The manufacturer Huawei took almost two years for the successor of the FreeBuds Pro. At the end of June the new model was announced and promised a rich sound and a battery life of up to 30 hours. Our Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 review will tell you whether they can keep these promises and what the new in-ear top model from the Chinese manufacturer has to offer.
Specifications
| Bluetooth version | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Maximum operating range | 12m (without obstacle) |
| Battery life | Up to 6hrs, 30hrs total with charging case; (varies depending on volume level and audio content) |
| Charge Time | 40 minutes (for headphones); 2 hrs (for charging case wireless); 1 hr (for charging case via USB-C) |
| Size charging case (W x H x D) | 67.9mm x 47.5mm x 24.5mm |
| Weight | 6g per earbud; 64g charging case & earbud |
| Most important features | ANC; Transparency mode; Wear detection; Dual driver |
| Price | € 139.00 * |
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 review: the scope of delivery
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 reach us in the test in a compact, white box with gold lettering, which already looks classy when looking at it and makes you want more. On the front, the packaging directly presents some of the equipment highlights like the HWA and Hi-Res Audio certification and the cooperation with the audio professionals from Devialet. In any case, Huawei has mastered appealing marketing.
Opening the box reveals the usual scope of delivery. The Earbuds themselves find space-saving room in the charging case. They are joined by two additional pairs of silicone earbuds in sizes S and L, whereby the medium-sized M variant is already pre-installed. A rather short USB-A to USB-C charging cable, as well as the quick start guide, safety instructions and a warranty card round out the scope of delivery.
Design and workmanship
In terms of the design of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, not too much has changed in direct comparison to its predecessor. Apart from the classy new color scheme in “Silver Blue”, which makes the in-ear headphones shine in a glossy ice blue hue.
The color also extends, albeit in a slightly duller form, to the new, somewhat shrunken charging case. It measures 67.9 mm x 24.5 mm x 47.5 mm (length x width x height) and thus fits wonderfully in every trouser or shirt pocket.
On the bottom of the case we find the USB-C port for charging, as well as a corresponding status LED. However, there is nothing to see on the front, which remains empty apart from the minimally stepped transition between the base and the lid. The back is characterized by a metal hinge that bears the Huawei and Devialet logos.
Inside, we find the FreeBuds Pro 2 themselves recessed into the magnetic charging slots, with another status LED sitting in the center above them to inform us of Bluetooth pairing, for example. Once again, we find a dedicated pairing button on the side of the charging unit.
The look of the in-ear headphones themselves is similar to that of the direct predecessor from 2020, but the new color provides a sophisticated, unique look. Thus, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 almost look like a shimmering, ice-blue pearl and make quite a visual impact.
The surface is quite slippery, which sometimes makes handling – especially removing the case – a bit difficult. Huawei relies on a classic earbud design with a 25 mm long pin that protrudes from the ears. The manufacturer’s name is emblazoned on the outside in silver. On the inside, we find the label for the respective side.
Other than that, black contrasting microphones can be found on the inside, behind the earbuds, as well as at the transition between the pen and earbud. Said silicone earbuds, by the way, are also in the color of the headphones, so in our case in light blue.
Workmanship of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
In terms of build quality, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 absolutely live up to their rather high price. They look classy and high-quality, the transitions between the individual components are cleanly crafted and do not show any gaps.
However, they are extremely susceptible to fingerprints due to the glossy casing. So you should always have a microfiber cloth at hand to be on the safe side.
Wearing comfort of the FreeBuds Pro 2
We would describe the wearing comfort of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 as good. Once you have found the right size, the earbuds, each weighing around 6.0 grams, sit quite comfortably and firmly in the ear without pressing. The in-ear headphones do not slip even during fast movements and sports activities.
However, the fact that it is not enough for a “very good” in wearing comfort is mainly due to one reason. They do not disappear as deeply into the ear cup as other competing products – the Apple AirPods Pro (our review), for example. This could be due to the minimally thicker, round shape.
This, in turn, ensures that you always have the feeling that the Earbuds will loosen in the ear and slip in position, despite a tight fit. Although the FreeBuds Pro 2 are really comfortable to wear, you will find yourself readjusting them again and again.
In direct comparison to the equally expensive Sony Linkbuds S (our review), we like the wearing comfort of the Sony counterpart by far. But that is probably a matter of taste.
Features and battery life
In terms of features, Huawei does not do things by halves in the case of the FreeBuds Pro 2 and actually leaves nothing to be desired. Bluetooth connectivity in the current 5.2 standard and thus a range of 10-12 meters is offered. This is exactly on par with rivals like Sony and Co.
However, the Huawei model has the edge in multipoint support. The Earbuds can be paired with two devices at the same time and switch between PC and smartphone independently, for example. This works flawlessly in practice.
In addition, the new edition now has an IP54 certification, which means that even a rain shower should not harm the in-ear headphones. Thanks to mono mode, you can also use only one earphone individually if desired. There’s also a wear detection feature that automatically pauses playback when you take out one or both earbuds.
Battery life of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
In terms of battery life, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 are surprisingly not quite on par with the Sony Linkbuds S, which we already had to criticize in the corresponding test. In any case, we could not quite reach the rates stated by Huawei in our test.
After a bit more than three hours with activated ANC (mode: dynamic), the Huawei model ran out of breath. If we deactivate the active noise suppression, we cannot quite reach six hours. Together with the charging case, we get around 17-18 hours with ANC (depending on the selected mode and volume), and around 30 hours without ANC.
