Huawei FreeBuds 3 Review: Active Noise Canceling TWS Headphones

The wireless headset segment is going through interesting times right now, and this is largely thanks to Apple. Company

made it fashionable to abandon the audio jack andCompact, truly wireless earplugs. The trend was eagerly embraced not only by buyers, but also by manufacturers. This year, AirPods Pro set a new bar: not only true wireless, not only compact and lightweight, but also with active noise cancellation. Not formal, but quite real. We've already reviewed the amazing Sony WF-1000XM3 noise-canceling TWS headset. Huawei FreeBuds 3 – one of the competitors with similar characteristics, but differences in design and a more affordable price.

What is it?

Huawei FreeBuds 3 – true wireless headsetHuawei with a design inspired by Apple AirPods. Like last year's model, it is equipped with a noise reduction system, but has slightly more modern characteristics (intelligent Kirin A1 processor and Bluetooth 5.1 support). Unlike last year's Free Buds, these are earbuds, not earbuds.

How do they look?

By design – one to one as canonicalAirPods, with the only difference being that the model is also available in black. The glossy “charcoal black” readily collects traces of use; the headphones need to be wiped from time to time so as not to look sloppy. The body is completely plastic, there is a silver insert at the bottom – also plastic.

The design is such that it is impossible to insert them correctlyimpossible. They fit in the ears like a glove. And they are very light (4.5 g each, which is 20% less than AirPods Pro). On the one hand, this has a big and fat plus – You can even train and run with them, unlike the heavy Sony WF-1000XM3. On the other hand – and a minus, since the headset does not shine with autonomy.

There are two microphones on the body, as well as a touch sensorControl block. It is inconvenient that the active area – small, in fact, it is only the top of the headphone leg. If you remove one earphone, playback stops, but you can start it manually. If you remove both, the headphones will continue to play (they will only turn off in the case), delighting those around you with loud sound.


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

Carrying case, aka – for recharging.Also compact and also in the spirit of Apple, it can be carried not only in a small purse, but also in a pocket. Supports fast wireless charging and wired Type-C charging, as well as reverse charging, but only with Huawei smartphones. The case opens easily with one hand. Inside, the headphones are held tightly with magnets so they won’t easily fall out. Small diodes indicate whether each earbud is charged/

The glossy finish is surprisingly resistant toscratch resistant. Worn with keys and small things, small imperceptible scratches can appear, but overall, it looks decent even after three weeks in the bag. The only thing that collects fingerprints is the classic black gloss issue.

In general, the design and ergonomics of the model are on top, if you do not take into account the rollback with the form factor and a modest set of gestures for control.

How to manage them?

You can control your Huawei FreeBuds 3 headset withusing the Huawei AI Life app. It displays the charge for each of the headphones and for the cover (by the way, you can roll the update only with more than 30% charge for the cover).

By default, double tap on the left earphoneturns on/off noise reduction, right – switches the track to the next one. Unfortunately, this is where the variations end. In the application, you can change the types of actions, but you cannot add the number of gestures. But you can control the intensity of the noise reduction. The headset supports voice assistants, which is probably why everything with gestures is so sparse.


 


 


 


 


 

 

What is the sound?

Despite the fact that the Free Buds headphones are in the thirdgeneration have become ordinary earbuds, thanks to active noise cancellation, the environment does not interfere with the enjoyment of music. It's the same with conversation – I can hear my interlocutor perfectly, my voice sounds natural, and he hears me well. The specifications indicate that the design of the earphone can cope with winds of up to 20 km/h, that is, the device will not lose the conversation even while running and cycling.

The only drawback of the open design, in fact, is that you can also hear music outside quite well, and if you remove the headset and turn the volume up to maximum – almost a disco.

The specifications stated that the chip supportsdual channel technology for synchronous data transmission; and audio processing technology with a frequency of 356 MHz. This allows you to transmit the signal stably and without interference, even in places with high congestion (stations, airports), as well as transmit sound synchronously and without delay. In general, yes, I did not have to complain about signal transmission.

The effect of the noise reduction is felt even when notmusic is playing. You get the feeling that you are in a vacuum and you can only hear those sounds that touch your own body – if you tap on the earphone, type on the keyboard, etc. In the subway, the sound of the train, of course, is not completely muffled, but you still don’t have to “shout it out” using the volume. The same thing happens near the road. When I was listening to music at home with active noise cancellation, I didn’t hear the doorbell, although I was a couple of meters away from it.

