The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds recently launched in India alongside the Realme GT 7 series. They have been introduced in a fiercely competitive arena — the sub-Rs. 6,000 segment — which is characterised by an unprecedented influx of devices. The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro are the latest iteration in a line of offerings that had seen Realme Buds Air 6 Pro (review) establish itself as a notable contender last year. Priced at Rs. 5,499 in India, the brand has kept its approach straightforward with the TWS earbuds; a simple yet eye-catching design, AI-powered capabilities, great sound, long battery life, and an affordable price.
But do these on-paper upgrades translate into a great real-world auditory experience, or do they disappear in a vast sea of other offerings? We’ve spent a few weeks with the TWS earbuds and in this review, we will discuss their positives and shortcomings to help you make an informed decision if you’re thinking of investing in them.
Realme Buds Air 7 Pro Design and Features: Easy on the Ears
- Size – 30.16 x 20.56 x 23.98 mm (Buds); 61.5 x 48.5 x 24.29 mm (Case)
- Weight – 4.89g (Each Bud); 53.20g (with case)
- Water and dust resistance – IP55 (Buds only)
- Colours – Metallic Grey, Glory Beige, Racing Green, Fiery Red
The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro features a traditional in-ear with stem design. While they appear slightly bulkier, the buds are lightweight (4.89g) and have been engineered for an ergonomic fit. Realme provides two additional pairs of silicone ear tips, and the medium-sized option fits me the best. They remain comfortable yet secure during prolonged listening sessions and even when engaged in some light physical activity, such as running or working out at the gym. The multi-tap touch controls are placed on the upper portion of the buds which, on more than one occasion, led to accidental touches while adjusting the fit.
As for the charging case, Realme has completely overhauled its design compared to last year. The pebble-shaped charging case with a glossy finish, which we saw with the Realme Buds Air 6 Pro, has given way to a new design that now features a subtle brushed finish. Realme says it has been crafted from aviation-grade aluminium and it certainly feels premium — almost like holding a pocket-sized MacBook. I quite liked this departure from the existing glossy texture, as the new finish resists fingerprints and is less prone to scratches.
The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro are available in four striking finishes: Metallic Grey, Glory Beige, Racing Green, and Fiery Red. We’ve received the Racing Green as the review unit, and it certainly is the most eye-catching amongst the bunch. It exudes a deep hue that is vibrant but does not feel overly flamboyant. The case’s build quality is also robust, with very little wiggle room at the hinge.
Realme has equipped the Buds Air 7 Pro with standard multi-tap touch controls, which worked on most occasions and can be customised via the Realme Link app. There were instances when the TWS earbuds failed to register a tap, forcing me to tap them again. They also feature in-ear detection, which pauses audio when the earbuds are removed. However, the company has expanded upon this by adding a nifty setting where if you remove one earbud, it automatically switches the other to transparency mode —a pretty nice touch.
Interestingly, the TWS earbuds come with an IP55 rating which provides ingress protection against dust as well as water jets. It makes the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro a reliable companion for commutes and workouts. However, the case does not carry any protection rating so best to keep it in the bag when it rains.
Realme Buds Air 7 Pro App and Specifications: Simply and Straightforward
- Driver – 11mm + 6mm
- Companion App – Realme Link
- Gesture controls – Yes (tap)
The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro are compatible with the Realme Link app which has become a staple for most TWS products from the company. The app has a straightforward layout and is simple to navigate. Once paired, you can select the Buds Air 7 Pro on the app, which will direct you to a comprehensive list of settings. The first thing you’ll see is the battery percentage, followed by the noise control settings. Here, you can toggle between noise cancellation, off, and transparency modes. The app also allows users to enable the De-wind mode for windy conditions, reduce ambient noise to enhance voice clarity, and choose from EQ presets such as Clear Vocals, Nature Balance, Clear Bass, and Bass Boost.
Alternatively, there is also a six-band equaliser for those who wish to further adjust the audio settings.
