Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro: Elegant And Comfortable

True wireless earbuds worth their salt have a few specific tasks to accomplish. Ensure exemplary audio quality, comfort, good battery life, and easy-to-use controls. Beyond a certain price threshold, there are several models of Bluetooth headphones that meet these points. However, to emerge today requires something more that makes a difference, and Huawei has found the place for its new FreeBuds 2 Pro headphones.

They are in-ear, let’s be clear, especially for those who do not like this headphones category and want a certain freedom in wearing them. Whether you like it or not, this segment is increasingly exploited by brands. On the other hand, one of the objectives is to isolate the user from the external environment and to do this you need ( in addition to the technologies of cancellation/reduction of the background noise ) also the classic earmolds in rubber and silicon.

Huawei added the ‘Pro’ suffix to give the product a clear message, sitting at the top of the range in terms of features and price. They are, in fact, the best true wireless earphones that the Chinese manufacturer has in its catalog so far. After a few days of use, the editorial staff thought of the Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro.

First Grip

We have listed the main functions that this so-called “portable” accessory, wireless Bluetooth headphones, must fulfill. In plain sight on the face, the design remains one of the most important elements. What is immediately striking about the Freebuds 2 Pro is the smaller size compared to the previous Freebuds 3. The bar has been reduced and measures only 26 millimeters. The weight also remained contained at 6.1 grams per headset.

Pleasant to wear, Huawei’s headphones are comfortable in shape but not excessively intrusive like the latest solutions of recent years. The idea of small, discreet headphones, which almost disappear inside our ears, is the most intriguing. But we must also recognize the physical and technological limits that impose a design close to the Freebuds 2 Pro if we are looking for excellent audio quality in calls.

The case is beautiful, simple, and minimalist while being made of plastic and thin enough ( 24.6 millimeters ) to keep it in your pocket without being particularly awkward. It’s easy to open, and each earbud has the usual magnetic clip, which holds them firmly together when stored. In short, the perfect shelter to take your Freebies 2 Pro with you, with the security of an extra battery.

Freebuds 2 Pro Audio Quality

We didn’t notice any substantial difference from the 11-millimeter dynamic speakers and enough power compared to the best true wireless on the market. Recall that Huawei’s Freebuds use hybrid background noise suppression technology ( ANC ). Huawei uses three microphones ( one external and two internal ) to compensate for outside noise with noise reduction of up to 40dB, which is good but not surprising.

The first test was in a noisy environment, in a train, where the ambient noise is different from the usual city street and where the ambient noise is often loud. Remember that total isolation in the city can be dangerous ( especially when crossing ). The ANC does a good job of compensating for background noise. A few chattering neighbor voices manage to get through the noise reduction system, but rather as a barely recognizable sound. We find the usual Kirin A1 chip, presented last year and never renewed again. Nothing new on this point.

All Functions

The FreeBuds 2 Pro is a very successful headset because it combines everything that has just been described with the functions most users request. Touch controls, transparency mode, and simultaneous connection to multiple devices. The app can customize different types of interaction according to everyone’s taste on these Huawei Bluetooth headphones. Most users will use the standard commands:

Play/pause a song.
Go to the following tune with a double tap.
Go to the previous one with three clicks.

The configurable voice assistant ( Google or Alexa ) is launched via a long press on the bar of the right earpiece. On the left, you can switch from active background noise cancellation to ‘aware’ mode and turn both off. The latter works very well and allows you to amplify your voice and that of others using microphones. So you can discuss them without taking them off.

Fast and precise transitions, once you are confident you can switch from one to the other without hesitation, exploiting the full potential of Huawei’s headphones. If we listen to the music and remove an earphone, the song stops and will resume as soon as we turn it on again; the sensor is very precise. The ANC is variable on four levels thanks to the AI Life app. On start-up, you’re in ‘Dynamic’ mode, which recognizes the surrounding environment and alters the noise-canceling strength accordingly.

We didn’t exploit the other levels much; we stayed in the Dynamic world most of the time. An “Ultra” fast mode test didn’t show any particular difference. Very practical, Bluetooth 5.2 keeps the Freebuds 2 Pro connected to two terminals. It is immediately possible to pair them to your smartphone and my laptop, for example, ideal for going from a call to a video or a virtual meeting on both. The transition is fast; to go from a PC to a smartphone, you must change the output source ( from Freebuds to internal speakers ) so that the smartphone’s sound remains.

Autonomy Without Compromise

A long battery life is now present. In this regard, we must recognize that everyone has made great progress, and even the Freebuds 2 Pro ( 2x 55 mAh ) can guarantee a minimum of 4.5 hours of autonomy with ANC active or 7 hours of playback if disabled. Virtually impossible to run out of battery, especially with the extra 580mAh unit in the case. An inseparable companion capable of extending the autonomy of your Freebuds Pro by an additional 20 hours! A Type-C connector at the bottom allows the case to be recharged at 6W, with status LEDs on the side. And 2W wireless charging.

Freebuds 2 Pro Reviews And Prices

It’s hard to find any real flaws in these wireless headphones, which are among the most complete and compact on the market. They are already available for purchase, with shipments starting September 24. They can be found in Huawei’s online store and some high-tech shops in Ceramic White, Frost Silver, and Carbon Black. The selling price of the Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro of €179 is certainly high but in line with direct competitors. We immediately think of the Apple AirPods Pro, which also partly shares a similar shape and audio quality on calls.

We would have liked to have maximum compatibility with all Android smartphones. We think of the animation present only on Huawei smartphones, which warns us of the presence of the helmet when we open the case. This was predictable. On the other hand, all the big brands leave a little exclusivity in favor of their ecosystem. The period is not the best for the Chinese brand; the difficulties are many, especially if we talk about their main activity outside the borders: smartphones.

To our advantage, however, notebooks and laptops have gone in a few years from fairly versatile accessories to products that today aim for the top step of the podium. To sum up, the Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro offers excellent touch controls and volume ergonomics. The design and materials are of excellent quality, and its autonomy is irreproachable. The active ambient noise-canceling feature is good, though it doesn’t match the Bose QuietComfort headphones. We regret the difficulty recharging the wireless accessories (with 2W only) and the inscription, which is reversed on the right earpiece. Strange design…