By the way, all this happened on the settingsnoise by default. This is about a third to a quarter of the possibilities of FreeBuds 3. In a big city you can bet in the middle, but I would not risk more. Unless in a loud but safe place like an airplane or train.

Application settings and noise reduction, in particular,very modest compared to the Sony headset. I can’t say that this is a big minus for me personally, because I was satisfied with the default options offered by the manufacturer, they are quite universal. But there are users who are more important to drown out the sounds of conversations (for example, because they work in a noisy office) or industrial noise. This is not here, I think that for such people this is a specific drawback.

Huawei FreeBuds 3 has a 14-inchdynamic emitter. As for the musical abilities of the headset, on the whole they are not bad, although they are inferior to the Sony WF-1000XM3. It seemed to me that Sonya sounds cleaner, brighter and deeper, they are for more demanding listeners. Although here everything is pretty good with bass, and with a three-dimensional picture, and in general. As much as possible for wireless headphones. Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of AirPods, so I can’t compare. In my life I use either the wireless OPPO Enco Q1, or inexpensive wired headphones. In my opinion, they are comparable in sound. But if you are one of those who expect a perfect sound from the headset, you are definitely not in the true wireless category.


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What about the battery?

The manufacturer promises up to four hours of operationheadphones from one charge and up to 20 hours &#8211; taking into account the capabilities of the case. For reasons unknown to me, my left earphone always discharged faster than the right, this can be seen even in the screenshot from the application.

The specifications also indicate that 15 minutesrecharging lasts for 90 minutes of sound. In my life, in some scenarios, I lacked the autonomy of the FreeBuds. For example, if I'm going somewhere shopping, I often listen to music constantly, and in the end I had to charge them at least once during a shopping trip. But in the format &#8211; go to training, get to the office, meeting, etc. &#8211; Fine. Without long trips, a full charge of the headset with the case was enough for about four days.

What are the alternatives?

There are already a number of headphones on the marketin the true wireless form factor with noise cancellation, but in fact, it only works well in the latest models. So FreeBuds 3 has only one or two competitors so far. AirPods Pro - for owners of iPhone and Sony WF-1000XM3 &#8211; for Android. We’ll leave Apple out of the equation, since it’s still more convenient for owners of this brand’s equipment to remain within the ecosystem. The Sony WF-1000XM3 is better in terms of sound, battery life and noise reduction settings, but they are more expensive. FreeBuds 3 has the advantage of chic ergonomics, a convenient compact case with wireless charging, and a slightly lower price. Although, I think, with such a price tag, the difference is not so great as to take it into account. Therefore, I advise you to build on the use case scenarios. If you lead an active lifestyle and would like to workout with these headphones, Sony &#8211; not an option at all. They are also not as convenient in everyday life due to the size of the charging case. But if the first two factors are not important to you, then the WF-1000XM3 looks more interesting.

Formally, last year's FreeBuds also had a noise reduction system. But this is only formal. The difference in price between the models is about two times, and it is completely justified, in my opinion.

In the dry residue

Headphones in the true wireless category, and even withNoise reduction is still a very expensive pleasure and a pleasure not for those who value sound above all else. It's convenient, practical enough, but damn expensive. If the price factor does not bother you and you are ready to pay extra for the novelty of technologies, then FreeBuds 3 is one of those models that you can pay attention to if you have an Android smartphone.

3 reasons to buy Huawei FreeBuds 3:

  • working noise reduction system;
  • elegant ergonomics;
  • slightly more affordable price than the nearest competitor.

2 reasons not to buy Huawei FreeBuds 3:

  • the existence of Sony WF-1000XM3 (for those who can not deny themselves anything);
  • modest autonomy (excluding the charge from the case).

Technical characteristics of the headphones Huawei FreeBuds 3

Weight
headphones: 4.5 g each, case: 48 g

Emitter Design and Diameter
dynamic, 14.2 mm

Frequency range
20 – 20000 Hz

Form factor
earbuds

Wireless
NFC, Bluetooth 5.1

Functions
noise suppression

Claimed battery life and charging
up to 4 hours of music playback + 20 hours of charging case, wired charging in 1 hour (+ headphones in the case in an hour), supports fast wireless charging and reverse charging

CPU
Kirin A1

Huawei FreeBuds 3

TWS headphones with really working noise reduction

Almost like Apple AirPods Pro, Android only. If for some reason Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones are not suitable for you, then there is simply no alternative to Huawei Freebuds 3. These are good TWS-earphones with USB-C, NFC support and really working noise reduction.

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