Huawei also enters the world of wireless circumaural headphones with active noise cancellation. It is not an easy sector, considering the excellent products offered by Bose, with the 700 or the still current QC 35 II, the Sony WH-1000XM4, the Jabra Elite 85H or even the Microsoft Surface Headphones II. These are all the top models that Huawei has to contend with, and let's immediately say that the Chinese giant does not enter this market with a competitive price, in fact the new arrivals cost 299 euros, a higher price than many of the models we have just mentioned. . So let's see if Huawei lives up to the expectations of this sector.
How they are made
Huawei also opts for a design that we can define as "standard", that is, very similar to that of the many ANC headphones offered on the market today. It is not bad, we simply do not find particular distinctive characters. Perhaps the only noteworthy detail is the extendable steel arm to which the pavilions are connected, thin and able to lighten the line of the headband a little. The latter is covered with a thin faux leather membrane, also used to cover the padded cushion below and for the pavilions.
Both areas in contact with the head, i.e. headband and pads, are soft, but not the softest we've tried. The pavilions rotate ninety degrees outwards and about ten degrees inwards, while they also adapt vertically following the lines of the head. It is possible to adjust the size of the arch by extending the two pavilions with a fluid mechanism, that is, you will not have predetermined measures but you can adjust the extension to the millimeter.
The outer covering of the pavilions is made of plastic, which is not particularly precious. The quality is no different than what is found on other competing models, but the gold-colored finish of the model we tested does not give a feeling of the highest quality. Probably the black version will probably be better in this respect.
The power and bluetooth pairing keys are located on the right pavilion, together with the USB-C port for charging the battery. On the left pavilion there is only the ANC activation button. Microphones on both complete the equipment, while only the surface of the right pavilion is sensitive to touch.
Yes, they are comfortable
They are comfortable, as long as you don't have a big head and are particularly sensitive at the same time. The line that draws the headband adapts perfectly to most heads, making adequate pressure on the pavilions to anchor to the head, while the extendable headband can be adjusted to the millimeter to have a perfect adhesion to the whole head. Sometimes it happens that there is an imbalance based on the design of the headphones, i.e. in some cases it will be the headband that will support most of the weight of the headphones, other times the earpads. In this case the balance is almost perfect. However, this result was achieved by drawing a fairly narrow arch, combined with above average stiffness: this means that if you have a large head, the headband will widen more than it should by exerting more pressure around the ears, which could strain more than due. In short, ask yourself about this factor based on the size of your head.
The space for the ears inside the pavilions is adequate, we did not notice any problems in this context.
Touch controls, something more could be done
Huawei has inserted only one touch-sensitive surface, the rear one of the right earphone. The speed at which touches are received is good. The design of the headband sometimes interferes with ergonomics: by inserting itself in the center of the pavilion, it will happen that your fingertip hits the headband and not the touch surface. It is not an insurmountable problem and in a few days you will learn and "take the measures".
Adjusting the volume, which is done by moving the fingertip on the surface up or down, does not send continuous input, i.e. moving your finger up or down will raise or lower the volume by a small percentage. If you want more detailed control you will have to interact directly with the smartphone.
Too bad that Huawei has not included a touch-sensitive surface in the left pavilion as well, offering more possibilities for control.
The trade-offs of the application
It is possible to customize the behavior of the FreeBuds Studio through the use of the “AI Life” application, and this excludes from the possible buyers of these headphones all those who have an iPhone. Although the App is not essential to use headphones, which connect and work via Bluetooth, without the application it will not be possible to set the behavior of the ANC, which by default is set to "Dynamic", ie the intervention of the 'ANC changes according to the ambient noise. Through AI Life it will be possible to choose three further presets, namely “Comfort” (limited intervention, suitable for low noise environments), “General” for noisy environments and “Ultra” for extremely noisy environments.
You will not be able to customize the behavior of the ANC button, which by default switches between the three modes "On", "Off" and "Transparency mode", and not even the behavior of the gesture that provides for the activation of the voice assistant (hold down the surface ), which can be replaced with the ability to add a piece of music to your favorites. Of course, this is not an extreme customization, but without the App you will have no chance.
Even more important is the firmware update, which takes place via the application, or the ability to disable music playback when the headset is removed from the head.
