Why Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 5 Might Be the ANC Upgrade You've Been Waiting For

Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 5 deliver a better fit and standout sound quality — and they make a compelling case against Bose's best.

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Huawei has been quietly building an impressive accessories lineup. The Watch Ultimate 2 is a strong rival to Samsung's wearables, and the brand's new mesh router moonlights as ambient lighting decor. But audio may be where Huawei's ambitions are most apparent — and the FreeBuds Pro 5 make that clear from the first listen.

For the past six months, my daily driver has been Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 — chosen for its fit and audio performance. Those happen to be precisely the two areas Huawei is targeting with the FreeBuds Pro 5, and after nearly a month of testing, I'd say the challenge lands.

Fit and comfort

The FreeBuds Pro 5 have a rounded, bulbous profile, but the sound nozzle sits at a shallow angle that avoids digging into the ear canal. At just 5.5g per bud, they're light enough that I regularly forgot I was wearing them. Huawei says it validated the fit across more than 10,000 ear shape samples, and that attention shows — I experienced no fatigue during extended listening sessions, and the seal stayed secure. The box includes four sets of ear tips, which gives you a good shot at finding your ideal fit, and IP57 water resistance makes these a viable gym companion.

The FreeBuds Pro 5 fit more comfortably than the QC Ultra Gen 2 in my experience, and the charging case is noticeably more pocketable. One minor disappointment: my review unit arrived in Sand, not the striking blue variant, which comes in a leather charging case and looks genuinely premium. Sand is fine, but it's a step down in presence. I'd also prefer a matte finish over the glossy coating on the buds — though that's a gripe that applies equally to most competitors, Bose included.

Noise cancellation and awareness

The FreeBuds Pro 5's standout feature is its dual-engine ANC system, which delivers noise isolation that holds up against the best in this category. The effect is immediately noticeable — ambient sound just disappears. On a recent flight, the buds did a convincing job suppressing engine whine throughout. Awareness mode is equally capable: it activates automatically when you begin speaking, so you don't need to pull the buds out mid-conversation. Call quality was decent in the limited testing I did.

Sound quality

Like the Status Audio Pro X, the FreeBuds Pro 5 use a dual-driver configuration — pairing a conventional dynamic driver with a planar driver dedicated to treble reproduction. The result is a soundstage that genuinely competes with the category's best. Bass is textured and satisfying without bleeding into the mids; vocals carry natural warmth and clarity; and the treble is open and airy with no trace of sibilance. These are earbuds that work across genres and reward extended listening.

The one notable gap is AptX support. If your phone relies on Qualcomm's high-res codecs — as many Android flagships do, including the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Find X9 Pro — you won't be able to use those modes here. LDAC and Huawei's proprietary L2HC are both supported, but AptX is absent. Spatial audio partially fills the gap, offering a convincing sense of immersion, but the codec omission will matter to some buyers.

Battery life

Each bud carries a 60mAh cell, and real-world battery life comes in at around five hours per charge — squarely average for this class. The QC Ultra Gen 2 lasts roughly an hour longer, and that's a gap Huawei needs to close in future iterations.

Verdict

Priced at £179 (~$240) in the U.K. and $229 on Amazon U.S. via a reseller, the FreeBuds Pro 5 undercut current flagship offerings from Bose and Sony by a meaningful margin. Battery life is the one area that needs improvement, but it's the only significant drawback in an otherwise well-executed package. If you're looking for an alternative to the QC Ultra Gen 2 that fits better and costs less, the FreeBuds Pro 5 deserves serious consideration.

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor overseeing mobile coverage. In his current role, he leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.