Xiaomi true wireless earphones. Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro TWS in review: Premium…

Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro TWS in review: Premium true wireless earbuds with ANC for under 100 Euros?

If you want to buy true wireless in-ears with active noise cancellation, you don’t have to spend over 200 Euros (~241) anymore like with the Apple Airpods Pro. The relatively inexpensive Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds from Xiaomi not only offer ANC and a very high-quality feel, but they also convince with very long battery life and in what is probably the most important discipline for TWS.

Marcus Herbrich (translated by Stephanie Chamberlain), Published 02/03/2021

Despite the low price of the equivalent of 90 Euros (~108) in China, the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds have active noise cancellation and good technical features. Xiaomi also uses 12-millimeter drivers and an LCP liquid crystal composite membrane for its true wireless in-ear headphones; this sounds promising, but it doesn’t necessarily speak for a very good sound quality and neither does the audio fine-tuning by the four-time Grammy winner Luca Bignardi.

Those who are interested in the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds in Germany can’t currently get around an import and a price surcharge of about 20 Euros (~24), since the TWS are not (yet) available on the European market. However, the Chinese manufacturer has not yet stated anything about a possible availability in Europe.

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Workmanship and ergonomics. Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds with high-quality feel

The selection of the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds is currently limited to only one color option, namely black. The design with the matte black finish and a glossy, touch-sensitive ceramic surface for controlling playback on the outside is attractive. The workmanship and quality of the Xiaomi headphones, which are made of plastic, is very good.

The Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds weigh 6.5 grams each and are, therefore, pleasantly light. The true wireless headphones are not annoying to wear in everyday use, even for prolonged periods of time. We can’t confirm if the housing construction of the TWS is waterproof, since the manufacturer (in our opinion) doesn’t provide any information about this on its Chinese website. However, since the predecessor was already certified according to the IPX4 standard, we assume that rain or sweat will not be a problem for the current flagship TWS from Xiaomi.

The individual fit of the headphones can be optimized with the four different tips included in the box. We opted for the size M, which makes the earphones fit very well. In our opinion, the ergonomic design also makes the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds fit comfortably into the auricle and the external ear canal.

The charging case of the Xiaomi TWS is also made of matte plastic and weighs about 60 g together with the headphones, and it feels high-quality in the hand. There’s a lightning symbol on the back that reminds the user that wireless charging is supported. The charging case itself can also be powered via the USB-C port.

The case’s build quality is also good, and a magnet keeps the lid securely closed. Similarly, the TWS themselves are magnetically locked to the charging contacts, so tight in fact that removing the headphones with dry hands is somewhat difficult.

Connectivity and handling. Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro with ANC

The Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds offer active noise cancellation and a transparency mode that amplifies ambient noise on demand. No app is needed to switch between the different modes; instead, the glossy ceramic surface on the outside can be touched. However, switching via the headphones is a bit tedious. for example, to activate ANC during transparency mode, you have to keep your fingers on the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds for a minimum of 10 seconds.

The XiaoAi application makes it faster, but it only supports the Chinese language. certainly anything but optimal, but in times of Google Translate Co, the app can definitely be used without a good knowledge of Chinese. Receiving feedback from the in-ears is also only possible in Chinese and, therefore, not really helpful without language skills. Besides some settings options, the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds are also provided with the latest drivers via the Xiaomi app. What the XiaoAi app does not offer, however, is an equalizer.

Wear detection that automatically stops music or movie playback when the Xiaomi TWS are removed from the ear is present on the Mi Air 2 Pro headphones. Thanks to the built-in infrared sensor, the earbuds quickly detect when they are removed in everyday use. Our review of the Nokia TWS shows that not every true wireless in-ear headphone in the price range of about 100 Euros (~120) implements this function well in everyday use. The controls via the touch-sensitive sensor surfaces of the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds also work very well in the test.

When the Mi Air 2 Pro headphones are removed from the case, they turn on automatically. Pairing them with an external device, such as a smartphone, is done via Bluetooth 5.0. Besides SBC and AAC, the high-resolution LHDC Bluetooth codec is also supported (theoretically). The case’s charging status is indicated by a single-colored status LED.

