Xiaomi Buds 6 Review

Xiaomi has stopped playing the budget challenger. The Buds 6 aim squarely at the premium open-fit segment that Apple's AirPods 4 currently define, and they bring an unusual set of arguments: an acoustic partnership with Harman, Qualcomm's aptX Lossless codec, and — a genuine first — simultaneous support for both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub. On the evidence of an extended test, the open format is finally mature — with caveats that follow directly from that format.

The first impression holds up. Xiaomi has reworked the geometry against the previous generation with a slimmer stem and a less bulky audio outlet, widening the contact area so the weight sits better. Each earpiece weighs 4.4 grams and measures 31.77 x 17.17 x 20.56 mm, small enough to disappear after a few minutes.

This semi-in-ear shape will particularly suit anyone who cannot tolerate silicone tips. For desk work and walking the hold is solid; in intense sport the buds tend to shift slightly during sharp movements, because there is no tip to lock them into the ear canal — though that will vary with ear shape. IP54 certification means sweat and light rain are not a worry.

The charging case is compact and rather elegant at 52.34 x 52.57 x 24 mm and 34.5 grams, and slips easily into a pocket. Its glossy coating shows fingerprints, more visibly on the Graphite Black finish than on Pearl White or Titan Gray. Pairing over Bluetooth 5.4 is trouble-free, with the buds connecting quickly as they leave the case.

This is where Xiaomi had most to prove, and the result is genuinely interesting. Each bud carries a single 11 mm triple-magnet driver with a 24-carat gold-plated diaphragm that the manufacturer says raises high-frequency sensitivity by 30 per cent — a maker's claim rather than a measured one.

In the ear, the signature is well judged, with clear mids that let voices detach cleanly from the mix. On a solo voice, a cappella or an acoustic track, the texture stays natural and never bland, a marked step up from the Buds 5, where the mids lacked body. Treble — usually the weak point at this price — rises with finesse and without aggressive sibilance, even on tracks loaded with cymbals or high strings.

The Harman partnership shows up concretely in the Xiaomi Earbuds app, which offers two distinct profiles. AudioEFX gives an analytical, cool presentation suited to podcasts or jazz, while Master warms things up with more present bass and a more enveloping dynamic, better matched to electronic or hip-hop. The calibration avoids the artificial, bloated bass many rivals still resort to.

The other strong argument is aptX Lossless, which climbs to 2.1 Mbps at 24-bit/48 kHz with a compatible phone; on uncompressed tracks the difference from ordinary AAC is audible, particularly in soundstage width.

The flip side is inherent to the open format. Without passive isolation sealing the ear canal, low frequencies lack physical impact. On a bass-heavy electronic or hip-hop track you register the bass but never feel the pressure a sealed in-ear would give. If that is your music, factor it in.

Fitting effective active noise cancelling to an earbud that does not block the ear is an acoustic tall order, and Xiaomi is no exception. Tellingly, the company publishes no attenuation figure in dB for this adaptive ANC, unlike the far cheaper Redmi Buds 6.

The app offers two levels, Balanced and Deep. Even on Deep, a continuous low drone such as air conditioning or a desk fan is not fully covered, which puts this ANC behind the best on the market from the outset. Human voices, keyboard clatter and sharp sounds pass through more easily still, and effectiveness appears to depend on ear shape, which likely explains differing impressions between wearers.

One limitation deserves emphasis: despite the "adaptive" label, the ANC never switches automatically between Balanced and Deep according to ambient noise, unlike some rivals.

Xiaomi lands a real blow by supporting both of the major finding networks at once — Apple Find My and Google Find Hub. Three caveats matter. The compatibility covers the case only, not the individual earbuds; Find Hub support requires a firmware update; and the two protocols cannot coexist without resetting the case.

The Xiaomi Earbuds app is otherwise comprehensive, with multipoint management, customisable touch gestures and a spatial audio mode with head tracking, though its effect is more discreet than Apple's. The touch controls on the stem proved reliable, with no notable accidental triggering when repositioning a bud, and they remain customisable.

Xiaomi publishes two sets of figures depending on codec. Over AAC at 50 per cent volume with default settings: 6 hours from a single bud without ANC (35 hours with the case), and 3.5 hours with ANC on (20 hours with the case). Over aptX Adaptive those fall slightly, to 5 hours without ANC (28 hours with the case) and 3 hours with it (19 hours with the case).

Those claims held up in the testing: around 3 hours 30 minutes with ANC active, and 6 hours with it off. The gap between codecs is modest, but the cost of switching ANC on is not — a steep drop for noise cancelling that is limited to begin with.

Charging takes about 1 hour 20 minutes for the case and 48 minutes for the buds, reaching 30 per cent after roughly 10 minutes and 80 per cent after 30. A full case then delivers about four complete bud recharges.

The Xiaomi Buds 6 stand up as a serious alternative to the AirPods 4, with cross-platform flexibility Apple does not offer. Comfort, the Harman-tuned sound and call quality make them a coherent choice for daily and professional use — provided you accept the compromises the open format brings: ANC that filters rather than walls off, recessed bass, and battery life that melts as soon as noise cancelling is switched on.

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