We’ve come a long way from budget true wireless earbuds that were blatant reminders you got a cheaper pair of buds. Realme has been excellent at developing its TWS earbuds segment through each iteration of these audio accessories. The realme Buds Q2 are another prime example of what the company can do well with its budget earbuds. I’ve listed three reasons why you might want to cop a pair soon.
It lets you focus on what you want to listen to
The realme Buds Q2 don’t get any ANC, as expected. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get a good seal that keeps most ambient noise out. I usually played music at around 50% volume, which was enough to keep distracting noise out.
Realme arms these buds with a 10mm Dynamic Bass Boost Driver paired with its Bass Boost+. So if you like listening to bass-heavy tracks, you’ll get passable bass out of these. They won’t be as great as the bass on pricier models, though, so manage your expectations.
I like that realme includes three sound profiles for these buds that you can choose from within the realme Link app. There is Bass Boost+, Dynamic, and Bright. Dynamic suits a more general sound and works for both your music and other content, while Bright makes a singer’s voice more prominent. I hoped these sound profiles were customizable, but sadly, they aren’t. For now, you’ll need to rely on audio tweaks from the smartphone or device you’re using.
These are not the best sounding earbuds I’ve tested, but for their price, they will work for many casual listeners. If you play games, realme incorporates a low-latency Gaming Mode, which promises to reduce latency or delay transmitting the audio by up to 51%. I’ve been playing a lot of Alto’s Adventure lately, and if there was any delay, I didn’t hear any of it.
Even without a stem, I didn’t have an issue making calls while wearing these earbuds. I might have to thank the Buds Q2’s ENC noise-canceling algorithm for that. I’ve never had any caller complain that they couldn’t hear me from the other end.
Setting up the realme Buds Q2 is pretty straightforward, too. And it worked whether I used a non-realme Android phone or even a smart TV. If there’s one thing I’m not particularly fond of, I found the touch controls to be a bit finicky. I like that they are customizable within the app, but I later found myself disabling most of the touch controls so the Buds Q2 wouldn’t do what I didn’t want them to.
LiTT Tip #1: While you don’t need the app to connect the realme Buds Q2 to your device, it would come in handy to install the realme Link app because you can tweak the touch controls and choose the sound profile you want to use within the app only.
Offers 20 hours of listening time
According to realme’s testing, the Buds Q2 earbuds and their 40mAh can last up to 20 hours, including charges with its 400mAh charging case. And I was able to usually get that mileage, with around five hours per use. I could get up to four charges out of the case, but it would be approximately 20% to 30% per earbud with the fourth charge. It takes a bit of time to charge the earbuds in the case and even more so when you charge them all at the same time. You’ll need around an hour and a half of charging the buds in the case and around four hours when you charge the case and the earbuds. But that is a tradeoff for this more affordable pair.
Also, I wished realme included a longer charging cable with the Buds Q2. I know I can and usually use the other cables I have on hand, but I wanted a longer wire to work with. I guess for portability, this cable wins out.
They fit, and they fit comfortably
Throughout my month with the realme Buds Q2, the fit and comfort of these earbuds were never an issue. You get three ear tips with these earbuds; make sure you fit the right size to get a proper seal. Once you have that straightened out, the pebble-shaped buds will sit comfortably in your ear. I’ve never felt any strain while I tested these for hours on end. And these earbuds can handle a bit of activity, nothing too strenuous, though. They can take a bit of sweat, too, with IPX4 water resistance. Just make sure the case doesn’t get wet.
I like the small cobble-shaped design of the charging case, especially the blue shade my test unit came in. If the pastel color of these Buds Q2 isn’t for you, you can get these earbuds in black, too. The only downside of the color I have is that the case can be a bit of a dirt or smudge magnet. You will need to wipe it down often.
Is it lit or not?
What’s lit about it:
- Good sound isolation even without ANC
- Built-in sound profiles to suit your needs
- Decent battery life
- Comfy fit
- Versatile color options
What needs the extra spark:
- More customizable options to tweak the sound
- Touch controls are a bit too sensitive
- Wish it had a quick charging option
- Needs a longer charging cable
- A bit of a smudge magnet
Final thoughts
The realme Buds Q2 remind us that budget doesn’t always mean you’re scrimping on performance or style too much. These earbuds are worthy of being the first pair of earbuds or as a budget find, and I hope you get a lot of use out of them as I did.
The realme Buds Q2 cost PHP 1,290.
Buy the realme Buds Q2 HERE. *
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