Compared to the Xiaomi Buds 5, the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro has fewer drawbacks. Its noise cancellation performance and sound quality are commendable, aligning with its positioning as a flagship wireless earbuds.
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Appearance Design & Comfort Fit
The overall design philosophy is consistent with the Xiaomi Buds 5. The charging case features three textures: the lid has a polished electroplated finish, the base has a matte anodized texture, and the interior is made of matte plastic. The pairing button is located at the bottom of the case, with good tactile feedback.
The charging case feels great in hand, though the lid is prone to fingerprints. The opening mechanism is smooth, with no noticeable resistance. The earbuds sit diagonally in the charging slots and are easy to remove, thanks to moderate magnetic force.
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro earbuds resemble the AirPods Pro 2 but are more oval-shaped. The surface of the earbuds has a matte finish, matching the base of the charging case, with only a single glossy metal accent on the outer side.
They offer good stability when worn. If you can wear AirPods Pro 2 comfortably, you’ll find these even better, with slightly less vertical pressure. For me, the comfort is excellent—I can wear them for hours without discomfort. However, due to the matte interior, they may slip out more easily when eating.
The wear detection responds very quickly, but there’s a noticeable delay when activating noise cancellation after detection. With an IP54 rating, they are suitable for use in light rain or during workouts.
Connection & App Support & Controls
The earbuds use a Bluetooth 5.4 chip and support AAC, SBC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and LC3 codecs. The connection remains stable within 10 meters but becomes intermittent beyond that.
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro supports the Xiaomi Earbuds App for iOS and Android. The app includes firmware updates, displays battery status for the earbuds/case, helps locate lost earbuds, and offers controls for settings, ANC, sound presets, and recording/translation.
Controls are executed by pinching the touch-sensitive area on the earbud stems, which have grooves for blind operation. However, pinching isn’t the most comfortable, and repeated operations can cause fingertip discomfort.
Feedback tones are clear, recognizing single, double, triple presses, and long presses, all customizable in the app. However, with the current firmware, the accuracy and responsiveness of long and triple presses need improvement.
Recording & Translation
Compared to the Xiaomi Buds 5, the Buds 5 Pro’s recording clarity and volume are mediocre. However, you can now save recordings directly to your phone via the app. The 120-minute recording duration is an improvement over the Buds 5. Chinese real-time transcription is accurate, but English recognition has issues.
In noisy environments, the earbuds pick up surrounding conversations without clear focus on the primary speaker. Tests in cafes and quiet rooms showed average accuracy for transcription and translation.
After testing, the Buds 5 Pro records mono m4a files at 48kHz, but the bitrate via the app is around 17kbps, while recordings made directly on the earbuds range between 20–23kbps. Call recording quality is barely adequate, with no room for further improvement.
Battery Life & Gaming Mode
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro plays videos flawlessly on both Android and iPhone, with good lip-sync performance in apps like TikTok, Netflix, YouTube, and Apple TV.
The Buds 5 Pro has a dedicated low-latency gaming mode, and aptX Adaptive LE may offer better latency control. Xiaomi claims a latency as low as 50ms.
The charging case has a 570mAh battery, while each earbud has 53mAh. Playback lasts up to 8 hours with ANC off, and the case can fully recharge the earbuds 4 times. With ANC on, the battery life drops to about 4.5 hours (tested with AAC codec and 50% volume).
Enabling aptX Adaptive further reduces battery life. The case supports USB-C or Qi wireless charging and offers 4 hours of playback after just 10 minutes of charging.
Phone Calls & Video Calls
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro is a solid choice for calls and video chats. Call stability is good, though the default noise cancellation isn’t as deep as the advertised 100dB. Voice clarity remains decent in high-noise environments.
With deep noise cancellation enabled, wind noise resistance is effective. Wind noise interference is minimal but can still mask voices.
However, with adaptive noise cancellation on, head-on wind becomes noticeably perceptible. Enabling transparency mode also introduces mild wind noise interference.
