Realme Buds Air 3 review — miniature headphones with original design and ANC

The Realme Buds Air 3 headphones have not yet appeared in Russian retail, but it is already known that they will be in the price category of the most affordable solutions with active noise cancellation. In India, the gadget was rated at 3,999 rupees, at the current rate it is about 4,000 rubles. What is offered for this money - let's figure it out in the review.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Appearance and equipment
• Connection and control
• sound
• Noise Reduction and Transparency Mode
• Headset mode
• autonomy
• Results

Specifications

Appearance and equipment

In a small cardboard box are two pairs of silicone tips, a short cable for charging via USB-C and the headphones themselves in a case. I have a dark blue version, but there is also a white one.

The case is very compact: 6.45 x 4.83 x 2.43 cm. It is made of semi-gloss plastic and has the shape of a pebble - a streamlined body, no sharp corners or gaps. The only eye-catching detail is a translucent insert on top with a glass sheen. Looks original.

The lid of the case leans back easily, without the help of a second hand. All recesses inside are glossy, and flat surfaces are matte.

The headphones are also made of plastic of different textures: the leg is matte, to match the case, and the part that comes into contact with the auricle is glossy. Fingerprints on it are almost invisible, but the surface itself is very slippery.

The Realme Buds Air 3 sound guides are oval in shape and covered with a fine mesh. Nozzles are removed easily, and the headphones themselves sit securely in the ears.

On the top of the leg of each headphone is a round insert with the same glassy sheen as on the cover of the case. And put on silicone nozzles - dark blue. Such attention to detail is definitely pleasing to the eye.

Connection and control

The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.2 and connect easily via Fast Pair. If you immediately install the Realme Link application and log in to it, the smartphone itself will find the headphones, determine their model and offer to set up a connection as soon as you open the cover of the case.

Immediately, I note that the headphones can connect to two sources at the same time. When they are already paired with a smartphone, they can be put into discovery mode with a button on the case on the side. A white LED will light up in front, and Realme Buds Air 3 will be able to connect more and to the laptop, For example.

The Realme Link mobile app is built for all branded accessories and smart home devices, but that doesn't make it overwhelming or inconvenient. Headphones through it are configured without much difficulty.

To begin with, it is worth creating a personal sound profile by passing a small test for the audibility of certain signals, as well as checking the fit of the headphones.

On the main page of Realme Link, ANC operation mode switching buttons are available, you can also do this by pressing the outer surface of the headphone leg - it is touch sensitive and recognizes touches well.

Default transition from active noise reduction to transparency is carried out by pressing with a delay on any earpiece. A double tap pauses and restarts a track, a triple tap toggles it. Actions can be changed if necessary.

What is unusual: Realme Buds Air 3 even recognizes pressing and holding on both earbuds at the same time. So it will turn out to start the game mode with a minimum signal delay. It also turns on through the toggle switch on the main page of the application.

There is no full-fledged equalizer in Realme Link, but there are three preset sound effects:

• Bass Boost + - booming sound, suitable for deep bass, but does not make you shake your head to the beat;
• "Clear" - emphasis on vocals;
• "Balance" is a cross between the two previous modes.

More on these effects below.

sound

The sound of the Buds Air 3 is quite pleasant and soft. Sometimes it lacks details and expressiveness, but it is worth remembering that these are inexpensive headphones that will not jump above your head.

With the "Balance" effect, they are perfect for classical music with an emphasis on strings or wind instruments. Jazz lovers or meditative orchestral parts will definitely appreciate it.

In general, "Balance" is a very versatile mode. It is compatible with the vast majority of tracks, although a wide variety of styles and genres are usually mixed in the playlist. I wanted to turn on the booming Bass Boost + only where there was something to “tint” - basically these are compositions a la lo-fi or, for example, The Weekend.

Well, “Clear” is a very narrowly focused effect. It is designed only for tracks where vocal parts prevail, and the music fades into the background and simply sets some kind of rhythm. In other cases, you can get a whistling effect that will constantly attract attention.

To sum up, given the budget positioning for sound, Realme Buds Air 3 deserve a solid 4+.

Noise Reduction and Transparency Mode

Noise cancellation on the Realme Buds Air 3 is good, managing to cut off the sounds of the road farther away from you, but it doesn't draw out a walk along the curb itself. Sound compensation up to 42 dB is officially announced, and in general this is a lot for inexpensive TWS headphones.

Transparency mode also performed well. It perceptibly emphasizes the sounds in the environment so that you do not lose touch with reality. Useful for those who run on the street, daily walking the dog or just listening to music at work, where it's best to keep your eyes open.

In Realme Link, any of the modes can be supplemented with wind noise cutoff. This switch in the application works well with ANC, but in transparency mode there is no use for it - the wind, on the contrary, intensifies, as if blowing under the headphones. And you will definitely hear it. Perhaps the problem is in the design of microphones, which are devoid of additional protection.

Headset mode

When communicating in voice mode, the wind problem also persists, but still its noise does not block the voice. The interlocutor will hear you and, perhaps, will not even ask again.

It is also worth noting the auto-answer function for an incoming call, activated in the application. It works like this: when you get a call, you can take Realme Buds Air 3 out of the case and the call will automatically be answered with sound output to the headphones. Or even one earpiece, if that's more convenient for you.

autonomy

In terms of battery life, all official data turned out to be correct. With active noise cancellation, the Buds Air 3 can last about 5 hours, and without it, all 7. The case in such modes provides a total use time of 22 and 30 hours.

The case is charged via the USB‑C port. Wireless power supply is not provided.

Results

If Realme Buds Air 3 in Russia will cost 4,000 rubles, then this is a very good option for your money. The headphones have a pleasant sound and good noise cancellation. They are compact and do not bulge, do not attract too much attention to themselves and look very original.

Autonomy compared to competitors is average, and there is no wireless charging - this is one of the main drawbacks against the background of the same Redmi Buds 3 Pro, which in this price segment have become a real hit. In terms of sound and noise reduction, the Realme earbuds performed better than the Xiaomi counterpart.

If you choose between them, then Realme has a more advantageous position. Including because of the excellent application through which the headphones are configured and receive new firmware. During testing, one, by the way, came, and this gives hope for at least some kind of support.

Advantages

• Original design.
• Good noise cancellation.
• Convenient application.
• Ability to connect to two sources.

disadvantages

• Wind noise in transparency mode.
• There is no headphone volume control.

The author thanks Realme for the device provided for testing. The company had no opportunity to influence its result.