Redmi Buds 6 Play First Impressions: Unboxing and Initial Audio Test

Ever since I bought my first pair of earbuds, the Redmi buds 6 Active, I thought I would never need to buy earbuds anytime soon. Then I realised the buds' 6 active had its downsides: they refused to connect to my laptop, and they didn’t have a rubber tip for comfort, so wearing them for a long time really hurt my ears.

Yesterday, I bought the Redmi Buds 6 Play for $12.38 (KES 1,600), and I am actually impressed. I would say they are even better than the Redmi Buds 6 Active.

Unboxing and Design

Mine came in blue, which looks good; I would have preferred the black colour. You get other color options, including white and pink.

Inside the box, you get one Redmi Buds 6 Play, of course, extra eartips, S ear cap x1, L ear cap x1, and a user manual, which I doubt I will ever go through. Overall,  the unboxing experience was good, nothing out of the ordinary.

The build quality is quite solid, and they add quite a heft to it compared to the Redmi Buds 6 Active, coming in at 3.6g. The earbuds fit quite well in my ears; they don’t fall out while working out.

Connectivity and Setup

The Redmi Buds 6 Play come with the bluetooth 5.4, which was released in 2023, and it sounds like a big technological leap up, but for the average user, it simply means a more stable and efficient wireless connection.

You can connect the Buds 6 Play with Xiaomi’s own app, which you can download on the Play Store or just scan the QR code on the box that it comes with.

Linking the app to the Buds  6 Play is pretty straightforward, just open the app, turn on bluetooth and put on your earbuds, and that’s it, you are good to go.

I tried pairing the Buds 6 Play to my Windows laptop, and it paired with ease, which is something I could not do with the Redmi Buds 6 Active.

Initial Audio and Call Quality (The Core Review)

The Buds 6 Play come with a large 10mm dynamic driver, which Xiaomi claims the Buds 6 Play have been finely tuned to bring the best auditory experience.

The sound that comes out of these buds is so good compared to the Buds 6 Active. The base is on point, while using the buds in the Noisy Nairobi matatus, it did a great job, but it’s definitely not the best, though it doesn't have ANC.

On the Xiaomi earbuds app, you get 5 audio effects which you can tune to your liking, which include balanced sound, enhance treble, and enhance bass. Enhance voice and boost volume. I personally love the enhanced bass so far, since it gives you a balance of bass, mids, and highs, and if you have a Xiaomi phone, you can play around with the EQ in the sound settings.

The buds also feature AI noise reduction for calls, which differentiates human voices and ambient noise. I haven’t used this feature just yet, but I will give feedback in my full review.

Battery Expectations vs. Claims

Xiaomi claims up to 36 hours of battery life with 7.5 hours of battery on a single charge, and 36 hours when used with the charging case. You can also listen to music up to 3 hours with a 10-minute charge.

So far, the battery has not died on me; it’s still holding on quite well, however, I wil report back on the true battery in a future, long-term review.

Early Verdict and Value Proposition

The Redmi Buds 6 Play is ideal for students or first-time buyers who want something that is affordable, yet at the same time has really good features. 

Pros

Lightweight

Customisable app support

Good battery life

Supports Google Fast Pair

IPx4 water resistance

Cons

No ANC 

SBC codec only

The Redmi Buds 6 active are great for listening to music, watching movies, and making calls because they offer a balance of performance at an affordable price.

I will keep using these earbuds for the next 2 weeks, and then I will come up with a full report on what I think about the Buds 6 Play.