Huawei Freebuds SE: simple and effective wireless headphones

In the most recent articles related to hearing aids that we have published in Práctico, we are tired of exposing the sophistication that this type of article has shown over the last decade. From serving the simple and honorable function of providing sound when listening to music – or audio content, in general – to becoming smart, multi-functional devices, designed so you won’t feel the need to take them off while you you move like a juggler between work and the minutes of leisure.

This new era of hearing aids has involved, incidentally, the development of a new language based on “touch”, its tactile sensors from which it is possible to control both the content playback and call functionalities and the activation of modalities, being noise cancellation ( NC) the highest standard.

This is excellent news, above all, for the new generations of users, brought up under the digital prism and for whom the multitasking it’s as natural as checking social media as soon as they wake up. But surely there are still other users, lagging behind this evolutionary leap that technology has made in recent years. “I just wanna listen to music, buddy,” I think they’d say when they saw the finger pointing at each other.

For them, there may still be exceptions to the rule in the market. And this glimmer of hope is brought by Huawei with its wireless model FreeBuds SE, a designer headset half in the ear, or semi intraural, which you can find in white or blue, although the latter looks more like turquoise.

• Size of each earbud: Length: 20.6mm. Width: 20.0mm. Height: 38.1mm
• Single weight: 5.1 g approx. (with buffer)
• Charging case size: Length: 70.0mm. Width: 35.5mm. Height: 27.5mm.
• Crate weight: 35.6g approx. (without earphones）
• Sensor: G-sensor, hall sensor, infrared sensor
• Driver: 10mm
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
• Battery capacity: Per earphone: 37 mAh (minimum). Charging case: 410mAh (minimum).
• Playtime: 6 hours of music playback, 4 hours of calls; with the case, these go up to 24 hours and 16 hours respectively.
• Loading time: 1.5 hours for earbuds in charging case, about 2 hours for charging case.
• Certificate : IPX4, splash, water and dust resistant.

The FreeBuds SE have a design that blends heritage with the classic nine (9) earbud shape. in the ears and modernity, with certain finishes that give them a somewhat futuristic look, an imaginary science fiction which combines space and artificial intelligence. However, Huawei presents them as headphones “semi-in-ear”, which means that they do not enter the auditory pavilion at all, generating less pressure on it. Instead, the FreeBuds SE conform to the outer contour of the ear, providing a firm and comfortable fit.

This may seem like just a detail, but it has its implications. Unlike hearing aids in the ear, the FreeBuds SE are not of the closed type but rather “semi-closed” or “semi-open”: they do not create an airtight chamber between the earpiece and the auditory canal, but allow part of the sound emitted to escape. This should have some repercussion on the sound reproduction, because if a closed headphone enhances the low frequencies, making the bass thicker, an open type “colors” less and offers a more natural sound.

On the other hand, this sound filtration generated thanks to the design half in the ear It offers a break to the ear canal which often gets abused by listening to non-recommended volumes from devices that point very directly at it.

The FreeBuds SE have an extremely compact and lightweight charging case (weighs less than 40 grams). Pleasant to carry in pockets, if not in a bag, or even to hold in one hand quite naturally.

Also included in the product box are two pairs of extra eartips, giving a total of three size options (small, medium, large) so you can find the one that best suits your ear. A USB-C type charger cable is included, which in my opinion is too short (about 20 centimeters), although this is not only Huawei’s problem, but other brands are also implementing it . This is still a logical error, because unless you find a flat surface like a table at the height of the power outlet, you will see your earphones hanging down while charging.

Pairing the FreeBuds SE to a device is easy: if it’s the first time, opening the case should automatically switch to mode. pairing; if not, just press the button inside for a few seconds and the hearing aids will appear in the list of devices available for pairing.

They have Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, the best to date for audio listening, since in addition to offering a good and stable data transmission rate, it improves sound quality and energy efficiency, which translates by longer battery life. .