You can take advantage of the Golden Sound feature on the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, which conducts a series of sound tests to determine the best sound fit for your ears. Spatial Audio, LHDC sound and game mode toggles are placed right after the sound effects. Touch controls can be set to various settings such as double tap, triple tap, and touch and hold. You can also toggle on dual device connection, in-ear detection, auto answer, and earbud fit test through the companion app.
Realme has also equipped its latest TWS earbuds with a range of AI features. They support AI Live Translator which is claimed to provide users with a live translation leveraging Google’s Gemini AI assistant. However, this feature is fairly gimmicky and seldom performed accurately, with the microphone often failing to pick up words and even phrases. Meanwhile, the Face-to-Face Translator, designed for real-time translation, works decently. I tried this feature with a voice recording, conversing in English and French, respectively, and it provided a fairly accurate translation without messing up much.
Moving on to the specifications, the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro are equipped with a dual-DAC driver setup featuring 11mm and 6mm drivers. They have a six-mic AI-powered active noise cancellation (ANC) system and are said to support up to 53dB ANC. The earbuds offer latency as low as 45ms for minimal audio-visual lag. Realme has equipped the TWS earbuds with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and LHDC audio codec support. They also offer Swift Pair, Bluetooth 5.4, and dual device connectivity.
Realme Buds Air 6 Pro Performance and Battery Life: Above Average
- ANC – 53dB
- Codec Support: SBC, AAC, LHDC
- Battery – 62mAh (Bud), 530mAh (Case)
- Bluetooth – 5.4
The main highlight of the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro is its bass. It delivers a very deep bass that often has a theatre-like rumble. However, that becomes its shortcoming at times, too, with even the balanced preset having too much sub-bass. This also results in the mids and vocals slightly getting suppressed. The out-of-the-box tuning of the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro emphasises bass, and you’ll need to adjust the equaliser to find the right fit.
The mids, unfortunately, are the weakest point. They are suppressed no matter which preset you choose. Even with the equaliser set to balanced, the vocals tend to have a synthetic timbre which feels slightly metallic at times. I personalised the sound profile and boosted the mids to balance out the bass and while it’s not perfect, it works well for most tracks.
But that’s not the case with its highs, which are much better. In tracks like Hotel California by The Eagles, AJR’s World’s Smallest Violin, and Unholy by Sam Smith (Orchestral Version), you can clearly hear the separation between instruments, such as the guitar, drums, and the piano, with ease. They also offer a fairly wide soundstage, which is most evident when watching Dolby Atmos-certified films and shows.
The ANC on the TWS earbuds is great for the price and cancels out most of the predictable noise, such as fans and voices in the metro. However, it seldom struggles when tackling high-frequency sounds, such as vehicle horns while walking on the road, though we don’t recommend using them in such situations.
The ANC, when fully engaged, slightly affects the audio quality. There’s also a faint hissing noise that creeps in, even while tracks are playing. Unfortunately, the transparency mode is weak and does not sound natural. I also often experienced a static noise on occasions which swayed my attention from the conversation I was engaged in.
Moving on to battery life, the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro claims to deliver up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge with ANC turned off. I managed to squeeze out close to 10 hours of playback, with the playtime varying on a day-to-day basis. This dropped to four and half to five hours with ANC switched on. Additionally, the earbuds come with quick charge functionality, and a quick 10-minute charge offers almost 9-10 hours of listening time — slightly short of the 11-hour claim.
The call quality is decent, and the ENC, along with the AI-backed suppression system, does a good job of drowning out the background noise and highlighting the speaker’s voice.
Realme Buds Air 7 Pro Review Verdict
The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro is a decent option to consider in the sub-Rs. 6,000 TWS segment. They offer an eye-catching design, a snug fit, and effective active noise cancellation (ANC). However, they are slightly bass-heavy and may not suit everyone out of the box, necessitating EQ adjustments. And although the AI features are gimmicky, the battery life of the Buds Air 7 Pro impresses.
So, should you purchase them? If you’re someone who likes listening to music with a thumping bass, then the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, priced at Rs. 5,499, can become your near-perfect companion. However, for those who prefer a more balanced and natural sound, the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro (review) may still prove to be a better option.
