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Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 review - ANC headphones with lossless audio

2.3 MBit/s Bluetooth bandwidth.

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 are not only enormously improved in terms of sound and offer the nominally most capable Bluetooth codec, but also come with new head gestures and active foam attachments. In our tests, the model delivered a powerful sound experience, but only under "special" conditions.
Daniel Schmidt, 👁 Daniel Schmidt, Anton Avdyushkin (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Accessory Audio Wearable

Verdict - Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 rely on powerful technology

With the FreeBuds Pro 4, Huawei has achieved a technically impressive further development of its premium in-ears, which impress with many functions and great sound. The new L2HC 4.0 codec, with its bandwidth of 2.3 MBit/s, is very playable and delivers an amazing sound experience, which we would not have expected given the small drivers of the in-ears.

The downside, however, is that this codec is only available for current premium smartphones from Huawei and doesn't work with every streaming provider due to compatibility issues. However, as the FreeBuds Pro 4 are not only characterized by their sound quality, they are still recommended. In particular, the outstanding telephony features, effective ANC, and dual Bluetooth make the headphones an ideal everyday companion.

Pros

+ great sound
+ clear phone calls
+ effective ANC

Cons

- L2HC 4.0 can only be used to a limited extent
- no automatic switch between ANC and transparency

Price and availability

The FreeBuds Pro 4 have an RRP of 199 euros and can be purchased directly from the Huawei Store. A member voucher can be activated there until 31.01.2025, which grants a discount of 30 euros.

Bestpreis 169€ Quelle.de
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 schwarz (55037962)
2. 192.99 € saturn
3. 192.99 € Saturn.de
4. 192.99 € Mediamarkt.de

Specifications: Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4

Wearing style In-Ear
Connectivity Bluetooth 5.2
Range 10 m
Speaker 11 mm dynamic driver + planar diaphragm driver, 14 - 48000 Hz
Audio codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC, L2HC 4.0
Battery n/a A.
Charging port USB-C
Wireless charging yes
Sensors Infrared, Hall, gyroscope, acceleration, acoustic bone sensor, touch, pressure
Weight 5.8 g (per earbud), 47 g (case)
Firmware version HarmonyOS 5.0.0.210
Scope of delivery Headphones, charging case, silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L), active foam tips (S, M, L)
Price (RRP) 199 euros

Huawei's premium in-ears are entering a new round. The FreeBuds Pro 4 follow the FreeBuds Pro 3 and offer a significantly improved sound experience, whether for playback or phone calls. Of course, they also feature active noise cancellation (ANC), are IP-certified, and are capable of spatial audio.

New features include active foam attachments and head gesture control.

Case and ergonomics - More elegant design for the FreeBuds Pro 4

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 are available in black, white, and green, all of which have gold accents that give the in-ear headphones a sophisticated look.

The case of our test device (white) is made of high-quality matt plastic. For manual pairing, a button is embedded in it, as is already the case with the FreeBuds Pro 3. There is a recess on the back with a small ceramic plate on which the Huawei lettering can be seen. Behind it is the charging coil for wireless charging. The folding mechanism neatly and securely closes the earphones into the housing and has been optimized for high durability. The integrated magnets reliably lock both the earphones and the clasp.

While the earphones are IP54-certified against the ingress of dust and water, the charging case has no designated protection. The headphones are therefore protected against the ingress of damaging amounts of dust and splashing water from all sides. Sweat and rain are not a problem, but the FreeBuds Pro 4 are not waterproof.

Next to the USB port, which can also be used to supply the charging case with power, there is a small speaker. This is responsible for notifications, for example, the charging status, but is also supposed to enable an acoustic search of the case, but as with the predecessor, this is not even possible in combination with a Huawei smartphone.

The earphones are pleasantly light and can be adjusted to the size of the inner ear using the silicone tips. Four different sizes are included in the scope of delivery: XS, S, M and L. The new active foam tips adapt even better to the user's ear canal for more effective noise isolation. The difference is definitely audible in everyday use and we find the wearing comfort even more pleasant. If you want to determine the optimum size for your ear canal, you can use the fit test.

In general, we feel that the headphones have a more secure fit, so using them for sport should not be a problem.

Sustainability - FreeBuds with large outer packaging

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 are delivered in a surprisingly large outer packaging, which is also much bulkier than its predecessor. Although it is made of recyclable paper materials, it is completely shrink-wrapped.

Huawei does not provide any information on the use of recycled materials or the CO2 footprint. It is also not possible to repair the headphones or purchase suitable spare parts.

Features and operation - Huawei in-ears with head gestures

Setting up the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 is just as easy as with its predecessor. If you have a Huawei smartphone with at least EMUI 10 or HarmonyOS 2, a connection to the headphones is suggested as soon as the charging case is opened for the first time. However, Google's Fast Pair is not supported, whereas Microsoft's Swift Pair is. Alternatively, a classic manual pairing can be carried out. The FreeBuds are capable of dual connectivity and can be connected to two devices simultaneously; the pairing list can manage up to eight devices.

The AI Life app is required to use the FreeBuds Pro 4 with all its benefits - Apple users can find it in the App Store; it is usually pre-installed on Huawei products or can be downloaded from the AppGallery. The latter is not absolutely necessary, as all settings in Huawei smartphones can also be accessed directly via the Bluetooth menu.

