If you’re looking for a great pair of headphones for less than €100, look no further.
Music lovers will know that finding the right pair of new headphones can be a bit of a nightmare. You literally have to buy them and be testing them for a few days before you find out if they’re actually the right pair for you.
Thankfully, we’ve taken that difficult part out for you, as we’ve tested Huawei’s new Freebuds 4i, which will be made available in Ireland very soon.
So if you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones, you’ll want to read on…
- DAY ONE.
Immensely satisfying. That is the most succinct way to describe the quality of sound, which can reach some impressive volume levels, while never diminishing quality at either end of the scale. The technology has been designed with pop music in mind, so every layer of every production is crystal clear, with a surprisingly satisfying weightiness to the bass-ier end of the spectrum.
There are also the noise cancellation effects, in which the microphone within the headphones can pick up ambient noise, and then create a perfectly delivered cancellation sound wave. The full drowning-out can also be turned off, for a kind of half-on, half-off setting, which allows you to hear your music, but also fully hear the world around you, too.
- DAY TWO
The pair we were given for review arrived in a shiny black chrome case, like a pebble left on a beach. The earbuds themselves have the little stalks that make for easier removal from your ears once you’re done, but also give that little bit of extra weight to keep them in place when you’re being a little more active.
They look exceedingly high-end, with the tech-minded capabilities (more on that below) perfectly adapted to the sleek, minimalist look of the earbuds themselves.
- DAY THREE
With the ANC (Ambient Noise Cancellation) turned off, they can last for up to 10 hours of continuous playback, or about six and a half hours of phone calls (if you’re feeling particularly chatty!). With ANC turned on, that still results in 7.5 hours of playback, or 5.5 hours of phone calls.
Moreover, combined with the case, you’ll get 22 hours of music playback, or 14 hours of phone conversations from their combined charge. When it comes to recharging, a ten-minute top-up will give you four hours of playback, so it is great for anyone needing just a quick boost before they have to hit the road again.
- DAY FOUR
On top of the ANC, the earbuds are incredibly easy to pair with your device, just a quick press of the button on the case will connect with your Bluetooth. Then there are the incredibly easy controls, which simply involves a number of taps or holds to the stalks of the buds themselves, which allow you to play, pause, answer or end calls, or change between the ANC sound settings.
There doesn’t appear to be any system to skip tracks, which is the only minor letdown we could find.
- DAY FINAL – FINAL RESULTS
Available from Monday, 22 March, priced at just €79, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better pair of earphones in the sub-€100 range than these. Check out more about them via the Huawei site here.
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