If you have an Android smartphone, to download the App you must first download the App Gallery, the Huawei device store, and then download AI Life from there. The version on the Play Store is not updated and therefore does not allow to recognize the FreeBuds Studio. You could proceed with the manual installation, scanning the QR Code, which guides you, in fact, in different phases that lead you to the installation of the app. In short, it is not exactly the best, but if you have a minimum of familiarity with the Android world and installing apps via APK, you will have no problems. Of course, if you are a beginner and are interested in these headphones, make sure you have the assistance of a friend before proceeding.
Obviously, if you have a Huawei smartphone, these headphones are in their natural environment, they will connect directly and you will have maximum control.
ANC, hard to find the difference
The active noise cancellation system works perfectly and with excellent performance. It is difficult to describe a comparison with other high-end headphones, all those mentioned at the beginning of the article (Bose 700, QC 35 II, Sony WH-1000XM4, Jabra Elite 85H, Microsoft Surface Headphones II), considering that we have now reached a level where the differences they are in the nuances or are linked to very specific environments and uses.
We therefore limit ourselves to saying that the active noise cancellation capabilities of the Huawei FreeBuds Studio are as good as that of the best headphones on the market, thus offering excellent performance.
Let's add that the ANC's automatic adjustment system for the degree of intervention works very well, to the point that you probably won't feel the need to change the profile from the application.
The ANC button is comfortable, although we would have liked it a little bigger so as to reach it more easily, or it would have been interesting to use the surface of the left pavilion as an additional control system to activate the different ANC modes or transparency.
Audio quality
Great news for audio quality. Our listening test denoted a good balance and control, which allows to reach very satisfactory performances. The bass is well present, but without exaggerating. Listening to songs like Angel (Massive Attack) or Uh Uh (Thundercat) you can appreciate a remarkable control, with low frequencies for a warm and full-bodied reproduction, without affecting the overall performance. The mid frequencies are precise and engaging (Anne Sofie von Otter - Baby Plays Around), as is the upper part of the spectrum (Max Roach - Lonesome Lover), even if it does not reach the maximum clarity.
Something is lost in terms of speed and precision with the more complex songs (Radiohead - The National Anthem), while the soundstage is good (Bob Marley & The Wailers - Turn Your Lights Down Low / Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant) but not great. The sharpness and general precision of the reproduction are satisfactory.
In short, a nice pair of headphones, which do very well with most tracks. They won't win a reproduction quality award, but they are definitely above average. In short, they are promoted.
You can also use them for telephone calls, the microphones perform well and we have not heard any complaints from our interlocutors during telephone calls.
Autonomy, more than adequate
Huawei ensures an autonomy of 20 hours with ANC active and 24 hours without. We measured a slightly lower value, that is about 18 hours ANC active and set to dynamic intervention mode. In this period of time we used them for about two total hours of telephone calls and the remaining 16 hours of music playback, with the volume at 70%.
In short, they don't set any new records, but they're not bad either. They are more than suitable for use in the home or office, for work and leisure, and you can even take them with you on a trip.
The USB-C connector allows you to activate a fast recharge which in about 10 minutes will give you enough autonomy for 8 hours of listening. In 60 minutes you will have recharged them completely.
Verdict
The FreeBuds Studio is Huawei's first attempt to enter the competitive ANC circumaural headphone market, and it does so with a comfortable pair of headphones, with great ANC and good audio quality.
Among the main defects we point out the incompatibility with AptX and the lack of an audio jack that can be useful in case you find yourself with a flat battery (very unlikely, considering also the possibility of fast charging). The lack of the iPhone application, more than a defect, is a missed opportunity for Huawei to be chosen by iPhone users. On balance, the biggest "flaw" of these headphones is the price of 299 euros. The Sony WH-1000XM4 cost only a little more (the list price is 399 euros, but can be found at around 320/330 euros), the Bose 700 cost 280 euros, while the Surface Headphones 2 cost the same as the Studio.
The difference is therefore to be found in the details. The Sony offer better ergonomics, especially as regards the controls; the Bose are a guarantee in several respects, while the Surface Headphones 2 are a valid alternative with better control of the ANC. In short, if the FreeBuds Studio cost a little less they would easily offer a higher value, which would also go beyond the management problems of the application. The suggestion is therefore to keep an eye on them, because it is not so unusual that Huawei can offer some offers or bundles with other products, which can easily convince you to buy them.
Obviously, if you have a Huawei smartphone, the value of these headphones is higher.
