Coinciding with the launch of the Huawei Mate 80 Pro, Huawei has officially launched the FreeBuds Pro 5 in Malaysia. The new audio accessory is the brand’s newest flagship earbuds and serves as the direct sequel to the FreeBuds Pro 4 that launched in 2024.
We’ve been eyeing these buds since they first debuted in China late last year. Now that it has arrived in Malaysia, we can confirm that its specifications remain largely unchanged.
As a brief refresher, the FreeBuds Pro 5 features a dual-driver setup, consisting of an 11mm main dynamic driver and a micro-planar tweeter. Huawei says the ultra-linear dual-magnet driver can produce bass as low as 10Hz, while the micro-planar diaphragm is capable of delivering treble frequencies of up to 48kHz.
The company claims that its dual Digital Signal Processing (DSP) system and dual DACs synchronise with dedicated bass and treble drivers to reduce distortion. Moreover, the device also supports 2.3Mbps lossless wireless transmission in addition to L2HC 4.0, LDAC, and AAC codecs.
Additionally, the earbuds offer four listening modes. The first is Huawei SOUND Balanced, which, as the name suggests, provides a balance between vocal clarity and dynamic range, making it suitable for pop and film soundtracks. There’s also Huawei SOUND Voice, which enhances vocal presence, and Huawei SOUND Classical, designed to create an “expansive soundstage” for what Huawei describes as “concert hall-level immersion”. Lastly, Huawei SOUND Bass boosts the low end for a more pronounced bass response.
Speaking of soundstage, the FreeBuds Pro 5 features what Huawei calls “unlimited spatial audio”. According to the company, this feature enables 360-degree sound with head tracking, regardless of what the user is listening to or which device they are using.
The earbuds also come with several AI-powered features that intelligently adjust audio playback based on the surrounding environment. These include AI Noise Cancellation, Awareness Mode, Conversation Awareness, and Adaptive Volume. For active noise cancellation, the earbuds can allegedly reduce noise levels of up to 100dB and suppress wind noise at speeds of up to 10m/s.
For battery life, Huawei says the FreeBuds Pro 5 can last up to six hours on a single charge with ANC enabled and up to nine hours with it turned off. This does get stretched to a maximum of 38 hours with the case. According to the official spec sheet, the earbuds require about 40 minutes to reach a full charge. Oh, and it also supports wireless charging. Other features include Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity, along with IP57 water and dust resistance for the earbuds and IP54 for the charging case.
The FreeBuds Pro 5 is available in three different colours: Sand, White, and Grey. Unfortunately, the dark blue variant won’t be coming to the country. Regardless of colour options, the device retails at an SRP of RM699. Those interested can purchase the device via the brand’s official store.
