Realme Buds 2 review: Budget, bassy bad boys

In its short existence, Realme is one of a handful of brands that has managed to make its mark since its blockbuster debut in 2018. With the brand’s focus on offering quality products at cost-effective prices, Realme has managed to achieve the lofty feat of being one of the top-selling smartphone brands across the country.

While the company’s initial focus had been on smartphones and tackling a segment that Xiaomi seemed to have a lockdown on; Realme has slowly started branching out into other segments in a bid to capitalize on its brand name that promises quality without requiring a user to break the bank. Alongside the well-received Realme 5 series of devices, the brand also announced the Realme Buds 2, a successor to the Realme Buds and like its other products, these earphones offer everything you want from a no-nonsense, quality accessory yet providing you with performances to match.

Design, Build

In a world where everything is going wireless, the Realme Buds 2 and its wired design is a welcome change. Sure, a simple search on popular e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Flipkart for wired earphones under Rs 1,000 will throw up a lot of results; however, very few of them will boast a big brand name. When it comes to audio products or any electronic products for that matter, a brand-name product is far more trusted than some of the options out there which people haven’t even heard of. With Realme targeting this segment, you can be assured of two things — a quality set of earphones and an accessory that’s easy on the wallet.

These no-nonsense earphones feature a wonderful yet functional design and this translates to the unboxing experience as well. While there isn’t anything flashy about the packaging, you may observe that it is one of the better-packaged products in this segment.

The Realme Buds 2 follows in the footsteps of the aforementioned Realme Buds and in 2019 when smartphone brands are continually ditching the headphone jack, it is a welcome change to see a smartphone brand launch a product with a 3.5mm jack. The previous generation earphones were a good-looking product and Realme has decided that what’s not broken doesn’t need fixing, they have launched the Buds 2 with a similar design — a trait we absolutely love.

While there isn’t any standout feature that separates the design of the Realme Buds 2 from the hordes of earphones available in the market, the build quality is what puts it head and shoulders above the rest. With the Buds 2, you can be assured that it will last for a substantially long time in a sea of products that wither away.

Realme has constructed these earphones from premium materials and they feature magnets which allow them to remain secure around your neck when not in use. There is no other functionality here such as play/pause since these are passive earphones. This is a minor feature but it shows the brand’s commitment to the cause. There is a braided cable which is nearly impossible to find at this price point and this makes it tangle-free. So, with these buds, you won’t spend precious minutes trying to untangle the earphones and you can just wear them and you’re good to go. The buds also feature a rubber clip that can be used for cable management when not in use. It is these small but functional features that make the Realme Buds a worth it option.

Realme have also added an in-line microphone here and it features the various controls that allow you to answer calls, play/pause music, adjust volume etc. Additionally, in the packaging, you will also find various sized ear tips. And with every new earphone, we advise you to try all the possible sizes in order for you to find the perfect fit as well as an in-ear seal that will help with passive noise isolation.

Overall, based on the design and build quality, the Realme Buds 2 is a 100 per cent recommended product.

Performance

While the looks of the Realme Buds 2 are undoubtedly attractive, it is the audio performance that will make you take the plunge and for the price, they sell for these earbuds fire on all cylinders. For the average consumer, bassy earphones are what is sought for and the Realme Buds 2 deliver it in spades. It features 11.2mm Bass Boost drivers that feature a multi-layer composite diaphragm and as the branding suggests you get some punchy bass that will appease anyone out there who are looking for earphones with this attribute.

Having tested the Buds 2 with a large variety of genres they fared really well for a pair of earphones priced this competitively. It manages to produce great sound even at higher volumes and one thing we really loved about them is that they’re actually quite loud. Hence, testing these buds even at 60 per cent volume was more than sufficient to base our conclusion on.

Elaborating on the audio performance, the Realme Buds 2 had a more detailed and desirable quality in comparison with other products in this price range. We find the bass response to be particularly great and this is what Realme sought out to produce. The mids were a bit recessed for our liking but the target audience would not find this to be an issue. The highs were detailed; however, it is the bass output that makes these a worthwhile option.

While we did bring out some negative points especially with the mids, these are aspects that Realme’s targeted audience would not even notice or care about.

Verdict

The Realme Buds 2 is priced at Rs 599 and they make a strong contender for the best earphones under Rs 1,000. Coming with a great functional design as well as audio quality to match, the Realme Buds 2 is definitely the earphones for you if you are in the market for a pair of great wired earphones.