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The Freebud Pro 2, tested here last year, were already impressive. When Huawei claims that their successors are almost perfect, we therefore have a positive a priori. But you know us: we couldn't resist curiosity and we tested the newcomers for a little over a month.
Few notable developments in terms of design. The Freebuds Pro 3 take on the “mini cotton swab” shape previous models, largely pumped on the pro version of who-you-know. Made of quality plastic with a glossy finish, they are available in three shades: black, white or pastel green, the color of our test models.
The headphones come with four pairs of silicone tips. As always, we will not hesitate to multiply the tests in order to find what suits best. Once this formality is accomplished, they prove pleasant to wear, including for long periods (three hours, in our case).
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
The storage case takes on the pleasantly oval shape of previous generations. We immediately notice the absence of the Devialet logo, present on the Freebuds Pro 2. More subtle, three perforations located next to the USB-C port hide a mini speaker. It emits a discreet sound when you plug the box into a charger, or pair it with a smartphone and… that’s it. Too bad Huawei did not provide a sound to make it easier to locate in the event of loss. In the next update, maybe?
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
The stem of the Freebuds Pro 3 has a touch zone that can be pinched more or less quickly in order to control audio playback or phone calls. The volume adjustment is done by sliding a finger on the stem. The set is both complete and simple to use.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
We will also be well inspired to install the AI Life companion application from the first use and to immediately carry out the proposed update, which resolves small annoying bugs. It is available on the Huawei App Gallery and the Apple iOS App Store. No need to look for it on the Android Play Store: it's not there. Why? Mystery… Fortunately, it installs without difficulty on the Google OS by scanning the QR code in the quick start guide.
The design and ergonomics of the Freebuds Pro 3 are certainly not revolutionary, but they evolve just enough to make them even more pleasant and ergonomic. In this aspect, it is almost faultless.
The Freebuds Pro 3 offer all the features that one has the right to expect from high-end headphones… provided they are use with a compatible smartphone. And as we will see, not everyone is in the same boat.
Used with a Huawei smartphone, the Freebuds Pro 3 allow a multipoint connection (the headphones connect to two devices at the same time) and provide access to HD spatial audio as well as the in-house L2HC codec. According to the manufacturer, this offers greater bandwidth as well as an adaptive bit rate (320 kbit/s to 960 kbit/s). It benefits from low latency, strong anti-interference ability, high signal-to-noise ratio and wide dynamic range.
A notch below, Android smartphones on which the AI Life application has been installed also have a multipoint connection. We will have to draw a line under the L2HC codec as well as HD spatial audio. The most poorly served are undoubtedly Apple iPhones which do not retain any of the three capabilities previously mentioned.
AI Life on a P60 Pro (Huawei)
< /p>AI Life on a Galaxy S23 Ultra (Samsung)
AI Life on an iPhone 15 Pro Max (Apple)
Even if these differences are annoying for the user, we can understand the choices made by Huawei. After all, the advanced functions of Apple AirPods or Samsung Galaxy Buds are only available with the brand's smartphones.
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As mentioned previously, the touch controls are complete and pleasant to use. Small regret however: the AI Life companion application does not allow you to personalize them, the only possible option being to deactivate it. Damage. On the other hand, we appreciate the presence of an equalizer and the location of the headphones outside their case if they are misplaced.
Huawei announces an autonomy varying between 4h30 and 6h30 depending on whether or not you activate the noise cancellation. Our tests generally confirm these values in the scenarios mentioned by the manufacturer. The battery contained in the case allows for four complete recharges: you will therefore last at least 22 hours before running out of juice.
Like their predecessors, the Freebuds Pro 3 can also be recharged from a Qi-type induction base. Without being extraordinary, the autonomy of the Freebuds Pro 3 is consistent with what we can currently expect from high-end headphones. And that’s not bad!
The Freebuds Pro 3 each feature an 11mm diameter dynamic driver and a planar diaphragm driver. Unlike the previous model, Huawei did not use Devialet to create the sound signature. The manufacturer obviously relied on its own knowledge of audio rendering.
Is this a problem? No, not really since the overall result turns out to be more than satisfactory if you don't activate the noise cancellation. Whether we listen to rock, RnB, pop or classical music, we obtain a sound that is pleasant to the ear and which we consider balanced.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
The stereophonic scene turns out to be sufficiently wide to produce credible spatialization. Unsurprisingly, it turns out to be even more immersive if you use a Huawei smartphone (in this case the very successful P60 Pro) and activate HD spatial audio.
Things get a little worse as soon as you activate the ANC (for Active Noise Cancelling, or active noise cancellation), this makes the low and high frequencies lose a little relief. This does not mean that the result is bad – far from it – but you can see the difference… in a calm environment.
But as ANC is designed for noisy environments, it is not really traumatic in daily use. In our opinion, it remains preferable to undergo a slight alteration of extreme frequencies (almost imperceptible in a noisy environment) and to benefit from good listening quality rather than to put up with parasitic noise in the background.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
The ANC can be adjusted depending on the environment you are in. We will choose “Cozy” for low noise environments, which will protect against the clipping mentioned above. “General” will be suitable for reasonably noisy places (street, for example) and we will reserve “Ultra” for really noisy situations (plane, train, public transport or editor-in-chief shouting).
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-citron
Last possibility, activation of dynamic ANC, which automatically chooses the most suitable ANC level. According to our tests, this alternative proves interesting unless you quickly move from a quiet environment to one that is significantly more noisy. In this case, the dynamic mode slips a little. We observe a latency of a few tens of seconds when switching from Cozy to Ultra, for example (quiet street in the morning then boarding the metro).
Huawei has done a great job on the telephone aspect. In a normally noisy street, our correspondents assured us of not perceiving the sound environment, the voice remaining perfectly audible. In a noisier environment, conversation remains completely possible despite “roboticization” of our voice.
The Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are undoubtedly excellent headphones. They have complete and intuitive touch controls, successful ergonomics and a design that we appreciate. The battery life is generally very good, even if Huawei was a little too optimistic by announcing up to 6.5 hours of listening time on a single charge.
The sound turns out to be excellent when the ANC is at rest, a little less when it is in operation. We quickly forget this little inconvenience as soon as we remember that the Freebuds Pro 3 are offered at 200 euros. They are much cheaper than its direct competitors, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 (280 euros) or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (300 euros).