Huawei FreeBuds 6 review: Open-ear audio with excellent sound quality and comfort
Huawei's FreeBuds 6 open-earbuds support 2.3 Mbps lossless transmission and lossless music at up to 48 kHz / 24 bit. Pictures: Huawei.
Open-ear earbuds offer a unique listening experience: they let you enjoy music while staying connected to the world around you. Ideal for commuters, office workers and anyone who dislikes the in-ear seal of traditional buds, Huawei’s FreeBuds 6 aim to combine comfort, awareness and high-quality sound in one lightweight package.
The first thing that strikes you about the Huawei FreeBuds 6 is how elegant they look. Huawei has used a glossy finish across both the earbuds and the egg-shaped charging case, giving off a polished, modern aesthetic. The open-fit design means they rest gently on the outer ear rather than burrowing into the ear canal, which is a real win for those who find traditional in-ear buds uncomfortable.
Each earbud weighs just 4.9g, with the charging case adding 40.3g, making the entire package incredibly portable and easy to slip into a pocket. Despite their size and lightweight build, the construction feels solid. The IP54 rating also adds peace of mind, offering dust and splash resistance, ideal for day-to-day use or light workouts.
Thanks to the open design and unique shape, the FreeBuds 6 are incredibly comfortable for extended listening sessions. I wore them for multiple hours at a time during workdays, and there was no irritation or ear fatigue. Of course, they’re one-size-fits-all, so your mileage may vary, but as someone who generally uses medium-sized ear tips, they fit my ears perfectly.
However, unlike buds that use ear tips, they don’t create as tight a seal, and the fit isn’t as secure during vigorous movement. Jogging or chewing can dislodge them slightly, but they come with silicon covers that wrap over the ear end, which provides grip. However, I didn’t like the feel of the silicone, and I didn’t have an issue with the buds falling out without them.
Hardware-wise, you get Bluetooth 5.2 for stable, low-latency connections and dual-device pairing, making it easy to switch between your phone and laptop. Pairing was seamless with both Android and iOS in my testing.
Despite the open-ear design, Huawei has done a commendable job with the ANC implementation. It works well in most everyday environments, though naturally, it's not as effective as traditional earbuds with silicone tips that create a tighter seal for passive noise isolation.
Controls are responsive and easy to use. You can use tap gestures to play, pause, skip tracks or toggle noise cancellation. There’s also swipe gestures for volume control, and the companion app (Huawei AI Life) allows firmware updates, EQ customisation, and lets you assign gesture controls.
Despite the open-ear form factor, Huawei’s engineers have managed to extract some impressive sound from the FreeBuds 6. At the core of the system is a dual-driver setup: an 11mm dual-magnet dynamic driver that handles low and mid-range frequencies, paired with a planar diaphragm driver for ultra-high frequencies.
The result is a surprisingly rich, detailed and balanced sound profile. The bass won’t rattle your skull, but it reaches down to a very respectable level, providing warmth and presence that most open-ear rivals can’t match. Treble is crisp without being sharp, and vocals shine.
Huawei also touts high-res audio support with up to 1.5Mbps bitrate, or 2.3Mbps when paired with compatible Huawei phones. In real-world listening, the soundstage feels wide and natural, which is one of the benefits of the open ear design.
The quad-mic system (three traditional microphones plus a bone-conduction VPU mic) works alongside Huawei’s deep neural AI noise reduction to deliver crisp voice clarity. Whether on a train platform or in a breezy park, I had no complaints from the other end. Voices are clean and well-separated from environmental noise, making them great for professional use too.
Battery performance is respectable for open-fit earbuds. I averaged around six hours of playback on a single charge with ANC off, and the charging case extends that to 36 hours in total. With ANC on, this drops to a little over four hours. Fast charging gives 2.5 hours of playback in just five minutes, and you also get Qi wireless charging support, which is a welcome bonus.
The Huawei FreeBuds 6 offer a rare blend of comfort, clarity and ambient awareness. They’re perfect for users who dislike the pressure or isolation of in-ear designs but still want high-quality sound. Add in decent battery life, solid call performance and high-res audio support, and you’ve got one of the best open-fit wireless earbuds available today.
€165 (RRP) amazon.co.uk
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