Redmi Earbuds S Review: Truly Wireless Freedom Under ₹2,000

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Earbuds S in India yesterday. The rebranded Redmi AirDots S is available for a very low price of ₹1,799. It's difficult to dismiss a product like this at that price. However, if you're unsure whether you should buy these, here's my review of the Redmi Earbuds S after using them for a week.

Redmi Earbuds S

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1. What's Inside the Box?

First and foremost, let's take a look at what's inside the Redmi Earbuds S box.

• Redmi Earbuds S with Charger
• Earbuds, small/large (medium size is attached on the earbuds)
• User guide.

2. Design and construction quality

The Redmi Earbuds S have a great build and design for a pair of truly wireless earbuds priced under ₹2,000. There are a few nice touches here and there. The first is, ironically, that you can't see fingerprints on this thing.

That's fantastic, especially in a country like India, where the summers require you to hold your earbuds with sweaty hands. They are also IPX4 rated, so you can wear them during workouts or out in the rain without worry.

The case here is quite small, which is great, though it does feel slightly unsatisfactory when opened. When the lid is popped open, it doesn't have the same tactile feel as some other earbud cases. That's just me nitpicking; it's not a deal breaker by any means.

The earbuds are flush and attractive on the inside. Personally, I prefer the all-black aesthetic here. It's matte, deep black, and undetectable.

In terms of design, the Redmi Earbuds S have a microUSB charging port, which is a little disappointing. However, given the low price, I won't hold it against them. What I refuse to accept is the absence of a microUSB cable in the box. That makes no sense, and as my colleague Anmol eloquently put it in our Slack chat, "who has a microUSB charger these days?"

2. Fit and comfort

Xiaomi said a lot of nice things about how comfortable these earphones are and how well they're designed to fit into the average Indian ear, and for the most part, they're right.

The earbuds fit comfortably in the ear, and I found myself wearing them for hours at a time, sometimes without realising it. Both of these are excellent features for earbuds.

It's also impressive that the earbuds stayed in my ear during my signature head-banging test, which those of you who watch us on YouTube are probably familiar with. Most TWS earbuds fail at this, but the Redmi Earbuds S did not, so kudos there as well.

Xiaomi includes the medium sized silicone ear tip as well as a pair of small and large sized buds in the box with the Redmi Earbuds S. As a result, you should have no trouble finding a good fit for your ear. It is also worth noting that these earbuds come with a standard tip. That means you can use third-party ear buds if you prefer something more suited to your ear.

3. Audio Quality

This part has me completely perplexed. On the one hand, there’s the fact that the Redmi Earbuds S don’t have great sound. They just don't. The soundstage is narrow, and instrument separation in the mids is problematic. Furthermore, the bass, while thumping, is muffled.

However, they are priced at ₹1,799, and at that price, the sound quality is understandable. At this price point, your options are extremely limited. There isn't much to compare these earbuds to.

That is exactly why I say the sound here isn't great. Expect these to compete with earbuds like the Mi True Wireless or the Realme Buds Air. That is, however, to be expected.

Is it possible to listen to music while wearing these earbuds? No, it isn't. If anything, it's a passable experience. And under ₹2,000, you won't get a lot of TWS earbuds. The Redmi Earbuds S can get quite loud, and the sound does not distort, which is excellent.

If sound quality is something you absolutely cannot compromise on, either increase your budget or consider ditching TWS and getting the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z (₹1,999) instead in this price range.

4. Interactions and Music Control

Each earbud of the Redmi Earbuds S has a multi-function button. This button is used for a variety of tasks such as answering and ending phone calls, controlling music playback, launching the voice assistant, and more. This is how the controls appear.

• Answer/end calls: press the button once
• Reject a call by pressing and holding the button for one second.
• Respond to a second call: To answer a second call while an ongoing call is in progress, press the button once.
• Change between calls: To switch between calls, double-click the button.
• Change the audio between your earbuds and your device: Press and hold the button for a second during a call to switch audio between the earbuds and the device.
• Mute/unmute: While a call is in progress, double-press the button to mute/unmute.
• Play/pause music: To play/pause music, press the button.
  Double-press the button to activate the voice assistant.

All of these functions are great.  the ability to skip forward and back in my playlists. That is a crucial feature for me. However, that does not appear to be the case here. I tried triple pressing the multi-function button while testing these earbuds to see if it skips songs, but the earbuds just played a weird tone and then continued playing the song.

5. Connectivity

Moving on, these earbuds have Bluetooth 5, which is fantastic given their low price. You can use these separately if you prefer, and they pair easily. Simply remove the earphones from the case, navigate to your phone's Bluetooth settings, and select 'Redmi Earbuds S' to pair them with your device.

The SBC codec is the only one supported by the Redmi Earbuds S. While this may appear to be a significant disadvantage, at ₹1,799, I'm not sure I can really hold it against the company.

6. Battery

The Redmi Earbuds S have a surprisingly long battery life for earbuds this small. Xiaomi claims that the earbuds will last 4 hours on a single charge at 80% volume. According to my testing, that claim is more than true. The Redmi Earbuds S were only 60% charged after two hours of continuous listening at 80% volume. So, they'll easily last 4 hours on a single charge.

Three additional charges from the case give the earbuds a total listening time of 12 hours, which is pretty good. It's even more impressive when you consider the price. To be honest, I don't have any complaints about the battery life. The only issue I have, which is somewhat battery-related, is that the microUSB cable isn't included in the box.

7. Advantages and disadvantages

To summarise, here's a quick rundown of what's good and bad about these earphones.

Pros:

• Very reasonably priced
• Excellent design and construction.
• The fit and comfort are excellent.

Cons:

• There is no microUSB cable included.
• Sound quality should have been better
• Only SBC codec is supported.

8. Redmi Earbuds S Review: Are These the Best Truly Wireless Earbuds Under ₹2,000?

Overall, the Redmi Earbuds S (1,799) are near the top of my list of potential best truly wireless earbuds under ₹2,000 in India. They come in a stylish package with a solid design. They are quite comfortable to wear and fit easily in the ear, and they are reasonably priced. The only compromise is in the sound quality, which is significant. Still, as an overall package, the Redmi Earbuds S are a good buy at this price.

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