Voice quality. Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds convince with clear voice transmission

In addition to playing music or video content, true wireless headphones can also be used as a headset for making calls or skyping. In our test calls, the three microphones of each earpiece provide good voice output. In the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds, these are used to reduce ambient noise in addition to transmitting voice. Together with an ANC chipset, which reverses sound waves, and a speaker in the auricle, outside noise is reduced by neutralizing sound waves. As a result, users on a call with the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds can be easily understood even in the presence of monotonous background noise or foreign voices in the surroundings.

Overall, the Xiaomi TWS convince with an appealing and neutral voice reproduction. The maximum volume is also sufficient. Those we spoke with found the voice reproduction to be clear and very comprehensible.

Sound. Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro with good sound

We use a OnePlus 8 Pro as playback device in our test, which unfortunately doesn’t support the LHDC codec. Therefore, we use the AAC standard in the test, which, however, offers considerably less bandwidth for the transmission of audio data with a higher latency, which is especially important for movies and games. However, users who listen to music via streaming services will hardly notice any differences between AAC and the higher-quality LHDC codec. We installed the latest 3.1.0.6 firmware on our Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds, but this version reportedly does not have the LHDC protocol enabled yet.

Thanks to the 12 mm dynamic drivers, Xiaomi’s premium TWS offer present and clearly perceptible bass without being bass-heavy. The sound output is clear, and trebles and mids are rendered in a well-differentiated manner. We never fully exploited the maximum volume either and still had some leeway as a result.

Thanks to the noise-canceling technology, monotonous noise that isn’t too loud is well blocked out. Xiaomi itself states a volume of up to 35 decibels that can be filtered out. However, the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds can’t handle too much wind, because wind noise is clearly perceptible despite ANC as well as the ANC-typical noise during a quiet playback. We like the transparency mode better. It amplifies background noise, such as traffic while cycling, very well.

Besides playing music, we also used the true wireless in-ears for playing video content. However, the AAC codec has a somewhat negative effect here. Sound reproduction is always a bit ahead of the visual output, but the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds shouldn’t show any asynchronous sound or image with LHDC. The latter is supposed to achieve a very low latency of just 100 milliseconds thanks to the V3 protocol. However, we were not able to test this. The synchronization during transmission is okay with Xiaomi’s headphones even with AAC, though.

Battery life. Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds last a long time

The technical specifications are not clearly defined by Xiaomi. According to reports, the Mi Air 2 Pro have a 55 mAh battery each. The charging case of the TWS headphones is said to have a capacity of 500 mAh and signals the battery’s charging status with a single-colored LED. In everyday use, a full charge of the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds requires about 40% of the case’s battery, so that would translate to about 2.5 charge cycles.

This would also be consistent with the Chinese manufacturer’s stated runtimes. According to Xiaomi, the TWS earbuds last for about 28 hours with the help of the case’s integrated battery. In everyday use, we achieve a very good runtime of 9 to 9.5 hours without ANC and about 7 to 7.5 hours using active noise cancellation in the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds. Users get a tonal feedback when the battery level drops below 20%.

The Mi Air 2 Pro headphones are recharged after resting in the case for about 40 minutes when they are fully discharged. The charging case itself takes a bit longer with just under 60 minutes.

Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds verdict. Also recommendable without local availability

The premium TWS earbuds from Xiaomi prove to be very good true wireless in-ear headphones with active noise cancellation for a current import price of about 110 Euros (~132). Since the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds are available in China for the equivalent of 90 Euros (~108), the price should also still fall below the 100-Euro (~120) mark through importers if the TWS are available.

Buyers will certainly have to get a bit used to the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds, since neither the output of the in-ears nor the dedicated app offer an optional language other than Chinese. However, the language problems aren’t really a problem in everyday use after a bit of practice, but the TWS available in Germany are more user-friendly for sure.

If you decide to import the Mi Air 2 Pro earbuds, you will get very good-sounding TWS with long battery life, solid ANC, good build quality, and an appealing design. We somewhat missed a colored status LED in the case, and the impeccably functioning controls via tap gestures could have been expanded with swipe commands.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds – Basic (Redmi AirDots) review

When Apple decided to eliminate the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 back in 2016, they called it “courage”. Out went the wired earphones and in came the 150 wireless Airpods. These new true wireless “earphones” have proved to be a lucky bet for Apple, bringing in at least 8 billion in revenue since launch. Other smartphone vendors took note and now there are hundreds of fake clones and genuine alternatives to Apple’s Airpods.

