Huawei Freebuds 6i in test: Cheap & good in-ear headphones with ANC for 80 €

With the Huawei Freebuds 6i, the well-known Chinese manufacturer is launching a successor to the popular Huawei Freebuds 5i (test report). While their smartphones and tablets are not allowed to use Google services and are therefore less relevant in Europe, this is irrelevant for headphones. This is why Huawei is doing well here. The predecessor of the 6i already impressed with a balanced sound and solid ANC at an affordable price. We have tested whether the successor can go even further here.

The Huawei Freebuds 6i offer a well-rounded package and are suitable for music and films. The spatial audio feature is useful, as is the ANC function for removing annoying background noise. The price of 81 euros (code NEWTECH) makes them the ideal entry-level headphones.

The matte plastic casing of the Huawei Freebuds 6i, which is black in our autumn, is shaped like a mixture of ellipse and egg. The headphones themselves are in a shiny, smooth anthracite and are reminiscent of Apple Airpods Pro 2 (test report). In the charging case, they magnetically lock into a fixed position with their stems. The in-ears are protected against splash water according to IP54. Overall, the plastic casing reminds us quite a bit of the predecessor Huawei Freebuds 5i (test report).

What was noticeable was that the silicone pads came loose in our ear canal several times during the test – something we don't usually experience with in-ears. Putting them back on was also a bit tricky, as you have to position the oval pads correctly.

To set up the Freebuds 6i for the first time, remove them from the charging case and press and hold the touch-sensitive fields on the side of the buds. Then you can find and add the headphones in the Bluetooth settings of your smartphone. As soon as you put them in your ear, a short tone confirms the successful connection.

Then you can stop/start playback with a double tap on the headphones, a long press changes the ANC mode between ANC-on, Transparency mode and ANC-off. In the settings, you can still activate spatial audio and see the battery level of the buds, but not the case. This is only possible via the app…

For the Freebuds 6i there is the app Huawei Ai Lifewhich you only come across after a little research. Due to the restrictions imposed by the US sanctions that Huawei is struggling with at Google, it is not available in the Play Store; you also have to download it via sideload as an APK file. This is associated with pitfalls and potential security risks, Android asks for numerous confirmations before installing or activating the sideload. A complex undertaking for inexperienced users and therefore not particularly intuitive. The app also asks for numerous permissions and other terms of use.

Once you have installed the app, you can finally see the battery level of the case, adjust the touch gestures and receive updates for the Freebuds. The first update gives us the gesture for tapping three times. According to the manufacturer, the headphones also support the high-quality LDAC codec, but on our Pixel 8 Pro (test report) the function is grayed out until the Huawei app is installed. After that, LDAC is available, as are sound effects/equalizer. There are six preconfigured sound settings, and by clicking on the plus symbol you can also create custom presets and a ten-level equalizer. We like the preset the best Bass boostwhereby Hi-Fi Live sounds good.

There is also a search function for the headphones, but as with the Google Pixel Buds Pro (test report), this only works when the connection is active, the case must also be open or the headphones must be exposed.

The sound quality is good, especially for under 100 euros. All frequencies are present, although the highs are a bit overemphasized. This improves with adjustments via the app, but compared to our Pixel Buds Pro (test report), the Freebuds are quite timid. The sound is occasionally dull, but good. There is a lack of oomph in bass frequencies, and the Freebuds are a bit reserved here. Overall, the music sounds much warmer with the Pixel Buds, the sound is more direct and closer to the listener, whereas the Freebuds seem distant.

Considering the price difference, the sound is not only OK, but also completely expected – otherwise Google would have to ask themselves why their in-ears cost 130 euros. The Freebuds 6i do a good job in any case and are high-quality, pleasant-sounding headphones – our criticism of the sound is truly complaining at a high level.

In a direct comparison with our Pixel Buds Pro (test report), the much more natural ANC and spatial audio are noticeable. With the Freebuds 6i, both seem a bit more artificial and less sophisticated, although that is absolutely fine for the price. The ANC feels dry and sharply tuned at times, but it is effective. Background noise, such as on the subway, is largely eliminated. Uneven frequencies, such as typing on our keyboard, can only dampen the ANC. When ANC or transparency is active, there is also the typical, but not too intrusive, noise. The strength of the ANC can be adjusted in three levels – again only via the app.

In the test, one battery charge of the headphones lasted for almost 5 hours of operation with ANC activated, and about 8 hours without ANC. The charging case increases the battery life almost sevenfold. The battery of the headphones has 55 mAh, the charging case 510 mAh. That's slightly less than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (test report).

Huawei normally charges 100 euros for the Freebuds 6i. At the time of testing (September 4, 2024), however, you can get them on Ebay for 81 euros (Code NEWTECH), on Amazon it costs 89 euros.

The Huawei Freebuds 6i convinced us in the test, the manufacturer has once again made significant improvements compared to the predecessor. The workmanship of the case and headphones leaves nothing to be criticized, the sound is fine and the price is accordingly fair. The ANC and spatial audio with spatial sound are praiseworthy. Both seem a bit artificial, though. The app has to be downloaded via sideload – which is not very customer-friendly. However, you do need it to unlock the LDAC codec and to adjust ANC, gestures and equalizer. Updates are also only available via the Huawei app. Overall, a great performance at a fair price.