TWS true wireless earphones - $50 to $100
4.5 STARS - While these earbuds are in need of firmware updates for its overachieving multipoint connection and mediocre call quality, the Redmi Buds Pro 6 sound absolutely spectacular for the price.
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC and LDAC codec
IP54 waterproof rating (water and dust proof)
7 - 9 hours playtime on a single charge (ANC on/ off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Has: ANC, Transparency, app support, multipoint connection, spatial audio
Doesn't have: wireless charging
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$70 to $90 - See price on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
In this review:
In and underneath this Redmi Buds 6 Pro review, you will find comparisons of the Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Redmi Buds 5 Pro, Redmi Buds 6 Play, SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+, Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, Earfun Air Pro 4, Realme Buds Air 6 Pro and Apple AirPods Pro 2.
All reviews on Scarbir.com are unsponsored and honest. Happy with your purchase and or/ do you want to support my reviews? Support me via PayPal or:
Design, comfort and battery life
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro continues on the design of the comfortable Redmi Buds 5 Pro and improves upon it where it counts.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro has almost the exact same shape of earbuds and charging case as its predecessor.
The charging case measures only a bit thicker than the AirPods Pro 2's, and is comfortable enough to carry around in a jeans pocket. Its shiny finish resists scratches from keys quite well.
While the case still doesn’t support wireless charging, it has been made more convenient: you can press the bottom button to see the remaining case battery depicted in the single LED-light on the case. Clever.
The case can recharge the earbuds fully three times before needing new power via USB-C itself.
Press the case button and the length of the LED-light shows the remaining case battery
The earbuds provide around 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with Active Noise Cancelling turned on.
A quick 10-minute recharge in the case should get you 2 to 3 hours more listening time.
The 7 hours playtime is around 1,5 - 2 hours more than the Redmi Buds 5 Pro with ANC on, and is a great score for most scenarios.
Like its predecessor, the Redmi Buds 6 Pro are very comfortable to wear for hours on end. The diagonal earpiece sits snugly in your ears, and the oval rubber ear tips aren't too big or protrusive.
In white, the earbuds look totally generic and anonymous - or indistinct if you prefer. It just has the text Redmi printed small on the bottom of the stem. It still looks better than the kitschy stem line on the predecessor.
The black/ grey version looks more premium thanks to shiny, metallic effects on the sides of the stems.
The IP54 waterproof rating protects the earbuds against water and dust, meaning it's safe to take these for a run. You can feel the earbuds thudding in your ears slightly when you do, just like on almost all in-ears.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro have solid battery life and good waterproofing, and are highly comfortable to wear.
What's the difference between the Redmi Buds Pro 6 CN and Global version?
On AliExpress, you can find a Chinese version of the Redmi Buds 6 Pro, often called CN-version. Unlike the Global version sold on Amazon, the Chinese version doesn't have support from the western Xiaomi Earbuds app for iPhone and Android.
Both versions also sound a little bit different from each other - see the sound part of this review.
Check your App Store or Play Store first to see if you can get the Xiaomi Earbuds app in your country.
Controls, connectivity and app support
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro has an abundance of features for its sub-$100 asking price, but not all is worked out well.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro controls quickly and well, with subtle, rapid beeps to confirm your play/ pause (double-tap) or track-skipping (triple-tap) input.
By holding down the top of the stem for a short while, you change between Active Noise Cancelling (‘dunk’) and Transparency mode (‘pu-dink’). The sounds are logical.
Like more and more competitors under 100 dollars, the Redmi Buds 6 Pro lets you change the volume by swiping the stems up and down. This works like a charm: the Redmi picks up your input well and confirms the change with its subtle beep.
Music automatically pauses when you take an earbud out, and resumes once you put it back in again.
The overall Bluetooth connection is strong, with a stable and reliable wireless connection between your device and the earbuds.
The Redmi Buds Pro 6 supports multipoint connection, so you can connect to two devices at the same time. You may have to activate this manually from the Xiaomi Earbuds app beforehand.
