TWS true wireless earphones - $75 to $100
4.5 STARS - The Huawei Freebuds 6i has outstanding Active Noise Cancelling, flawless controls, and clear calls. If only it sounded a little bit livelier.
Huawei Freebuds 6i specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC codec
IP54 waterproof rating
5-8 hours playtime on a single charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Has: ANC, Transparency, app support, multipoint connection, gaming mode
Doesn't have: spatial audio
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
Between $90 and $150 - See price on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
In and underneath this Huawei Freebuds 6i review, you will find comparisons of the Huawei Freebuds 6i vs Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, Redmi Buds 5 Pro, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro, and the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.
Update April 2025: Due to increased competition, I've changed the overall score from 5 to 4.5 stars and changed parts of the texts accordingly.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Earbuds from Chinese phone manufacturers all have one thing in common: they have a non-offensive, safe design. The Huawei Freebuds 6i looks and feels as straightforward as it gets, available in white, purple and ‘black’ that feels more like dark grey. It has a sturdy and (more ovally shaped) AirPods-like charging case with a single LED-light that indicates the charge on the front, and the earbuds’ stems have a smooth, round finish.
The earpieces are AirPods-like too; and just like on the OnePlus Buds 3, Redmi Buds 5 Pro, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro, Nothing Ear (a) and so many others, the earpieces come with oval rubber ear tips that are snug, sit safe, and are comfortable to wear for hours.
Looking at specs, there's nothing that really jumps out on the Freebuds 6i. The earbuds are IP54 waterproof protected, meaning they resist rain and sweat, and the battery life varies from 5 to 8 hours on a single charge, dependent if you have Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) on or off. These are pretty much the same statistics as all the competitors I've linked to above.
While it may not win any originality award, you immediately ‘get’ these earbuds, their fit and their functionality. It all works like a charm.
Controls, connectivity and app support
When it comes to the controls, Huawei added a feature not many budget earphones dare to pull off: you can swipe the top of the stem up or down to increase or decrease the volume. Normally, this swipe motion is very tricky on stems - as proven once again by the OnePlus Buds 3 that doesn't always respond to your input.
Here, it works like a charm. In my two weeks of extensive testing, swiping the stem always resulted in changing the volume the way I wanted to. It completes the excellent control scheme:
Double-tap L or R to play/pause
Triple-tap R to skip a track
Triple-tap L to return a song
Hold L or R to cycle between Transparency mode, ANC off, and ANC on
Swipe up to increase volume
Swipe down to decrease volume
Next to the responsive touch panels, music playback also automatically pauses when you take an earbud out - and resumes playing by putting an earphone back in again.
Connectivity is spot on as well. The Huawei Freebuds 6i supports multipoint connection, meaning you can connect the earbuds to two devices at the same time, and it switches between them when you get an incoming phone call, or when you pause playback on one device, and start it on the other.
It's easy to setup for the first time; double-press the button on the charging case while the earbuds are in, look the earbuds up in the Bluetooth list on your desired devices and you're always good to go the following times, making this work easier than on the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro and Redmi Buds 5 Pro, which somehow overcomplicate this process.
The Huawei Freebuds 6i enjoys support from the Huawei AI Life app for iPhone and Android, but beware: Android-users have to download it outside of the Play Store - a QR-code on the box will help you find it. It feels a little shady and it's the only con in an otherwise flawless experience.
The app includes firmware updates for the earbuds, show the battery status of the earbuds, helps you find the earbuds when you've lost them, explains the fit and controls, and it unlocks the only option to activate the low-latency gaming mode.
The app also lets you choose ANC settings and sound presets - more on that later. It looks and operates simple.
Phone and video calls
The previously tested Huawei Freebuds SE2 convinced in the call department, and the same goes for the Freebuds 6i.
The Freebuds 6i can take a very short second to adjust to your surroundings in phone and video calls, but it then quickly always concentrates on your voice well. Your voice sounds full, clear and loud - also when there's chatter, door slams, traffic, or a combination of noise around you. The sound effects are not entirely taken away from the conversation, but they never get in the way of your clarity.
The Huawei takes a tad longer to adjust to wind, but after a second or two, it re-finds the focus on your voice and wind noise itself is reduced. While still vulnerable to a mixture of wind and loud surrounding noises at the same time, these earbuds have among the best call quality you can find under $100.
Video and games playback
The Huawei Freebuds 6i has flawless synchronization in video apps on both iPhone and Android phones, with lipsync performance in YouTube, Netflix, and other video services.
Thanks to the low-latency mode you can (only) activate from the app, gaming performance is great too - offering only a minor delay in sound effects to the action on your screen. It is a bit hard to precisely locate gunshots around you in a demanding game like Call of Duty mobile, however.
ANC performance of the Huawei Freebuds 6i
The Huawei Freebuds 6i baffles in the Active Noise Cancelling department. It's the first pair of wireless earbuds under 100 dollars that offers the same noise reduction as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 - and sometimes even better!
That also means its ANC is stronger than previous $100 top dogs like the Redmi Buds 5 Pro, Nothing Ear (a) and Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, and also than the KZ Xtra, Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, and the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro.
Putting the earbuds in is enough to unleash the ANC. It quickly removes an incredible amount of noise around you. Darker electronic humming, rain, traffic, chatter, laughter, and even the entire range of a radio playing the background - they're all taken away or at least heavily reduced around you.
During my test time, it even removed more darker tones from a cloudburst on the office ceiling window than the AirPods Pro 2!
Taking the comparison with the $250 Apple further, the Huawei does put a little bit more pressure on your ears. It doesn't become uncomfortable though, and if it does, you can lower the pressure manually with the app - by choosing the Cozy or General ANC mode instead of the Ultra or Dynamic setting.
