Along with the launch of the realme GT Neo 3 smartphone in the Philippines, realme also launched a new pair of budget-friendly TWS earbuds, the realme Buds Q2s. So, what can you expect from these affordable earbuds? Find out in our hands-on.
One of the things we immediately liked about the realme Buds Q2s is the size. It comes in this tiny pebble-shaped case with a transparent lid and matte bottom. realme says that it “simulates the appearance of a spacecraft voyaging through space.
It has an LED charge indicator on the front and a USB-C port for charging at the back.
Lift the lid and you will see the earbuds and its glass-like cover on the front, which gives off a nice shimmer depending on the angle. It’s also smooth, which feels good for touch controls.
The rest of the earbuds are also made of plastic with a matte finish.
When you lift the lid of the charging case, the realme Buds Q2s will automatically be ready for pairing. You can either go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and connect to it right away like any other Bluetooth device or go open the realme Link app and pair from there.
The app method is more recommended as it gives you access to extra features such as sound effects, volume enhancer, button settings, and Game Mode for 88ms low audio latency when playing mobile games.
Another thing we like about the realme Buds Q2s is how light and snug it is on the ears. It fits really well and sits comfortably on the concha. It doesn’t feel like something is sticking out of your ear or that it will easily fall off. Active people will also appreciate that it has IPX4 water resistance, meaning it can withstand sweat and splashes.
When it comes to audio, the realme Buds Q2s uses 10mm dynamic drivers with 20Hz to 20KHz frequency range, Bluetooth 5.2, and AAC and SBC audio codec. It also has AI ENC Noise Cancellation for calls and support for Dolby Atmos.
We’re not expecting much in terms of quality given the price, but we can say that it’s okay. It’s bass-heavy, even if you put the sound effects in ‘Balanced’. You will like it if you’re playlist is full of bassy tracks. Even then, the lows are not that clean and sound veiled.
Activating ‘Bass Boost+’ doesn’t provide a lot of oomph and just makes the whole thing sound bloated. Using ‘Bright’ mode, on the other hand, boosts the highs too much that it sounds sibilant. This is okay if you’re on a voice call but it’s too harsh when listening to music.
When it comes to battery life, the buds can last up to 7 hours of playback, which is really good. It can extend up to 30 hours using the charging case. There’s no wireless charging, though, but it can provide up to 3 hours of battery life from just a 10-minute charge.
Overall, the realme Buds Q2s is a nice offering for those looking for an affordable pair of TWS earbuds that has a nice design and fit, is heavy on the bass, and has a long battery life. It is priced at PHP 1,490 and comes in Night Black, Paper White, and Paper Green. See listing here.
