The Redmi Buds 5A comes with a traditional in-ear design and is available in three different ear tip size options.

The Redmi Buds 5A were launched in India alongside the Redmi Pad SE at Xiaomi’s “Smarter Living & More” launch event in April this year. The audio wearable comes with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Google Fast Pair support, an IPX4 rating, and a companion app. These truly wireless earbuds (TWS) are the cheapest wireless audio product the company has offered in India so far. After using them for about two weeks, I’ll tell you why this is a good choice if you’re on a budget and looking for an ANC TWS.

Redmi Buds 5A review: Design and Features

The Redmi Buds 5A features a traditional in-ear design and comes with three different ear tip size options. Inside the box, you get a pair of medium sized tips attached to the earbuds, as well as two pairs of silicone tips, small and large. Of these ear tips, the largest one fit me best. However, there is no charging cable included in the box. The only other item in the box is information/instructions.

Redmi Buds 5A Supports Google Fast Pair

The charging port is located at the bottom of the stem of the Redmi Buds 5A earphones, which does not come into direct contact with the skin, so there is no need to worry about metal allergies. The touch control area is located at the top of the stem.

The sleek and slim Redmi Buds 5A charging case has a “polished pebble” design, according to the company. Of course, it’s hard to mistake the oval case for cobblestones on a lakeside, but it’s small enough to stand up to the comparison, making it a convenient accessory to carry around. What makes it convenient to carry around is the weight, which is about 41.2g including two earbuds and the charging case. Each earbud weighs about 3.6g.

The Redmi Buds 5A charging case has a USB Type-C port at the bottom. A white light will be on next to the port when the case is charging and will turn off when fully charged. This light will also be on when the earbuds are powered on, i.e. when the case is open. When powered on, the earbuds will have two identical indicator white lights on the top.

Redmi Buds 5A Review: Apps and Specs

The Redmi Buds 5A comes with support for the Xiaomi Earbuds application, but the control features are few and far between. Once you connect the earbuds to your smartphone, you’ll be prompted to download the app. Once the app has been successfully installed and the earbuds are recognised, you’ll see a very simple and straightforward layout. Under the image of the earbuds in their case, the battery level for the left and right earbuds is displayed separately, as well as the battery level for the charging case. This last option disappears as soon as you close the case after taking out the individual earbuds.

Controls for the Redmi Buds 5A as seen in the Xiaomi Earbuds Android App

One of the controls the application offers is the ability to select the ANC mode (Transparent, Noise Cancellation, ANC Off). Once selected, the particular mode will be marked in blue. Just below the ANC controls is the “Additional Settings” option, which reveals a tab with three more features: At the bottom of the screen is the “Remove Earbuds” option, which allows users to remove the controls for the Redmi Buds 5A earbuds from the app.

There is also a “Rename Earbuds” option, which allows you to change the name of your TWS earbuds as it is recognized by connected devices. The third option is a toggle to turn on/off the “Low Latency” mode. The low latency mode is said to provide users with a smoother gaming and video watching experience, but we’ll discuss its effectiveness later.

However, the ANC and latency modes on the Redmi Buds 5A are accessible through simple touch controls, so the app isn’t important to me – some people may find it easier to control these features through the app, so it’s not completely redundant.

The Redmi Buds 5A features 12mm dynamic drivers, up to 25dB ANC, IPX4 rating for splash-proof earbuds, AI-assisted Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC), support for Google Fast Pair and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. The earbuds only support the SBC codec and in this review, we will discuss how it impacts the user’s hearing experience.

The Redmi Buds 5A is said to offer up to 30 hours of battery life.

Redmi Buds 5A Review: Performance and Battery Life

Budget ANC-enabled TWS earphones are known for convenience. In a nutshell, that’s what Redmi Buds 5A offers. ANC for under Rs 1,500. Easy to carry and lasts all day. They’re made for casual use and convenience, and in these categories, they live up to expectations. Perfect when you want to drown out traffic noise or light noises and immerse yourself in your favorite podcast or music.

Touch controls on the Redmi Buds 5A are straightforward: double tap to play/pause or answer a call, triple tap to reject/end a call or change tracks. Users can switch between ANC modes by pressing and holding each for two seconds, while changing latency modes requires long pressing the touch zone on both earbuds simultaneously for 1.5 seconds. The lack of single-tap controls reduces the chance of accidentally entering commands when adjusting the fit of the earbuds or for long hair.