It switches very easily between your devices. Just pushing play on your other device is enough. With the app, you can also select to automatically pick up calls.
It does have the tendency to switch very quickly between your devices, however. When you have to phones connected, even unlocking on your other phone may pause the music. It also switches seemingly at random - and it may pause without you meaning to.
With the free Xiaomi Earbuds app for iPhone and Android phones (check the availability in your country), you gain a few useful extra options:
Update the firmware
Check the battery percentage of the L and R earbud
(De)activate Adaptive noise cancellation (where it reads your surroundings), or choose how strong the ANC should be manually
(De)activate Personalized noise cancellation, based on your ear shape (I didn't notice any difference)
(De)activate dual-device multipoint connection
(De)activate automatically picking up calls
(De)activate in-ear detection/ auto-pause music
Check your ear fit
Change the controls
Choose between four default equalizers or create your own
(De)activate Adaptive sound, that should adjust based on your ear shape (I didn't notice any difference)
(De)activate ‘Immersive sound’, a Spatial Audio setting that places sounds around you in Music, Video or Game preset. (Sadly, this doesn't work when you have multipoint activated)
Find your earphones by playing loud alarms on them
While the earbuds and the app are easy to use and adds a good array of features, it complicates things by not explaining the Immersive sound, Adaptive noise cancellation and Adaptive sound features properly. Things could be clearer.
The same goes for the switching between your two devices, which is too proactive and can't stand in the way of enjoyment. Firmware and app updates are welcome to improve the Redmi Buds 6 Pro's ease of use.
Phone and video calls
The Redmi Buds 5 Pro wasn't a great choice for phone calls. The Redmi Buds 6 Pro performs better, but less so when you're on the move.
Xiaomi prides itself with 3 AI-microphones to optimize your voice in all circumstances. But this works only partly well.
In quiet circumstances, your voice sounds loud enough and natural, with a warm undertone.
Surrounding noise is left out of calls well; sounds of passing traffic, sudden sounds like door slams, and conversations are barely audible or totally inaudible on the line. Great.
But when you're walking around, the microphones can't keep up. Your voice switches from light to fuller sounding and vice versa, and even when you're just walking around indoors (on socks!), it seems like you're walking in challenging conditions - with even some wind noise coming through.
This effect on the move is even bigger when there's also external noise or wind at play. Your voice then fluctuates so heavily, it can have inaudible dips.
Sadly, the Redmi Buds Pro 6 didn't make a big jump up from the Redmi Buds 5 Pro where it truly needed. These are still only decent for phone calls.
Video and games playback
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro is a safe choice for videos and playing games.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro has no trouble playing videos on iPhones or Android phones.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro doesn't have a dedicated gaming mode you have to (de)activate. Despite that, it handles games well, with only a small delay between the sound effects and the action on your screen.
As the Redmi Buds 6 Pro offers lots of spatial sound details (see the sound part of this review), it's easy to hear when action and gunshots around you are in demanding games like Call of Duty mobile.
ANC quality of the Redmi Buds 6 Pro
The Redmi Buds 5 Pro had excellent Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), and the Redmi Buds 6 Pro matches or perhaps even beats it.
Out of the box, the ANC is very adaptive and doesn't always register well how much sounds it needs to reduce. You can change this in the Xiaomi Earbuds app, and setting the default value to the strongest level, makes for a better ANC experience.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro silences or heavily reduces sounds from all frequencies - from constant electronic humming and a background radio playing to lighter sounds like traffic tire noise, to middle sounds like keyboard typing.
Like even the greatly noise-reducing AirPods Pro 2, Earfun Air Pro 4, Huawei Freebuds 6i, and Edifier NeoDots, nearby conversations of especially male vocals can still slip through.
This is the performance with no music or video playback. Even playing music on lower volumes, is enough to not hear your surroundings at all anymore.