Huawei collects plus points on the one hand by the fact that the 580 mAh case can also be charged wirelessly. On the other hand, the quick-charging function supplies the Earbuds with juice for one hour of music playback in just 10 minutes. A full charge of the earbuds themselves is also very quick at around 40 minutes.
Operation: Press and swipe
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 are operated with the help of touch inputs, which is realized similarly to the AirPods Pro by squeezing the narrow sides on the pens. However, it does not work nearly as well as the obvious source of inspiration.
Although the Earbuds play a quiet sound when a touch input is made, the recognition of our commands was not always as precise and direct as we had hoped. On the one hand, because the “pressure” area is absolutely impossible to feel and it is therefore often a matter of luck whether an input is recognized at all.
On the other hand, because the Earbuds sometimes struggle to distinguish between single, double and triple squeeze and hold. On the other hand, the volume control, which is accomplished with a swipe up (increase) or down (decrease), works well. At least as soon as I found out that only the outermost edge may be swiped for this.
In the companion app, the operation can be customized extensively, which proves to be very handy. Once the touch controls work, that is. Sorry, Huawei, but most rivals manage that much better.
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
Especially in terms of sound quality, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 want to have noticeably improved compared to its predecessor. The manufacturer relies on a whole two drivers per earphone. In addition to a classic dynamic driver with a diameter of 11 mm, an additional planar membrane driver is used. This is primarily supposed to provide clear and dynamic highs.
In addition, there is an extremely wide frequency band from 14 Hz to 48,000 Hz, as well as support for the high-resolution LDAC codec (under Android, of course) for a hi-fi sound bandwidth of 990 kbps. Sounds extremely promising, and the result that Huawei and Devialet deliver together absolutely lives up to the strong values on paper. The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 simply sound outstanding.
Sonically, the duo relies on a rather warm mix with restrained, but very precise bass that reaches extremely far down. Electro tracks in particular benefit noticeably from this. Especially if you boost the bass tones a bit via equalizer.
But the mids also convince with a detailed bandwidth and present voices and instrumentation very clearly and dynamically. At the same time, the highs open up wide and create a clean, broad soundstage that is pleasing.
The standard sound profile, which was developed together with Devialet, focuses on the mids and highs and brings additional details to light, which you are denied with many other in-ear headphones.
Sound-wise, the mix comes across a bit more neutral than the standard Sony Linkbuds S, which emphasize the bass a bit more. Of course, you can counteract this with the equalizer in both headphones.
Noticeable: The Sony in-ears get noticeably louder without distorting the trebles or making them too sharp. However, I generally like the sound of the Huawei in-ears a bit better. Especially since you can still make quite a few fine adjustments in the companion app thanks to the 10-band equalizer.
ANC and transparency mode
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 are also well positioned in terms of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode, which amplifies ambient noise. Although both modes cannot keep up with the Sony Linkbuds S, just to be clear.
There are four modes to choose from when it comes to ANC. A Dynamic mode that automatically adjusts to the prevailing ambient noise, and Low, Balanced, and Ultra modes. They all do a really great job of effectively blocking out ambient noise, especially in the Ultra setting (which of course has the most impact on battery life).
The transparency mode (called attention) on the other hand is fine and does what it’s supposed to. However, it doesn’t sound quite as natural as its Sony counterpart or the AirPods Pro. You can also activate a voice mode here if you wish, which additionally renders conversations louder.
Microphone Quality
The quality of the built-in microphones is also on a really good level, at least in the area of in-ear headphones. In the companion app, you also have the option, at the cost of battery life, to enable HD calls, which improves voice transmission once again.
But even without these features, you’ll always be clearly understood with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2. Ambient noise and wind noise are effectively blocked out.
Companion app: Huawei Ai Life
The companion app is Huawei Ai Life, which of course still comes with its typical quirks, especially on Android smartphones. After the initial download, for example, we had to trigger an update within the app, whereupon the program was installed a second time.
Regardless, there are numerous settings available to control all aspects of the headphones. These range from quickly switching between two connected devices, to displaying battery levels, to ANC and transparency mode settings.
There are also four EQ presets to choose from here, while you can compose quite a few more yourself. You can also fine-tune the touch controls down to the smallest detail and even determine the right size of the ear tips in a fit test. In addition, “Find device” gives you the option to play a sound in one or both Earbuds, should you ever misplace them.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 review: conclusion
With the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, the manufacturer provides the predecessor with a really convincing new edition. Besides the absolutely chic design, especially in the new silvery-blue color scheme, the in-ear headphones also have a lot going for them technically.
I particularly liked the sound of the FreeBuds Pro 2 and they are positioned even higher than the equally expensive Linkbuds S from Sony. The warm mix with detailed mids and clear trebles is extremely enjoyable, especially in combination with the high-resolution LDAC codec.
Other plus points are the effective ANC function and the really good microphones. However, you cannot quite keep up with Sony especially in terms of ANC. However, the fact that you cannot quite reach the Sony counterpart is due to three important points. On the one hand, the battery life is definitely too short and ranks on a mediocre level with less than four hours with active ANC.
On the other hand, I was not completely convinced by the wearing comfort, especially due to the shape. However, the problems with the touch and swipe controls, which do not always work as reliably and precisely as I would have wished, are the most serious. And again, I am used to it from Sony, for example.
However, the manufacturer could improve this with firmware updates in the future. Regardless, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 are really successful in-ear headphones that more than live up to their price, especially in terms of sound.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
90/100
Nice and high-quality in-ear headphones with first-rate sound and strong microphones, which, however, severely weaken in terms of battery life and operation.
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