Xiaomi is no stranger to producing quality products for cheap. The Chinese company has not one but at least four alternatives to Apple’s Airpods. And they’re not just another wannabe’s go-to option. Xiaomi’s Mi True Wireless Earbuds – Basic also called Redmi AirDots are great option for those who who wish to experience true wireless audio.

I have been using my Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds – Basic for over a month now. And honestly, I am quite impressed with what Xiaomi has done — although there are some quirks about them I will talk about later.

What we liked– Good price point for the value – Bluetooth 5.0 with True wireless stereo– Reasonably good battery

What we didn’t like – Not so fitting ear tips. Easily falls off especially when walking.– Bluetooth pairing issues with various devices.– Can only pair with one device at a time.– Not-so-great microphone.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds – Basic Specs

Color: Black Model: TWSEJ04LSWireless Range: 10m (in an obstacle-free environment)Battery capacity: 43 mAh (per Earbud)Charging Time: Approx. 1.5hTalk Time: Approx. 4hrsStandby time: Approx. 150hrsInput: 5V/500mABattery type: Lithium PolymerBluetooth version: 5.0Bluetooth profiles: HFP/A2DP/HSP/AVRCP

Charging caseInput: 5V/500mA

Output: 5V/150mA

Charging time: Approx. 2hrBattery capacity: 300 mAh

Battery type: Lithium Polymer

In the boxMi True Wireless Earbuds Basic, Charging case, user manual, warranty notice, ear tips 3 pars(S/M/L, M installed)

Charging Storage Case

The Mi True Wireless Earbuds – Basic come in a round corned black multi-functional storage and charging case. The case houses the two wireless earbuds, right and left. When you put the earbuds inside the case, they automatically power off. When you remove them from their case, the earbuds will automatically power on and connect to the last device they were connected to.

The case has 300mAh Lithium Polymer battery which charges the wireless earbuds through the charging pins. The case itself is charged via Micro USB port. It takes about 1.5 hours to fully charge the case.

When the charging case is not fully charged, you’ll see the indicator light blink red and when it’s fully charged, it’ll be off. The indicator light will show red while charging and white for about 1 minute when fully charged.

The Earbuds

The Earbuds themselves comes in a pair of clearly-labelled Left(L) and Right(R) versions. Each of them has a multi-function big button for picking and ending calls, playing and pausing music, and starting Google Assistant.

The Earbuds also have a built-in microphone, contact points for charging, ear tips that come in Small, Medium and Large sizes. Putting them in your ear is fairly easy, but you have to put the correct earbud in the correct ear. For instance the right earbud should be put in the right ear, otherwise it won’t fit.

In order for the earbuds not to sway or fall down from your ear, you have to place them gently in the ear canal. To have clear calls, you have to point the earbud’s microphone directly towards to mouth otherwise the other person will have hard time listening to you.

Each Earbud has 43mAh battery. Combined, I was about to squeeze out about 3-4 hours of calls and intermittent music playback. You can view the battery level of the earbuds from the Bluetooth icon on your smartphone. The earbuds will also give battery level voice warnings when you put them on.

Bluetooth Pairing

Perhaps the most annoying thing about wireless Bluetooth-anything is the pairing process. Even with Bluetooth 5.0 it’s not always smooth process. The Xiaomi Mi wireless Earbuds are no exception.

In most cases while troubleshooting Bluetooth pairing issues, you’ll need to know how to turn on/off the earbuds.

When you remove the earbuds from their charging case, they’ll automatically turn on. If the earbuds are out of the case and are off, to turn them on, simply press and hold the multi-function button for 1 second until the indicator light turns white.

To turn them off, simply place them back to their charging case. Alternatively, you can simply press and hold the multi-function button for about 5 seconds until the indicator light turns red.

Now to pair the Mi Wireless Earbuds with your phone, remove both earbuds from the charging case at once and wait for about 3 seconds for them to turn on. You’ll notice the indicator light of the right earbud blink white. On your phone, tablet or PC, go to Settings Bluetooth Available devices. You should see either “Mi True Wireless EB Basic_R” for the right one or “Mi True Wireless EB Basic_L” for the left one. Tap on either one of them and the other will automatically connect once pairing process is done.