Considering the price, I don’t expect any soaring in terms of sound quality. When I played Stealers Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle With You on the Redmi Buds 5A, I didn’t expect to hear the details of the arrangement. I didn’t. It was what I expected. The bass-heavy sound still provided a good enough experience to enjoy the song. However, if you turn up the volume to 60-70 percent, it sounds muffled. Hozier’s Too Sweet, with more guitar and piano, at 50 percent, offers the same hidden overture. If you like the “lo-fi, Hozier playing in another room while you study” vibe, you’re in luck.

But at 70 to 80 percent volume, most tracks start to distort noticeably — not ideal, but not catastrophic.

Take the Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon,” for example, and the slightly muffled bass sound does little to drown out Ray Davies’ lament about unfair tax rates. It even makes songs like Fall Out Boy’s “Immortals” and Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.” feel lighter and more fun than the honking and screeching of city traffic.

The Redmi Buds 5A only supports the SBC Bluetooth codec, which compromises sound quality a bit. It provides a stable connection but degrades sound processing. It also doesn’t support the AAC codec, which is preferred by most iOS smartphones and tablets.

Even with 60ms latency, I still felt a fair amount of lag on the Redmi Buds 5A in games like Battlegrounds Mobile India, which is not unexpected – even with the low latency mode switched on it didn’t make much of a difference, however the latency was not noticeable during online or offline video playback, proving once again that it’s best suited only for casual use.

Redmi Buds 5A does not come with a charging cable

With ANC off, the Redmi Buds 5A earbuds are said to offer up to five hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 30 hours of total playback time with the storage case. With just the earbuds, ANC off and at 50 percent volume, I was able to listen for around five hours. For reference, that’s the first four episodes of Heeramandi, or four and a half episodes of The 8 Show.

However, turning on ANC drains the Redmi Buds 5A’s battery significantly faster. Using just the earbuds with ANC on only got me about three hours of use, even with the volume set to 50%. A 10-minute quick charge gave me another hour or so of use out of the earbuds at a similar volume and noise cancellation setting.

The Redmi Buds 5A charging case houses a 4.40mAh battery, while each earbud has a 34mAh battery. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the case using a 67W Redmi adapter and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable. It takes about 45 minutes to charge the earbuds from 0 to 100 in the case.

Finally, on the subject of phone calls. The AI-powered ENC on the Redmi Buds 5A does a good job of suppressing alleyway noise in residential areas, but not on busy roadsides. When you use these earbuds for calls, the microphone is as clear as the surrounding sounds. If you hate the idea of yelling your completely wrong ETA to your punctual and impatient friends in public, avoid using these earbuds for calls. Instead, get hands-on with your phone. But with a stable connection, the voice you hear on the other end of a call using these TWS wearables is clear enough, if characteristically muffled.

The charging point for the Redmi Buds 5A is located at the bottom of the stem.

Redmi Buds 5A: Verdict

If you are on a very tight budget and looking for a pair of ANC-enabled TWS earphones, then the Redmi Buds 5A at Rs 1,499 is a good choice. At this price, these earphones are perfect for everyday use. They don’t promise anything that they can’t deliver on. There is a clear lack of sound detail compared to mid-range TWS products or those with higher specs. But the power and bass these earphones offer make them worth the price. The lack of a charging cable in the box is not something to be concerned about as you can easily charge them using any old USB Type-C cable. Even a 60ms delay is barely noticeable if you’re not using them primarily for heavy mobile gaming.

However, if you have a bit more room in your budget, you could consider the Noise Buds Venus TWS Earphones (Review), which are currently priced at Rs 1,699 in India and offer slightly better noise cancellation, lower latency, and longer battery life. For Rs 400 more than the Redmi Buds 5A, you can also get the Honor Choice Earbuds X5 TWS Earphones (Review), which were launched in India earlier this year and are IP54-rated for dust and water resistance, as well as equalizer controls in the accompanying app.

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Nothing Ear and Ear (a) come with ChatGPT integration, but is it worth it? Here’s our review.

