Huawei FreeBuds 7i Review: Top-Tier ANC at a Bargain Price!

The FreeBuds 7i, from the Chinese manufacturer, target the highly competitive sub-100 euro True Wireless earbuds segment. In this category, you can find everything from barely listenable earbuds to some pleasant surprises, like the Nothing Ear (a).

Huawei seems to have pulled out all the stops to match its competitors, offering advanced audio performance with 11 mm drivers and head-tracking spatial sound, all certified Hi-Res Audio. On paper, it’s hard to find a more complete package. However, it remains to be seen if these FreeBuds 7i live up to their promises, as disappointments are common at this price point.

Huawei FreeBuds 7i Technical Specifications

This review was conducted with earbuds provided by Huawei.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iDesign: Simple Yet Effective

The FreeBuds 7i feature a straightforward design: white in-ear buds with a stem. They are entirely made of PVC, lacking any distinctive flair, but at least the design is not polarizing. The real focus, however, lies elsewhere.

Each earbud weighs 5.4 grams, which is standard and barely noticeable when worn.

The comfort level is exceptional: there is little pressure and they fit securely. The four pairs of silicone tips included should allow for a precise fit for most ear shapes.

The silicone tips are soft and pliable. You can wear the FreeBuds 7i for several hours at a time without any discomfort or ear fatigue. They are very stable, even during physical activity. The IP54 certification protects against splashes and dust, making them suitable for use during sports, even in the rain.

The touch controls are responsive. Double taps to play/pause, triple taps for the next track, and a long press to switch ANC modes, all customizable in the mobile app. More impressively, Huawei includes volume control via sliding, a rare feature at this price point, where many competitors omit volume adjustment entirely.

The charging case features a USB-C port, a button for forcing Bluetooth pairing, and a status LED. There’s no wireless charging, but given the price point, it’s hard to complain.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iUsage and App Features: Generously Packed with Functions

The Huawei AI Audio app (available on Android via APK and iOS) serves as the command center to customize the FreeBuds 7i. The interface is straightforward and comprehensive.

It offers four levels of active noise cancellation intensity: Dynamic (automatically adjusts based on the environment), Comfortable, Balanced, and Ultra.

The equalizer provides six preset profiles (Default, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Voice, Symphony, Hi-Fi Live), plus a 10-band equalizer.

The app also enables Spatial Audio. Four profiles are available: Standard, Theatre, Cinema, Concert Hall. Truth be told, the results are disappointing, as they sound too artificial (more on this later). Head tracking is enabled: turn your head to the right, and the sound shifts to the left earbud and vice versa. As usual, this feature is more of a gimmick than anything else.

More interestingly, head motion controls allow for nodding to accept a call, while a lateral movement declines it.

The multipoint connection works with two devices simultaneously.

The wireless connection remains stable up to about 10 meters, even with obstacles in the way. Regarding codecs, Huawei has included Sony’s LDAC transmission. Owners of Huawei smartphones also benefit from the proprietary L2HC 2.0 codec and instant pairing when the case is opened.

As usual, there is some latency in video games, with a slight delay between sound and picture. This is not the case with video playback, where sound and image are synchronized.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iActive Noise Cancellation: A Major Highlight

This is where the FreeBuds 7i really shine. Their ANC 4.0 system impresses, both for its price and on its own merits. The isolation reaches levels comparable to market leaders. In practice, the system spectacularly filters out continuous noises: the hum of ventilation, the roar of the ocean, road traffic, and the rumble of public transport all but disappear. The AirPods Pro 3 do slightly better, but the difference with Huawei’s offering is minimal.

The Dynamic mode automatically adjusts the ANC strength based on the detected environment. It is effective, but some pumping effects can be heard during sudden transitions between sound environments. It’s better to use the Ultra mode right away, which fixes this flaw by keeping the ANC at full power.

The transparency mode also impresses. External sounds are transmitted naturally, without the common metallic effect of low-end earbuds. It’s possible to follow a conversation comfortably without removing the earbuds.

