Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic Review: Practical For Work and Play
Retail price: $42.99
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Xiaomi’s new Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic is the budget friendly wireless earbud in the Chinese OEM’s lineup at only $42.99. Let’s face it, with the design and the color scheme, we all know who they’re trying to pry costumers away from. Yet the real question is can it really compete with the Big Fruit? The first generation of Airpods came out in 2016 and since then, the MSRP has only continued to rise. Is there a market for a budget friendly wireless earphone set that looks the part?
Out of the Box
Xiaomi on the left, Apple of the right
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic comes with a charging case with dimensions of 2 in length, 2 in height, 1 in width and weighing in at 48 grams. Each earbud weights in at 5 grams. The case size is bigger than Apple’s, but the weight is pretty close. While the size of the case is bigger, it was not significant enough to make a noticeable difference in my pocket. Pairing these earphones to a device is a breeze. In fact, it might have even been quicker than the Airpods. One highlight for these earbuds is how quickly it syncs to my phone to get music playing. Even the Airpods cannot compete with how quickly music hits my ears when I place them in. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic also has touch control on the earpiece; the controls are pretty basic, tap for voice activation, play/pause, skip, answer/hang up. While the features are pretty common on all ear sets nowadays, this particular one actually registers the touch commands pretty well.
Battery Life
Xiaomi on the left, Apple on the right
One big winner for users is the charge time of the case. I am able to get a full charge in 20 minutes. The difference versus the Airpods is the length at which it holds the charge. After leaving both sets of earphones on standby for a weekend, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic completely drained sitting on a table. While the case charges quickly, it’s standby performance is pretty weak. As for the battery life of the earpieces, they averaged about 4 hours out of the case which is comparable to Airpods. They will definitely last long enough for Zoom meetings during the pandemic.
Fit & Comfort
When it comes to comfortability, earbuds are always a personal preference. There can never be a one size fit all for any user of earphones and headphones. For me, these wireless earphones fit just slightly larger than the Airpods do in my ears. The stem of the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic is longer, but that’s on the outside of the ear and doesn’t really affect the comfort. They’re definitely comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.
Sound Quality
Xiaomi on the left, Apple on the right
The sound coming out of the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic is where the price point really shows as it is a little lacking for me. The audio does not have much depth behind it thus lacking the dynamic range that competitors deliver in comparable price ranges. The bass is minimal which is expected of in any kind of ear bud so that isn’t surprising. For podcasts, audiobooks and calls though, these earbuds are plenty sufficient to handle those duties. The audio reception quality on these give off solid waveforms for the party on the other side to listen to. They work quite well for calls.
Verdict
Lack of wow factor aside, for the price, these are hard to beat simply for the functionality of having a set of good looking and affordable wireless earphones. Let’s face it, these earbuds are not meant to be the greatest sounding pair of buds out there. We’re living in a world where it seems everyone and their parents have a set of earphones or headphones on. They need to be practical yet fashionable. The Xiaomi Mi Wireless Earphones 2 Basic provides you with touch controls that work well, a comfortable fit that should suit most ears as well as sound quality good enough to switch between your business and entertainment. They also look clean and are built solidly. All of these without breaking out a single Benjamin. There’s a place for these with consumers.
Xiaomi Mi Wireless Earphones
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Martin
Always in tune with the beat, audiophile doesn’t even begin to describe Martin’s intense passion for music. Whether it be in the front row of an Anderson .Paak show or popping to a Lizzo track in the back of a coffee shop, this Mechanical Engineer is meticulous with what goes through his earlobes simply because he knows exactly what it takes to make a quality headset.