The big noise in electronics is something that eliminates noise – the world's first intelligent dynamic noise cancellation, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds.
Their most advanced wireless earphones to date, Huawei's Freebuds Pro ($299) go on sale in New Zealand this week alongside the FreeBuds Studio full size headphones ($599).
The Freebuds Pro has "smart" features which not only deliver "outstanding audio quality", they revolutionise noise cancellation, automatically fitting the earbuds to the best fit in your ear – and seamlessly adjusting the sound according to the outside noise.
What does that mean? Dual microphones inside and outside the earbuds quickly identify ambient noise, automatically adjusting the earbuds' sound generation to one of three noise cancellation modes: Ultra, Cozy or General.
The microphones on the outside pick up external sound. The inside set monitors the noises heard in your ear. Together they identify background sounds, then adjust settings to improve the listening experience.
So if, for example, you are walking in a busy train station, Freebuds Pro senses the noise environment and adjusts for maximum audio pleasure.
There is a safety aspect too; two special microphones (called awareness mode and voice enhancement mode; activated from Huawei's AI Life app) allow earbuds wearers to tune into the outside world – useful when crossing the road or having a conversation.
The key feature is intelligent active noise cancellation (ANC), which blocks out background sounds to give clearer, crisper audio – and crystal clear phone calls. It makes a huge difference. With ANC you can hear crisp, clear music above the hubbub of a daily commute. It lets you enjoy an audio book in peace on a long-distance flight.
Let's say you are working in an office. It can set the noise cancelling to cozy, the lowest level. This reduces the noise of low-level conversations or keyboard tapping. It means you won't feel like you are in an oppressive silent room.
On a plane, Freebuds Pro cranks the level up to ultimate, blocking engine noise. The buds do all the work for you, there is no need to fiddle with controls.
A natural awareness mode means you don't have to remove the FreeBuds to talk to someone. You simply give the stem of the device a long press and the external microphones relay the sounds.
If that's not enough, if – for example – you order a drink from a flight attendant, there is voice enhancement mode. This makes speech even easier to hear, useful if you need to hear a public transport announcement.
You can use FreeBuds Pro with any Bluetooth device – a laptop, dedicated music player, though most people will use their phone. When it comes to receiving or making calls, the bone voice sensor microphones pick up sounds from your cheeks as you speak, boosting voice clarity.
There are two Bluetooth antennae in each earphone – making for a more stable connection with fewer dropouts, also meaning you can listen to music without interruption when your phone is in your pocket or in a bag. A windproof feature mitigates noise from the wind, even when walking, running or cycling.
FreeBuds Pro can stay connected to two devices at the same time, so you can watch video on, for example, a tablet and take incoming phone calls without needing to switch between devices. They are so easy to use – control is intuitive, through five easily-learned simple gestures.
And what about the automatic fit? FreeBuds Pro come packed with three sizes of earplugs, with an app to help you choose the best ones for your ears. The plugs have a snug fit and do a good job of reducing ambient sounds even before you get to the ANC.
With ANC enabled, you get about 4.5 hours of battery life; 7 hours if ANC is not enabled. But there's more – FreeBuds Pro comes with a charging case, extending the total time between needing to find a mains power supply greatly. If you have a suitable phone or tablet, you can reverse charge your buds while on the move.
The Freebuds Studio on the other hand features four-channel dual-mode and dual mode connection which allows users to simultaneously connect with two devices without needing to disconnect and re-connect. It not only supports dual connection with Huawei all-scenario devices, but also with Android, iOS and Windows-based devices.
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It is the industry's first dual antenna over-wear wireless headphone that offers 360 degree omnidirectional Bluetooth signal coverage. Even in places with strong signal interference, such as airports, the design can intelligently identify and automatically switch to another antenna with a stronger signal, bringing better connection and stability for smooth phone calls.
When fully charged Freebud Studio can play music with ANC for up to 20 hours, or 24 hours if the ANC is turned off. With a 10-minute quick charge it offers five hours of music playback with ANC on, or eight hours if ANC is off.
The Freebuds Pro comes in carbon black and silver frost colours and are available from PB Tech on December 2. They will also be available at 2Degrees in December ($299 RRP). The Freebuds Studio comes in black and has is at $599 RRP.