The Huawei FreeBuds 5i ranks #139 out of 1490 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Huawei
Prices on this page were last checked October 20, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#139 Huawei FreeBuds 5i: $110 Wireless eBay
Pros: Wireless ANC earbuds with a preference score of 80 across two measurements and only 1.45 dB average deviation from target. Bass is full to 20 Hz, they support LDAC and are rated IP54.
Cons: Treble above 5 kHz runs about 2 dB low with a 4.3 dB dip near 10.3 kHz, so it sounds smooth but slightly dark. Battery life is 6 hours with ANC on (18.5 with the case), and they are sold mainly outside the US at about $110.
Is the Huawei FreeBuds 5i right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 80).
- your taste runs warm: it scores 89 for that sound.
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
- you want noise cancelling for commutes or flights.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated QCY HT05 MeloBuds ANC costs about $76 less.
| Released | Jan 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 6 hours (ANC on), 7.5 hours (ANC off); 18.5 hours with case (ANC on), 28 hours with case (ANC off) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Deviation From Target | 1.45 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 80 (average of 2 squig.link measurements scored separately, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | IP54 |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.35 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -2.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 80.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 194 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.63 |
| Peak | 1,992 Hz | +1.7 dB | 4.19 |
| Peak | 3,399 Hz | -1.3 dB | 4.29 |
| Peak | 5,269 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.45 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -2.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 94 out of 100, up from 45.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 181 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.46 |
| Peak | 1,985 Hz | +1.7 dB | 4.01 |
| Peak | 3,398 Hz | -1.3 dB | 4.31 |
| Peak | 5,265 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.45 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 91 out of 100, up from 24.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -10.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 29 Hz | -0.8 dB | 2.14 |
| Peak | 69 Hz | +0.9 dB | 3.73 |
| Peak | 194 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 2,383 Hz | +4.4 dB | 1.87 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.43 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -1.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 94 out of 100, up from 89.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 178 Hz | -1.7 dB | 0.79 |
| Peak | 1,958 Hz | +1.7 dB | 3.92 |
| Peak | 3,459 Hz | -1.4 dB | 3.58 |
| Peak | 7,526 Hz | -1.3 dB | 6.00 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -4.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 93 out of 100, up from 73.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 194 Hz | -1.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,994 Hz | +1.7 dB | 4.26 |
| Peak | 3,399 Hz | -1.3 dB | 4.28 |
| Peak | 5,272 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.45 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 33.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 173 Hz | -1.9 dB | 0.49 |
| Peak | 2,029 Hz | +2.2 dB | 3.02 |
| Peak | 5,054 Hz | +5.1 dB | 1.37 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -5.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the average of 2 independent measurements from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 82 out of 100, up from 68.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 906 Hz | -1.0 dB | 1.36 |
| Peak | 2,062 Hz | +2.3 dB | 3.91 |
| Peak | 3,653 Hz | -1.3 dB | 5.14 |
| Peak | 4,867 Hz | +5.1 dB | 1.04 |
| Peak | 6,930 Hz | -1.5 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Huawei FreeBuds 5i measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the average of 2 independent measurements, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: the average of 2 independent measurements from the squig.link databases of boizoff and kr0mka. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.