Lastly, the Dynamic ANC mode of the Freebuds 6i actively measures the amount of wind and cleverly attacks wind noise by lowering the ANC a bit. If you want to remove even more wind noise, it's also possible to deactivate the ANC - straight from the earbuds.
To get to the ANC off setting, you'll cycle through the Transparency mode, called Awareness here. It puts through traffic and conversations fairly well when you're listening to music up to moderate volume, completing the excellent ANC performance on the Freebuds 6i.
Sound quality of Huawei Freebuds 6i
Completing the tour de force the Huawei Freebuds 6i has made so far, these earbuds also sound great.
The Freebuds 6i's sound is best described as full and friendly. Lower frequencies like drums, lower electronic tones and darker (often) male vocals are boosted and play a bigger-than-average role in the music. Slightly higher male and female singers also have a grounded, warm vibe to them.
That's not just because of the elevated lower mid-tones. Unlike the Freebuds SE2, this Huawei doesn't reach very far into the highs. Female and higher male vocals are fairly upfront, but never step away from their warmer, fuller character, and even Björk's very bright outbursts in It's Oh So Quiet! are rounded off before they become sharp and stabby.
Higher instruments like violins, trumpets, and cymbals could be more lively and textured as well; the 6i chooses comfort over vibrance.
This aim for comfort also shows in other aspects of the sound.
The mid-bass gives off a gentle thump instead of ‘punching’ you in the ears. It also doesn't overpower other parts of the music. The sub-bass (darkest bass tones you can feel as much as hear) can rumble quickly and controlled, but doesn't show itself very easily in more crowded tracks. That's partly because the sub-bass, mid-bass and boosted lower-mids feel quite close to each other - impact and separation could be bigger.
You won't find a big soundstage here, although there is decent left-right separation in the center mid-tones, like guitar play and claps. What's more impressive, is that the Huawei never sounds unbalanced. It may sound nightly, but it's not too dark.
You can tweak the sound character a little bit via the Huawei AI Life app, which lets you choose between a Bass or Treble boost, a Vocal enhancer, and two less defined presets. You can even create and save your own equalizer - but these only provide minor tweaks to the full and friendly sound the Huawei always comforts you with.
The Huawei Freebuds 6i doesn't deliver the most outspoken musical presentation, but its balanced, warm and full sound is always comfortable and pleasant to listen to.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Huawei Freebuds 6i comparisons
Huawei Freebuds 6i vs Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE is the best combination of sound quality and everyday practicality on ANC earbuds under $100, and it maintains that position as it sounds livelier, has more ‘spark’ than the Huawei Freebuds 6i on higher volumes. Vocals reach higher notes as easily as the lower ones - giving especially brighter female vocals and higher instruments an edge, and the bass is more articulated.
Is the practical aspects are more important, the Huawei takes the lead. Its smaller earpieces are more comfortable to wear, it boasts volume controls and better multipoint connectivity, Active Noise Cancelling is stronger and outside calls are clearer as well.
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Huawei Freebuds 6i vs Realme Buds Air 5 Pro
The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro was my top recommendation for ANC earbuds under 100 dollars for about two months, but now sees itself beaten by the Huawei Freebuds 6i on the aspects that made the Realme so good already. The Huawei has easier controls, matches the call clarity of the Realme in most instances, the earbuds are easier to take out of the charging case, and its multipoint connection is easier to setup. Furthermore, Huawei's ANC is noticeably stronger - removing and reducing more surrounding noises.
In the sound department, both these earbuds are great all-rounders, but as the Realme puts the center-mids and treble more forward, it shows more detail and vibrancy in the higher frequencies. Both of these provide comfortable listening experiences on background and moderate volume; the Realme is more immersive on higher volumes and throws in a decent spatial audio setting as well.
Around $80 on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Huawei Freebuds 6i vs Redmi Buds 5 Pro
The Redmi Buds 5 Pro boasted the strongest Active Noise Cancelling on earbuds under 100 dollars, but now sees itself beaten by the Huawei in this regard. While both remove and reduce a lot of sounds, the Freebuds 6i dampens especially lower and the highest tones a bit better. The Huawei also controls easier and offers clearer calls in outdoor situations. Especially on iPhone, Huawei's app is easier to connect to as well - the Xiaomi Earbuds app can have a bit of trouble finding the earbuds.
When it comes to music, these both offer a friendly, all-around presentation, but with a different approach. The Redmi has a brighter sound, with great vocal reproduction and more air for higher instruments and a sense of separation and stage. It can therefore also tire a bit earlier than the Huawei with its further boosted lower frequencies, which gives an even more comfortable listen.
Around $60 - $90 on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Huawei Freebuds 6i vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
It's only been a year since the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC was released and became the most versatile and strongest ANC pair of earbuds under 100 dollars - but much can happen in a year. The Huawei Freebuds 6i has noticeably stronger noise reduction than the Soundcore, and filter more noise from the lowest to highest sounds around you. It also fares better in outdoor calls. The Soundcore does have more battery on a single charge, and the earbuds look a little more premium as well.
The Liberty 4 NC lifts treble further than the Freebuds 6i, and while that may make some higher vocals pop more on lower volume, it actually works against it on higher volumes, where its treble gets an metallic edge. The Huawei is more balanced and more comfortable to listen to.
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Verdict: Huawei Freebuds 6i
The Huawei Freebuds 6i has outstanding Active Noise Cancelling, flawless controls, and clear calls. If only it sounded a bit livelier.
Update April 2025: Due to increased competition, I've changed the overall score from 5 to 4.5 stars and changed parts of the texts accordingly.
4.5 STARS - Great
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