HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 5 Review: My New Top-Ranked Earbuds

THE SCORECARD

How the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 5 scored

• Comfort

  8.75/10

  The smaller buds feel lighter and should suit smaller ears better, though the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro still feel a little more compact.

• Security of the fit

  8/10

  They stayed secure through my weight-training sessions with barely any need for readjustment.

• Case and battery life

  8/10

  Battery rises to 6 hours in the buds and 31 hours total with noise cancelling on, while the case is smaller and supports wireless charging.

• Controls

  9.5/10

  The pinch, swipe and touch control combination covers playback, volume, noise control and voice assistant use on one bud, but the squeeze needs a firmer press than I would like.

• Connectivity

  8.5/10

  Bluetooth 6.0, SBC, AAC, LDAC, L2HC, multipoint and a useful low-latency mode make for a well-equipped package.

• Call quality

  9.5/10

  Call quality is a half-point improvement over the Pro 4 and remains among the best I have heard.

• App customization and extra features

  8/10

  The iOS app is simple and works well, with a 10-band EQ, spatial audio, head tracking, fit test and useful device settings.

• Noise canceling

  9.5/10

  Noise cancelling is dramatically stronger than on the Pro 4 and now sits up with the best for overall strength.

• Transparency mode

  9.5/10

  Transparency is clearer with less occlusion and very little hiss, though the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and AirPods Pro 3 remain slightly more natural.

• Sound quality

  9/10

  A cleaner stock tuning, balanced bass, smoother treble and solid EQ make this a very decent-sounding earbud.

The Pros and Cons

Are the FreeBuds Pro 5 comfortable and secure?

I scored comfort at 8.75 out of 10, which is 0.25 higher than the FreeBuds Pro 4. The ergonomics are very similar and you can use Pro 4 tips on the Pro 5 despite the slightly larger driver nozzle. The smaller body gives them a lighter feel, and they should work better for smaller ears.

The security of the fit stays at 8 out of 10. I took them through weight-training sessions without any real fit issues, and I barely needed to readjust them. The stem-style design should also work well for running with minimal body-borne noise. Huawei has raised the earbuds' protection from IP54 to IP57, while the case now carries an IP54 dust- and water-resistance rating.

Huawei has removed the three memory foam tip sizes supplied with the Pro 4, leaving four silicone sizes. I did not personally get a good fit with the foam tips, but losing them is still a bit of a loss.

How good is FreeBuds Pro 5 noise cancelling?

Noise cancelling is the standout upgrade. I scored it at 9.5 out of 10, a full 1.5 points above the FreeBuds Pro 4. Against the Pro 4, I found the Pro 5 about 15% stronger across frequencies, which is a pretty dramatic increase in strength.

A few earbuds still do better with higher frequencies and more inconsistent sounds, but Huawei is now right up there with the best for noise-cancelling strength. I used Dual Engine mode, which adapts the strength to surrounding noise and fit, because it consistently gave me the strongest result.

There is also automatic wind reduction. The microphones do not pick up much wind in the first place, and when wind is detected, noise cancelling returns about 4 seconds after it stops. Switching between ANC and transparency causes no sound change, while ANC off brings only about a 5% upper-mid reduction.

Call quality, transparency and app features

Call quality gets a 9.5 out of 10, half a point above the FreeBuds Pro 4. The Pro 4 was already one of the best for calls, so this is a smaller improvement, but still a very strong result across my quiet-room, crowd-noise and city-and-wind call samples.

Transparency also scores 9.5 out of 10. It is clearer than the Pro 4 with less of that blocked-ear effect, and my own voice sounded more natural. There is barely any white-noise hiss and wind pickup is quite moderate. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and AirPods Pro 3 are still a little clearer and more natural, but the gap is not massive.

The iOS app gives you noise-control customization, EQ presets, a 10-band EQ, adaptive audio, head gestures, a fit test, find-my-earbuds beeps, low-latency mode and firmware updates. Spatial audio now works on any device rather than only Huawei devices, and it includes head tracking.

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 5 sound quality and EQ

I scored sound quality at 9 out of 10. The main improvement over the Pro 4 is a slightly cleaner stock tuning: bass is more balanced, treble is smoother, separation is better and vocals stand out a little more. At 117.9 decibels in my max-volume test, there is plenty of volume available too.

The stock sound is a classic, slightly V-shaped presentation. Deep bass has proper kick without becoming muddy or bloated, mids are excellent with forward and rich vocals, and treble balances detail and upper-treble sparkle without getting harsh. The result is an open soundstage and overall very decent sound.

My go-to EQ adds a little sub-bass for more kick-drum impact, raises the upper mids for distorted-guitar presence, and slightly reduces treble. At roughly 50-60% volume and above, the stock treble can become a little fatiguing. Spatial audio is subtle enough that I think it is worth playing with for movies.

Is the FreeBuds Pro 5 better than the Pro 4 and key rivals?

The Pro 5 finish at 88.25 out of 100 before I customize the scoring, compared with 84.75 for the FreeBuds Pro 4. After I multiply the most important categories, the Pro 5 still easily take first place at 91.2 out of 100. The upgrade is solid, especially considering how good the Pro 4 already were, but ANC strength is the only truly standout reason to upgrade.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 can cost about 30% less in Australia, but I would still spend more for the FreeBuds Pro 5 because they have stronger noise cancelling and superior sound. The OnePlus advantage is its more sensitive squeeze controls.

Sony WF-1000XM6 are the choice if you want the strongest noise cancelling, slightly better sound and 8 hours of earbud battery. The FreeBuds win for comfort, call quality and transparency. AirPods Pro 3 remain the choice for the Apple ecosystem, with slightly stronger ANC, slightly clearer transparency, more balanced bass and 8 hours with ANC, but Huawei gives you a more comfortable silicone-tip fit, a 10-band EQ, better call quality and cross-device multipoint.

Against the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, Samsung offers a more compact and more comfortable fit. Huawei counters with slightly stronger ANC and multipoint across any device. Sound is very close: I prefer the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vocal performance, while the FreeBuds Pro 5 are slightly more dynamic.