The new Realme Buds Air 6 was launched in the Indian market at a price tag of Rs 3299. I have been testing Realme Air 6 for the past 3-4 days, and I believe they will definitely become one of the best-selling earbuds under Rs 5000. Compared to the previous variant, there are noticeable improvements in features and sound quality. This time, they even offer LHDC hi-res audio support.
While many best-selling earbuds under Rs 5000 have similar specifications and features, I still think the Realme Buds Air 6 stands out as the most promising option. But why is that? Let’s find out.
Realme Buds Air 6 Specifications
Box Content
- Earbuds
- Eartips
- Paperwork
- Small USB Type-C Cable
Design, Build & Comfort
First thing, the Realme Buds Air 6 looks quite stylish. If we compare the new Air 6 to the previous two versions, there’s no noticeable change in its design; only the color and build have changed. The new Realme Air 6 comes in green and silver options. I wish there was a black, grey, or white version too.
The build quality is good, feeling solid and durable. Considering the price tag, its build is very impressive. The charging case is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry in your pocket.
The earbuds are also lightweight and comfortable, so you won’t have any problems using them for longer durations. They offer a tight and secure fit, making them ideal for gym and outdoor activities. Plus, it has an IP55 waterproof rating, so you don’t need to worry about sweat, dust, or light rain as they are protected.
Feature & ANC
Feature-wise, there aren’t many changes compared to the previous variant (Realme Buds Air 5). The most noticeable difference is the addition of LHDC hi-res audio support in the new Realme Buds Air 6. While the previous variant supported only Dolby, and it was quite limited. So, having LHDC support is a good addition.
I wish it had LDAC support instead of LHDC because, although LHDC is good, very few smartphones currently support it. It’s available on newer models from Realme, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, but the list is still short. In contrast, many more devices support LDAC.
But as I always say, if your smartphone doesn’t support these advanced codecs, don’t worry. The advanced codec is secondary; the primary focus should be on the earbuds’ tuning. Plus, when you’re streaming from services like YouTube and Spotify, it doesn’t make much difference.
ANC
Another prime feature of Realme Buds Air 6 is the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which supports up to 50dB at a 4000Hz frequency range, just like the previous variant. Like other best-selling earbuds in this price range, such as the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro and OnePlus Buds 3, these earbuds offer impressive ANC performance. You can call this the best ANC performance under 6000 Rs.
I tested it outdoors yesterday, and it works decently in noisy and traffic areas. It effectively cancels out sounds like car and bus engines and other low-pitch noises. The app provides four preset ANC levels to choose from.
The transparency mode is also available and works decently. Just like the Pro variant, this model now includes a wind noise reduction option. While it doesn’t make a huge difference, it is somewhat effective.
These earbuds come with all the essential features you’d expect in the best-selling earbuds under 5000 Rs. These include Google Fast Pair, the latest Bluetooth 5.3 support, and dual pairing. One of the most important features is wear detection support. Additionally, you’ll find preset audio modes, a custom equalizer, dynamic bass (which you can increase if you want more bass), and a volume enhancer, which I prefer to keep on.
There’s also touch control customization, and basic features like earbuds fit and the “find my buds” option are included. The earbuds also come with a 55ms low latency gaming mode. While I haven’t verified this claim, I didn’t notice any in-game latency, and the gameplay wasn’t compromised at all.
Battery Life
The battery backup is also good. While I don’t use ANC, I tested the Realme Buds Air 6 with LHDC and got about 4 hours of battery life at 50-60% volume. With the charging case, the total comes to approximately 16-18 hours. If you don’t use LHDC, the battery life could be longer, and if you use ANC, it might be shorter. Overall, your usage will determine the exact battery life, but these numbers are quite decent.
Microphone
The microphone on Realme Buds Air 6 is quite impressive. Even though the previous variant also had a good microphone, this one feels slightly better. It features six microphones, which capture natural and clear audio with minimal background noise. Even outdoors, the microphone works very well. I tested it on a call, and it performed without any issues. Overall, the microphone quality is excellent.
Sound Quality
Moving on to the sound quality, it’s quite enjoyable overall. Like other Realme earbuds, these, too, focus on bass. The good thing is that the bass isn’t overpowering, so other frequencies aren’t overshadowed. The bass is at the right level—not too detailed but also not overly boomy. It’s warm and punchy, making the overall sound enjoyable. If you want more bass, it has a dedicated high bass mode, a dynamic bass option, and a custom equalizer, so you can achieve the tuning you prefer.
The mids and highs are also promising. The vocals have good detail and clarity, and the mid-instruments sound decent. The high frequencies (treble) are decently bright and detailed without feeling harsh anywhere. So, the default tuning is quite good and enjoyable, and I think most people will like it.
While there isn’t any major compromise in its sound quality, considering its price range. Is there any downside in sound quality? Well, there is no major downside, but I feel that the soundstage isn’t very wide, and the separation in mid-instruments could be better.
Worth To Buy Realme Buds Air 6?
Yes, the Realme Buds Air 6 is definitely worth buying. The sound quality of Buds Air 6 is good and quite enjoyable. Overall, the Realme Buds Air 6 is very promising. Beyond sound quality, their battery life, microphone, and ANC are all impressive. So, if you are looking to buy earbuds for around 3000 Rs, the Realme Air 6 should definitely be at the top of your list.
Realme Buds Air 6
Realme Buds Air 6 Pro
Realme Buds Air 6 Comparison
When comparing with the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro, OnePlus Buds 3, and Realme Air 5 Pro, those models do have slightly better audio quality and a few additional features. However, there is also a considerable price difference of almost 2000 Rs. Therefore, I don’t think it’s fair to compare them directly. Still, I included them here because the gap in sound quality isn’t as large as the price difference suggests. You can achieve similar audio quality on the Realme Air 6 with some EQ adjustments.
When it comes to direct competitors like the CMF Buds Pro, Redmi Buds 5, CMF Buds, Nord Buds 2, and Realme Air 5, the Realme Air 6 stands out as the better option overall. That’s why I mentioned at the beginning that this will likely become the best-selling earbuds in this price range.