In my experience with my copy of the Mi Earbuds, this process sometimes doesn’t go smoothly. If the pairing isn’t successful, try putting the earbuds back into their charging case and remove them again. Then search for available Bluetooth devices and try the above process. You’ll have better luck this way than manually powering them on and off in my experience.

Once the pairing process is successful with your phone, the next time you try to pair with them, it’ll be relatively faster and automatic.

Sound Quality

The Mi True Wireless Earbuds excel at stereo sound. A little more bass would be welcome for those that love to listen to music. Otherwise, they have a good balance of stereo and bass making them mostly suited for taking calls, listening to news, podcasts and audio books. Those who expect a bit more bass might want to look at other options. But if you’re not-so big on bass, then you’ll find the sound quality from the Mi True wireless earbuds great.

Price and Where to Buy

If you are convinced and excited about these Mi True Wireless Earbuds, you can get them for about 24 on Amazon.

If you live in Uganda though, you can get the same product at Ugx 140,000 from Odukar store. They deliver same-day or next-day around Kampala.

Whatever your choice, the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds are worth your money for those willing to untangle themselves from wired earphones and headphones.

For best sound quality, use it in a quiet room as they don’t seal within your ear canal and hence any external noise will muddy the experience.

I’d like to say that I liked these buds the first time I put them on, but I didn’t. I didn’t like them for a while, much like many of the other true wireless earbuds that seem to have conceived a cottage industry around them. The Xiaomi did not impress immediately, nor did they fall into my impulse-buy range for me to not care. That is reserved for their sister product, the Redmi buds (review coming eventually).

Why get these?

The Xiaomi earphones fall into the Airpods-style category of true wireless buds. That is, they look quite similar, with those funny stems hanging down from your ears, and the fact that they just sort of sit there. The case is tall rather than wide, with sharp edges but a nice feel. At Rs 3,900, these creep into the mid-range of the TWSS market, considering you can buy this sort of gear for as low as Rs 999. But you do get a bit more for your money, and it might be worth paying for in the long run. Physically, they’re derivative, but with a nice twist. They give one the sense of being designed well, as opposed to squeezed out of a tube like some of the other competition.

To begin with, the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 are very comfortable. This is partly down to the fact that they don’t seal in your ear like proper buds. You can pop them in and just forget about them. The stalks are thick and flatter than Airpods in cross-section, but quite easy to grab or tap on. Isolation is negligible, which is nice when you’re doing other stuff. In terms of convenience, these can’t be beaten. Or perhaps that can be said about this format in general. They also stay surprisingly secure in my ears, and I was unable to shake them off. You get 4 hours of battery life on the buds, with an additional 14 supplied by the case. It’s easy to go a couple of days with reasonable use without having to charge the case. Thankfully, even when you do, the case supports fast charge via USB-C.

the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 are very comfortable. Image: Tech2/Tushar Burman

If you’re trying these for the first time, it’s best to do it in a quiet room for the best sound quality. Since they don’t seal within your ear canal, any sort of external noise will muddy the experience. On their own, the Xiaomi buds sound very agreeable, with a surprising authority in the bass, considering they have to make do with no seal. I did not to any ‘critical’ listening with these, because that’s not what they’re for, and going back and forth with any high-end gear will just end in disappointment. Suffice to say that nothing awful sprung up. Curiously, the Xiaomi buds do support the LHDC high-quality codec for music playback, which has little support in smartphone brands, so we were unable to take advantage of it.

Pairing is a no-nonsense affair. You just press and hold the one button on the case, and the buds go into pairing mode, and readily show up in your device’s Bluetooth menu. There’s an indicator LED that flashes white when in pairing mode, so you know the button worked. The same LED is orange when charging, or when charge is low. Simple, effective. If you have a MIUI-based device, pairing is even quicker – you open the case nearby as with Apple’s Airpods, and the phone detects them. Connectivity was not an issue with Bluetooth 5.0, with the buds easily receiving signal through a couple of walls.

The case is tall rather than wide, with sharp edges but a nice feel. Image: Tech2/Tushar Burman

Controls are another highlight with the Xiaomi earphones. They’re touch-based, and you tap on the stalks to activate. Twice on the right to play/pause/take a call, twice on the left to activate your device’s voice assistant. The buds sense when you put them on or take them off, and will play/pause music when you do. There’s no way to adjust volume on the buds themselves, but in my experience, the additional touches/taps/button press chords you have to remember when buds do too much, is just not worth it. Touch controls also mean that you can wear these in bed and sleep on them without buttons getting pressed. I found this quite useful for watching video on my phone before falling asleep.

