Huawei FreeBuds 6i review: Affordable ANC earbuds with LDAC and good pink noise measurement results
ANC professional with a sticking point?
The Huawei FreeBuds 6i offer high-res audio support and dynamic noise cancellation for cheap. Does this make Huawei the best true wireless earbuds for under US$100? In our test report, we clarify the price-performance ratio of the in-ears.Marcus Herbrich, 👁 Daniel Schmidt, ✓ Anton Avdyushkin (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict
If you are looking for relatively inexpensive ANC headphones, you can't go wrong with the FreeBuds 6i. The wireless headphones from Huawei impress with their appealing active noise cancellation, automatically adjusting the intensity if desired. The sound is also quite impressive. For TWS under US$100, the FreeBuds 6i offer a broad depth with present mids. The Huawei headphones also cut a fine figure with bassy music tracks. Thanks to LDAC support, users can also enjoy high-resolution audio.
The rather poor endurance of the FreeBuds 6i could be a sticking point for heavy users. With less than three hours of music playback with ANC at medium volume, the odd train journey or sports session could be too long for the battery of the Huawei TWS. However, sporting activities are probably not the focus of IP54-certified in-ears with a housing that is only splash-proof.
Alternatives in the TWS mid-range with better battery life than the FreeBuds 6i are, for example, the Xiaomi Buds 5 or Nothing Ear (a).
Price and availability
The Huawei FreeBuds 6i are available for an RRP of US$99, for example from Amazon or directly from the manufacturer (the price is down to 79 euros already, or approx US$83).
Compared to the previous generation FreeBuds 5i, the completely wireless FreeBuds 6i offer a range of improvements. These include a more modern Bluetooth 5.3 including a larger selection of codecs and the company's own Active Noise Cancellation 3.0, which was previously reserved for Pro series models. Huawei speaks of significant improvements in terms of active suppression of ambient noise.
The successor to the FreeBuds 5i is priced at the same level of just under US$100 (RRP) and offers interesting features for the price range thanks to LDAC support and dynamic ANC.
Specifications of the Huawei FreeBuds 6i
| Wearing style | In-Ear |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Speakers | 11 mm quad magnetic drivers |
| Audio codecs | LDAC, L2HC 2.0, AAC, SBC |
| Battery runtime | up to 35 hours |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Wireless charging | no |
| Weight | 5.4 g |
| Firmware version | 4.2.0.216 |
| Scope of delivery | USB-C cable, attachments for earbuds, quick start guide |
| Price (RRP) | US$99 |
Case and ergonomics - Wireless in-ear headphones with IP54
The FreeBuds 6i have a plastic housing with a classic style design and an IP54 rating. This means that the Huawei TWS are protected against moderate contact with liquids, such as accidentally spilled drinks or a rain shower. However, the splash-resistant FreeBuds 6i are not suitable for use in the shower or swimming pool. Huawei does not specify a protection standard for the case.
The in-ears seal well, partly due to their design, and the workmanship of the headphones is satisfactory. Thanks to the various attachments included in the scope of delivery, a satisfactory fit was achieved in our test. The low weight also makes them comfortable to wear.
Magnets hold the wireless headphones in the charging case and the lid of the case also remains securely closed so that transportation in a rucksack or bag is no problem. A pairing button is located on the right-hand side of the case, while a colored indicator LED is located on the front.
Sustainability
The manufacturer does not provide any information on the materials used or their recycling rate. It is also likely to be rather difficult to repair. However, the packaging appears to be plastic-free. The device itself and its accessories are wrapped in foil.
Features and operation - Huawei FreeBuds 6i with ANC
The Huawei TWS connects via Bluetooth 5.3, enabling a connection to two devices simultaneously - for example, for use with a computer and a smartphone. However, Google Fast Pair is not supported by FreeBuds 6i, so the pairing process with Android-Smartphones is the "classic" way using the pairing button - the same applies to phones with iOS. It is easier with Huawei devices and Swift Pair from Microsoft also simplifies the setup process under Windows. Pairing with the FreeBuds TWS is possible when the case is opened.
The manufacturer's AI Life app from the AppGallery is required for adjustments and settings of the FreeBuds 6i. With Android devices, the QR code on the packaging can be scanned or the apk file can be downloaded directly from the Huawei homepage. The application can also be found in the app store, as well as in manufacturer stores such as Samsung's Galaxy store. Among other things, the application can be used to switch wearing detection on or off and customize operation. The Huawei in-ears have touch-sensitive outer surfaces that support three different gestures. The Compagnon app can also be used to update the wireless headphones with the latest software version or to use an equalizer.
