Here are the best budget wireless earphones with the Huawei FreeBuds SE 2 (right) for affordable connectivity and bass, and the FreeBuds 6i (left) for decent Active Noise Cancellation, both offering excellent value for money. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL
Not long ago, I would've sworn by wired earphones, but that's changed over the last year as I've made the switch to the wireless options.
With any new or evolving technology, there are plenty of different options on the market according to your budget.
For me though? I try my best to keep the costs down, and even though I have three Apple devices (laptop, phone, and iPad), I can’t bring myself to invest at least R3,000 for a pair of AirPods 4.
That’s where the cheaper Huawei FreeBuds SE 2 earbuds came in for me.
At around R400, this budget offering definitely does the job.
The main thing you want at this price point is easily connecting to your different devices, and the SE 2 does this without any headaches you get from other entry-level earphones.
I routinely switch the SE 2 between my laptop, phone, and even my LG Smart TV.
The lack of troubleshooting is a big advantage for me.
The SE 2 also delivers surprisingly good bass despite its price.
The only thing the SE 2 really lacks is Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
Therefore, last month I decided to vanquish my trusty SE 2s to my backup drawer and go for something that has ANC.
Here there are also a myriad of options, with Bose offering a number of high-quality options. However, these are not cheap, and you’re probably spending around R5,000 for a pair.
That’s why again, I took a gamble on the budget option and went for the Huawei FreeBuds 6i. When I first started my research, I was really surprised to learn that these earbuds’ ANC came in at around R1,000.
Though I thought I might need to spend a bit to get something decent, I ultimately stuck with the same brand and got the 6i.
They deliver decent ANC, though it can’t compete with the Bose, which is more than good enough for my needs. If I have any music playing around 50% volume, the outside world instantly evaporates.
At the same time, the Awareness mode is also pretty good as I can hear conversation well in this mode.
It’s also really easy to switch between modes with one 2-second press on the stem of the earbuds.
It’s for all these reasons that I consider either the SE 2 or the more expensive 6i the best budget options earbuds for just about anybody.