Huawei Freebuds 6i in the test: Cheap and good in-ear headphones with ANC for €80

With the Huawei Freebuds 6i, the well-known Chinese manufacturer is bringing a successor to the popular Huawei Freebuds 5i (test report) to the market. Although their smartphones and tablets are not allowed to use Google services and are therefore less relevant in Europe, this is irrelevant for headphones. Therefore, Huawei can hold its own here. The predecessor of the 6i already convinced with balanced sound and solid ANC at an affordable price. We tested whether the successor can add something decisive here.

Huawei Freebuds 6i offer a great overall package and are perfect for music and movies. The spatial audio feature is useful, as well as the ANC function to eliminate annoying background noise. Price of 81 Euros id=’action_msg_1379’> (code Newtech) making them ideal entry-level headphones.

The matte, in our case black, plastic housing of the Huawei Freebuds 6i is shaped in a mix of ellipse and egg. The headphones themselves are in glossy, smooth anthracite and are reminiscent of the Apple Airpods Pro 2 (test report). In the charging case, their handles snap into a fixed position magnetically. The inside of the earcups is protected against water splashes according to IP54. Overall, the plastic casing reminds us a lot of its predecessor, the Huawei Freebuds 5i (test report).

One thing to note was that the silicone pad came loose in our ear canal several times during testing – something we don’t normally experience in in-ears. Putting it back on also proved a little tricky as you have to position the oval pad correctly.

For the initial setup, remove the FreeBuds 6i from the charging case and press and hold the touch-sensitive touch field on the side of the buds. The headphones can then be found and paired in the smartphone’s Bluetooth settings. As soon as you put it in your ear, a short beep confirms the successful connection.

Then pause/start playback by double-tapping on the headphones and long-pressing to switch between ANC modes ANC on, Transparency Mode And ANC off. In the settings you can still activate spatial audio and see the battery level of the buds, but it is not. This is only possible through the app …

The app is available for FreeBuds 6i Huawei AI LifeWhich you only find out after a little research. Due to the restrictions imposed by US sanctions that Huawei has to fight on Google, it is not available in the Play Store; therefore you have to download it via sideload as an APK file. This is associated with disadvantages and potential security risks; Android asks for several confirmations or activation of the sideload before installing it. A complex undertaking for non-experienced users and therefore not exactly intuitive. The app also asks for several permissions and other terms of use.

Once you install the app, you can finally see the case’s battery status, adjust touch gestures, and get updates for the FreeBuds. The first update provides us with a triple-tap gesture. According to the manufacturer, the headphones should also support the high-quality LDAC codec, but on our Pixel 8 Pro (test report) the function is grayed out until the Huawei app is installed. After that, LDAC is available, as well as sound effects/equalizer. There are six pre-configured sound settings, and you can also create custom presets on the ten-level equalizer by clicking the plus sign. We like the preset best bass boostfrom whichever HiFi Live sounds good.

There is also a search function for headphones, but like the Google Pixel Buds Pro (test report), it only works when the connection is active, so the case must be open or the headphones must be lying around.

The sound quality is good, especially for less than 100 euros. All frequencies are present, although the highs are more emphasized. This improves with adjustments via the app, but compared to our Pixel Buds Pro (test report), the FreeBuds are quite timid. The sound sometimes sounds muffled, but still good. There is a lack of oomph at bass frequencies; the FreeBuds remain a bit reserved here. Overall, music sounds noticeably warmer with the Pixel Buds, the sound is more direct and closer to the listener, while the FreeBuds sound more distant.

Given the difference in price, the sound is not only fine, but also completely expected – otherwise Google would have to ask itself why their in-ears cost 130 euros. In any case, the FreeBuds 6i do a good job and are high-quality, pleasant-sounding headphones – our criticism of the sound is actually a complaint on a high level.

In direct comparison with our Pixel Buds Pro (test report), it is noticeable that ANC and spatial audio sound clearly natural. With the FreeBuds 6i, both sound a little more artificial and less refined, although for the price this is absolutely fine. Spatial audio creates virtual surround sound in which a sound can move around in three dimensions – in movies it appears as if the helicopter is actually flying above your head from behind. ANC sometimes feels dry and sharply tuned, but is effective. Background noise, such as in the S-Bahn, is largely eliminated. ANC can only reduce uneven frequencies such as typing on our keyboard. When ANC or transparency is activated, there is also a specific, but not too intrusive noise. The strength of the ANC can be adjusted to three levels – also only via the app.

In testing, one battery charge of the headphones lasted about 5 hours with ANC activated, and about 8 hours without ANC. The charging case extends battery life by about seven times. The headphone battery is 55 mAh and the charging case is 510 mAh. This is slightly less than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (test report).

Huawei usually charges 100 euros for the Freebuds 6i. At the time of testing (September 4, 2024) you can get them on eBay 81 Euros id=’action_msg_1379’> (code Newtech), they cost on Amazon 89 euros,

Huawei Freebuds 6i impressed us in the test; the manufacturer was once again able to make significant improvements compared to its predecessor. The workmanship of the case and headphones leaves no reason for criticism, the sound is great and reasonable for the price. ANC and spatial audio with spatial sound are commendable. Both sound a bit gimmicky. You have to download the app via sideload – which is not very customer-friendly. However, you need it to unlock the LDAC codec and adjust the ANC, gestures and equalizer. You can also get updates only through the Huawei app. Overall, great performance at a reasonable price.