The ANC mode leaves out wind noise quite well too. Wind is audible, but it's isolated well and separated from the music.
The Transparency mode is special. Instead of opening the higher sounds to let in wet tire noise and other traffic sounds, it instead opens mostly the middle frequencies. This makes it possible to follow a conversation (with male or darker voices) while you're listening to music on background volumes.
When there aren't (loud) middle sounds, it can be hard to detect whether you're in the ANC or Transparency mode. The Transparency mode also lets in a bit of wind noise.
With the Xiaomi Earbuds app, so you can choose for a Personalised Noise Cancellation setting, but this feature isn't explained and didn't make a difference for me.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro has great Active Noise Cancelling for its price.
Sound quality of Redmi Buds 6 Pro:
Insanely musical
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro is very musical and highly entertaining.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro has an entertaining, rapid kicking mid-bass with a full underlying depth. It could be tighter, but this bass sparks joy. It's not afraid to liven up even the most easygoing songs, without overpowering the rest of the music.
Underneath it lies a fantastic, capable, deep sub-bass that can deliver proper power and rumble. It shows itself easily and hits hard, punctual, and deep in James Blake's test gift Limit to Your Love.
Lower mid-tones come in strong. Lower instruments, lower (often male) vocals and darker electronic tones sound full and juicy, reminiscent of the Sony WF-1000XM series and the Sony Linkbuds S. They're bordering on guilty pleasure levels…
… yet, happily, the mids and treble are too pronounced to be taken hostage by the lower mids.
In fact, center-mids also come in strong and mark the most important aspect of this models sound. Mids are full and play remarkably fluent - balancing their tonality wonderfully between warmth and naturalness. Guitars, piano play, male singers and lower female vocals - they brim with life.
Treble is handled in a smooth manner and never ever becomes sharp or harsh, with higher vocals rounded off and cymbals toned down a little - while still allowing plenty of clarity and air in the sound.
Next to its fulness, the sound is rich. Redmi upped the reverb a little, resulting in a surrounding vibe that can be so typical on earphones, with details everywhere. They come from your left and right, and even in front and in the back of you in higher quality recordings.
The effects in Lorde's Ribs transfer all around you - and in Eagles’ excellent 1994's live rendition of Hotel California from Hell Freezes Over, it's not just easy to place the left and the right tambourine, no, even the sub-bass kick has its own place a little to the side in front of you.
In fact - practically every song I threw to it, provided better instrumental placement and more positional insight than on other affordable earbuds.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro packs you in with a hugely entertaining fulness, but leaves a vast amount of space for individual details to shine. A killer combination that just swings. These are among the most fluent of the 438 wireless earphones I've reviewed.
Bass lovers: try increasing the sub-bass here - you'll be amazed
There are sound differences between the China (CN/ AliExpress) version and the Global version (Amazon); the CN-version has fuller center-mids, and a little more congestion in this area, with also less pronounced vocals. It sounds rounder, softer than the Global version - which tightens up the bass further and extends higher treble more, creating a clearer and a more V-shaped sound - but missing that uniqueness of the CN-version. That said: both sound exquisite.
With the custom equalizer in the Xiaomi Earbuds app, it's easy to tone down the higher vocals a little, or further turn up that mighty, mighty sub-bass.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro can go from very soft to very loud, but it needs an extra volume step in the middle - it now jumps from moderate to loud volume with one swipe. It's the one gripe I have with the sound.
For avid Scarbir.com readers that follow this site for a long time (thank you!), let me paint a picture here: the Redmi Buds 6 Pro marks the next step up in sound quality after the QCY QS1 (2019), QCY T5 (2019), Bomaker Sifi (2019), Fiil T1 Lite (2020), Lypertek PurePlay Z3 (2021) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE (2023) shook up the market before. It's that good.
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro is one of those wireless earbuds you want to throw all music genres and your old favourites to, just to see what they do with it.
