Realme's latest flagship wireless earbuds offer just about every high-end feature you'd want from a pair of TWS buds in 2024. Buds Air6 Pro pack dual drivers, active noise cancelation (ANC) rated at up to 50dB, and LDAC support for high-bitrate streaming.
Add in dual device pairing, 360 spatial audio, and an IP55 rating and you've got the makings of a great pair of earbuds. That's all wrapped in a sleek case which combined with the buds should last you up to 40 hours of playtime.
But how do the Buds Air6 Pro stack up to their key competitors, and are they worth the €89/$100 price tag?
Design
You'll be hard-pressed to find any major differences in design between the Buds Air6 Pro and the Buds Air5 Pro. The case and the buds feature the same dimensions and size as before but you get two new color options.
Our review unit features a liquid metal color that Realme calls Titanium Twilight. It has a mirrorlike finish that gets smudged up in a hurry, but it's also a neat little pocket mirror that you can carry around anywhere you go.
The case is compact enough to fit in my jean's coin pocket, and its oval shape is suitable for other small pockets inside your bag, jacket, or other clothing items.
The stems on the Buds Air6 Pro also feature the shiny titanium look while the actual bit that goes into your ears is a sleek dark grey color similar to the "Nardo Grey" color option you'd see on Audi cars.
Both the buds and their case feel light which is always a good thing when dealing with wireless earbuds, especially if you plan on wearing them for longer periods. Realme says the buds and case come out to 47 grams in total with each earbud weighing a mere 4.5 grams.
The lightweight profile of the buds is also paired with a great in-ear fit. I've been using the Buds Air6 Pro with the default size M silicone tips, and I did not experience any discomfort or accidental falls, even during runs and gym sessions. The top halves of the buds combined with their curvature make for a very comfortable fit in my case but you should always try to test them out beforehand if you have the chance.
Each earbud also features 3 microphones and touch controls. The buds are also IP55-rated against water splashes and dust. The retail package includes a USB-C cable and replacement silicone ear tips in sizes small and large.
Features and companion app
Realme Buds Air6 Pro take a dual-driver approach with 11mm dynamic bass drivers and 6mm planar tweeters. The advantage of having dual drivers is that the 11mm woofers are tasked with the low and mid frequencies while the tweeters focus on higher range frequencies which should result in more detailed sound output.
You get support for the legacy SBC and AAC codecs as well as the high-bitrate LDAC version on supported streaming platforms like Tidal HiFi, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Deezer Premium.
Buds Air6 Pro pair over Bluetooth 5.3 with support for dual device pairing, Google Fast Pair, and a 55ms low latency mode.
You also get active noise cancelation (ANC) rated at up to 50dB and 4,000Hz frequency and a dedicated noise-canceling chip. The ANC is balanced with call noise cancellation, which claims to reduce ambient noise during calls and deliver optimal voice pickup. Realme also added its de-wind technology to help with calls in windy environments.
The Realme Link app offers a personalized audio algorithm with a tailor-made sound profile based on your hearing after a short five-minute hearing test. The app also brings controls for the ANC intensity with four noise cancelation profiles, a six-band EQ to tweak sound output and the option to save your custom presets. You also get a bass booster slider and MindFlow mode with eleven modes for white noise.
Realme's 360 Spatial Audio imitates surround sound experience on supported content and rounds out the impressive feature set on the Buds Air6 Pro. As far as the touch controls, you can remap the double and triple taps as well as touch-to-hold gestures on each earbud but there's no way to incorporate volume controls, which is unfortunate.
Buds Air6 Pro support in-ear detection, which pauses media as soon as you remove either of the two earbuds from your ears and resumes playback when reinserted.
Performance and Sound quality
Buds Air6 Pro offer lively sound with a bright treble and strong bass out of the box. Depending on your preferences, you can tune the frequency response via the Realme LInk app's EQ tool.
If you like the extra oomph in your tunes then, Realme's Dynamic Bass Boost feature should be right up your alley as it automatically boosts bass with its dedicated algorithm.
Once calibrated to our liking, Buds Air6 Pro delivered spacious sound with enough detail and great separation between the different sound frequencies. The mids came in balanced with vocals and instruments sounding just right, while the high treble was also well-tuned. These buds get plenty loud too.
The dual device pairing feature works nearly flawlessly. The connection was solid and the paring was nearly instantaneous. There was a noticeable delay when switching between audio sources from my laptop and phone, and I also had to pause media on one device and then manually start it on the other, but that limitation is not connected to the buds themselves.
Incoming calls would effortlessly transfer to my phone while listening to music on my laptop, which is a great comfort feature and not always a given even on more expensive earbuds. We tested the Buds Air6 Pro paired with an iPhone 15 Pro and MacBook Pro 14. Connectivity remained great throughout the review period, and I did not experience any disconnections even when I was further away from my audio source.
ANC on the Buds Air6 Pro is great and drowns out a significant portion of background noise. That is likely attributed to the great fit for my specific ear shape and the six microphones spread across both earbuds.
As it often happens, Transparency mode did not impress as it was accompanied by a hissing sound that also made voices sound unnatural.
The touch controls worked well, but I did miss volume controls on the buds themselves. I'd also prefer if the stems were touch-sensitive instead of having to touch the top halves of the buds.
Call quality with the Buds Air6 Pro is great. People reported clear reception of my voice in all scenarios, even in busier streets with car traffic passing by. The in-ear detection worked as expected by pausing and resuming media as soon as I removed or put the buds back in my ear.
Battery life
Realme Buds Air6 Pro are rated for 10 hours of battery life from the buds with ANC off, while the case extends the total battery life to 40 hours. In our usage, we got up to 7 hours from the buds with ANC on and an additional four 0-100% charges from the case. A full recharge for the buds and the USB-C charging case takes around two hours.
Verdict
Realme Buds Air6 Pro brings high-end features like dual-drivers, LDAC support, and top-notch ANC. Those are combined with rich sound and a price tag just shy of €90/$100. That price point is a bit steep considering Realme's Buds Air5 Pro matches the Buds Air6 Pro in all categories while competitors like the CMF Buds 2 Pro come with nearly identical specs at a 30% lower starting price.
Buds Air6 Pro ticks a lot of boxes by offering great in-ear fit, dual device pairing, and customizable EQ that lets you fine-tune them to your liking. They may not be the greatest value at the moment, but we already see rebates here and there so we can definitely recommend the Buds Air6 Pro for those looking for a pair of earbuds with a premium design, rich feature set, and decent battery endurance.
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