Realme Buds Q review

Realme Buds Q are ultra-affordable pair of TWS buds that’ll take on Xiaomi’s Redmi Earbuds S. These are also the third affordable TWS options from Realme, following Buds Air and Buds Air Neo.

The purpose of both – Redmi Earbuds S and Realme Buds Q – is to offer true wireless convenience for an under 2K price, but which one of the two is better? We reviewed the Redmi Earbuds S a while back, and we have been testing and comparing them side by side against the Realme Buds Q.

We will share our findings in the review that follows and hopefully you will be able to decide between the two by the time we are done.

Realme Buds Q Review: Price and Specifications

Products	Realme Buds Q
Colors	Quite Yellow, Quite White, Quite Black
Water resistance	IPX4
Battery	Earbuds – Approx 4 hours Charging case – 300mAh
Charging time	2 Hours
Weight	3.6 grams (each earbud) 28.2 grams case
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0; 10 meters range Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC
Multifunction buttons	Yes (touch)
Price	Rs. 1,999

Redmi Buds Q Review: Design, Fit, and Pairing 

Designed by French designer Jose Levy, the Buds Q case is shaped like a cobble. It’s soft to touch and there aren’t any sharp edges. The case looks beautiful and is easy to pocket, but not as easy to flip open using just one hand.

The individual buds follow the case design and are IPX4 splash and sweat resistant. These earbuds are quite light (3.6 grams each) and sit very comfortably in our ears. The fit isn’t as secure as of Redmi Earbuds S, but these didn’t fall off either when we wore them during workouts. Realme Buds Q is a tad more comfortable for wearing over long sessions.

Unlike on Earbuds S, there is no LED indicator on the buds. There is one on the case lid that lights red and green to indicate the charging state. The charging port is a regular micro USB.

In India, consumers will have three color options – Quite Black, Quite White, Quite Yellow.

What primarily differentiates Realme Buds Q from Redmi earbuds S are their respective control systems. These controls constitute a very important part of TWS experience and its important to get them right.

The Redmi Earbuds S use push buttons that aren’t very soft and pressing them hurt our ears. The Realme Buds Q, on the other hand, have customizable touch gestures. The touch-sensitive area is rather small and thus gestures are not always reliable. But the good thing is that you can map one or two gestures that you need most to actions (double tap, tap, long press, etc.) that you find easy to execute (using the Realme Link app). So, overall, we’d say this is a win for Realme.

The Bluetooth pairing worked flawlessly for us and we didn’t face any connection drops. Google’s fast pair isn’t supported, but that’s completely understandable at this price point. 

Also Read: Best Affordable TWS Earbuds Under 7,000 INR

Realme Buds Q Review: Audio Quality and Performance 

The Realme Buds Q have a couple of specs advantages over Redmi Earbuds S. They have a bigger 10mm driver and additionally support AAC codec. Realme has clearly focused on lower frequencies, but overall tuning felt a bit off. Mids and vocals felt muffled and the audio is not very well balanced. The bass is punchy and this should make them appealing to people who prefer bass-heavy music.

Fortunately, we could improve sound quality using custom equalizers and if you know what you are doing, you can get these to perform better than Redmi Earbuds S (which sound better by default). Overall, the audio quality is good enough for the price.

There is a gaming mode that reduces latency, but we couldn’t make out much of a difference. During the course of this review, we encountered latency and lag a few times, but that’s again to be expected of all affordable wireless earphones.

As for call quality, it wouldn’t be wise to expect much at this price point. At times the Realme Buds Q performed better, and many a time the Redmi Earbuds S felt clearer, but neither of the two is perfect in this regard.

Also Read: Realme Buds Air Neo Review

Realme Buds Q Review: Battery and Additional Functions

Realme Buds Q can last for around 4 hours on a full charge (which is slightly longer than Redmi Earbuds S). The case can charge these buds four times over, and it takes around 2 hours to completely charge the case and buds.

Functions and gestures can be customized from the Realme Link app. As we mentioned above, you can simply turn off actions you don’t need and only keep control options that you use most and map them to actions you find easy to execute. 

Getting the gestures right took some getting used to, but we ultimately got the hang of it. The list of gestures can be seen below:

Realme Buds Q Review: Are they better than Redmi Earbuds S?

Realme Buds Q offer great value for the money. They are well-matched against Redmi Earbuds S but not necessarily better. Having said that, the customizable touch controls work better for us than push buttons on Redmi Earbuds S, which is why we personally prefer them more.

They have an appealing design, are comfortable to wear, and offer decent audio quality.

Pros

• Elegant design
• comfortable fit
• Great battery life
• customizable gestures

Cons

• Audio tuning needs improvement

Realme Buds Q FAQ 

Do Realme Buds Q support Google Fast Pair?

No, Google Fast pair is not supported. 

How long does Realme Buds Q battery last on a single charge?

The battery lasts for around 4 hours. The case can charge the buds 4 times. 

How is the audio quality of Realme Buds Q?

Audio quality is better than what we’d expect at this price point. The Redmi Earbuds S seem to have an edge in this regard.

What Bluetooth codecs are supported?

Realme Buds Q support both SBC and AAC codec.

Are there additional ear tips in the Realme Buds Q box?

Yes. These earphones come bundled with charging cable and extra tips.