realme Buds Air 2, analysis: a sure hit in quality, price and noise cancellation

realme announced today the arrival of the realme Buds Air 2 in Spain, along with the realme 8 Pro. We have spent several days testing the headphones to tell us how the experience has gone.

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Features realme Buds Air 2

• Drivers: 10mm carbon fiber.
• Codec: AAC, SBC.
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2.
• Processor: R2 for noise cancellation.
• Drums:
  • Headphone autonomy: 4 hours with active noise cancellation (5 hours without cancellation).
  • Case: Up to 25 hours of autonomy.
  • Charging time: 2 hours.
• Others:
  • Active noise cancellation.
  • IPX5 (resistance to splashes and sweat).
  • Gesture control.
  • Smart wear detection.
  • 88 ms latency.
  • Google Fast Pair.
• Weight:
  • Headphone: 4.1 grams.

More original than the first generation

When we tested the first-generation realme Buds Air, it was a product that we really liked, although its design was irretrievably reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods, a design that, while excellent, makes realme headphones.

The main changes would be two: the incorporation of a rubber to improve hearing isolation and an aesthetic change in the cylinder, which becomes silver in the white model and makes it particularly striking.

The charging case is oval, and you can see the realme logo on the front along with a battery indication LED for the case.

On the side we have a button that if we hold down it will allow us to activate the pairing mode.

And at the bottom, the USB C port. In this model we do not have wireless charging.

The headphones are very light and it is something that we appreciate in use. They fit easily into the ear and are very comfortable to wear during the hours of use that we carry them.

Sound quality and latency to enjoy any content

Within its category, it shows that I have really put a lot of effort into getting headphones that sound good, always taking into account their small size, Bluetooth connectivity and the reduced price. The sound is balanced, although if we want we can activate the Bass Boost + technology to achieve more powerful bass.

One of the main problems with wireless headphones is usuallysound latency, that is, the time that elapses between when the sound should be emitted and when it finally ends up playing in the headphones.

When it comes to listening to music it is not a problem, but it is when we are watching videos or playing video games, where there must be the best possible synchronization so that we avoid feeling that the image and video are out of date.

It was already one of the strengths of realme in its previous models and in this product it remains. We can enjoy almost any type of content without perceiving a noticeable latency (you can notice it if you are very aware, but if you focus on the game or movie you are watching it becomes imperceptible).

As for battery, realme indicates that with a single charge we reach 5 hours of music or 4 with active noise cancellation. In our tests, have lasted between 3 hours and 3 and a half hours of battery life on one charge, competent figure but without boasting.

Active noise cancellation is capable of reduce up to 25 dB of ambient noise, something below the 35 that higher-end headphones tend to reduce, but it is understandable given its price. With the right rubbers, cancellation and active music you will have no problem isolating yourself in various situations. In public transport they lose some effectiveness, but nothing serious considering its price.

Competent software experience with areas to improve

Pairing the realme Buds Air 2 is very simple, and when you open the case for the first time, a notification will appear inviting us to pair up on our mobile. This is possible thanks to Google Fast Pair technology.

Beyond the fast pairing, this mode offers us some advantages such as being able to check the battery level of each headset and the case from the notifications, in addition to being able to search for the device, with the last location where it was connected to the mobile.

Although the experience is simply enjoyable, it is highly recommended to install the realme Link application. From this application we can improve the experience by customizing various aspects, such as:

• Choose sound mode:
  • Noise Cancellation.
  • Normal.
  • Transparency mode.
• Activate game mode:By activating this mode we sacrifice a bit of quality to achieve exceptional latency, ideal for games.
• Intraural detection:When this function is active, the music will stop when we remove the headset and resume when we put it back on. It is activated by default, but if we don’t like it we can deactivate it.
• Bass Boost +: Boost the bass, ideal for when you’re looking to rumble your music.
• Gestures:We can customize double and triple tap on each earbud for multimedia actions, activate the voice assistant, or simply toggle between noise cancellation and transparency modes.
  • The gestures have not convinced us much, since they do not always recognize the double touch well, and the triple touch much less.
• Software updates:These headphones can improve the user experience through software updates, fixing bugs, improving battery consumption or even adding new functions in the future.

Extremely competitive in quality and price

Although these are outstanding headphones in multiple ways, there are some reasons why you might not want these headphones. All are absences that lie in the small details, but it is important to mention them.

• Don’t like the design:Although most headphones in this category tend to follow similar design lines, on a personal level I am not convinced by the silver cylinder of the white model and I prefer designs more similar to the Galaxy Buds. It is not a compelling reason and in the end it is a matter of taste.
• Looking for an extraordinary battery:3 and a half hours is more than enough autonomy for most users and possible use cases, but if you are one of those people who wears headphones during the entire working day. If your degree of excellence is around these figures, you will surely have to opt for higher category models.
• You want a case with wireless charging:It is an absence difficult to justify considering that the first generation did incorporate it. It is worth that they are 10 euros cheaper and that they bring ANC noise cancellation, but it is a feature that we have lost.
• Gesture control is important to you:The touch controls are so hideous, it’s like they don’t exist.

Although we have been picky when mentioning most of the defects, it is possible that in many cases you will not care about any of them. If you are looking for headphones that sound good, that have a sound latency good enough to play, they are headphones with a spectacular quality / price ratio.

The realme Buds Air 2 will be available from March 31 in Spain in 2 colors: Closer White and Closer Black. The price of the headphones is 49.99 euros, although as a launch offer they can be purchased for only 39.99 euros between March 24 and 30 on the brand’s website.

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