HUAWEI Freebuds 6 The HUAWEI FreeBuds 6 are yet another pair of open-fit wireless earbuds, not unlike the AirPods 4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. But with a unique design, comfortable in-ear fit, great sound quality, and surprisingly decent ANC, the FreeBuds 6 stand above their competition.
My go-to pair of wireless earbuds is the AirPods Pro 2. While that may sound sacrilegious as an Android user, Apple’s earbuds just work so well for me. They sound great, have excellent noise canceling, a comfortable design, and the MagSafe charging is oh-so convenient.
I’ve never had a reason to get rid of my AirPods, but when the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6 showed up on my doorstep, I got an idea. The FreeBuds 6 are significantly cheaper than Apple’s earbuds while still promising high-quality sound and active noise cancelation (ANC). For over $100 less than the AirPods Pro 2, how good could they be?
To find out, I put my AirPods away and replaced them with the FreeBuds 6. After exclusively using HUAWEI’s earbuds for about a week, I’m beyond impressed with just how good they are.
Everything I love about the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
I had never used a pair of HUAWEI earbuds before I got the FreeBuds 6, so going into this review, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. However, things got off on a positive note almost immediately.
Design-wise, I think the FreeBuds 6 look fantastic. They have an open-fit design similar to the Galaxy Buds 3, but with a curvier, bulbous stem that gives the FreeBuds 6 a really unique appearance. The charging case reminds me of the Pixel Buds, and I adore the purple color of my review unit.
Being open-fit earbuds, the FreeBuds 6 have a one-size-fits-all approach, and initially, I wasn’t that happy with the in-ear feel. However, HUAWEI includes a couple of rubber covers that go over the in-ear portion of the buds, and with these on, the FreeBuds 6 are significantly more comfortable, staying secure in my ear for prolonged listening sessions and even while moving around. Combined with an incredibly light body, the FreeBuds 6 are the kind of earbuds that you can pretty easily forget you’re wearing (my favorite kind).
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Equally impressive to my ears are the FreeBuds 6 sound quality. On paper, the FreeBuds 6 have a dual-driver audio setup, consisting of an 11nm dynamic driver and a planar diaphragm tweeter. In practice, that means the earbuds sound good! Coming from the AirPods Pro 2, audio quality isn’t quite on the same level (as expected), but I was pleasantly surprised with how little of a difference there actually is.
There’s shockingly clear instrument separation, a great amount of bass, and really good sound clarity even at high volume levels. Whether listening to the thumping tracks on Twenty One Pilots’ Clancy album or the haunting piano melodies in Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoise, the FreeBuds 6 did justice to all of it.
For being affordable open-fit earbuds, the FreeBuds 6 sound way better than I was expecting.
The earbuds are set to the Default EQ out of the box, though I spent most of my time using the Balanced mode. And if neither of those EQ modes sound right to you, you can also switch to Bass boost, Treble boost, Voices, Symphony, Hi-Fi Live, Classic, or create your own custom EQ profile with 10 adjustable levels.
Equally surprising to me is the ANC performance. The FreeBuds 6 obviously don’t block out as much sound as closed-fit earbuds, but for an open-fit design, they’re much better than I had anticipated. While working at my library’s cafe area one day, the persistent hum of the air conditioner was almost completely eliminated, and the noisy table next to me, while not totally silenced, was reduced enough that I could barely hear my table neighbors talking with music playing.
A couple of connectivity and software issues
Joe Maring / Android Authority
As much as I’ve enjoyed using the FreeBuds 6, they weren’t without issues. While my connectivity was largely fine, I did have exactly two instances with audio cutting in and out. The worst happened while walking on a nature trail, where there shouldn’t have been any network congestion issues, yet the FreeBuds 6 continuously cut in and out for about 20 seconds before going back to normal.
On the software front, the FreeBuds 6 are controlled via HUAWEI’s AI Life app. The app itself is easy enough to use, though getting it on a non-Huawei Android phone is a slight pain; since the app isn’t on the Play Store, you need to sideload it. And if you’re using the FreeBuds 6 in the US, you’ll have to select a country other than the US while pairing the earbuds to AI Life (otherwise, you’ll get an error saying a plug-in wasn’t found).
Additionally, it’s worth noting that some FreeBuds 6 features — namely head-tracked spatial audio and lossless audio — only work if you’re using the FreeBuds 6 with a HUAWEI phone. That said, other features,such as gesture control settings and lost earbud finding, are available regardless of what phone you have.
This is to say, using the FreeBuds 6 hasn’t been completely frictionless, but in that same breath, it’s pretty commendable that my biggest complaints are minimal connectivity hiccups and an inconvenient install/setup process for the companion app.
Should you buy the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6?
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Although the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6 aren’t officially sold in the US, getting your hands on them is pretty easy. You can find the earbuds readily available on Amazon, and depending on which color you choose (black, white, or purple), you’ll pay anywhere from $120-$130.
At that price, the FreeBuds 6 are competing with the likes of the Galaxy Buds 3 ($179.99 at Amazon) and AirPods 4 ($129 at Amazon), and given the choice between all three, I’d go for the FreeBuds 6. Huawei’s earbuds easily have the best design, both from an aesthetics perspective and in-ear fit (I can’t stand wearing AirPods 4 for more than a few minutes at a time). HUAWEI’s sound quality far exceeds Apple’s earbuds, too, and the ANC is better than you’d expect for open-fit buds.
The FreeBuds 6 have been thoroughly enjoyable in almost every way
Perhaps the biggest praise I can give the FreeBuds 6 is this. Even though my week with HUAWEI’s earbuds is up, I’m not dying to rush back to my $250 AirPods Pro 2. The FreeBuds 6 have been thoroughly enjoyable in almost every way, and they’ve put HUAWEI earbuds on my radar in a way they weren’t previously.
If you’re in the market for a new pair of ~$100 buds, the FreeBuds 6 easily deserve a spot at the top of your shopping list.
HUAWEI Freebuds 6 MSRP: $130.00 Open-fit buds worth opening your wallet for. The HUAWEI FreeBuds 6 are open-fit earbuds aiming to compete with the likes of AirPods 4 and Galaxy Buds 3. With a unique design, great sound, and more, they're a compelling option. See price at AmazonSee price at Huawei Positives Unique design
Unique design Secure, comfortable fit
Secure, comfortable fit Clear and well-balanced sound
Clear and well-balanced sound Decent ANC for open-fit earbuds
Decent ANC for open-fit earbuds Excellent value Cons Some minor connectivity issues
Some minor connectivity issues Annoying setup process on non-Huawei Android phones