Nothing has come a long way since the early days of the Ear 1. In a very short space of time, the company has churned out some decent products, starting with TWS and moving on to phones and wireless audio products. 2024 is already looking exciting for Nothing, and I recently got my hands on the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a), a brand new set of TWS from Carl Pei’s London-based venture. Of note, Nothing’s third-generation TWS has been launched, showing no signs of iteration whatsoever. This is confusing and interesting at the same time. For me, who has been following Nothing closely since its early days , it’s confusing because their naming convention has always not been very good. However, by the second generation, I and other users had pretty much got the hang of it, but the third generation saw the company do away with it altogether. The Nothing Ear is the successor to the Ear 2, which was launched last year. The bonus here is the Nothing Ear (a), a new affordable TWS offering from the company that features a signature transparent design packed with features.

Pricing is Rs 11,999 for the Nothing Ear and Rs 7,999 for the Ear (a), the company’s new sub-Rs 10,000 offering in its TWS lineup, and I’ve been using both the products for calls, conferencing, streaming and music to see if they’re worth it.

Blank ear to ear(a): Design and function

Both the Ear and Ear (a) feature Nothing’s signature transparent design, which makes them eye-catching even after all these years. The best part is that the Ear still stands out thanks to its transparent design. Case in point, people around us asked us about the design multiple times during the review. But what confused us the most was that we couldn’t tell the Ear from Ear 2 (review) when we placed them on the table. Indeed, they are exactly the same if you don’t look closely. As you would expect from Carl Pei’s ventures, there is a lot of attention paid to the small details, from the printed branding to other elements of the Ear.

 Though the company claims that the Ear’s case is pressure-resistant and scratch-resistant, our review unit did get scratched during daily use, which is the biggest weakness of Nothing Audio’s transparent designs. The Ear is available in white and black color options.

Like previous generation TWS, Ear also supports gesture control. For example, pinch once to play or pause a song or answer or end a call, pinch twice to skip forward or reject a call, and pinch three times to go back to the previous song. Pinch and hold to switch between ANC and transparency modes. The best thing about Ear is that you can tune the gesture control to your liking using the accompanying app. The Ear case is lightweight at less than 52 grams , and each earbud weighs less than 5 grams.

The Ear’s high-quality Bluetooth codec support has an impressive list, including AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0, and LDAC. However, iPhones (and some Android devices) still support the AAC (and SBC) codec, which meant that higher bitrate streaming wasn’t possible, so we had to test the Ear with an Android phone. For the uninitiated, LHDC offers the best streaming quality at up to 1Mbps 24bit / 192KHz, while LDAC offers a lower data rate of up to 990kbps (24bit/ 96KHz). Most Android devices support LDAC, though.

Talking about the upgrades of Nothing Ear, the body is now IP54 rated and the case is now IP55 rated for water and dust resistance. Other features include in-ear detection, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, dual connectivity, Clear Voice technology with three microphones per earbud, LED charging status, support for low latency mode, and more.

Meanwhile, Nothing Ear (a) is an all-new TWS priced under Rs 10,000 that also features an eye-catching and distinctive transparent design. The Ear (a) comes in three colors – yellow in addition to the usual black and white – marking the first time that Nothing’s audio products have a color other than black and white. The company shipped the yellow model for review and it’s definitely turning heads. As mentioned above, the Ear (a) is the bumblebee of TWS products. During the review, the Ear (a) received more inquiries due to its unique color choice compared to the Ear.

of the Ear (a ), which is slimmer and more compact than all Ear products released so far . Compared to the Ear, the Ear (a) has a clearer orientation and the opening of the case is easily identifiable. Like other Nothing products, the Ear (a) also pays close attention to details, such as the Ear’s metal hinges visible through the plastic transparent case.

The Nothing Ear (a)’s charging case doesn’t seem as sturdy as the Nothing Ear’s, which isn’t surprising, but while the yellow color does a good job of hiding scratches, the clear top case cover isn’t scratch-proof.

The feature set of the Ear (a) remains the same, including active noise cancellation up to 45dB. It also has an adaptive ANC algorithm, IP54 water and dust rating on the earbuds, and IPX2 on the charging case. It supports AAC, SBC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. The company has dropped support for the LHDC audio codec, opting to offer it on the more expensive Ear, which is not a wrong decision considering the pricing of the Ear (a).

Pinch controls to skip tracks, toggle noise-cancelling modes, and adjust the volume are also supported, and the best part is that all of this can be customized through the Nothing X app.

Nothing’s companion app for audio products, X, is one of the best TWS apps I’ve reviewed in recent years. It’s feature-rich and puts you in control of precisely how you like your music experience. The feature set includes Advanced EQ with Profile Sharing, Bass Enhance, Control Customization, Find My Buds, Personal Sound Profiles, and Ear Tip Fit Test.