Only Google users may have to take a slightly more complicated route by downloading the app via the QR code on the packaging or by downloading it together with the AppGallery and HMS Core from the Huawei website. However, if you have access to the Galaxy store or Xiaomi's GetApps, you can also find the app there.

The app can be used to switch wearer detection on or off, install updates, carry out a fit test, or customize touch operation to your own needs. Settings for equalizer, transparency mode, spatial audio, and ANC can also be found there. Anyone pairing several devices with the FreeBuds Pro 4 will appreciate the connection center, which can be used to quickly switch to another paired device or manage them.

Touch control is made possible via the pressure sensors in the earbuds and only requires a short period of familiarization. A new feature is control using head gestures. Unfortunately, this can only accept or reject phone calls so far, but worked reliably in the test.

If an earpiece is lost, the search function can be used to find it again acoustically, as it then starts ringing at maximum volume. With a Huawei smartphone, the last location of the headphones can also be displayed on a map. However, the Huawei Cloud must also be logged in for this. Only Celia is supported as a voice assistant, which is only available on Huawei smartphones.

As with its predecessor, an infrared sensor is also integrated, but this is not used in the global version. In the version for the Chinese market, it can be used to determine body temperature.

 

Sound - Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 rely on L2HC 4.0

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 is the first to use the new Bluetooth audio codec L2HC 4.0, which now achieves a bandwidth of 2.3 Mbit/s and is therefore currently the most powerful codec of its kind. This enables high-res audio with up to 48 kHz and 24 bits. The problem is that this codec is currently only supported by Huawei smartphones with EMUI 15, such as the Pura 70 Ultra or the Mate X6. All other Android smartphones can at least fall back on LDAC, iPhones are limited to AAC.

The sound is really good even with LDAC, but the difference to the new codec is audible and pleasantly surprised us in the test. The sound stage is very clear and precise via L2HC 4.0, which we would not have expected given the small dual drivers.

However, suitable source material is also required. For optimum sound, we played high-res audio material directly from the smartphone. However, if you want to use a streaming provider, you should ideally use Huawei Music, which can play tracks in high quality. Although Tidal is also available in the AppGallery, it has not received an update for a very long time, which we can then download via the Aurora Store. However, Tidal does not seem to recognize this powerful Bluetooth connection as such, which is why the quality for Bluetooth streaming is reduced. This is a shame, as the great sound characteristics of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 can only be used in very limited conditions.

This does not apply to telephony, as Huawei delivers really good voice quality for in-ear headphones, which filters ambient noise very reliably. These are completely suppressed up to a volume of 100 dB(A). Even in very loud environments, the user remains understandable and this works excellently in the test, even if your own voice no longer sounds completely natural and somewhat constricted. Huawei recommends the active foam attachments so that the user at the other end can also be heard.

Active noise cancellation and transparency mode (attention) can only be switched on or off manually. The ANC can either be adjusted manually or the headphones adjust this dynamically. Although the modes can be easily controlled via the touch sensors, there is no automatic situation detection to switch between ANC and transparency. The ANC works very effectively and leaves a good impression. Transparency mode is accompanied by audible noise and is susceptible to wind.

Loudspeakers
THD
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro (RMS: -3.8 dBFS)
0.91 % *
Motorola Moto Buds+ (RMS: -1.9 dBFS)
0.2 % *
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 (RMS: -2.9 dBFS)
0.19 % *
THD+N
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro (RMS: -3.8 dBFS)
1.33 % *
Motorola Moto Buds+ (RMS: -1.9 dBFS)
0.35 % *
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 (RMS: -2.9 dBFS)
0.34 % *

* ... 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.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203146.2252745.3312347.24022.953.45036.357.56321.656801761.110017.662.312515.76116016.963.120015.263.225013.763.331514.265.340013.267.150014.568.563014.36780014.169.3100013.570.6125014.972.716001273.9200012.480.3250012.287.5315012.786.9400013.582500013.38163001477.9800013.569.11000013.674.81250013.869.91600013.762.7SPL25.693.3N0.788.4median 13.7median 69.9Delta0.77.734.252.528.454.420.953.936.14940.650.32049.914.549.819.650.911.251.613.252.710.453553.75.958.25.259.65.463.76.366.95.171.96.776.1880.57.580.67.882.8885.49.484980.69.778.310.176.410.773.811.275.711.372.510.965.12192.50.386.7median 9median 73.82.29.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei FreeBuds Pro 4Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 12% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 12% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.4% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.6% 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 24%, 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 24%, worst was 134%

Battery life - Good runtime and smart charging

In our test, we tested the battery life of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 with an adjusted volume level (65 dB(A)). We activated ANC, used LDAC as the codec, and played a Spotify playlist. The Huawei headphones achieved a playback time of almost six hours - a good result.

It should be noted that the adaptive ANC will require more energy in noisy environments and if you use the more powerful codec, this will probably also reduce the runtimes.

Charging in the case is quite quick. To improve the longevity of the batteries, Smart Charge can be activated in the settings. This function learns the user's usage routine and adjusts the charge level of the headphones accordingly instead of always fully charging them.

Battery Runtime - Spotify loop at 65dB/A (incl ANC)
Motorola Moto Buds+
45 mAh (without ANC)
499 min
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4
 mAh (LDAC, ANC off)
353 min
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro
53 mAh (SSC, ANC off)
241 min

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.

This is how Notebookcheck is testing

Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4 review - ANC headphones with lossless audio
Daniel Schmidt, 2025-01-18 (Update: 2025-01-18)