No shushing Xiaomi’s Redmi Buds 5

When Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 13 line of smartphones in Bangkok last week, it also unveiled the Redmi Buds 5 to once again underscore its knack for offering impressive tech at budget-friendly prices. The wireless earbuds boast active noise cancellation (ANC), which drew raves from other tech writers and editors for being the real deal.

Unlike the ineffective ANC in some other earbuds offered by cellphone companies, the Redmi Buds 5 unit does a superb job of blocking out ambient noise, with three levels of attenuation — the highest being able to blot out even the sound of plane engines at full throttle.

We even brought it to an indoor firing range to see if it could take the place of a dedicated Earmore Model T Bluetooth earplug used by recreational shooters and, yes, to some extent, its 46-db attenuation can handle the sound of gunfire. Just don’t overdo it.

With a simple and understated design, the earbuds are lightweight and comfortable to wear for extended periods, undoubtedly aided by their snug fit and multiple ear tip sizes. The charging case, which provides 20 hours worth of playtime, is compact and pocketable.

A full charge provides at least five hours of music or movie-watching at jive or edge-of-your-pants effects volume levels. With the ANC, the Buds 5 is a viable option for commuting, focusing on work, or shutting out your partner’s snorefest.

On top of ANC, there’s a transparency mode that allows you to better hear your surroundings when needed, like when you want your coworkers to think that you’re blasting away with your Spotify Korn playlist when you’re actually amplifying their voices (the better to hear what they are saying behind your back — LOL).

This is no earbuds for audiophiles, but the sound quality is good enough for the P3,999 price point, delivering an audio experience that’s a tad bass heavy, without overpowering the clear mids and crisp highs.

But as these buds can be expected to be used to take calls, suffice to say that voices are clear and intelligible both ways, obviously with decent pickup microphones. BT connectivity is stable with no noticeable dropouts when paired with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G.

In a nutshell, the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 offers incredible value for their price. They deliver effective ANC, long battery life and a sound quality good enough for the daily grind when you don’t want to be burdened with your audiophile-grade headphones.