Huawei FreeBuds 5

Unique, stylish design ; Superbly comfortable fit ; Impressive sound performance

Middling battery life ; AI Life app can be difficult to install on Android ; ANC doesn’t make much of a difference

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 are a complete rethinking of the FreeBuds design language, with a rather unique look compared to the rest of the true wireless competition. It’s not just a fashion choice either, with a comfortable open-ear fit, impressive audio...

Solid, quite spacious sound ; Good control options ; Relatively unusual looks

Undynamic, arrhythmic and detail-light sound ; Fit is not for everyone ; Relatively unusual looks

The Freebuds 5 are not without charm – but very little of it derives from the way they sound

Unique open-ear design ; Provides spatial awareness when listening to music ; Offers some active noise cancellation ; Powerful sound, especially at the lower end of the spectrum ; Comfortable to wear for longer periods of time

ANC can't quite do its magic with little-to-none passive noise cancellation ; Can't really be used for exercise due to the lack of ear tips/wings ; Shape generally needs refinement

The design of Huawei's FreeBuds 5 headphones is unlike anything we've seen from most competitors and even the brand itself. These open-ear buds aren't perfect, and they won't suit everyone, but it's important they exist as they offer something...

Robust Hi-Res sound ; Appealing, novel design ; Solid noise cancelling for open-fit buds

Some will find bass underwhelming ; Overly sensitive Dynamic ANC mode ; Spatial audio unavailable outside China

Great battery with case ; Best-in-class open-fit buds at price ; Excellent call quality

Design is very divisive ; No sound isolation ; Closed-fit offers superior sound and ANC

if you like the style, specifically want open-fit buds, or just want a second set of premium buds that are better for calls and working out than your music-centric closed-fit favourites, the FreeBuds 5 are good to great at a lot of things, even if they...

Stylish design ; Active noise cancelling ; LDAC support ; Touch gestures ; Attractive price ; Decent sound quality ; Multipoint connection ; IP54 dust and water resistance ; Custom EQ settings

Might not fit all ears ; ANC is pretty weak due to open-ear design ; Ai Life has to be sideloaded through AppGallery ; Battery life not amazing

Very comfortable fit

Great battery with case ; Best-in-class open-fit buds at price ; Excellent call quality

Design is very divisive ; No sound isolation ; Closed-fit offers superior sound and ANC

if you like the style, specifically want open-fit buds, or just want a second set of premium buds that are better for calls and working out than your music-centric closed-fit favourites, the FreeBuds 5 are good to great at a lot of things, even if they...

Bequemer und sicherer Sitz ; Beeindruckender Klang & ANC ; Kabelloses Laden ; Hi-Res-Unterstützung

Touch-Bedienelemente reagieren manchmal etwas träge ; Gewöhnungsbedürftiges Gehäuse

Sie sehen vielleicht seltsam aus, aber die Free Buds 5 sind hervorragende kabellose Ohrhörer mit offener Passform, die viel zu bieten haben – und das zu einem vernünftigen Preis.