Why Are The Earbuds Called Active? Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Active REVIEW

Xiaomi released the fourth model in the series of wireless earbuds Redmi Buds 4. The new earbuds are called Redmi Buds 4 Active.

We already have videos about Redmi Buds 4, Redmi Buds 4 Pro and Redmi Buds 4 Lite on our channel Tech Brothers.

Despite the word Active in the name of the new earbuds, they don’t have Active noise cancellation. In fact, Redmi Buds 4 Active are ultra-budget earbuds for only $17 just like the Redmi Buds 4 Lite. However, they have a different design.

You know, Redmi Buds 4 and Redmi Buds 4 Pro are more expensive, so I think it makes sense to compare the new Redmi Buds 4 Active with only the Redmi Buds 4 Lite.

Okay, let’s start the review of the new Xiaomi wireless earbuds.

Unboxing

You know, I am surprised that Redmi Buds 4 Active was immediately released in a global market, not just in China. Usually, the global versions of most Xiaomi products come out only a couple of months after the release in China.

So, the inscriptions on the box of Redmi Buds 4 Active are in English, and some other languages.

The user manual in the box is also in different languages, and there is no Chinese at all.

The box also includes silicone ear tips, and a charging case with the earbuds inside.

That’s it! You have to buy USB Type-C cable separately to charge the case.

Design

As I said before, I will compare the Redmi Buds 4 Active with the Redmi Buds 4 Lite in this article. They are very different in design.

First, they have different charging cases. To be honest, I like the Redmi Buds 4 Active case more, because it looks like the most expensive model in the series – the Redmi Buds 4 Pro.

I also like the combination of matte and glossy plastic of the charging case.

There is REDMI logo on the back, and the USB Type-C charging port on the bottom. The indicator light is next to the charging port.

By the way, Redmi Buds 4 Active is only available in black, while the Redmi Buds 4 Lite has a wide range of colors, including black, white, orange, and green.

Another difference between Redmi Buds 4 Active and Redmi Buds 4 Lite is the design of the earbuds. The previous model has a half-in-ear design, while the new earbuds come with in-ear design. In other words, Redmi Buds 4 Active has silicone ear tips.

Both of them have a stem, so the microphone quality should be good. We will check that a little later.

The new Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Active earbuds have IPX4 water resistance, which is better than the IP54 rating of the Redmi Buds 4 Lite.

I think I understand why the new Xiaomi earbuds are called Active. Because they are designed for sports. They have improved water protection, as well as silicone ear tips for a secure fit. As you know, earbuds with silicone ear tips are better for sports, because they do not fall out of your ears when you are actively involved in sports.

If you are interested in the size and weight of the Redmi Buds 4 Active, the charging case is 63 x 53 x 24 mm, and a single earbud is 31 x 20 x 22 mm.

The weight of the empty case is about 35 grams, and the weight of a single earbud is 3.65 grams.

I think that’s all about the design, and we can move on to the control functions of the new earbuds.

Control Functions

I forgot to tell you that Redmi Buds 4 Active has touch control panels.

First, you need to connect the earbuds to your smartphone. If you have a Xiaomi smartphone, then it is very easy and convenient to do it with a popup window. On other smartphones, like iPhone, you have to go to the Bluetooth menu and manually select the device.

So, you can tap twice on the left or right earbuds to play or pause the music.

A triple tap on the right earbud switches to the next track, and triple tap on the left earbud switches to the previous track.

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Active also supports low latency mode. You need to press and hold both earbuds at the same time.

We will test a low latency or game mode a little later, but now I want to show you a companion app on smartphone.

Xiaomi Earbuds

Yes, Redmi Buds 4 Active supports a mobile app.

I don’t remember the previous earbuds from Redmi Buds 4 series having an app on the mobile device.

The application is called Xiaomi Earbuds, and it is available on Android and iOS devices.

In the app, we can see the connected earbuds, battery level of the left and right earbuds, as well as charging case.

Then, we have additional settings, such as low latency mode, and rename earphones.

We can also update firmware of the earbuds through the app, read FAQ and about earphones.

I said before that the previous Xiaomi earbuds didn’t support the app, but you can actually add them too. There is Redmi Buds 4 Pro, Redmi Buds 4, and some others. However, I don’t see Redmi Buds 4 Lite in the list, so they probably do not support the app.

You know, there are very few functions in the app. There is no equalizer or even the ability to change the controls. I hope that new functions will be added later.

Latency Test

OK, now, let’s test the latency of Redmi Buds 4 Active.

First, I am going to play a game with low latency mode turned off, and then I will turn it on.

As you can see, the latency is much lower in a low latency mode, so it is better to turn it on when you are playing games.

Microphone Quality

Now I want to check the microphone quality.

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Active has a noise cancellation for calls, so we will test the quality of the microphone in a quiet room and in a noisy room.

What’s up, guys! I am testing a microphone of the Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 Active. I am in a quiet room, so you shouldn’t hear any noise. Now I’m going to turn on the street noise simulation on the TV.

 Can you hear me well? Has the sound quality changed? One, two, three, one, two, three.

Sound Quality

Despite the fact that Redmi Buds 4 Active and Redmi Buds 4 Lite are very different in design, they have similar specifications, such as Bluetooth 5.3 support and 12mm dynamic driver.

In opinion, these earbuds have very similar sound quality.

The main feature in the sound of Redmi Buds 4 Active is the bass. It is very deep and powerful. At the same time, it does not overlap the middle and high frequencies. The sound is very balanced.

Battery

When it comes to the battery, the charging case of the new Xiaomi earbuds has a capacity of 440mAh. It is bigger than the case of Redmi Buds 4 Lite, so the total battery life of Redmi Buds 4 Active is longer – up to 28 hours.

However, a battery life on a single charge is the same – about 5 hours.

By the way, the new Xiaomi wireless earbuds support fast charging. 10 minutes of charging provides 110 minutes of music listening.

Conclusion

So, while Redmi Buds 4 Lite and Redmi Buds 4 Active cost the same, they have many differences.

To be honest, I liked the new Redmi Buds 4 Active better, because they have silicone ear tips and improved water resistance, so the earbuds are better suited for sports.

The new earbuds also have a longer total battery life, fast charging support and even mobile app support.

However, the sound quality of Redmi Buds 4 Active and Redmi Buds 4 Lite is about the same. In any case, the sound is very good for earphones under $20.