Considering the price point, this ANC is among the best in its segment.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iAudio: A Double-Edged Balance

The 11 mm dynamic drivers deliver a sound that will divide opinions. The bass is solid, clean, with convincing sub-bass, providing a strong foundation for music. However, the bass could be a bit faster, which is the difference with high-end earbuds. Nevertheless, they remain present without distorting or muddying, with a decent impact. The mids are decently defined. The slight dip at 2 kHz seen on the response curve eliminates any harshness or aggressiveness in this sensitive area, which is a thoughtful touch.

The issue lies in the treble. The response curve shows a peak in the treble range, particularly between 4 kHz and 8 kHz, but then a baffling drop-off in the highest, most delicate sounds. It’s unclear why the FreeBuds 7i fall short in this area. I checked and rechecked, updated the earbuds, but nothing helped; the treble is lacking.

The 10-band equalizer allows for some mitigation of these excesses, but it doesn’t fully correct the issue. Boosting the bands above 8 kHz has little effect. At most, you can lower the level around 5 kHz, but regardless of adjustments, there’s always a lack of treble clarity.

It’s a pity because the sound is a bit dry and tends to homogenize music. However, this is not at all bothersome when watching movies or TV shows.

The soundstage spreads out well in width, with good stereo separation. In terms of depth, the layering remains limited. On the dynamic front, it’s average, and here again, there’s a difference with the best earbuds on the market. The fidelity to subtle variations is limited, and as a result, some details lack consistency.

Spatial Audio: Best Avoided

The Spatial Audio function should be avoided. It produces a shrill, artificial sound, almost to the point of being unlistenable. It might be tolerable with video games and some video content, but for music listening, the tonal balance is off, making it tiresome after just a few seconds. It’s best to forget it and stick with traditional stereo listening.

Listening Impressions

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories: Electronic productions fare well. The synthetic bass hits hard, with good energy. But the highs lack refinement. Acoustic cymbals in Touch come out with too much sizzle, and high-pitched synth pads are somewhat blurry.

Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: The vocals emerge clearly, perhaps even too much so. On Getting Older, the minimalist production highlights the brightness of these FreeBuds. When the instrumentation intensifies, the sound becomes a bit fatiguing.

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue: Coltrane’s saxophone maintains its body. The double bass rumbles nicely in the lower spectrum. However, the brushes on the snare drum sound somewhat fuzzy.

Hans Zimmer – Dune (Original Soundtrack): The dark pads work well in the bass. Tribal drums crack with impact. The soundstage’s width is impressive. High-pitched synthetic textures suffer from uneven treatment, but it’s still pretty good!

Huawei FreeBuds 7iCalls: Bone Conduction Comes to the Rescue

It’s a growing trend: to improve voice capture, manufacturers are increasingly using a bone conduction microphone in addition to traditional mics. This helps to better isolate the voice in noisy environments. And it works!

The AI noise suppression is effective at eliminating ambient noise when you’re silent.

However, when you speak in a very noisy setting, a pumping effect can be heard by the listener, but it remains quite moderate.

Again, for the price, this call quality is commendable.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iBattery Life: Comfortable Endurance

Huawei claims up to 8 hours of battery life with ANC off, and 5 hours with it on. In practice, at 50% volume with noise cancellation on, the 5-hour mark is reached without issue, even extending to 5 hours and 20 minutes on a playlist of pop, rock, and jazz.

A full charge of the earbuds in the case takes about 40 minutes. The case itself recharges in 1 hour via USB-C. A quick 10-minute charge provides about 4 hours of listening, according to Huawei, which is handy in a pinch. The charging case can recharge the earbuds three times.

There’s no wireless charging, but at this price point, it’s hard to complain.

Huawei FreeBuds 7iPrice and Availability

The Huawei FreeBuds 7i are priced at 89 euros. They are available in three colors: Black, White, and Pink. They are positioned directly against the Nothing Ear (a) (99 euros), a benchmark in the category for their audio performance. The Nothing earbuds have better acoustics, with more robust bass and smoother, brighter high frequencies. The ANC performance is similar between the two.