Introduction
Meet the realme Buds Q, the follow-up to the success of the realme Buds Air and its more affordable version, Buds Air Neo.
Related
The brand seems to have decided that it’s time to change things up a bit for its next pair of TWS Earbuds and wanted a product that offers most of the familiar features but in an even smaller package and a different design.
Design and Controls
Perhaps one of the strongest characteristics of the realme Buds Q is just how unbelievably light it is. Seriously. this is probably one of the lightest pair of TWS Earbuds that I’ve used. Not to mention that the case is also very compact.
Speaking of which, the case and the buds themselves are mainly made of plastic which is to be expected at this price point. That being said, it doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap. You get the familiar branding on the lid, an LED indicator, and a microUSB port.
The buds themselves are controlled using touch controls. Like with most other products in this category, there’s a short delay before it responds to your taps. The touch controls can be customized using the realme Link app.
Sadly, there’s still no option for controlling the volume from the buds. You’ll still be able to Play or Pause playback, skip tracks, answer and end calls, and launch a voice assistant as needed.
Comfort and Isolation
Unlike the Buds Air and Buds Air Neo, realme Buds Q utilizes and in-ear design, and with the right pair of tips, it’s able to significantly reduce background noise. Once worn, they also stay in place even with some head movements.
Connectivity and Stability
For reduced latency in voice communication, realme Buds Q has a dedicated Game Mode which can be enabled via touch controls or using the companion app. Bluetooth 5 makes pairing instantaneous as well.
Using it for watching videos will give you a decent experience overall, there’s hardly any noticeable delay with the audio.
With a single wall in between, I was able to go as far as around 10 meters before getting cuts in the sound.
Sound Quality
Overall sound quality leans on the warmer side. There’s a trade-off in detail, but it means you’ll be able to listen for longer hours without fatigue.
Bass isn’t as pronounced as say, the Soundpeats Truenginge III SE, but it’s there, and it’s definitely enough to give more body to tracks. Mids offer decent clarity and detail, while the treble is slightly laid back to reduce sharpness.
While it’s decent for most genres, I’d say these earbuds shine the most on pop and more vocal-focused tracks.
Microphone Sample
Microphone performance is better than expected with decent clarity on the upper-end.
Battery Life
True to realme’s claim, I was able to get close to 4.5 hours of uptime in a single charge with volume at 50% and even a few short calls in between. It’s not the best number out there, but it should than enough for your morning commute.
Using the charging case, you’ll be able to get around 3 to 3.5 more charges – certainly enough for your whole workday and the trip back home.
Verdict
realme has done a good job with the Buds Q. It’s priced competitively and brings a lot of the things I liked on the Buds Air and Buds Air Neo, and combines those features with a fresh new take on design.
Thanks to its warm-leaning sound, using these for extended hours won’t likely hurt your ears. They’re comfortable, they stay in place, and they’re very light, so much that you’ll almost forget they’re there.
If I had a wishlist for the Buds Q, I’d replace the micro USB port with a USB-C port, and work on getting more uptime I’d bump up the touch controls so that I’ll be able to adjust the volume using the buds and without having to take out the source device.
That being said, if you want a pair of decent-sounding and feature-packed TWS Earbuds that won’t break the bank, realme Buds Q is definitely worth checking out.
You can purchase the device via Lazada for PhP1,490.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