However, unlike other models with this technology, the FreeBuds SE do not allow pairing with two devices simultaneously, for example with a smartphone and one portable. This can represent a disadvantage in a market as competitive as this one, which is struggling to best adapt to the current pace of life, where hyperconnection is becoming a standard.

What this model offers is touch control, for which it has a sensor (G Sensor) on its side walls, so you can play or stop a playback and answer and end a call with just a few touches. only. Huawei also lets you customize and add new commands. For example, to add the options to play the next or previous track, and also to activate the voice assistant, throughout your Huawei AI Life application (available for android and iOS ).

While this may seem cumbersome or lacking for those looking for smart hearing aids that allow them to control all sorts of functions by touch, it may be for other people who don’t want to complicate learning a new code and , rather, are you looking for something simple to use, this turns out to be a plus.

An important detail to consider: although the FreeBuds SE are compatible with Android and iOS, it is possible that the customization of the model is a little more tedious to do, considering that a Huawei application is required for this.

To put into context: one of the fundamental parts of the Material of any hearing aid is your Drivers, because —to put it simply— it is he who, together with the DAC, the transducers and the diaphragm, is responsible for transforming the electrical signal into sound. Connoisseurs say that the larger these rooms are, the better the sound quality will be.

Good: the FreeBuds SE have a Drivers 10 millimeters, which is wide enough for earphones of the type ear which, in general, usually include some of only 5 mm. In turn, it has an ultra-sensitive polymer diaphragm and a PEEK + PU + PET titanium dome. All these details result in a fairly clean, powerful sound with a very interesting sound field. However, they are not headphones that offer Hi-Res audio, as they do not support codes such as LDAC, aptX or even FLAC. Yes it is with AAC, a format developed by Apple, which works under 256 kbps, which makes it much better than mp3.

Made to the scope, and in its price range, the FreeBuds SE offer a pleasant sound, with a good color of the low frequencies (bass), sharpness in the treble and, even, a certain depth of image ( for example, some arrangements may be felt spaced relative to the basic instrumentation).

Of course, it should be noted that we could not have precise data on the range or the frequency response, since they are not detailed by the company in the presentation of the model and the representative agency in Chile does not know them neither.

Unlike most current models, this one does not have the noise cancellation function when listening to audio content. However, he offers it during calls. It does this by using two microphones that pick up ambient sound and cancel it out quite effectively, allowing both the caller and your voice to be heard clearly and loudly.

Without a doubt, one of the best features of this Huawei model is the battery life it offers. While in the headphones it’s 37 mAh, in the case it’s 410 mAh. The numbers might not seem large compared to other models, but in the case of the FreeBuds SE, that translates to six hours of continuous audio playback, plus an additional 18 hours provided by the charging case, a total of 24 hours. battery for music playback (16 hours total, if measured under calls setting).

This level of autonomy from the FreeBuds SE is comparable to that offered by on-ear and even circum-aural models, whose batteries have a capacity of around 30 hours of continuous music playback. Nothing bad. And that’s because, unlike other similar models, it doesn’t have features like noise cancellation to listen to audio content. In this case, being a base model works in your favor.

In the FreeBuds SE, Huawei offers a basic model, without high resolution compatibility or great functions, but which is quite effective in delivering clear, defined and powerful sound, both for listening to music or other audio content, as well as for telephony functions.

On the other hand, its design adapts comfortably and firmly to the ears, to which is added a lightness that makes it a very good ally for sports. In addition, another detail is added: it is IPX4 certified, so it is resistant to water splashes and dust.

In short, it seems to be an ideal model for those looking to solve the lack of hearing aids and who are not specifically looking for smart devices or have high demands from an audio quality point of view. There, the simple and basic can be great value. Compared to this, the price adjusts relatively well to its offer, especially since the market is quite expensive.

Note: ⭐⭐⭐★★

*Prices for products in this item are current as of August 5, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.