As we continue to ride out isolation periods — with more lockdowns imminent — we turn to earphones and earbuds to steal some more alone time. When the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 arrived, I had high hopes; the sound tech of Xiaomi’s televisions has been impressive, after all. For these earphones, do not expect fancy packaging; these are projected to have a user-friendly experience with no extra fuss.
The earphones with the charging case are quite light at just 50 grams. The build quality is decent with a somewhat frosted finish. I was surprised that these earphones do not have an IP (Ingress Protection) rating; there are less expensive earphones out there which have decent ratings. Though they are not marketed as sports-friendly accessories, even the most ‘lazy’ gadgets have some kind of spill protection.
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Input: 5.2V–1.1A
- Battery type: Li-ion Battery
- Wireless connectivity and profiles: Bluetooth 5.0; BLE/HFP/HSP/A2DP/AVRCP
Performance power?
The charging case has a capacity of 250mAh, while each fully-charged earphone has 30mAh; and charging is done via a USB-C cable which is provided in the package. This is surprising, given there are earphones with 75mAh per earphone with a 500mAh charging case for a lower cost. I found there was not enough juice to watch a full-length Hindi movie while connected to these, but I could have a lazy session of idle listening for about 40 minutes, but with only a 10-metre wireless range.
The first time I tried these earphones was during an hour’s session of dynamic yoga, but they could not hold steady. I liked the sound quality for its crispness and clarity, but I would have liked some more bass.
I am usually sceptical of in-ear earphones without silicone wing-tips due to the lack of noise isolation; when the volume is pushed up past 60%, people in your proximity are privy to what you are streaming.
For those who are wary of Chinese brands at the moment, keep in mind the company’s India head Manu Kumar Jain announced that, for a while now, 99% of their smartphones have been made in India in support of the government’s Vocal For Local programme.
It is worth noting that Xiaomi offers better performing earphones — the wired ones, in particular — so do check those out, if you are brand-particular.
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 are available for ₹4,499 (original MRP ₹5,499).