Active Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode
I’m quite satisfied with the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance of the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro. Passive noise isolation is good when worn. The depth of ANC is noticeable, outperforming previous models like the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro and Redmi Buds 6 Pro.
The Buds 5 Pro handles steady low-frequency noise well, with broader frequency coverage and significant voice suppression compared to older Xiaomi TWS earbuds. The response to sudden loud noises has improved but still lags behind the AirPods Pro 2.
That said, ear pressure is still significant. With ANC on, the sensation of ear pressure is more pronounced.
For transparency mode, there are three options. In standard mode, ambient sounds are natural, and your own voice doesn’t sound muffled during conversations. However, the sound pressure is slightly lower than without earbuds, with earlier high-frequency roll-off.
While Xiaomi’s transparency mode has improved, the reduced sound pressure makes it less usable than the AirPods Pro 2’s.
Spatial Audio of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro
Interestingly, the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro’s spatial audio seems forcibly compatible with iOS devices.
The soundstage is moderately sized, with a sense of height but unclear boundaries and insufficient detail. The sound has heavy reverb and excessive bass, making it hard to perceive clear imaging.
Head tracking is slow, with noticeable lag during quick movements – it tends to “get lost” when turning rapidly.
Acoustic Configuration & Codecs
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro features dual DACs, an 11mm dual-magnetic dynamic driver, a ceramic tweeter, and a planar driver, with a frequency range of 15–50kHz.
There’s no information about the crossover design, and the internal structure lacks independent waveguides for physical crossover. The ceramic tweeter is closest to the sound outlet. Its harshness is subdued in the default tuning but still feels somewhat loose.
The drivers blend well without obvious phase issues. Imaging precision is decent, but the tonal consistency between mid-bass and treble is average.
Supported audio codecs include SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, and LC3. It also supports the currently limited 2.1Mbps aptX Adaptive LE, with the Wi-Fi version offering an additional 4.2Mbps bitrate (though that’s not Bluetooth).
It retains adaptive hearing and adaptive volume features. There are multiple sound profiles, with Harman AudioEFX as the default. Note that AudioEFX only works in Bluetooth mode; the sound profile differs when Wi-Fi is enabled.
Sound Description of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro
Tested with aptX Adaptive, Harman AudioEFX, and adaptive volume, adaptive hearing, and spatial audio turned off.
The bass is slightly boosted, with good thickness and fullness. The bass lacks some elasticity but extends well. Attack and decay are not the fastest, with some residual reverberation. The default tuning emphasizes bass heavily, delivering ample energy and a relaxed feel.
Midrange vocals are moderately thick, with a slight sense of distance. Vocal articulation is somewhat small, lacking high clarity. Texture takes precedence over detail. There’s no strong bias toward male or female vocals, but the Buds 5 Pro accentuates nasal tones, making them less pleasant, while overly thin voices sound thicker.
The texture is smooth and rounded, with a hint of warmth. Transparency is average.
Most instruments prioritize texture over detail. Violins, guitars, and violas have emphasized low-end energy, making violins sound slightly coarse. Woodwinds are thick and full but lack airiness. Among percussion, kicks stand out, while snares have slower decay.
Treble isn’t particularly bright, with some peaks causing occasional harshness. Extreme treble extension is average, rolling off slightly early.
The soundstage is evenly balanced in width and depth, forming a tidy, flattened sphere. Separation between vocals and instruments is average, with some smearing. Dynamics are good, but resolution and transient response are middling.
Conclusion & Specs
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro’s sound quality is a significant improvement over its predecessor. However, with Harman AudioEFX tuning, vocals can feel drowned out in bass-heavy tracks. As for the recording feature, I still find it largely unusable at this stage.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Specs and Features:
- Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC/aptX Lossless/aptX Adaptive/LC3 codecs
- 4.5–8 hours of playback on a single charge (ANC on/off+AAC+50%vol)
- Charging case can fully recharge the earbuds 4 times
- IP54 waterproof rating (resistant to rain and sweat)
- 55dB ANC & Transparency Mode & Spatial Audio
- Multipoint Connection & Wireless Charging
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