Huawei FreeBuds SE 5 MAX review: Big battery life, small price
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Long battery life, clever noise cancellation and a tempting promotional price make Huawei’s latest earbuds worth a look. They aren’t without compromises, but there’s plenty to like for the money
The most annoying thing about wireless earbuds is usually discovering they’re flat just as you’re leaving the house. You can have all the clever audio technology in the world, but it’s not much use when your morning soundtrack is a low-battery warning.
Huawei’s FreeBuds SE 5 MAX have just arrived on the scene, with a headline feature of battery life offering up to 80 hours of listening with the charging case. This comes alongside other premium features such as active noise cancellation, customisable sound and connectivity to two devices at once.
There’s some small print behind that battery figure, obviously. But the long and short of it all is that these are relatively affordable earbuds with a surprisingly substantial feature list.
The UK launch price is £79.99, although an announced promotion is set to bring that down to £39.99 from November 19 if you use the code HUAWEIUK10 - that’s a meaningful difference, particularly if you’re shopping for Christmas.
What I did like about the HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 5 MAX
Battery capacity is the obvious attraction. Huawei quotes up to 10 hours from the earbuds themselves with noise cancellation switched off, with repeated top-ups from the case bringing the total to 80 hours.
This seems to be pretty realistic in general use. There are obviously some limiting factors. Switch noise cancellation on, for example, and the claimed figures become seven hours and 57 hours respectively. But the battery life is definitely impressive.
Equally impressive is the charging time. Just 10 minutes of charging can provide up to four hours of playback with noise cancellation off.
The noise cancellation also offers more flexibility than a simple on-off switch. There are Ultra, General and Cosy settings, plus a Dynamic mode that adjusts automatically to your surroundings.
I particularly like the idea of leaving that decision to the earbuds. There’s only so much enthusiasm I can muster for adjusting settings when all I wanted was to listen to a podcast, especially once you've grown tired of playing with the options.
The sound specification includes 10mm drivers and LDAC support for compatible devices, and there's a 10-band equaliser, alongside four preset sound modes.
Having some control over the balance is useful when your listening jumps between music, speech and the occasional video. And the quality on all fronts is top notch for the price.
Dual-device connectivity is another sensible inclusion. Being able to keep a laptop and phone connected is much more relevant to everyday life than another impressive-looking number on the packaging.
Each earbud weighs around 4.3g, and three sizes of silicone tips are supplied. There’s also IP55 dust and water resistance for the earbuds, although the case doesn’t share that protection.
What I didn’t like about the HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 5 MAX
Weighing up the disadvantages of these buds calls for some perspective, because given the feature set, it's important to remember you can buy them for just £39.99.
Take for example the lack of wireless charging. Unforgivable in a set of £200 earbuds, but at this end of the market, it's just a bit of a shame, it would have been the icing on the cake.
You'll also have to manage your expectations in terms of audio. Come from a high-end set and you'll find these lacking in a bit of depth, instrument separation, and soundstage. But they do perform well for such an affordable set.
It's possible you might also get some compatibility issues, but this can be checked quite easily before you take the plunge.
Overall verdict: Should you buy HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 5 MAX?
The FreeBuds SE 5 MAX have an appealing set of priorities: substantial claimed battery life, adjustable noise cancellation and practical connectivity.
At their promotion price, there’s enough useful technology here to justify putting them on a shortlist. Once the promotion ends, it becomes a harder decision.
Sound quality, microphone performance and long-term comfort still deserve proper listening tests but at £39.99 they're a bargain.
Huawei has concentrated on the things that should make everyday earbuds easier to live with. And fewer low-battery interruptions is always a very good place to start.