Bass is deep and rich, mid and high frequencies are clear and detailed, only in some compositions some very high frequencies sag. But still the headphones are designed for listening to ordinary music, not specific metalcore. And yes, of course, there’s the LDAC codec and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.
One of the key pluses of the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6i is the runtime. According to the manufacturer’s claims, the full charge of the headphones is enough for 8 hours of music playback without active noise canceling and up to 5 hours with it. In real conditions, the indicators are very close, sometime longer by half an hour, sometimes less (depends on the volume of music and enabled noise reduction). The charging case increases the total operating time to 35 hours without noise reduction and up to 20 hours with it. The fast charging feature allows you to get up to 4 hours of playback in 10 minutes of charging. The headphones support simultaneous connection to two devices, making it easy to switch between, for example, your smartphone and laptop without having to reconnect each time. Yes, if you have a Huawei smartphone, the headphones are automatically detected and you can connect them in just a couple of clicks.
Impressions from using the Huawei FreeBuds 6i
The headphones pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. They do quite well across different genres of music. In the rock and electronic music test, they performed well: the bass is powerful and rich, but doesn’t overwhelm the midrange and treble. Even at high volume, the sound remains clear. Podcasts and audiobooks also sound clear and intelligible. Huawei FreeBuds 6i are light enough, and after several hours of use your ears don’t get tired. The silicone ear cushions fit snugly over the ears (if you choose the size rather than relying on standard ones), providing a good level of passive noise cancellation. Even when you’re running or working out hard, the earbuds stay in place and won’t fall out.
The intelligent active noise cancellation really works. In a noisy office, the headphones do a great job of blocking out background noise so you can focus on your work. On the subway, they significantly reduce noise, making your commute more comfortable. Turning on Active Noise Cancellation greatly improves the experience of listening to music and podcasts. Interestingly, there are 3 microphones in each earpiece and they work in conjunction with DNN, a neural network algorithm that can distinguish voices from noise, so noise cancellation works during calls too.
