For those who don't know, Xiaomi has actually been active in the audio field for a long time. Even in my study time, Xiaomi was famous for their Mi Piston wired earphone set. Now Xiaomi has focused on wireless audio accessories like Mi Buds or AirDots for Redmi.
Their latest premium product is the Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro which is seen trying to compete with AirPods, Enco X2 and other Chinese TWS in the same class. After months of this product arriving at the lab, in this article I will share my usage experience and opinion on whether it is among the best?
Specifications And Designs
Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro
Font type in the ear
Audio Drive Dual-magnetic DLC audio driver
Tuned by Luca Bignardi
LHDC 4.0
Studio -class 3x microphone
For the ANC
Bluetooth 5.2 sensor
Auto pause
The battery lasts 6 hours
24 hours with charger
Bluetooth tethering
MIUI Fast Pair
USB-C charging
Qi
Application support No applications
Specific controls for MIUI
Squeeze and press controls
IP55 waterproof capability
Selling Price RM549
The specifications offered by Xiaomi for this Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro undeniably look good on paper. It supports LHDC 4.0, has six microphones for active noise cancellation feature, there is Qi wireless charging support, can use pinch and tap for control, as well as fast mooring.
But what caught my own eye the most was the spatial audio feature, which has long been popular on AirPods. The size of the audio drive used is not very clear, other than it is a dynamic type. It’s also a drive with dual-magnet DLC and tuned by Luca Bignardi.
The Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro is also designed with a simple and minimal design. The finish on the charger pod is a soft dull type with a blackish tint that can reflect light. It has LED lights on the front, buttons and a USB-C port on the bottom. Even in the hands of a comfortable and delicious feeling, as soon as you open the lid - it continues to lose its premium value. This is because the build on the cover is unsatisfactory and feels loose as if the cheap OEM TWS is on the market.
But luckily the buttons for responsive tethering, then each earphone is easily removed without any problems. The design of the earphones if viewed carefully, there is no denying the AirPods Pro is an inspiration. Silicone ear buds are also made of a material that is soft and quite comfortable in the ear.
For this TWS at a price of around RM500, I was a bit surprised to still be able to include a wireless charging feature that works well either on the wireless charger or directly on the back of the device.
Audio Quality
Bass/Lows
I wasn’t expecting anything great from this TWS. But I just hope it has quality comparable to competitors or better at an affordable price. The bass on this Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro doesn’t have a satisfying bump at all. It’s as if it continues to die or be cut off when there’s a rumble that should well have happened when the music is playing. Mid bass on this TWS is just enough to eat for pop music like from Taylor Swift or Grace VanderWaal.
Then it can be said that it doesn't seem to have any sub-bass. I guess because of the design of the earphones and the size of the ear buds which are a bit loose and not very tight. Because of that, bass fans probably won’t like this TWS.
Vowels/Mids
As for the vocals, it was pretty clear and the majority of the music I tested was all satisfying. It has a natural sound, soft and pleasant to listen to. Especially on female singers which makes the listening experience more comfortable. Too bad for a male singer’s voice, it’s too soft and thin. In other words, it lacks the value of masculinity that it should have.
Even so, with an audio profile like this - it’s perfect for listening to podcasts or audiobooks. The voice was so clear that it was hard to miss every word spoken by the host.
High Tone/Highs
In a lot of my favorite pop music, there are a lot of high tones sung by singers or there are instruments played. Over months of use, the high tone sound on this Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro was not sharp enough to satisfy me. It is clearly audible, but does not stand out.
Audio Staging & Isolation
Every instrument and vocal of the singer can still be heard, but it’s a bit narrow and not very extensive. It also does not provide an immersive listening experience. This TWS is seen more to want to give users a more soothing user experience with light use. This is not a negative thing, but with this happening long -term use will not be tiring. It’s also a bit spoiled at the sound level, as it’s slower than competitors.
ANC, Sound Transparent Mode And Others
With three built -in microphones on each earphone, it can activate the active noise cancellation feature. It actually works well and can cancel out the surrounding noise such as the voice of the person talking more tightly, the sound of the wind becomes smoother and the sound of other electronic equipment is not intrusive. But due to the size and design of the earphones and ear buds, they are not tight enough in the ear making the ANC feature seem to not work unless each earphone is pressed further into the ear.
The sound -translucent mode works well, but has an unpleasant frequency sound effect. The microphone quality isn’t the greatest, but it’s obvious in a phone call. Low time lapse mode, if enabled it cannot be used on two devices simultaneously. But when activated the audio quality is slightly better and there is no obvious time lag between video and audio.
Audio Spatial
The Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro also has a spatial audio feature. In my testing, it was still weaker than the AirPods Pro. But for the capabilities of this feature on Android devices I was quite excited in early use. Only after a few tries did this feature appear to be incompatible with listening to music - but great for listening to podcasts or those that focus on vocals.
Applications
Quite disappointing that Xiaomi does not provide an app to use this TWS on other devices. This makes the Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro limited to use on devices running MIUI only. All settings are built into the system, including for ANC control, software updates, LHDC on or off and more. With Xiaomi devices, it can be controlled on the notification tray and use is also easy.
Fast tethering can also only be used on Xiaomi devices, other devices need to use normal tethering via Bluetooth settings. At the very least, competitors like Realme and Oppo still include Google Fast Pair in addition to their own tethering systems.
If you want to use TWS on another device, make sure the pinch and press control setting is set on the Xiaomi device. Or if not, having to look for a third -party app that looks a little helpful like the Mi Buds M8.
Battery
Over the course of a few months of use, I have varied using this TWS with the Xiaomi 12, 12 Pro and Poco F4 GT. It’s no serious battery issue for me personally, because after two hours of use I will continue to store each earphone in the charging pod. I never use more than that, as it is easy to sweat and the ears do not feel comfortable.
As far as manual counts I do, my continuous use is only around 5 hours compared to Xiaomi’s claim of 6 hours. While the charging pod is supposed to provide 24 hour durability I can say that is true. Charging is also quite fast and can also be charged on the back of a supporting device.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro is a really good set of wireless earphones. It is packed with many attractive features and functions at a price of RM549. The build quality is not very satisfactory, but the audio quality is quite good and soothing. Pop music fans, who are frequent with podcasts will love the audio that this TWS produces. While usage is a bit limited with Xiaomi devices only, this TWS is perfect for complementing the MIUI ecosystem.
Not to forget that this TWS also has a built -in spatial audio feature that can provide a live podcast listening experience by being able to detect head movements. At RM549, it's fine if you want to take advantage of the MIUI ecosystem. But if not, there are still many more options on the market right now.
Pro
Beautiful and comfortable simple design
Has a built -in spatial audio feature
The best audio for pop music and listening to podcasts
Easy tethering to devices
Competitive selling price
Cons
The ANC is not very satisfactory
Many features and functions are limited to MIUI devices only
Cheap build quality
Slightly confusing controls