Review of the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite: Take Your Music with You Wherever You Go

DESIGN: 8.0/10 

EASY USE: 10/10

FEATURES: 8.0/10

FOR THE MONEY 7.5/10 

PROS

• Excellent value for the price.
• extremely long battery life
• Effectively shield oneself from ambient sounds.

Cons:

• Not comfortable for all-day wear; good bass and treble soundcomfortable enough to wear all day.
• Restricted access to the touch controls.
• There is no iPhone app (only Android for now).

Today marks the debut of Honor's Earbuds Lite 2 headphones. They provide a competitive price point in addition to a full feature set that is crammed into a design that is both comfortable and ergonomic.

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Wearable devices come in a wide variety of form factors, and wireless buds are one of the more recent ones. However, it is anticipated that they will expand at a rate that is far faster than any other category in the future, significantly outpacing fitness trackers and smartwatches.

This market niche was made famous by Apple's AirPods, but other businesses are now producing viable solutions at rates that consumers can more easily afford. One of these values is honor. Both the Honor Choice True Wireless Stereo Earbuds, which can be purchased for $45, and the Honor Magic Earbuds, which can be purchased for $115, are included in the company's assortment of products.

Now, there is a third choice available to us. The Honor Earbuds 2 are priced somewhere in the neighborhood of $80, which places them smack dab in the center of this pricing range. That is a significant savings when one pair of Apple AirPods costs nearly half as much.

On paper, the Honor Earbuds 2 seem to be an appealing choice since they come equipped with features like active noise cancellation, hear-through functionality in awareness mode, and a battery life of 32 hours. But how do they compare to other options in actual use?

I've been putting the headphones through their paces over the last few weeks.Continue reading, and I'll explain what kind of impression I got from them.

Honor Earbuds Lite 2 review: Design

Design

The iPhone has been credited with helping to standardize the smartphone market, and the same can be said for Apple's AirPods headphones. They have set the standard for how a pair of wireless earbuds should look, and the Honor Earbuds Lite 2 maintains this tried and true look.

Let's begin by taking a quick look at the specifications.

The Honor Earbuds Lite 2 are packaged in a straightforward charging case that has rounded corners and edges. You have the option of purchasing them in either Glacier White or Midnight Black coloration. I have the first available choice.

The exact measurements of the casing are 45.5 millimeters in length, 61.2 millimeters in width, and 25.35 millimeters in height, and it weighs 41 grams. A glossy appearance can be seen on both the buds and the casing.

When the lid of the case is popped open, you will see two buds sitting cozily inside of the device. An earbud has dimensions of 37.5 millimeters by 23.9 millimeters by 21 millimeters and weighs just 5.5 grams.

Because of their small size, buds are susceptible to being misplaced rather easily. That is the issue with this particular type of product. The fact that the Honor buds are secured within the casing by magnets makes the risk far lower than it would have been otherwise. Even if you flip the box over with the lid open, the contents will remain safely contained inside it.

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Charging and the lifespan of the battery

A USB-C port may be found at the bottommost end of the charging case. The 410 mAh lithium-ion battery may be refueled using either the cable that is included or, more generally speaking, any other USB-C cable. I put my iPad Pro cord to the test, and it performed without a hitch. Which is fantastic news since it indicates that locating a replacement charging cable won't be a difficult task in the event that you misplace your current one.

According to Honor, the 55 mAh battery that is contained inside each bud can be recharged twice as quickly as with other manufacturers. I discovered that the claimed rapid 10-minute top-up was really all that was required for a music marathon that lasted for four hours. It would seem that the battery's performance has increased by about 49 percent in comparison to the previous generation.

When Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is turned off, a fully charged device may play music for around 10 hours. This time decreases to 7.5 hours when ANC is turned on. This time may be extended to a remarkable 32 hours if the charging case is topped out. These numbers are in close agreement with my observations made while using the product. You won't need to be concerned about the longevity of the battery.

As a result of all of this, you will be able to get three complete refuels out of the case, which is perfect for those weekend vacations. In case you were wondering, that's enough for over 500 songs' worth of material. When it comes to voice calls, you may anticipate getting anywhere between 5 and 6 hours, depending on the settings (or 20 hours with the case).

The current charge level of the battery is shown by a single LED light located on the front of the casing. Green signifies that there is no more room for charge, while red shows that more juice may be added to the case's battery. White indicates that the buds are in the process of mating.

Wearing it won't bother you.

Ear tips made of flexible silicone and available in three different sizes are included in the package. The one that is mid-sized is the one that gets installed by default. Although I found this one to be a pleasant choice, you are free to investigate the other possibilities if you feel the need to. The ability to block out ambient noise will be enhanced with a better fit. The in-ear design contributes to this as well as helps out.

Because I found the earbuds to be so cosy and unobtrusive, I even wore them to bed on occasion without removing them. According to Honor, they are designed for continuous usage. They are so comfortable that you will scarcely be aware that you are wearing them. After putting them in my ears for the purpose of jogging, I discovered that they had a tendency to remain there.

The whole presentation of the product, including its style and its texture, met with my approval. Both the hat and the case give off an air of sophistication and quality construction. The same can be stated in the case. The layout is straightforward and uncluttered, and it provides all of the essential functions while avoiding an excessive number of additional options.

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Specifications on the technical end

They create true wireless stereo earphones that come with a carrying bag for charging.

