Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro review: Missing essentials

Despite the proliferation of true wireless audio products, the category continues to develop at a rapid pace. Over the past year we’ve seen premium features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), transparency modes, and more come into affordable options. However, a major concern with most true wireless earbuds has been battery life and Xiaomi believes that this problem could be solved. In addition to obvious improvements such as audio quality, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro also have longevity in their sights. By doing Android authority Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro review, we’ll see if there’s enough here to differentiate Redmi’s newest audio product in a segment that is full of very good options.

• Redmi earbuds 3 Pro: Rs. 3,000 (~ $ 40)

The Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro are the third iteration of the real wireless headphones from the Xiaomi sub-brand launched in India. Compared to the entry-level Redmi Earbuds S and Redmi Earbuds 2C, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro strive for a slightly higher position, with a higher quality range of functions and a proportionally higher price. The earphones are available in three different colors: pink, blue and white.

Confusingly, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro are not the same as the Redmi Buds 3 Pro available in the UK and the rest of Europe. The Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro are available exclusively for India from Mi.com and Amazon.

The Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro don’t differ too far from traditional true wireless headphones in terms of design, but this brand new sandstone pink hue has my heart. The build quality is generally satisfactory and the case doesn’t feel cheap. Redmi even added a soft rubberized texture on the inside, although I did notice the rubber often traps lint.

As a music listener, wireless earbud latency has rarely been an issue for me. True wireless earbuds, however, have traditionally been a less than standout option for gamers. With the support of Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive Codec, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro claim a latency of around 86 ms, which should make them suitable for smartphone games. In addition, adaptive scaling helps maintain a strong signal even from a distance. I had no problem at all traversing the length of my 2,500-square-foot apartment while streaming a podcast from my phone.

Unlike the Redmi earbuds previously released, the Earbuds 3 Pro are charged via USB-C, which is a definite win for convenience.

The real leap forward, however, lies in the battery life. The Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro claim to offer seven hours of use on a single charge. It’s not often that real-world battery life tests match the manufacturer’s specifications, but in the case of the Earbuds 3 Pro, my tests exceeded Redmi’s claims. With a volume of 60%, I got almost eight hours of use on a single charge. Paired with the battery compartment, around 30 hours of reserve battery are available, which should please even the most eager music listener.

Finally, the earbuds retain IPX4 certification, which makes them ideal for activities like running.

What’s not so good?

Despite being a fairly affordable set of true wireless earbuds, the company has made great strides in audio credentials. The dual driver configuration combines a dynamic low and medium frequency driver with a balanced armature driver to handle the high end.

Unfortunately, Redmi’s audio tuning leaves a lot to be desired with loud basses that negatively affect other important musical notes. The vocals are not very pronounced and the amplified bass masks mid frequencies. Despite the dedicated balanced armature driver, I was unimpressed by the sound of the highs as they were way too amplified – what some might call “shrill”. In addition, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro produced a very noticeable ticking sound at high volume. I contacted Redmi about the ticking sound and the company replied that it was likely a one-off problem with the existing device. While this is likely to be the case, potential buyers will want to be on the lookout for (or have an ear for) the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro for quality control issues.

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Fit can also be a bit of a hit or a miss. Although the earbuds never fell out of my ear, the fit wasn’t very comforting and I often went back to adjust them.

Elsewhere, the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro’s mics sound muffled and distant, making these less than ideal for long calls. Finally, unlike competing products, Redmi doesn’t offer an app to optimize audio quality, nor can you change the default touch-based control scheme.

Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro review: should I buy it?

As good as the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro look on paper, the evidence is clear, and these affordable true wireless earbuds fluctuate in more ways than one. It’s not all bad, and features like long battery life, IP rating, and solid connection stability are great.

However, the dubious audio quality, lack of an app, and not very comforting fit cannot be ignored. This is all the more true given quality alternatives like the Realme Buds Q2 (Rs. 2,499), which offer active noise cancellation on a budget, or, say, the Oppo Enco W11 (Rs. 1,999) with their focus on decent sound quality, the with an excellent fit.

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Sure, almost all budget-conscious true wireless earbuds cut a little to match this price point, but the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro compromise too much to deserve a recommendation.