The result is almost always joyful - full, vibrant, fluent and rich. These are highly entertaining.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Has this review helped or inspired you?
Redmi Buds 6 Pro comparisons
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Redmi Buds 5 Pro: Is it better?
While the Redmi Buds 6 Pro provides the same shape and comfort as the previous Redmi Buds 5 Pro, it adds even stronger ANC and about 2,5 hours of battery life per charge.
The Buds 5 Pro has different stem sides (click to enlarge)
The 6 Pro case is also more intelligent with the remaining charge indicator, and (volume) controls are more responsive.
A firmware update is needed to see which offers better call clarity - not the forte of both models at this point.
Most importantly, the Redmi Buds 6 Pro sound improves noticeably over the Redmi Buds 5 Pro. The 6 Pro shifts the treble focus of the 5 Pro towards the mids, trading in its high clarity for fulness and richness. The Redmi Buds 5 Pro already made the Best Sounding Earbuds under $100 - but as the 6 Pro ads more bass depth, tastier lower mids, stability, dynamics and smoothness, it's the first wireless budget set I consider hifi. It's a step up.
$60 - $90 - Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Redmi Buds 6 Play
Returning Scarbir.com readers may have noticed another Redmi model recently also ranked up 5 stars in the sound department for its $25 price tag: the Redmi Buds 6 Play.
The Redmi Buds 6 Play has a clearer presentation with a more open treble than the 6 Pro, with either a tight and clean bass or a fuller bass that takes a little bit of the treble - depending on the equalizer.
The Buds 6 Pro has a more vibrant bass, smoother treble and stronger and livelier (lower) mids. The Pro resolves more details around you - in addition to the Play's more left-right separation. It also doesn't suffer from the codec or driver limit of the 6 Play, which can show the limits of that model on the highest volumes.
Basically, the Redmi Buds 6 Play rocks for its price; the Redmi Buds 6 Pro changes the landscape.
In features, the Buds 6 Play lacks ANC and multipoint connection. Both are highly comfortable with long battery life.
As the Redmi Buds 6 Play sounds better than the Redmi Buds 6 Lite and Redmi Buds 6 Active, the Redmi Buds 6 Pro model is the best model of the lineup.
$100 to $130 - Amazon US, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Earfun Air Pro 4
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro offers strong competition to the Earfun Air Pro 4, the current top recommendation for wireless earbuds under $100.
While a firmware update may change things a little, the Earfun Air Pro 4 offers much better call performance than the Redmi Buds 6 Pro. It also has an hour longer battery life per charge.
The Redmi Buds 6 are noticeably more comfortable, while the Earfun has a bit stronger ANC.
Sound-wise, the Earfun Air Pro 4 has a tighter drum kick and sub-bass, and it extends highs further. It has clearer treble and can sound cleaner, more divided than the Redmi. The Earfun actually has stronger left-right separation with clearer cymbal impact.
Things change in songs with much treble, crowded rock songs or all genres on higher volumes, where the treble can make the Earfun fall flat - while the Redmi continues on playing its fuller, vibrant and fluent sound with strong dynamics. When you regularly go beyond moderate volume levels, the Redmi 6 Pro takes the cake.
Around $80 on Amazon US or your Amazon country
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs SoundPEATS Pro3 Capsule+
The SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ has more clarity than the Redmi Buds 6 Pro. Its highs reach further and higher vocals sound clearer and more lively.
The SoundPEATS also has more air in between instruments, and in between the lows. Its sub-bass is more textured, and its mid-bass tighter.
However - it's the same story as with the Earfun here. While you can get used to it, the treble of the Capsule3 Pro+ always flirts with dangerous sharpness and not seldomly crosses the line. The SoundPEATS can be a fatiguing listen, that also can fall a bit flat on the highest volumes - in which lower frequencies have less authority.
The Redmi resolves details with more fluidity, while smoothening out the treble and offering juicier lower-mids and a fuller low-end. The Buds 6 Pro is a more forgiving and more enticing listen on higher volumes.
