TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FOUR STARS - If you don't have the biggest budget, but you want good wireless earphones with a half-in-ear design like the AirPods, consider this TWS. The Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE delivers comfort, good call quality, and clear sound.
Specs of the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
4,5 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with USB-C cable
$30 on AliExpress or Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores
Below this Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE review, you will find comparisons between the Xiaomi Air 2 SE vs Tronsmart Onyx Ace, Fiil CC, SoundPEATS Truebuds, Edifier TWS200 and QCY T5.
Update January 2021: As the quality of new TWS wireless earbuds keeps improving and there are more and more great models on the market, the overall score for this model has been adjusted from 4.5 to 4 stars. Check out the SoundPEATS TrueAir2 and Fiil CC2 as even better alternatives.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Leave it to Xiaomi to make products look clean and stylish. The Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE charging case may not be very small, but it does look sleek with its all-white, square design. The 410mAh case can recharge the earpieces four times fully, before needing power via its USB-C port itself. A single LED-light shows the battery status on the front of the case.
Open the sturdy lid, and you see the earbuds lying within. The Xiaomi Air 2 SE earpieces are half-in-ear and look exactly like the Apple AirPods, meaning you can 'hang' them in your ears. They stay in without having to push them into your ear canals. The stems are a tad bigger than the AirPods: they're longer and thicker and feel slightly larger.
Thanks to the half-in-ear design, they are still incredibly comfortable - enough to wear them for a few hours.
Well, 4,5 hours on a single charge, that is. After that, the playtime is depleted, and the earpieces need a recharge. It's an average score for this price.
Connectivity and controls
If you have a Xiaomi phone with the Xiaomi MIUI-interface, the Mi Air2 SE will show a pop-up saying the earphones are connected, and they show the battery life right on the screen. If you don't have such a Xiaomi phone, it's still good to know the Air2 SE pairs and connects quickly.
The Bluetooth 5.0 connection holds strong up to ten meters and also when walking or cycling with them. Unfortunately, it's not possible to seamlessly switch between mono and stereo mode. If you put one earpiece in the case, music playback will stop. It does automatically pauses when you take an earpiece out of your ears - and resumes again when you put it back in.
The controls are limited. You play and pause music with two taps on the right bud, and activate the voice assistant on your phone by double-tapping the left earpiece. That's it.
Calling and watching movies on Air 2 Se
The call quality of the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE varies from good to excellent. Your voice sounds loud and clear. It gives your voice volume above most other sounds in phone calls and video calls. Especially darker environmental sounds, such as traffic, engines, and background noise, are reduced greatly.
Higher-pitched voices around you can come through in the call, so it may be unwise to take a call in a place crowded with people or when walking or cycling in the wind. Under other circumstances, it's perfectly doable to have a conversation with the Mi Air 2 SE - either a phone call or video chat conference.
Watching videos is a flawless experience on both Android and iPhone. Audio-video synchronization is spot-on, including the challenging YouTube-app. As almost always, there is a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of XIaomi Mi Air 2 SE: engaging
The Xiaomi Air 2 SE delivers a friendly sound, with warmth, adequate bass-slam, and emphasis on treble.
What's in a name? The Air 2 SE has an open and 'airy' sound, meaning the sound feels at a slight distance from you and around you, rather than shouting directly in your ears. The half-in-ear design of the earphones causes this - it puts distance between the earpieces and your ear canal, literally letting air in. It's also caused by a focus on the treble, which often goes accompanied with an airy sound.
Female vocals and higher-pitched male singers on the Xiaomi Air 2 SE have a prominent role within music. They sound clear and detailed, but still smooth. Just like on the beloved QCY T5, they have a warm undertone, preventing the sound from being too bright or harsh. In the most crowded songs, mids can sound a bit thin, but instruments like guitars, violins, and cymbals are mostly well-represented.
Don't go looking for a heavy bass on the Air 2 SE, however. That part of the music is restricted to a gentle mid-bass slam. The bass doesn't strike hard, nor do the deepest sub-bass tones create a rumble in your ears. It's mostly the slightly recessed, yet pleasantly represented lower-mid tones such as darker electronic tones and drums, that finally give the Xiaomi Air 2 SE a balanced and all-round pleasant sound.
With an airy and clear sound, the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE provides a pleasurable listen.
XIaomi Air 2 SE comparisons
Xiaomi Air 2 SE vs Tronsmart Onyx Ace
The AirPods-like Tronsmart Onyx Ace is a direct competitor to the Xiaomi Mi Air SE 2. The Ace has a more compact charging case, comparable battery life, and even similar call quality. It has better controls, with the option to change volume and tracks too. The sound is less convincing than the Xiaomi, however. The Onyx Ace sounds darker and slightly muffled in comparison, with less outspoken upper-mids. The Air 2 SE delivers more air and detail.
Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE vs Edifier TWS200
Call quality on the 2 Air SE may be good, it's even better on the Edifier TWS200, as vocals around you are stronger reduced than on the Xiaomi. The Edifier TWS200 has a more mid-focused sound than the brighter sounding Air 2 SE. Its mid-emphasis comes at the cost of bass and dynamics of the sound, which the Xiaomi has more of. When it comes to controls and battery life, these are tied - but the Xiaomi is slightly cheaper.
XIaomi Mi Air2 SE vs SoundPEATS Truebuds
The SoundPEATS Truebuds case is twice as heavy and large as the Xiaomi's, but its half-in-ear earbuds are slightly more compact and have more controls on them - like skipping and returning a song. Both earpieces have boosted upper-mid tones and highs, with more details in SoundPEATS' tops, but the Air 2 SE offers more accurate instrument tonality on mid-instruments like guitars, and slightly more pronounced lows. The Xiaomi wins on playtime on a single charge, and call quality.
Xiaomi AIr 2 SE vs Fiil CC
If you want the best sounding half-in-ear wireless earbuds under $100, you will have to spend more. The Fiil CC has a more balanced yet vivid sound, a stronger and more detailed bass section, and a better soundstage with details coming from all around you - rather than the Air 2 SE, which concentrates sound effects to your left and right. Call quality-wise, the CC may have a slight edge - although both are great for calls. The Xiaomi does offer half an hour more battery life per charge, however - and you can buy two of them to get one pair of Fiil CC's.
Xiaomi Mi Air2 SE vs QCY T5
The QCY T5, also available in upgraded versions like the QCY T5 Pro and QCY T5s, is a solid in-ear competitor for the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Se. The full in-ear design grants a fuller sound for the QCY, which is celebrated by a stronger and deeper bass and juicier lower-mids. Both the Xiaomi and QCY, have excellent higher tones, but the Air 2 SE has a bigger soundstage and more forward, lifelike vocals. Surprise! The QCY T5 still counters with great, gentle smoothness. These are both outstanding for their money.
Verdict
If you don't have the biggest budget, but you want good wireless earphones with a half-in-ear design like the AirPods, consider this TWS. The Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE delivers comfort, good call quality, and clear sound.
Four stars - good
Buy XIaomi Mi Air 2 SE/ check current price:
Buy Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE on AliExpress - possibly cheaper link
I bought the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE myself to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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