Nosing ear: Specifications

• Drivers: 11mm dynamic drivers
• Diaphragm: Ceramic
• Supported codecs: AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0, LDAC
• ANC: Up to 45dB and Transparent Mode
• Weight: 4.62 grams (each bud), 51.9 grams (case)
• Battery: 46mAh (earbuds), 500mAh (case)
• Fast charging: yes (10 minutes of charging with ANC off gives 10 hours of charge)
• Companion App: Nothing X
• Bluetooth: Version 5.3
• Waterproof and dustproof: Earphones are IP54 and case is IP55 waterproof and dustproof
• Gesture control: Yes

Blank ear(a): Specification

• Drivers: 11mm dynamic drivers
• Diaphragm: PMI + TPU
• Supported codecs: AAC, SBC, LDAC
• ANC: Up to 45dB and Transparent Mode
• Weight: 4.8 grams (each bud), 39.6 grams (case)
• Battery: 46mAh (earbuds), 500mAh (case)
• Fast charging: yes (10 minutes of charging with ANC off gives 10 hours of charge)
• Companion App: Nothing X
• Bluetooth: Version 5.3
• Waterproof and dustproof: IP54 earphones and IPX2 case waterproof and dustproof
• Gesture control: Yes

Nothing but ear to ear (a) performance and battery life

Like the design of the Ear, most of the features are carried over from the previous model Ear (2), which is fine. Starting with gesture control, the Ear supports a lot of pinch controls that work perfectly. However, there was a slight delay in switching between ANC and transparency mode with pinch-and-hold gestures. Also, Nothing X is pretty much the same since Nothing Ear, which means Nothing has not changed the Nothing Ear app interface at all.

Useful features like In-Ear Detection, Low Latency Mode, High Quality Audio, Personal Sound Profile, Dual Connect, Eartip Fit Test, Find Earbuds, Firmware Update options are hidden under device settings. Hopefully Nothing can find a way to at least put the sound profiles somewhere accessible with a single tap. Personal Sound Profile is not available when LDAC mode is on, which defeats the purpose of creating custom profiles in TWS.

We’ve been seeing the same Nothing X app since the Ear (1) and there aren’t many changes between the Ear (Stick) and Ear (2). This is also the case with Nothing Ear, which is technically the fourth generation TWS product from the London-based company. However, this time around, a Bass Enhance feature has been added, which dynamically improves the impression of low frequencies in real time. The level can be chosen according to preference. For me, level 3 of Bass Enhance was perfect for all kinds of music. Then there are the other customization options we saw earlier on the Ear (2).

When it comes to actual audio performance, the Nothing Ear is near perfect. Simply put, it improves on the already decent Nothing Ear (2). When I listened to The Wilderness’ album “Explosions in the Sky,” I noticed the balance that the Ear TWS offered. The album’s tracks cover a good amount of frequency range to give me a good idea of how good the TWS’s sound quality is. Next, Grimes’ track Oblivion offered enough dynamic range to see how small and large dynamics are handled by the Nothing Ear, and it did not disappoint. I then moved on to a gritty electronic track, and there is no better choice than Pray for Me from Marvel’s Black Panther soundtrack. It has perfect bass, treble, dual vocals, and excellent treble, allowing me to test how well the TWS can handle all of this. Interestingly, the Nothing Ear handled all of this comfortably.

The company has upgraded the 11mm dynamic driver to use a ceramic diaphragm. Compared to the Ear (2), the highs and mids have been improved, and the bass is deeper. After using the Ear for a few hours, one thing is clear: the new TWS is ideal for bass lovers. However, the bass-heavy default settings didn’t suit me, so I’m enjoying customizing it to my liking. The ANC has also been slightly improved compared to the Ear (2).

The AirPods Pro (2nd gen) remain the benchmark for ANC, but it’s also worth noting that the AirPods Pro (2nd gen) are nearly twice the price.

A minor issue I faced was that the sound quality changed depending on the ANC mode. The company defines three noise cancellation modes depending on the actual scenario: High is “Subway/Plane”, Medium is “City/Cafe”, and Low is “Office/Indoor”. Nothing Ear provides good sound quality during calls for both the caller and the recipient. It also has an ear tip fit test that checks the amount of sound leakage detected and recommends the best fitting size.

