JOIN USXiaomi Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones review: Just phenomenal
Xiaomi's Redmi, earlier in the year, launched its first-ever Truly Wireless Earphones(TWS) Earbuds S series. It was a really good value-for-money earbuds. The company on Wednesday (7 October) unveiled the new model-- SonicBass Wireless Earphones for Rs 1,299.
For a limited time, it can be purchased for Rs 999 on Mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Homes, Mi Studios, and authorised retail chains from October 7 onwards.
Prior to the official launched I have been using the Redmi SonicBass Wireless Earphones (WE) for several days and here are my thoughts about the audio device.
Design and build quality
Redmi SonicBass WE have an ergonomic neckband made of soft silicone. It is flexible and sturdy. I am pretty impressed with the material used for the earphones and band, as it exudes premium hand-feel.
Also, the earpiece comes pre-fitted with medium size tips and there will be two pairs in sizes small and big.
The SonicBass WE sit comfortably into the ears thanks to the in-ear design and also silicone ear-tips make it stay put even when the user running at high speed during a jog or when walking up and down through the stairs. There won't be the anxiety of losing it, unlike the TWS earpods, which come with a single universal size without ear tips. The latter falls more often and if you are in the gym, it is such a tiring exercise to look for that tiny pod in nooks and crannies between the equipment.
On the other hand, the RedmiSonicBass, though light in terms of weight (just 21.2g) will always be on the shoulder and reassuring to the mind. When not in use, the magnet-laced flat-end of the earpieces attach themselves forming a loop. This helps saving time from frequently take in or out of the bag.
Also, the new Redmi earphones come with the IPX4 rating, meaning it can sustain sweat from heavy workouts and also light rains.
It has two nodules, one has an in-built microphone, a multi-functional volume rocker, and a power button to switch on/off the earphones in addition to a micro-USB port to recharge and some space for a cell. On the left, the nodule has just the Redmi branding and contains another battery. One qualm is that the company is not offering the charger with the retail box. Users have to make do with the charger of the phone.
User-interface and performance
Setting up the Redmi SonicBass WE are easy as it gets. Once I pressed the power button, I was able to view the device on the Bluetooth devices list in an instant on my iPhone and the pairing process was over in less than a minute. I also like the female voice with an Indian accent whenever the earphones get paired and disconnected.
While listening to music, we can easily skip to the next track by long-pressing the '+' volume. On doing the same with the '-', it goes back to the start of the track and if continue hold, it goes back to the previous one. If you long-press the power button for just a few seconds, it triggers the voice command feature (Google Assistant on Android phones/tablets or Siri on iPhones/iPads/iPods). By doing normal clicks on + or -, it changes volumes accordingly.
Also, Redmi SonicBass WE can pair with two devices with ease, which is another big advantage to own it and there are very few in the market, to offer such a value-added feature.
Coming to the most important part. The new Redmi SonicBass WE did a superb job in terms of audio delivery. It has a 9.2mm driver inside the earphones and the sound quality is the best I have reviewed under Rs 5,000 price so far this year. Also, once paired with the phone, the wireless connectivity remains strong even when the phone is one floor above the ground. There is almost no distortion at all within the prescribed 10-meter range.
Also, another benefit of the silicone tip is that by design, blocks outside sound to a great extent.
Add to that, it has dual mics coupled with Environmental Noise Cancellation(ENC) and offers really good audio quality and I double-checked during a phone call with the person on the other side about the clarity and yes, it was clear and crisp. Double thumbs up for this.
As far as the music listening experience, I, like always tested it on different genres including Carnatic, hip hop, rock, metal, and others including just acoustics. It delivered punchy deep bass and fared well on all accounts.
As far as the battery life is concerned, it remained true to what the company claims. It delivered more than 12 hours before I could search for the charger. On standby mode, it can go on for up to 200 hours.
Final thoughts:
Redmi's SonicBass Wireless Earphones is the best in its class period. I had a great time listening to music, the audio quality on phone calls is just phenomenal and I am still trying to wrap my head around on how Xiaomi can offer this for so low a price.
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