I have found that when I go out I can find myself overwhelmed by noise and crowds. It used to mean that days out and shopping trips would often be cut short due to severe anxiety. I would retreat back to the comfort and safety of my home.
When I go out now, I have my phone and at least one pair of headphones about my person. If the “terrors” start to get a hold I plug in and tune out of the world. My family all know about this and it is not unusual for them to have a backup pair of headphones too.
It’s no the most social way of dealing with life, but it works. Until things start improving, these two items will remain a constant companion.
Having bought several pairs of earbuds and headphones over
the past 18 months to replace a pair of wired buds that I was particularly
attached to, I hadn’t found that one pair that did it all, the one pair that
ticked every box. The Huawei Freebuds 3 are my latest purchase, and here is how
they hold up.
To cut a long story short – These things are next to perfect
for me.
In the Beginning
I had been very wary of True Wireless Buds after seeing the
Apple AirPods looking like a wedge of money waiting for me to lose one and
waste £150. When I got the Huawei P30 Pro, it was my first Android phone, and
the first phone I had that didn’t have a 3.5mm jack to plug my headphones into.
For a while, I had an adapter to keep using my existing buds and headphones,
and then I bought a set of Skullcandy Crusher 3 over the ear headphones, and
while I love them, they are too big for day to day use.
Just before Christmas, I was lucky enough to get a voucher
from the Huawei community forum for 50% off the new Freebuds 3 wireless buds. At
£165, it was the same story as the fruity AirPods, but given a voucher for 50% off.
It would be churlish not to take the offer and make a leap of faith.
I received the buds on Same Day delivery from Argos, and I
had the buds charged in time for me to use them on the way to work that
evening.
Getting Set Up
Connecting the buds to the P30pro was as simple as
downloading the app and opening the case. Yep, that simple. I was astounded by
this as I have had some tough times trying to get certain wireless devices
connected. While talking about connection, these buds stay connected until you
need them to be disconnected (to do this you simply put them back in the
charging case).
The most important element when it comes to earbuds or
headphones for me is how they sound (obviously) – Well, these buds sound
fantastic. Possibly the best sounding earbuds I have ever used. I won’t compare
them to over the head/ear devices as I believe that they have a different job
to do in different circumstances. Seeing as most of my listening is done on the
move, the Freebuds is going to be my main buds, and I am more than happy with
this.
Charging times are really quick, and the charge lasts so
long. I haven’t timed the charge times, but I have only had to recharge the
case twice in the two weeks I have been using them. The Buds recharge from the
case and a quick splash and dash charge from the P30pro wireless charging for a
quick charge to get me home.
Testing
I listen to a lot of Audio Drama, and the Freebuds do a
great job of allowing me to get lost in the drama. For music, there is clarity
and super clear separation. I really cannot fault these buds for what they are
designed to do.
Since I got the Freebuds, I have given them thorough testing over various musical styles. Ranging from Iron Maiden to Beethoven, from a Ministry of Sound playlist on Spotify to a Relaxation video on YouTube and not once have the Freebuds let me down. The sound is clear and full. The Bass isn’t overwhelming to the point of distortion and the high end is crystal clear and beautiful to listen to.
Conclusion
I can’t compare the Freebuds to any other device of its kind, but I won’t be straying far from these in the future as to my ears, these are about as close to perfect as I think I am going to get. I think if you have an android device, especially a Huawei one, the Freebuds are the way to go. I would say that if you want full compatibility, then using the Freebuds on an Apple device could leave you disappointed as the App that controls the Freebuds isn’t available in the iOs App Store. If that isn’t a deal-breaker, go for the Freebuds, but if you want to make the most out of your money, go for what works best for your device. For me… the way forward is Free