The Buds 3T Pro is Xiaomi’s newest weapon in the fight against Apple and Samsung in the wireless earbuds market. A direct sequel to the previous year’s Flipbuds Pro is Xiaomi’s latest active noise-canceling earbud, which is charged with competing with Apple’s AirPod and Samsung Galaxy Bud Pro headphones.
Premium features like ANC, wireless charging, head tracking, multi-point pairing, and a matte finish are included. It’s up to you to decide whether or not they are the right earphones for you.
Design
Even though they are wireless in-ear earbuds, the Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro stand out for their unique design. The buds have a matte texture that is pleasant to the touch and resists fingerprints. The stems are also covered with shiny particles. The matte coating on the whole case improves grip while also making it less susceptible to scratches.
The Carbon Black hue of our review unit has a dark blue tinge and changes colours. Each earbud weighs 4.9 grammes, while the case and buds total 51 grammes.
The Buds 3T Pro’s small weight and ergonomic design make them among of the most pleasant earbuds I’ve tried in recent memory. I was able to listen to music for many hours without experiencing any discomfort in my ears, unlike most other earbuds I’ve tried.
The buds’ playback and ANC modes are controlled by the pressure-sensitive sensors at the bottom of the stems. Instead of using the one tap touch controls seen on other earbud models, you’ll need to compress the stems. Squeeze controls function just as well as the other options, although I prefer the latter. Unfortunately, there is no method to adjust the level of the playback.
The lid closes with a solid click, giving the case a premium feel. Having a cover that can sustain the whole case while it is open is a well-known trait of high-end earphones. There is a case for any occasion, with dimensions of 65x48x24mm. USB-C charging port and pairing button are located on the bottom, and wireless top-ups are also supported.
Dust and water-resistant, the whole package is rated at IP55. Three microphones on each bud handle voice pickup and noise cancellation, respectively. It comes with a Type-C USB cable for charging and extra ear-caps in small, medium, and large.
Features
In the luxury market, Xiaomi’s Buds 3T Pro include an ANC that claims to block out up to 40dB of outside noise. Even while the headphones are capable of blocking out certain low-frequency sounds, they fall well short of the superior Sony WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro headphones. If you’re on a phone conversation, you won’t be able to utilise the noise-canceling function because of the high winds surrounding you. It’s common for lower-end earbuds to have a “underwater” hissing impression when the Noise Cancellation option is used.
Also supported by the buds is the LHDC 4.0 (Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec) which has a maximum bitrate of up to 9Mbps. To connect with the 3T Pro Buds, open up your Bluetooth menu and search for the buds while holding the case lid open for a few seconds while pressing and holding the pairing button on.
There is an earbud app incorporated into Xiaomi’s newer phones, which allows users to choose between transparency and noise cancellation modes, as well as gesture control mapping and battery status indicators for both the bud and case. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s about time Xiaomi released a companion app for devices that don’t use the company’s proprietary software.
With Bluetooth 5.2, the Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro can maintain a connection across distances of up to 10 metres. There is multi-device connectivity with up to two Android, iOS, or Windows devices concurrently, as well as compatibility for the SBC and AAC codecs with them. When using this function with a phone and laptop, the audio lag between the two devices was just a few milliseconds.
In-ear detection, which is enabled by almost all contemporary earbuds and works beautifully here, is another typical function that stops playback as soon as you remove the buds from your ears. However, head tracking and spatial audio technologies are only available on a limited number of newer Xiaomi phones and are more of a gimmick than a genuine function.
sound and appearance
10mm dynamic drivers with a DLC coating are included in the 3T Pro earbuds. They have a nice tone, and they span a wide range of tones without favouring one over the other. In addition to the bass, the voices are clearly audible. Because the Buds 3T pro aren’t the loudest earbuds on the market, there isn’t any distortion at greater volume levels.
At the same volume settings, Samsung’s Buds Pro sound louder, while Sony’s premium earbuds have more bass and greater sound isolation than their competitors.
With the Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro, the sound quality is notably more balanced than the Redmi Buds 3 Pro and an older set of Samsung Galaxy Buds+ that were sitting around. Even if Xiaomi’s headphones are coupled with one of the brand’s smartphones, the company does not give any sound-tweaking options.
In terms of call quality, these earbuds fall well short of Apple and Samsung’s premium offerings. Even though I was in a reasonably peaceful location, individuals on the other end were able to hear my speech well despite the presence of a lot of background hissing noise.
The battery life
Xiaomi states that the Buds 3T Pro have a 6-hour battery life, but the case increases it to 24-hours. We tested the Buds 3T Pro and found that it lasted for three weeks of moderate use before requiring a refill.
You receive wireless charging on any Qi-enabled charger or phone that supports reverse wireless top-ups in addition to a full charge in 70 minutes.
Verdict
In terms of sound quality, the Buds 3T Pro are a solid set of wireless earbuds with a well-built design and a comfortable fit. A well-balanced profile with a moderate emphasis on bass ensures that they don’t let you down when it comes to audio output.
For lengthy listening periods, the buds 3T Pro feel more comfortable in my ears than the AirPods Pro or Galaxy Buds Pro, which are both louder and give higher sound quality.
The ANC function of the Buds 3T Pro works, but the earbuds don’t produce a strong enough seal, reducing its effectiveness. The phone’s battery life is adequate, but its call quality isn’t outstanding.
In terms of supported features, these earbuds are the greatest choice if you have a Xiaomi phone, and they are a substantial improvement over previous Xiaomi TWS offerings.