Faisal Ghaffar 
Almost every top smartphone company is now making wireless earbuds and this makes sense because they have to build an ecosystem of related products. Since 2018, Xiaomi also joined the bandwagon, after expanding its operations to Europe. However, none of the company’s releases have come close to the price tag of Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, which are its most premium audio product.
Design and build
While the design of the Buds Pro 4 may not appeal to everyone, they certainly do look like a premium product. The case comes with a two-tone blend of reflective and matte plastic. The former means that every time you go to open the case, you will see yourself and this can be a bit disconcerting because the image is distorted.
The matte finish is much better because the reflective one also accumulates fingerprint smudges quickly as well as dirt, which means the sleek appearance will fade quickly. The strength of the case’s hinge is also doubtful because it feels a bit flimsy. Everything else has been kept simple, as Xiaomi has opted for minimalist branding. There is just one indicator light for the battery and a USB-C port has been added for charging and a physical button is given to be used for pairing.
The case itself is very light and even with the buds inside, it is just 49.5g. There is also a choice of colors given, including Space Black and Star Gold. These apply to the case’s inside as well as the buds, which have a short stem design similar to the AirPods Pro. This certainly works because they are very comfortable.
Sound quality
The Buds 4 Pro generally offer impressive audio quality. They have dual 11mm drivers that are capable of delivering genuinely immersive sound and does not sacrifice key details. The real highlight is the thumping base, but treble can sometimes be an issue. Unfortunately, you cannot make adjustments to these through the app, or otherwise.
Nonetheless, the buds are capable of handling complex vocals easily, along with an array of background instruments. Since they support AAC, SBC and LDAC codecs, you can get Ultra HD quality combined with high-resolution audio. Even where voice-based content is concerned, the buds do a good job. Three different types of microphones have been added to each bud and they are combined with the company’s AI-based noise reduction to minimize background noise and deliver clear calls.
Features
Active noise cancellation (ANC) has been added to the Buds 4 Pro and this can be customized via the companion app, as there are six different levels provided, or you can also opt for automatic adjustment. But, the first few levels do not really work and it is best to go for the maximum setting to reduce ambient noise effectively.
Since they have Bluetooth 5.3, the Buds 4 Pro can connect to multiple devices at the same time. The Xiaomi Earbuds app is only available for Android. It gives you the option of customizing gestures. The buds also come with spatial audio that has been called ‘immersive sound’ and voice detection features.
The Verdict
The Buds 4 Pro show that Xiaomi is capable of producing premium earbuds, but it leaves something to be desired here. The price tag is a bit high, considering that the battery life is nothing impressive and ANC also needs some work.
