Huawei is doing a tremendous job with its accessories; the Watch Ultimate 2 is the ideal upgrade if you’re using a Samsung smartwatch, and the brand’s all-new mesh router doubles as decor lighting. But it’s audio where Huawei is truly proving its differentiation, and I understood that as soon as I started using the FreeBuds Pro 5.
I used Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 earbuds for most of the last six months, and that’s because of the fit and sound quality. Those are just the areas where Huawei is aiming to outmatch Bose, and after using the FreeBuds Pro 5 for the better part of a month, I think Huawei pulled it off.
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Huawei says it tested the buds extensively on over 10,000 ear samples, and that becomes evident when you wear the buds. They’re comfortable enough that I didn’t notice any fatigue, and I was able to get a secure fit. Towards that end, you get four sets of tips in the box, which is a good thing. You also get IP57 ingress protection, making the buds a good choice for workouts.
There’s no doubt that the FreeBuds Pro 5 fit better than the QC Ultra Gen 2, and the case itself is noticeably smaller and has better portability. Annoyingly, I didn’t get the blue model of the case; that variant has a leather charging case and looks exquisite, and while the Sand color looks decent in its own right, it just doesn’t have the same presence. I would’ve preferred a matte texture as the glossy coat on the buds isn’t to my liking, but that is the case with most products today, including Bose.
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Where the FreeBuds Pro 5 truly shine is noise isolation; thanks to a new dual-engine ANC system, the buds tune out sound to a greater extent than most of the products in this category, and that’s immediately noticeable. This is a big deal if you’re out and about while wearing the earbuds, and they’re able to meaningfully block any ambient sounds. I used these on a recent flight, and the buds did a fabulous job cutting out the whine of the engine.
The Awareness mode is pretty good too, and it automatically switches to it if you start talking to someone without needing to take the buds out. While I didn’t make many calls, the buds did a decent job in this regard.
Most audio brands are leaning towards dual drivers in their buds — like the Status Audio Pro X — and Huawei is no different. The FreeBuds Pro 5 have a standard dynamic driver alongside a planar driver that handles treble, and the combination of drivers and tuning gives these buds a distinct advantage.
The result is that the FreeBuds Pro 5 sound phenomenal, and they hold their own against the best in this category — there’s no doubt about that. The bass is vibrant and has a satisfying rumble, mids are clean and detailed, vocals come through with a natural timbre, and the treble is airy without a hint of sibilance. On the whole, the buds have a delightful sound that lends itself well to any genre, and they’re fun to listen to.
One issue in this area is that there’s no AptX codecs, so if you have a phone that uses the Qualcomm high-res codecs, you miss out on this mode. There is LDAC and L2HC, but most phones I tested with — like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Find X9 Pro — come with AptX instead, so that’s an omission. That said, Huawei’s spatial audio is pretty good in its own right, and it gives you a sense of immersion while listening to music.
Each bud houses a 60mAh battery, and battery life is strictly average, lasting five hours between charges. The QC Ultra Gen 2 last an hour longer, and Huawei really needs to do better in this area.
Coming in at £179 ($240) in the U.K. and $229 on Amazon U.S. (via a reseller), the FreeBuds Pro 5 undercut the latest buds from Bose and Sony by a meaningful amount. While the battery life could be better, that’s the only real negative with these buds, and if you want an alternative to the QC Ultra Gen 2 with a better fit, you should consider giving the FreeBuds Pro 5 a try.