Realme Buds Air 6 Review: Premium Sound at Budget Price

It’s no secret that the budget TWS earphones category is filled with brands competing to offer the best value for money. This undoubtedly makes standing out in the market ever so difficult. However, there is one brand that has consistently delivered some of the best TWS earbuds: Realme. So when the company reached out to review their new Buds Air 6, we were quite excited, considering the promised features. Now, the question remains, has Realme once again delivered an amazing contender? The short answer is yes. Let’s find out why in our review of the new Realme Buds Air 6.

Realme Buds Air 6 Review: Design and Comfort

Starting with the box contents, Realme has bundled all the bells and whistles, including the buds with the carrying case, a charging cable, and a set of differently-sized ear tips. We tested the Forest Green variant of the Buds Air 6, and it is perhaps the best color of the bunch, considering not many brands opt for the green route.

The plastic case, on the other hand, was just fine, with nothing particularly remarkable. While you might assume this is boring compared to brands like Nothing, which put extensive work into the design department, there’s no need to reinvent when the pill-shaped case works well. I love such cases because they allow for one-hand opening. Additionally, Realme has generously included a physical reset button on the bottom, which makes reconnecting the device straightforward.

Moving on, the buds boast the typical Realme design language with a matte stem. We had no complaints regarding the earbuds, and the comfort was top-notch. Although we acknowledge that fit is a personal preference, I also had others try the Air 6, and no one had any complaints.

Realme Buds Air 6 Review: Controls

Before delving into the performance, the Realme Buds Air 6 offers three different types of touch controls. These include a double tap to play/pause music, a triple tap to play the next song, and a tap and hold to switch between ANC and Transparency modes.

Users must tap the stem’s upper end to trigger these actions. This poses two problems. Firstly, whenever I tried to play/pause music, the tap pushed the earbuds inside my ear canal, which required adjusting. Moreover, considering that the touch-sensitive area is pretty small, it takes some time to develop muscle memory.

Despite these minor inconveniences, the controls worked every time I performed the actions, unlike the Nothing Ear (a). Additionally, I didn’t face any issues with the music, stopping at random times.

Companion App

Similar to other Realme products, the Buds Air 6 works with the Realme Link app, which is easy to use. The pairing process involves installing the app and connecting the buds via Bluetooth. Additionally, the app allows users to change various settings on the buds. Firstly, there is the equalizer, which enables you to change different sound metrics and fine-tune them based on your preferences. Moreover, you can also use the app to switch between different sound modes, enable High-Res audio and game mode, and perform an ear fit test.

However, we did encounter a few issues with the app. Firstly, users are required to create an account after installation, which, although not a big deal, raises some privacy concerns. Additionally, the app sometimes randomly signs out of accounts, requiring users to sign in again. Moreover, switching between iOS devices was also problematic with the earphones refusing to connect.

Realme Buds Air 6 Review: Sound Quality

If I had to describe the sound quality of the Buds Air 6 in one word, it would be balanced. But before we dive in, it is important to mention that the buds come with a 12.4 mm deep bass driver, along with support for LHDC 5.0 with High-Res sound, AAC, and SBC codecs. We tested the earphones on tracks, including:

• “Oxytocin”
• “Like That”
• “VVV”
• “What is Love?”
• “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”

As I said, balanced is the best word to describe the Buds Air 6. On most budget earbuds, brands tend to boost the bass to please the average consumer. While there isn’t anything wrong with bass, it can overpower other instruments. Thankfully, Realme has done an excellent job of balancing the sound, and I could hear the highs, mids, and lows. Moreover, the separation of the instruments was also top-notch.

ANC Performance

Realme claims that the Buds Air 6 can cancel noise up to 50 dB, and that is a claim we can confirm. In our testing, the ANC performance was great, with the buds effectively canceling almost all noise except for loud screeching sounds. Additionally, you get three different ANC modes: Max, Moderate, and Mild, which can be used in different situations. However, if you don’t want to change the ANC levels every time, you can simply put the earphones in Smart mode, which automatically adjusts the ANC levels based on the surroundings.

On the other hand, the Transparency mode disappointed us a bit. When conversing with another person, their voice felt artificial, as if they were talking through a call.

Realme Buds Air 6 Review: Battery Life

Battery life can vary depending on usage, but I got around 6 hours of listening on a full charge with the earbuds, with ANC turned to the max and High-Res audio enabled. Combined with the case, I got approximately 38 hours of total battery life, which lasted me a full week of testing.

Should you buy the Realme Buds Air 6?

Starting at Rs. 3,299, the Realme Buds Air 6 offers excellent sound quality, High-Res audio support, and effective ANC. While the Realme Link app could use some improvements, the earphones receive a solid thumbs-up from us. If you are shopping in this segment, be sure to check them out.