Huawei’s newest affordable TWS in India, Freebuds SE 2, is priced at Rs 2,999. At this price point, it goes up against the midrange offerings from OnePlus, boAt, Realme, CMF, and Oppo. Huawei’s no-frills approach to the Freebuds SE 2 is something that audiophiles will appreciate. While secondary features like ANC and multi-point connection are noticeably absent on this TWS, its soundstage punches above its weight. The question is whether the audio output is good enough to make these tradeoffs. We used the TWS for a week to figure this out. Here is our review of the Huawei Freebuds SE 2.
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In This Article
Huawei Freebuds SE 2 Review: Design
Here’s what you get inside Huawei Freebuds SE 2’s retail box:
- Charging case with earbuds inside
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
The square charging case has rounded corners and edges. While it is made entirely out of plastic, the material is not flimsy. The glossy case has a premium in-hand feel. The lid can be easily opened with one finger. We were satisfied with the strength of the hinge as well. You can fidget with the lid without worrying about the hinge developing any looseness. The Huawei branding is present at the centre of the case. The LED notification light is placed at the bottom of the front face. The bottom edge houses the USB Type-C charging port.
The earbuds also have an all-plastic build and a glossy finish. They have an open-end design. If you’re not fond of the silicone ear tips on in-ear earbuds, you will like this design. It is similar to the design of the vanilla AirPods model. The Freebuds SE 2 offer a snug fit and do not dislodge even after firm head movement.
The upper ends of the stems have thin matte strips that serve as the touch control area. The touch controls are tuned nicely and we rarely triggered any controls by accident during our week with the TWS. The earbuds are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance. This means they can survive excessive sweat and minor water splashes. We used the Freebuds SE 2 while working out and were happy to see that its fit remained airtight even in sweaty conditions.
Huawei Freebuds SE 2 Review: Performance
Huawei Freebuds SE 2 TWS uses 10mm dynamic drivers to generate its audio output. The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3. The pairing process is seamless and presents no complications. There are 2 codecs on offer – SBC and AAC.
The soundstage presented by the Huawei Freebuds SE 2 is detailed and expansive. The low-end frequencies are slightly elevated but they do not cloud over the mids and highs. The audio output has a very enjoyable ‘pop’ to it. The impressive thing about the output is that there is very little distortion to be heard when the volume is pushed to its maximum limit.
We used the Freebuds SE 2 to play a varied list of artists spanning genres like pop, classic rock, heavy metal, and grunge. The earbuds did justice to the mix in each case. The guitar riffs retained their crispiness and the subtler sounds of the clapper and cymbal were relayed perfectly. Overall, the audio output is well-rounded and checks all the essential boxes.
While Huawei may have perfected the soundstage of the Freebuds SE 2, the TWS lacks some of the secondary features that are found in other earbuds in its category. The lack of Active Noise Cancellation is one of the biggest misses. If you like using ANC to suppress the surrounding noises during your daily commute to work, these earbuds won’t be of much help. The open-end design doesn’t contribute much to passive noise cancellation either. Another big miss on these earbuds is the lack of multi-point connection. The TWS can be connected to only one device at a time.
On the bright side, the Huawei Freebuds SE 2 offers exceptional call quality. In an indoor setting, the voice of the speaker is relayed perfectly to the listener. The earbuds do a good job of extracting the speaker’s voice from the ambient sounds. In outdoor conditions, the call quality holds up well if you’re in a park or a public bus. However, if you’re in the middle of traffic, the background noises are too loud to be suppressed.
Huawei AI Life serves as the companion app to this TWS. This app can be officially downloaded from the App Store but is strangely missing from the Google Play Store. Its layout is simple and quite accessible. It offers 4 equaliser profiles – Default effect, Bass boost, Treble boost, and Voices. You can also use this app to customise the touch controls on either earbud.
Huawei claims a cumulative battery life of 40 hours on this TWS. The charging case is equipped with a 510mAh battery pack. Additionally, there are 41mAh battery units on either earbud. During the week-long review period, we used the Huawei Freebuds SE 2 for an average of 4 hours per day. It took 6 days for the case to run out of charge. Charging the case to its maximum capacity takes up to 2 hours.
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Verdict
If you’re looking for a pair of no-nonsense earbuds that do not compromise on sound quality, the Huawei Freebuds SE 2 will fit your demands nicely. Its rich soundstage towers over its peers in the sub-Rs 3,000 price category. On top of that, the ergonomic design of the earbuds and nicely tuned touch controls contribute significantly to the listening experience. However, the sublime soundstage comes at the cost of ANC and multi-point connectivity. If you’re okay with this tradeoff, the Freebuds SE 2 TWS is a no-brainer purchase at Rs 2,999.
Huawei Freebuds SE 2: Pros
- Ergonomic design
- Smooth touch controls
- Excellent audio output
Huawei Freebuds SE 2: Cons
- No ANC
- No multi-point connectivity
