Huawei Freebuds Studio review: Huawei’s first over-ear headphones

The Huawei FreeBuds Studio features touch controls on the right earphone./ © NextPit.

The FreeBuds Studio from Huawei costs a whopping ₤ 299.99. This places the business in the top-tier cost bracket for this product variety. A similarly high rate tag can now be found on the Sony WH-1000XM3, Bose 700, or Sennheiser Momentum III, which cost around ₤ 399.99 when they were presented.
You can select up the Huawei FreeBuds Studio in gold or black from November 3rd onwards.

Final decision.

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What I do not like about the Huawei FreeBuds Studio …

The FreeBuds Studio from Huawei costs a whopping ₤ 299.99. Its my 4th day with the brand-new Huawei headphones (as of November 6, 2020), I havent even had to charge the battery of this pair of cans given that the fateful day I took it out of the box, and my iPhone reveals that it still has a quarter of the battery life left. The transfer rate of Huaweis L2HC is greater than the one on aptX – of course, you will just benefit from this if you use a Huawei smart device with EMUI 11, which would presently translate to the Mate 40 Pro.
Apart from the lack of support for Huaweis Audio Codec, as an Apple user, I also miss out on the Huawei AI Life App on the iPhone. With the Huawei FreeBuds Studio, the Chinese business makes a classy entry into the market for high-end over-the-ear earphones equipped with ANC.

Huawei FreeBuds Studio release date and cost.

Wearing comfort.

On the right, the deep bass melts right into my thoughts. Above it lies the electric guitar with strings that achieve wonderful highs. A bit deeper in my head, I hear the violin weeping out. Goosebumps appear all over my body, and then the drums reveal the beginning of the track: “Life is a waterfall. Were one in a river and one after the fall. Life is a waterfall. We are one in a river and one after the fall.” The Huawei FreeBuds Studio injects System of a Downs “Aerials” straight into my heart. Every instrument in this masterpiece is clearly audible; even the “actions” at the really beginning beneath the violin, which can only be heard on good headphones. Huawei utilizes dynamic 40 mm drivers that do their job well and provide a well balanced, tidy sound experience. At the very same time, the bass does not penetrate too hard, and neither is it too aggressive while guaranteeing that it does not drown out the gorgeous structure of studio tracks, as is the case with numerous other existing headphones.
Battery life.
Its my 4th day with the new Huawei headphones (as of November 6, 2020), I have not even had to charge the battery of this pair of cans because the eventful day I took it out of the box, and my iPhone shows that it still has a quarter of the battery life left. Huawei themselves promoted battery life of up to 20 hours – I am positive that I will be able to confirm this figure in the coming days at the rate that I am going.

With the Huawei FreeBuds Studio, the Chinese business makes a sophisticated entry into the market for high-end over-the-ear headphones geared up with ANC. The battery life is remarkable to my older Sony WH-1000XM3. And if the battery runs dry, the headphones can be quickly charged in a jiffy. My ears do not touch the within the cushioned earcup; at the same time, the padding is so soft that after a couple of minutes I no longer feel that the outstanding sound in my head is originating from a set of earphones.

No aptX.
The FreeBuds Studio comes with existing Bluetooth 5.2 connection and provides the AAC, SBC and L2HC audio codec support. An aptX requirement is unfortunately missing out on. However the transfer rate of Huaweis L2HC is higher than the one on aptX – obviously, you will only take advantage of this if you utilize a Huawei smart device with EMUI 11, which would presently equate to the Mate 40 Pro.
No app for iOS.

In addition to a black variation, you can likewise take pleasure in a light golden tone./ © Huawei.

Apart from the absence of assistance for Huaweis Audio Codec, as an Apple user, I likewise lose out on the Huawei AI Life App on the iPhone. What is so bad about that, you ask? For example, I use it on the Mate 40 Pro to update the software application of the headphones and by hand identify the strength of the ANC.
I currently discussed during the FreeBuds Pro evaluation that there ought to be an iOS app, and I continue to keep my stand here. Unfortunately, I still cant discover it in the App Store.

The using convenience of the Huawei FreeBuds Studio is as excellent as the well balanced and not too bass-heavy noise.
The headphones are padded on the top of the head and have very soft, fluffy pads on the earcups, which protect your ears well and are extremely comfy to the touch. In fact, it is so comfy that after a few seconds of using it, I forget that I am using any headphones at all – just the gorgeous sound remains. If I were to draw a direct comparison to my Sony headphones, I observed that even after a longer duration of using them, my hairline does not injured. I did read up on other tests on the Internet, where a male tester described the specific opposite: an uncomfortable hairline and direct skin contact with the ears. I cant validate both unfavorable experiences; the Huawei FreeBuds Pro are the most comfortable over-the-ears that Ive had the pleasure of examining in a very long time.
ANC.
Lets come to a really important point where Huawei has to encourage in view of the cost: active sound cancellation. Huawei has incorporated the “Intelligent Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation” technology from the FreeBuds Pro which Ive reviewed before into the over-the-ear design. This allows the earphones to immediately manage the strength of the ANC based on the environment. Users of a Huawei smartphone or the App have the ability to set the ANC Mode manually. Automated control is changed on at the factory. I do not find this to be an issue, but a rather useful relocation. Especially in the office environment, active sound suppression doesnt have to be switched on as strongly as when taking a trip on public transport or when you are at the office with colleagues who are hugely typing away on their mechanical keyboards.

The active sound suppression strains dull background noises such as keyboard typing and does not put pressure on the ear canal. When I listen to music at work, it is centred in my head above all sound, which is a terrific feeling. Voices are practically not filtered out at all, which makes the integrated Awareness Mode, i.e. changing on amplifying microphones to view the environments, almost compulsory. As I stated, I have only tested out the headphones in a peaceful environment and not in public. Here the Awareness Mode does show to be rather helpful in my circumstance. When at work, I did not notice the train death by at all.
Wearer recognition.
What also worked extremely well in my review is the automatic user acknowledgment. When I take them off and continue playing as quickly as I put them back on, the earphones stop music playback. After about 10 minutes, the headphones likewise change off instantly – so theres no nasty surprise the next morning when you choose up a pair of dead earphones if you forgot to switch it off after work the day in the past.

The active sound cancellation feature works reliably. Users of Android smart devices can update the earphones and set the ANC manually. iPhone users will get absolutely nothing here, which is a pity. It is excellent that there is an ANC button situated directly on the left earcup. Also, the touch control works intuitively and exactly the like with my Sony headphones. All in all, you get a really good set of earphones for the money paid with impressive battery life. Bravo, Huawei! This is a terrific entry into the over-the-ear market.

Huawei attempts to take on the similarity Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser and desires to mix up the marketplace of leading over-the-ear headphones with the intro of its FreeBuds Studio. But just how well will the new premium earphones that retail for a rather large ₤ 300 perform in daily life? We tuned in to the Huawei FreeBuds Studio in this evaluation to discover..

The soft upholstery of the Huawei FreeBuds Studio is specifically attracting me./ © NextPit.

What I like about the Huawei FreeBuds Studio …