Call quality, at least for the wearer, is quite good. When network quality is good (a very rare incidence), phone calls are clear and without complaint for both ends. Xiaomi uses two microphones for ‘environmental noise cancellation’, which should make the wearer’s voice clearer to the other end, but we didn’t get any applause for our calls. We’ll take their word for it.

And finally, while they don’t advertise a low-latency mode like their sister model. The Redmi earbuds, they’re quick enough for me not to notice in PUBG. But I’m awful at PUBG, so you might want to disregard this part of the review.

Why you shouldn’t buy these

Funnily enough, for one of the same reasons you should: they don’t seal. While this means you’re more aware of your surroundings, it also means you’re never quite going to get the thump of an in-ear bud. That said, the 14.2mm drivers that Xiaomi uses compensate admirably. Bassheads, please move along.

And really, that’s about all I can find wrong with them. I’d have preferred a more practical codec than LHDC that is supported by more devices, and perhaps an app like the new Realme Buds Neo to customise EQ, but these are by no means deal breakers.

Call quality, at least for the wearer, is quite good. Image: Tech2/Tushar Burman

Verdict

The Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 used to go for quite a bit more than the Rs 3,000 they’re listed for currently. At the previous prices, I had trouble blindly recommending them to people. But with prolonged use, I’ve found them to be as essential in my as my keys. Sure, I’d like to wear my giant Jabra over-ears to get groceries (and I often have), but you can just get more done with the convenience of these earphones. They’re built well, sound good, have a feature set that doesn’t scream ‘cheap’ and they’re priced right. Recommended.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones review

Xiaomi’s new Mi True Wireless Earphones have a recognisable design, but can they deliver where it counts? We put them through their audio paces in our full review to find out.

Our Verdict

With their Apple-style design, the Mi True wear their inspiration firmly on their matt-white sleeves. That doesn’t mean they are pale imitations though, as the mixture of good sound, excellent call quality, fast recharging, and comfortable, reliable controls makes for an appealing all-round experience. The video syncing issue is a shame, and might rule these out for some, and the noise cancelling isn’t much to write home about either. But if audio is your main demand then the Mi True can deliver solid tones wirelessly for a lot less money than the Airpods they emulate.

In the last year or so, Xiaomi has made a habit of taking on the big brands with their own innovative devices, all at that often put the others to shame. Now the Chinese company has Apple’s ubiquitous Airpods in its sights, with an asking price that’s less than half of its rival. We see whether the value is True or not in our full review.

Price Availability

Xiaomi offers its Mi True Wireless Earphones directly from its own store for £79.99 in the UK. You can also pick them up for £65.49 from Amazon UK or £44.86 from Gearbest, although the latter may incur import costs.

Xiaomi doesn’t currently have the True earphones in its US catalogue, but you can import them via Gearbest for 75.99.

If you prefer not to have the stems sticking out then there’s also the excellent Redmi AirDots from Xiaomi which are available for around £25/25.

Design Build Quality

Taking a rather large design cue from Apple’s Airpods, Xiaomi’s Mi True wireless earbuds feature speakers attached to short stems which hang out of your ears when wearing them. One major difference is that the buds are in-ear rather than resting on the opening of the ear canal like the Apple variant, meaning you can get a more secure fit when listening to music while out and about or at the gym.

The speaker chambers are also home to touch sensitive buttons that allow you to control audio playback, calls and your phone’s digital assistant by gently tapping the surface. This is preferable to the clicking buttons often found on cheaper models, as the bud isn’t forced deeper into your ear every time you want to pause or play a track.

On the inner edge of the speaker chambers are small black dots where the infrared sensors live. These, much like on Apple’s Airpods, mean that removing one of the buds from your ears causes playback to pause immediately. Great for when you want to answer someone’s question or hear a station announcement when travelling.

The speakers themselves have 7mm neodymium magnets and plated titanium coils, plus there’s an additional noise cancelling mode that can be activated by touching and holding the control button area for around three or four seconds.