There are three noise suppression modes available: "Low", "Balanced" and "Ultra". An adaptive ANC profile can also be used with "Dynamic". The difference between the various modes is not significant, but we can certainly perceive an amplification or reduction in ambient noise.
According to the manufacturer, noise of up to 27 dB is filtered out of the sound image with the in-house "ANC 3.0". Huawei states that Active Noise Cancellation 3 technology measures the ambient noise every 2.6 microseconds and uses a dedicated computing chip to calculate the anti-noise. With the 3-microphone system, an additional external microphone is used for noise detection.
In everyday use, the Ultra mode works satisfactorily in monotonous, low-frequency street noise - especially considering the RRP of less than US$100. Huawei equips its FreeBuds 6i with a "Noise Filtering Chamber", which is based on the Helmholtz resonance principle and is designed to reduce disturbing noises in the medium and high frequency range (1 - 3 kHz). However, some of the external noises do penetrate perceptibly, such as shrill or whistling sources of interference. The honking of car horns or loud children's voices are also less filtered. However, this problem is also experienced by significantly more expensive TWS headphones equally.
Sound - TWS headphones with even mids
Huawei promises an impressive sound experience with strong bass for its mid-range TWS. It features 11-millimeter drivers that are designed to operate between 14 and 40,000 Hz. The magnetic drivers are therefore one millimeter larger than those in the FreeBuds 5i which should, in theory, better reproduce lower frequencies. However, our pink noise measurement reveals a different picture.
The FreeBuds 6i have slightly less depth than their predecessors, but the highs are better integrated and the mids are slightly more present. Overall, playback is very linear for this price range. Subjectively, the Huawei headphones also offer a great sound, considering the price level. There are 6 sound profiles to choose from, which have quite audible differences, and an equalizer. In our measurements, the harmonic distortions of the Huawei TWS are at a medium level. For our tests, we used the LDAC-capable OnePlus 12.
We also used the Freebuds 6i for phone calls and video playback. Some of the wind noise was clearly audible to our conversation partners, but the speech was loud and natural. Noice cancelation works audibly in everyday life. The sound is synchronized with the video material, we did not notice any significant delay in the test. The manufacturer does not provide an exact latency for this model.
| Loudspeakers | |
| THD | |
| Samsung Galaxy Buds FE (RMS: -3.0 dBFS) | |
| Huawei FreeBuds 6i (RMS: -2.1 dBFS) | |
| Nothing Ear (a) (RMS: -1.8 dBFS) | |
| Xiaomi Buds 5 (RMS: -1.9 sBFS) | |
| THD+N | |
| Huawei FreeBuds 6i (RMS: -2.1 dBFS) | |
| Xiaomi Buds 5 (RMS: -1.9 sBFS) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Buds FE (RMS: -3.0 dBFS) | |
| Nothing Ear (a) (RMS: -1.8 dBFS) | |
* ... smaller is better
THD (Total Harmonic Distortion): Harmonic distortion quantifies the amount of distortion caused by non-linear distortion (harmonic content) in relation to the original signal. THD only refers to the fundamental component. The distortion factor is often mentioned in the same breath, but refers to the overall signal.
THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise): This value is comparable to THD, but in addition to the interference power of the harmonics, that of the noise is recorded as an effective value.
For the measurement, a low harmonic sinusoidal signal (1 kHz, > 0 dB) is played back via the headphones to be tested, which is recorded by a linear measuring microphone (measuring distance: approx. 1 cm) in an artificial head.
Both values are given as a percentage. The lower the value, the better the signal fidelity.
Huawei FreeBuds 6i audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 22% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | very high highs - on average 15.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 54% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Huawei FreeBuds 6i are not endurance runners
The battery life of the in-ear headphones is advertised as eight hours without active ANC and five hours with noise suppression. With intermediate charging in the charging case, this should be up to 35 hours. However, we cannot confirm this information. With ANC activated, we only achieved a runtime of just under 3 hours in the battery test. It should be noted that the measured values for our comparison devices were partly determined without noise suppression - we have changed our test procedure accordingly.
| Battery Runtime - Spotify loop at 65dB/A (incl ANC) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Buds FE | |
| Nothing Ear (a) | |
| Xiaomi Buds 5 | |
| Huawei FreeBuds 6i (LDAC, ANC on) | |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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