Comparing the features, both are great in terms of comfort and controls. The Redmi has longer battery life and stronger ANC; the SoundPEATS has clearer calls.
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
The Redmi Buds 6 Pro beats the Sound Galaxy Buds FE on sound quality!
That says something, as the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE has been my top recommendation for best sounding earbuds under $100 for over a whole year.
These models lean heavily on the mids, which in both cases are full, vibrant and rich. Center-mids strike a balance warmth and naturalness, while lower-mids are boosted and make the overall picture engaging. The Samsung has a more pronounced sub-bass that lasts longer, while the lows of the Redmi are quicker and have more kick.
The Buds FE has slightly more emphasis on lower treble, which can benefit some vocals and classical instruments. The Redmi has a more natural and bigger soundscape, and also feels more fluent than the Samsung - which can even sound a bit staccato in comparison. The Redmi is more ‘musical’, in a sense. That said, the Buds FE has better volume steps.
Feature-wise, these have comparable ANC strength, while the Redmi Buds 6 Pro has longer battery life, a higher waterproof rating, volume controls and actually has multipoint connection. The Samsung handles phone calls better.
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs Realme Buds Air 6 Pro
As suggested by reader Phodlogg on X, a comparison with the comparably named and priced Realme Buds Air 6 Pro. I also did pit their predecessors against each other, of course.
The Realme Buds Air 6 Pro is better at handling phone calls when you're on the move, maintaining more clarity in your voice.
The Redmi has up to 2 hours longer battery life per charge and easier volume controls (although the Realme has better steps), and the Redmi's ANC is stronger - especially in filtering out constant noises.
Sound-wise, the tonality of these two pairs is close to each other. The Realme has a thicker bass thump, while the Redmi has a more precise and deeper bass. The Realme gives mid-vocals more body, while it can have a bit of lightness and sibilance (lasting sss-sounds) in higher vocals - especially on higher volumes. The Realme has more naturality in mid-frequencies, the Redmi more authority in the higher frequencies. The Redmi also has more distinction between instruments - it's just a bit cleaner.
$60 - $100 on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs AirPods Pro 2
Let's go all out: the $80 Redmi Buds 6 Pro vs the $250 AirPods Pro 2. Can it compete?
Looking at functionality, the AirPods Pro 2 handles phone and video calls better, while the Redmi Buds 6 Pro offers multipoint connection also across non-Apple devices.
The ANC strength is very comparable, with no clear winner to point out here - although the Apple adjusts quicker to situations. The Redmi has 1,5 hour longer battery life per charge and a higher waterproof rating.
But it's the sound where it gets real interesting. The Redmi Buds 6 Pro fills up the mids more than the AirPods Pro 2. Lower-mids are more boosted, center-mids have a more natural tonality and male vocals sound fuller - the AirPods can strike as a bit hollow in comparison.
Lower treble is slightly more pronounced on the Apple, making some classical instruments like violins and cymbals and higher vocals and details pop more, while the Redmi easier unlocks more spatial information in the lower frequencies.
Aside from the call clarity (at the time of writing), the Redmi Buds 6 Pro is a great alternative to the much more expensive AirPods Pro 2.
No separate Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
$250 on Amazon US or other Amazon countries
Verdict: Redmi Buds Pro 6
While these earbuds are in need of firmware updates for overachieving multipoint connection and call quality, the Redmi Buds Pro 6 sound absolutely spectacular for the price.
These anonymous looking affordable earbuds house a joyful, full, vibrant, fluent and rich sound that surpasses all of its competitors.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Redmi Buds 6 Pro/ Check lowest price
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on your Amazon country
Buy on AliExpress
I bought the Redmi Buds 6 Pro myself (twice, the Chinese and the Global version) to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
The links on this page are affiliate links. Buying via one of this links supports me in reviewing more earphones. Was this review helpful to you? Please consider supporting me:
Also read:
Leaderboard: All rated wireless earphones
