Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Review: Premium Sound, Solid Features
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro offer high-quality sound, 52dB ANC, dual drivers, and up to 38h battery life with case. Perfect for immersive audio!
Xiaomi has been making wireless earbuds for a long time, and Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro are its latest top-tier option. They come packed with features like triple drivers, adaptive noise cancellation, aptX Lossless streaming, dual device pairing, and head tracking.
We previously reviewed the Xiaomi Buds 5, which impressed us with great sound and features. Now, we’re looking at the Buds 5 Pro.
At first glance, both models look similar, but the Buds 5 Pro use an in-ear design with silicone tips, ensuring a better fit and seal. As a “Pro” model, they also offer better sound, improved call quality, and longer battery life.
But are they worth the extra cost? After using them for two weeks, here’s what we found.
Redmi Buds 5 Pro: Full Specifications
| Category | Specifications |
|---|---|
| 🎧 General | |
| Brand | Xiaomi |
| Model | Redmi Buds 5 Pro |
| Design | TWS Earbuds |
| Type | In the Ear |
| Connectivity | Wireless |
| 🔗 Features | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Range | 10m |
| USB | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes (Siri/Google) |
| Water Resistant | Yes |
| Monaural | Yes |
| Controls | Touch |
| 🎵 Sound Features | |
| Deep Bass | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| Driver Type | 10mm ceramic tweeter + 11mm titanium-plated subwoofer |
| Noise Reduction | AI Call Noise Reduction |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Yes, 52dB |
| 📦 Extra | |
| Sales Package | Earbuds, Charging Case, Cable, User Manual |
| 🔋 Power Features | |
| Battery Life | 38h with Case (ANC Off), 10h (Earbuds with ANC Off) |
| Charging Time | 1.5 hours (Case |
Sleek and Comfortable Design for a Secure Fit of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro
Buds 5 Pro fit securely with a great seal, staying put even during long use. The contoured shape keeps them comfortable, even for extended listening.
After two weeks of use—at work and the gym—there were no comfort issues. They stay in place even during runs and fast movements. With IP54 dust and water resistance, they handle sweat and light rain with ease.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro: Features & Performance
The Buds 5 Pro come with coaxial triple drivers, including 11mm dynamic drivers, a planar driver, and PZT tweeters. They also have dual DACs and cover a wider frequency range (15Hz to 50kHz) than the Buds 5.
For connectivity, they use Bluetooth 5.4 and support Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless for high-bitrate audio (48kHz/24bit at up to 2.1Mbps). There’s also a special edition that connects via Wi-Fi to newer Xiaomi phones, enabling 96kHz/24-bit lossless audio with a 4.2Mbps bitrate, though our review unit was Bluetooth-only.
Noise Cancellation & Call Quality
The Buds 5 Pro offer active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 55dB with an improved triple-mic system. Xiaomi claims the earbuds can pick up voices in noisy environments at up to 100dB, thanks to an AI noise reduction algorithm. They also reduce wind noise up to 15m/s during calls, and newer Xiaomi phones get HD calling for clearer conversations.
Smart Features & Controls
The Buds 5 Pro include:
✔ Wear detection sensors
✔ Dual device pairing
✔ Google Fast Pair
These features worked seamlessly across multiple devices in our tests. The Xiaomi Earbuds app lets users customize squeeze gestures (single, double, triple presses, and press-and-hold). You can also swipe for volume control. However, single-tap controls would have been more convenient.
The app also has:
🔹 Adaptive noise cancellation & ambient mode toggles
🔹 Sound equalizer under the Audio Balance toggle
Additional Features
🔊 Dimensional audio with head tracking – Works on any device, including iPhone, Android, and MacBook. It enhances movies but feels more like a gimmick than a must-have.
🎙 Built-in audio recording – You can use the earbuds as voice recorders. It works well, but you need to export recordings manually from the Xiaomi Earbuds app. You can also record calls, though the other person is notified via a warning message.
⚡ Low latency mode – When connected to a Xiaomi 14 series or newer phone, latency drops to 50ms via Bluetooth LE, improving the gaming experience.
Sound Quality
The Buds 5 Pro take bass to another level compared to the non-Pro Buds 5, but without overwhelming the mids and highs. The soundstage is well-balanced, delivering a more engaging experience for music and videos. The bass feels punchier and more direct while maintaining clarity in other frequencies.
The default sound profile is already well-tuned, though EQ adjustments in the Xiaomi Earphones app can further enhance the details in the higher range.
Improved Seal & Noise Cancellation
The silicone ear tips provide a better seal, which directly improves both sound quality and noise cancellation. Unlike the Buds 5, the Pro model effectively blocks out low-frequency noise even without media playback. When listening to music, the ANC system cancels out background noise from public transport and busy gyms.
There’s also an adjustable transparency mode with three options:
✔ Regular mode
✔ Enhanced voice mode
✔ Enhanced ambient sound mode
The Enhanced Sound Mode worked best, similar to the Redmi Buds 6 Pro.
Call Quality & Connectivity
The triple-mic system ensures clear voice pickup during calls. Strong winds and noisy streets can still be a challenge, but overall, call quality remains solid.
Connectivity was excellent across Android, iOS, and macOS, with no dropouts. The wear detection sensors worked flawlessly, and the low latency mode noticeably improved performance on Xiaomi and Redmi phones.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro come with 53mAh batteries in each earbud and a 570mAh battery in the case. Xiaomi claims 8 hours of playback per charge with ANC off, and up to 40 hours with the case.
In our tests, we got slightly better results—8 hours and 15 minutes with ANC off. However, with ANC on and aptX Lossless streaming, battery life dropped to just over 6 hours.
The quick charge feature provides 4+ hours of playback from a 10-minute charge. A full recharge of both the buds and case takes about 70 minutes via USB-C. Wireless charging is also supported using any Qi-compatible pad.
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Redmi Buds 5 Pro: Pros & Cons
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 🎵 Great sound with clear bass, mids, and highs. | 🔋 Short battery life (6.5 hours with ANC on). |
| 🔇 Strong noise cancellation up to 52dB. | 🎨 Same design as the previous model. |
| 🎧 Lightweight and comfortable at 4.4g per earbud. | 🎮 No dedicated low-latency mode for gaming. |
| 📶 Stable Bluetooth 5.3 connection with multipoint pairing. | 💰 Higher price internationally. |
| 🔊 Powerful 11mm + 10mm drivers for rich audio. | ⚡ No wireless charging for the case. |
| 💦 IP54 water and dust resistance for workouts. | 🌍 Chinese-only setup instructions. |
| 🎛 Customizable touch controls via the Xiaomi Earbuds app. | ❌ |
Conclusion
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro are the best wireless earbuds from the brand so far. They offer great sound quality, high-bitrate streaming support and many useful features. The in-ear fit is much better than the Buds 5, and battery life has improved, though it’s not the best in its class.
The built-in voice recorder is a handy feature, and the Xiaomi Earphones app offers plenty of customization options. Call quality is much better than on the Buds 5, and wireless charging is a welcome addition.
At €200 for the Bluetooth version and €220 for the Qualcomm XPAN Wi-Fi model, they are not cheap. If you’re on a budget, the Redmi 6 Pro offers similar features at a lower price.
We would have preferred single-tap controls instead of the squeeze gestures, but overall, if you’re part of the Xiaomi ecosystem, the Buds 5 Pro are a great choice for premium wireless audio.
