Huawei FreeBuds 6i is a highly recommended wireless earbuds – they are excellent in appearance design, sound quality, noise cancellation and call quality. They are great budget and comprehensive TWS earbuds in this price range.
Huawei Freebuds 6i specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC/AAC codec
- 5 – 8 hours playback of per charge (ANC on/off)
- Charging case can charge earbuds fully 3 times
- IPX4 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
- Multi-point connection & Game mode support
- Comes with 3 sets of eartips, USB-C cable, user manual
- $98 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
Appearance Design and Comfort
Huawei Freebuds 6i has not changed radically from other previous generations in terms of design style – they all have the same oval charging case. The charging case has a delicate matte texture and it is not easy to leave obvious fingerprints on the surface. The case is relatively small and can be easily put into the jeans pocket. There is an LED indicator light under the brand logo on the front of the case, and a round multi-function button on the right.
The Freebuds 6i earbuds adopts a long stem in-ear design, with a smooth glossy surface and comfortable touch. The HUAWEI logo is printed on the outside of the earbud-stem, and there is a touch area above the logo, which can realize a variety of control operations.
Each earbud weighs only 5.4g, and feels delicate and smooth; you can hardly feel the weight when wearing it, and you won’t feel uncomfortable even if you wear it for a long time. The earbuds are easy to wear, and there is no obvious squeezing feeling. There are three sizes of eartrips, and you can choose the most suitable one according to your situation.
The FreeBuds 6i did not get loose when walking up and down stairs, or commuting. The earbuds are IP54 dust and water resistant and can be used in sports.
Connectivity, App Support and Controls
The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 technology and support SBC and AAC codec. When connecting for the first time, just select “HUAWEI Freebuds 6i” in the bluetooth list of your phone to quickly connect.
Also, the Freebuds 6i supports multi-point connection and can connect mobile phone and computer at the same time. It’s worth noting that pop-up pairing is still exclusive to Huawei smartphones.
The Freebuds 6i supports Huawei AI Life App for Android and iOS. The app includes control settings, show the battery status of the charging case and earbuds, helps you find the earbuds if you lose them, firmware updates, and activates low-latency game mode. The app also allows you to select ANC modes and sound presets – they looks and operate simple.
In terms of controls, the Freebuds 6i are different from many TWS earbuds in that you can swipe the stem up or down to increase or decrease the volume. In my days of testing, swiping the stem always changed the volume the way I wanted to.
The default control scheme is comprehensive:
- Double-tap L or R earbud: answer/hang up call
- Double-tap L or R earbud: play/pause music
- Triple-tap L/R earbud: previous/next track
- Swipe up/down L or R earbud: volume+/volume-
- Long-press L or R earbud: Switch betweenTransparent mode/ANC on/ANC off
Overall, the actual touch operation is responsive, and there are corresponding prompt sounds. It is very convenient to swipe to adjust the volume, and the operation experience is good.
Phone Calls and Battery Life
Huawei FreeBuds 6i also has satisfactory call performance. I conducted a call test on the subway and was able to have a smooth call with the other party, and the other party said that he could hear my voice clearly, which shows that 6i has good call quality in noisy environments. Although background noise cannot be completely eliminated, it will never interfere with the clarity of the call.
The FreeBuds 6i also performs quite well in dealing with wind noise. It may take a little time to adapt to the windy environment, but it will soon adjust and put the focus back on my voice while effectively reducing wind noise. Although it may be affected a bit in strong winds or noisy environments, considering its price and performance, the call quality of 6i is undoubtedly one of the best in its class.
The battery capacity of the charging case is 510mAh, and the earbuds are 35mAh. The single battery life with ANC off is up to 8 hours, and the total battery life is up to 35 hours. The battery life with ANC on is up to 4~5 hours. The single battery life of 6i is 2 hours less than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5i. Plus, it supports fast charging function – charging for 10 minutes, listening to music for 4 hours.
ANC Noise Cancellation of Huawei Freebuds 6i
The earbuds support a variety of different noise cancellation modes, including Dynamic, Cozy, General and Ultra. The Dynamic ANC mode dynamically customizes the best noise cancellation parameters based on ambient noise, ear canal and wearing posture.
After turning on the ANC mode, the average noise cancellation depth of 27dB is quite obvious, and you can feel the reduction of the surrounding ambient sound. The passive noise cancellation performance of Freebuds 6i is also quite good – when the ANC off, you can feel a certain degree of attenuation of the surrounding noise. Turn on the ANC mode and play music at a normal volume, the surrounding vocals can be well shielded. If you watch a video, you may be able to perceive faint external vocals.
The default is Dynamic ANC mode – after turning it on, you can feel the progressive noise cancellation switching process. In the office, the sound of the air conditioner is almost inaudible, and the keyboard tapping and nearby conversations can also be greatly reduced. In the subway, the subway running noise and nearby conversations can be significantly suppressed. Although you can still hear some sound, it has little impact on listening to music, and you can get a better listening experience.
Switching between Cozy, General, and Ultra noise cancellation modes, you can clearly feel the noise cancellation effect increasing in sequence. Normally, using the default Dynamic ANC mode can achieve good results.
There is a certain stethoscope effect with ANC on – you can feel the footsteps when walking, and even slightly feel the friction of the jaw when eating. Plus, there is a strong sense of perceptible ear pressure, and it is not recommended to turn on the ANC mode for a long time. I feel a little itchy in the ear canal after wearing it for 30 minutes to an hour – it is recommended to take it off after half an hour to relax the ears. This sense of ear pressure also affects my concentration in study and work to a certain extent, so it is recommended to wear it when commuting.
Its transparent mode performs well, called Awareness here. With transparent mode on, the surrounding sound can be heard well, and the conversation 5 meters away can be heard clearly. When playing music, the conversation within 2 meters can also be heard clearly. It does not affect normal communication – take off one earbud in ANC mode, and the other one will automatically switch to transparent mode and reduce ear pressure.
Acoustic Configuration and Sound Quality
Huawei FreeBuds 6i is equipped with an 11mm four-magnet dynamic driver, with low-frequency as low as 14Hz and a wider frequency response range of 5Hz-20kHz. It supports SBC/AAC codec and has passed Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.
The quantity and texture of the low-frequency are excellent, and both male and female bass can well reflect the deep atmosphere. Here I would recommend the female bass more, the male bass can feel that the bass quantity is a little too much.
The highs is naturally and penetrating, and the sound is also bright. The vocal age is relatively neutral, and both mature and young accents can be well presented, which makes the highs of both pop and ACG have a good sound performance.
The soundstage is average, and the vocal cohesion is strong, which enhances the vocal texture and the corresponding emotional expression to a certain extent, but it is not able to present a relaxed and melodious atmosphere. This also affects the durability of the 6i’s sound to a certain extent – it is measured that after listening for about an hour, it will produce a little irritability.
The tuning of Huawei FreeBuds 6i is very suitable for pop music, especially European and American pop music. The combination of vocals and BGM is harmonious, and the rich atmosphere is well created. The drum beats are powerful and heavy, which makes 6i have a dynamic sound performance in both traditional drum beats and electronic music. This also means that it is very suitable for listening to music while exercising.
Conclusion
Huawei FreeBuds 6i has a beautiful appearance, and both active and passive noise reduction have good sound insulation. They are very suitable for listening to classical music, pop music, rock, and drum music, and they also perform well for calls. From a comprehensive perspective, it is an excellent TWS earbuds at this price.
Check the Huawei FreeBuds 6i price:
- Check latest price on AliExpress
- Check latest price on Amazon US
- Check latest price on Amazon Germany
- Check latest price on other Amazon countries