There has also been an improvement in the battery department. The Earbuds can play music for up to 5 hours with ANC on, which increases slightly to 6 hours with ANC off . Using the charging case extends the battery life by a little over 4 hours. With the charging case and ANC, the battery life is supposed to be up to 24 hours, but in our hands, it lasted for 20 hours, which is great. They also support wireless charging up to 2.5W, which is a bonus. TWS also supports fast charging.

The Ear (a) falls a little behind the Ear when it comes to performance credentials. It offers a decent sound output for the price. Like other Nothing audio products, the Ear (a) is a little bassier out of the box, and even with the new Bass Enhancement feature, you can dynamically improve the impression of low frequencies in real time. You can play around with the sound settings in the Nothing X app. From songs by Imagine Dragons to AR Rahman, the Ear (a) handles everything comfortably and with ease. The ANC is excellent, softening the surrounding sounds while commuting on the subway or walking through a busy street. The best thing about the Ear (a) is the comfortable fit, which doesn’t tire you out even after long hours of wearing it. I used the Ear (a) at the airport and on the plane, and even though my commute was over 6 hours in total, I never got annoyed using the TWS.

Another area where the Ear (a) excels is call quality. Thanks to Nothing’s Clear Voice technology, voice during calls is crisp and clear. The TWS gets high marks for features like dual connectivity and low latency mode that make gaming sessions more enjoyable. It would have been nice if Nothing had added support for the LHDC codec to make this product more versatile. There’s also no wireless charging or personal sound profiles, but given the price, these absences aren’t surprising.

The company claims up to 5.5 hours of battery life with just the earbuds and up to 24.5 hours with the case, both with ANC on. In our review, we used the earbuds for 4 hours straight and still had 30% battery left. Of course, using the charging case will improve the overall output. Plus, there’s quick charge support that provides up to 10 hours of battery life with just 10 minutes of charging.

ChatGPT integration in Nothing Ear and Ear (a)

ChatGPT from OpenAI needs no introduction, and Nothing’s announcement of the integration that all audio products have access to is a masterpiece. Luckily, I had access to the ChatGPT integration while writing this review. Thanks to this integration, all I can say is that ChatGPT is finally wireless. I was able to test the integration on my Nothing Ear and Ear (a). There is one big limitation, however: you need a Nothing Phone. Once your Nothing Phone and X App are updated to the latest firmware , you can install the ChatGPT app and sign in. Once all this is done, open the Nothing X App and you will be prompted to activate the ChatGPT integration.

To use ChatGPT wirelessly with Nothing TWS, pinch and hold the stem and you can ask ChatGPT anything that comes to mind. ChatGPT does not have access to location, so queries like “Take me home” or “Suggest a good place to eat” will not return any results until you add location to the voice prompt. For example, you need to say “Suggest a good restaurant for lunch around CP New Delhi” . This will return a large number of results. Compared to Google Assistant, ChatGPT is not yet up to date , so questions like “Which constituency will I vote in today for the 2024 general elections” returned very general answers. Of course, there is a lot of work to be done. Compared to many rivals, Nothing’s new TWS option offers a new experience, which to me is a great attempt to offer a unique suggestion. However, it is too early to compare ChatGPT with Google Assistant on TWS.

Ear to Ear(a): Verdict

Nothing has done a great job with its TWS portfolio, and the Ear is arguably the company’s best product to date. What Nothing is doing now is what Apple has been doing for years – essentially the same design, but with upgraded internals, be it their smartphones or the AirPods series. In the case of the Nothing Ear, the eye-catching transparent signature design helps. There are a lot of improvements internally (compared to the Ear 2), including ANC, sound, and battery life. At this price, the Nothing Ear ticks all the boxes and is future-proofed with ChatGPT integration.

The Nothing Ear (a) is a new affordable TWS from Nothing that comes with an amazing package. The distinctive transparent design is still rare on the market and is better than other TWS options in the same price range. The audio quality is great for the price, and the call quality is also excellent. The battery life is also decent. There are some drawbacks, such as the glossy charging is prone to scratches, no support for LHDC, and no wireless charging. If you are looking for the perfect TWS package, the Nothing Ear (a) offers great value for money.

If you’re looking for an option around the Rs 10,000 mark, the Sony WF-C700N (Review) are good choices alongside the Galaxy Buds FE. There’s also the OnePlus Buds 3 (Review) in this price range.

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