The stems contain microphones which are aided by what Xiaomi claims is ‘beamforming ENC technology’ that helps with background noises. IPX4 waterproofing makes the Mi True robust enough to endure splashing water and sweat, but don’t expect them to survive being submerged.

Finally, the carrying case is a matt white rectangular box with a hinged lid, small LED light to indicate the charging status, and USB-C port at the bottom for charging. It’s an attractive and simple design that allows the earphones to slide easily in and out, with the magnetised charging connectors holding them safely in place.

Sound Quality Features

Pairing the Mi True is a simple task, as we’ve grown accustomed to with most devices in this category. The first time is a matter of charging them in the case then holding down the button on the side of box until the white light starts flashing. Then you just find the Mi True listing on your device’s Bluetooth list and connect them.

After that, they are meant to auto-connect whenever taken out of the case, but we often had to reselect them from the list once more. No big deal, but it’s an extra step that other devices manage to take by themselves with more reliability.

Sound quality is open and clean sounding. The bass tones are a little light, with the Mi True relying more on the mid and high frequencies, but it’s not always bad thing. Obviously if you’re looking for pounding low-end for dance music and the like then you’ll want to give these earphones a miss, but for the most part we enjoy the spacious audio these deliver, with a satisfying mix for a wide variety of music and spoken-word content.

Engaging the noise cancelling mode seems to make no real discernible difference apart from a slight adjustment to the mix. As these are in-ear devices, they do a pretty good job of cutting out extraneous noises as it is, so we’re not convinced that the reduction circuit is really needed anyway.

One disappointment is the very slight delay the earphones have when watching video. Be it YouTube, Netflix or any other service, there’s a noticeable lack of syncing. This is something that troubles some cheaper models, but we expect better at this price. The Lypertek TEVI we reviewed only cost a small amount more but ar rock solid in this department.

The controls can take a little getting used to, as they use a double-tap rather than single to play and pause audio or answer/hang up calls. The response is consistent, even when only gently brushing the surface, which is impressive. There are a few different sequences to remember, as double-tapping on the right earphone plays or pauses any audio you’re listening to, while the same command is also used to answer or end calls.

Activating the voice assistant on your smartphone is a double-tap on the left earphone and to toggle the noise cancellation feature you need to tap and hold either bud for a few seconds. Sadly, there’s no track change or volume control option, which is a shame as sliding a finger up or down on the surface seems like it would be the perfect solution for at least the volume. Perhaps something which may be added the next version of the Mi True or with a software update.

To test the microphones we called a few friends, all of whom were surprised when we told them we were using headphones, so that’s about as positive a review as you can ask for. Audio on our end was also bright and distinct, making it a fine performance all round.

From a single charge the Mi True lasts for just over three hours between charges and can be powered up again by the case for a maximum of three times before needing to plug in the charger. Popping the earphones into the case after they’re drained sees a return to full power in around an hour, but after just 15 minutes our Trues were back up to 60 percent, so you’ll be able to carry on with that podcast, album or audiobook with little interruption.

One nice touch is that the earphones give you gentle warning tones to inform that the percentage of charge has reached 30, 20 and 10 percent. Then, there’s a little melody as the units shut down when the battery is exhausted. It’s reminiscent of lift music, but we have to admit it’s strangely comforting and better than suddenly cutting out or beeping harshly.

Verdict

At around £80/80 the Mi True Wireless Earphones aren’t the cheapest wireless earbuds around, but they do offer excellent value when compared to the Apple Airpods that inform much of the design.

Audio is very good, if a little light on bass and call quality iss excellent. The controls perform consistently well, too, but we’re disappointed by the video syncing issues and the noise cancelling doesn’t do much.

On all other counts the Mi True are reliable, easy to use, and deliver enjoyable results.

In this price bracket they’re up against some tough competition though, as we think the Lypertek TEVI still offer more polish, but if you want Apple-style design and a solid pair of wireless earphones then the Mi True are a good choice.

Specs

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones: Specs

• Bluetooth 4.2
• 7mm Neodymium magnets and plated Titanium coils
• Noise cancellation
• Proximity sensor
• Microphones with beamforming ENC technology
• Touch sensitive buttons
• IPX4 waterproofing
• Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri compatible
• Charging case with USB-C port
• Case dimensions: 6cm x 5cm x 3.6cm, 80g
• Earphone dimensions: 5cm x 3cm x 2cm