• Each bud measures 37.5 millimetres in length, 23.9 millimetres in width, and 21 millimetres in height.
• Case dimensions are as follows: 45.4 millimetres by 61.2 millimetres by 25.35 millimetres.
• Glacier White and Midnight Black are the colors used.
• The single bud weighs 5.5 grams, while the charging case weighs 41 grams.
• Battery: 1000 mAh charging case; 55 mAh (410 mAh) earbuds
• 7.5 hours (with ANC) without it.
• 6.5 hours (without automatic call distributor), 5.5 hours (with ANC).
• Personalized drivers with a 10-mm diameter
• 20–20,000 Hz frequency response
• Each set of earphones is equipped with a pair of MEMS microphones.
• Wireless range: 10 metres.
• Version 5.2 of Bluetooth.
• One year's worth of warranty
• 69.9 euros (approximately $80) (recommended retail price).

A review of the Honor Earbuds Lite 2: Implementation and employment

The buds are compatible with a variety of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and personal computers. Bluetooth 5.2 is the technology that makes the connection possible (backwards compatible).

There is an application on Android known as AI Life. You may get this as a download and then use it to configure the earbuds and make other adjustments. However, the use of the software is not strictly necessary.

For me, as an iPhone user, it was sufficient to just go into the Bluetooth settings on my phone in order to set up the first connection. The moment I removed the earbuds from their packaging after that, they automatically established a connection to the phone I was using. If you put them back in the box, the connection will be severed after roughly a quarter of a minute.

Low latency and strong connections are two aspects that have especially impressed me. I was able to go around ten meters away from the phone while still maintaining a connection to it, even though the room I was in was enclosed by walls and furnishings.

When you remove the earphones for the first time from their packaging, they will immediately go into pairing mode. However, you always have the option to perform a factory reset, which will start the procedure over again.

The second method involves pressing and holding the function button located on the side of the charging case for a period of two seconds. Because of how well the button blends in with the backdrop, you will need to look very carefully in order to find it. After that, you will be aware of where to look for it. If you wish to use them with a different device after you've completed the first pairing process, you'll need to utilize this.

In terms of pairing and software, it should be just about everything. You want something that is easy to understand and gets straight to the point.

It is important to keep in mind that even if you have linked the headphones with two different electronic devices, such as your phone and your iPad, the headphones will only connect to the device that you have most recently used them with. You may switch to the other one using the Bluetooth settings of the device in question. The buds will detach themselves from the first device and immediately attach to the second one when the second device is turned on.

An unbroken flow of functionality for the user.

In terms of how the product is used, there are a few elements that should be familiar to you that will make your life simpler. One of them is the detection of intelligent clothing. For instance, when you remove the earbuds from your ears, the music will automatically stop playing, and when you replace them, it will begin again where it left off. This always produces the desired results.

A capacitive sensor, often known as touch controls, has been integrated into both of the earbuds. This indicates that you can initiate some intelligent feature by tapping either button.

To play or stop the music, tap the screen twice. This may also be used to answer a telephone call or put a stop to one. By applying and maintaining pressure on the capacitive sensor for an extended period of time, it is possible to turn on or off functions such as ANC and Awareness Mode.

You may also activate the voice assistant that is associated with your personal AI to do various tasks without having to use your hands. This includes managing your incoming and outgoing calls and setting up reminders.

Even though I found it to be somewhat simple, this serves its purpose really well. In addition to this, while tapping, you need to be very accurate or else the action won't be registered. It would have been nice to have the ability to adjust the level without having to pull out my phone first. In addition, the skip and rewind buttons are not present. The Android app allows you to customize the touch controls and add these features, but I really wish they were already included by default.

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A review of the audio quality of the Honor Earbuds Lite 2

If the audio quality is poor, none of the other features will be nearly as stunning as they may be. After all, that component is the one that contributes the most to the overall value of the product. Cheap earbuds with low-quality sound have been in the hands of each one of us at some point in our lives. Not a good experience!

In this regard, I am relieved to announce that the buds do not fall short of expectations. The speaker of the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite has a 10mm high-quality dynamic driver with sensitive polymer composite diaphragms. True wireless stereo (TWS) functionality is also provided by the earbuds. When listening to music, this will guarantee that the audio is highly clear and will have superb bass and treble.

In addition to this, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) microphones are encased in silicone and are hidden inside each earphone. When having phone conversations or listening to music, they are useful for filtering out ambient noise. According to Honor, you may cut down on the noise in your environment by up to 22 decibels (dB). When you are attempting to have a phone call outdoors or listen to music with loud neighbours nearby, these headphones are excellent.

Improved audio when making calls and structures designed to reduce wind noise both contribute further to the improvement of sound quality. The latter is especially helpful when using the buds while exercising on a bicycle or while jogging.

On the other hand, if you require the opposite situation – to hear what is going on around you – there is something called the Hear Through in Awareness Mode. You may use this mode to hear what is going on around you. Because of this, ambient sound is able to pass through, enabling you to carry on a conversation or cross the street without risk. As was previously stated, these modes may be activated by using the touch sensors.

A review of the Honor Earbuds Lite 2: Bottom line

The Honor Earbuds Lite 2 provides the majority of the capabilities that you want from a set of wireless earbuds without providing an excessive number of extra features. The fact that they have a good, uncluttered appearance is something that appealed to me about them. The music quality is excellent, the earbuds are really comfy, and the procedure for pairing works very efficiently. This is precisely what you want from a product of this kind—an experience with no fuss at all.

When you combine this benefit with lengthy battery life, you have a winning combination. Simply placing the device on the charger for ten minutes results in four hours of listening time for music.

The Honor Earbuds Lite 2 positions itself as an alluring acquisition option. The earphones themselves are outstanding in every conceivable way. Especially when one considers the fact that the price of these headphones is just one-half of that of the Apple AirPods.