Realme Buds Q2 review: Inexpensive but capable wireless earbuds with ANC

From neckband-style earphones to true wireless earbuds, Realme is one smartphone brand that has significantly expanded its audio range despite being new to the segment. Importantly, the Chinese brand has been consistently democratising premium features like active noise cancellation in its inexpensive offerings. Fresh in its line-up is the Realme Buds Q2, priced at Rs 2,499. These true wireless earbuds seem to be undersell for someone to experience active noise cancellation (ANC) for the first time without actually having to pay much. But how does the product fare in real-life scenarios? Let’s find out:

Design

The Realme Buds Q2 come in active black and calm grey colour themes. Made of plastic, the active black (review unit) colour model has a matte finish with glossy film on the touch area that reflects blue hues. The earbuds are IPX5-rated for protection against water ingress. As for the earbuds’ charging case, it is a pill-shaped unit with a matte black finish. It is curved from all sides, including bottom, which makes it unstable on flat surfaces. On the positive side, the case is small and can easily fit even in the most cramped spaces like a jeans pocket, travel bag, etc. Though the case looks unimpressive due to its cheap plastic build, it covers the basics right. It features the pairing button inside the case cavity, in the available space between the buds storage-cum-charging area. Besides, there is a USB-C port on the back side and a tiny LED on the front for pairing and battery level indication.

Performance

The Realme Buds Q2’s default audio output, however, gives away its entry-level roots. They sound dull and lack clarity, especially at peak volume levels. The earbuds are quite loud but you can experience their best output at a volume level below 70 per cent. To customise the earbuds’ audio profile, there is a supplementary app named Realme Link available for download on the Google Play Store for Android smartphones and Apple App Store for iPhones. The app is feature-rich and covers more than basics. Yet, do not expect the app to uplift the buds’ overall audio experience.

Speaking of the app, it enables earbuds’ touch control customisation and tweaks audio output based on three pre-set sound profiles – Bass Boost+, Lively, and Clear. By default, the earbuds are set to ‘lively’, where the output is neutral. For bass-heavy output, there is the bass boost+ profile, and vocals are best listened to in ‘clear’ sound profile. And, if the earbuds’ loudness seems rough on the ear, there is a volume enhancer feature that tones down the volume when disabled. Important to note, however, that the sound profiles deliver better experience with volume enhancer enabled. Besides the audio performance-related functions, the app also enables ANC functions. It lets you select between ANC, transparency and normal modes.

App functions aside, the addition of ANC here is a welcome move by Realme to give price-conscious buyers an option to experience the noise cancellation without having to pay much for it. The ANC intensity is not strong but it is good enough to make a difference. Similarly, the transparency mode is not strong and requires further polishing, but it is the best you get in the under-Rs 5000 segment.

Verdict

The Realme Buds Q2 are capable wireless earbuds to experience ANC at a low cost. The earbuds may not impress audiophiles but that is true for most entry-level wireless earbuds. That said, the Buds Q2 are not perfect, but they are full of features, enabled by Realme Link app, which no other budget earbuds offer.

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