Best True Wireless (TWS) Earbuds under Rs 5,000 in India: Realme Buds Air 5 Pro to OnePlus Nord Buds 2

We recently published a list of the best true wireless earbuds selling under Rs 10,000 in India. While those sound great and offer an extensive feature set, they may be a tad too expensive for many. A budget of Rs 5,000 offers some great options that can give the big boys a run for their money. Today, we will introduce you to the best earbuds you can buy under 5K and also a couple that sell for less than half that budget. Time to hit the play button.

Best TWS earbuds under Rs 5,000 in India

Realme Buds Air 5 Pro
Price: Rs 4,999

What’s good about it:
- Good sound quality after audio tweaks
- Support for LDAC codecs, Hi-Res wireless audio
- Excellent feature set for the segment
- Comfortable in-ear fit, wear detection sensors
- Impressive 50 db active noise cancellation
- Very good call quality, dual-pairing support
- IPX5 rated splash resistance
- Feature-rich companion app

What’s not:
- Battery backup on LDAC codec could have been better
- Fails to take full advantage of the dual driver setup
- Average midrange performance

Realme Buds Air 5 Pro is by far the most loaded pair of TWS earbuds in this segment and it performs well too. In terms of features, it is right up there with the more expensive OnePlus Buds 3 and flaunts dual drivers in each of the earbuds; something incredibly rare in this segment. While the sound quality here is comparable to the Buds 3, if not better, the ANC here is certainly a little better, and these Realme buds also support LDAC codec, which is more popular than LHDC on the OnePlus.

The impressive Realme Link app lets you customise the sound and controls on these buds, without which the output here would have been a notch or two lower on default settings. After playing with the 6-band equaliser, the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro delivers a sharp and punchy sound output that’s quite impressive for its asking price. The 50 db ANC is segment leading, and not just on paper. The call quality is quite good too. Battery life ranges between 15 to 20 hours on LDAC codec, depending on the quantum of ANC usage. The range jumps to 24 to 34 hours when using AAC codec. It supports fast charging too.

Oppo Enco Air3 Pro
Price: Rs 4,999

What’s good about it:
- Very good sound quality for the segment
- Support for LDAC codecs
- Effective 49 db active noise cancellation
- Neat design, comfortable in-ear fit, wear detection
- Good call quality, multipoint support
- IP55-rated dust and splash resistance
- Configurable controls; volume control on the buds

What’s not:
- Below-par battery backup with ANC on
- No equaliser to tweak the sound quality
- Midrange performance could have been better

The Oppo Enco Air3 Pro is not too different from the Realme buds above in terms of sound quality, codec support, call quality and several other features. One major difference here is the lack of dual-drivers, which frankly doesn’t make a world of difference in this segment, as we have seen time and again. Also lacking is a multi-band equaliser to fine tune the sound output, something we would have liked to see. But the three audio presets here are tuned well and the need for an equaliser is felt a lot less compared to the Buds Air 5 Pro.

You do get the Golden Sound feature here that’s present on the aforementioned Realme and OnePlus buds. Using a listening test, it creates a custom profile based on your ear canal structure and hearing capabilities. You can smartly use it like an EQ by creating multiple profiles by manipulating the test a bit, if you do not like the results of the first test. You can pull an extra hour of battery life on LDAC codec as compared to Realme with ANC off. The overall battery backup ranges between 16 to 23 hours on LDAC depending on ANC usage. On AAC codec, one can expect between 22 to 28 hours of playback.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2
Price: Rs 2,999

What’s good about it:
- Punchy sound output
- 6-band equaliser to tweak the sound further
- Comfortable in-ear fit, good passive noise isolation
- IP55 dust and splash resistance
- Impressive battery backup, fast charging
- Good call quality

What’s not:
- Average ANC
- No wear detection sensors or dual-pairing support
- Bulky charging case

We thought of the OnePlus Buds Z2 for a moment but one might as well spend Rs 500 more and go for the new OnePlus Buds 3 instead. And if Rs 5,000 seems a little high for a pair of wireless earbuds, and would prefer something with ANC under Rs 3,000, OnePlus Nord Buds 2 may just be what you are looking for. However, you will need to let go of features like high-end codecs, wear detection sensor and dual pairing. Also, the 25 db ANC here is functional in reducing ambient noise but not as potent as the two products above. Hey, you cannot have it all for 3K, can you? But these earbuds do offer a lot more than they miss out.

For starters, the sound quality is quite impressive for its asking price, and you get sound tweaks including a 6-band EQ and audio presets in the companion app. In addition, the call quality and battery life are very good, with the buds lasting close to 7 hours without ANC and 5 hours with ANC enabled full time. The case can charge them 4 more times, taking the overall battery backup in the 25 to 35 hours range, which is great. There’s fast charging support too with a 10-minute charge enabling 5 hours of playtime with the buds and case combined without ANC.

Best TWS earbuds under Rs 2,500 in India

Realme Buds T300
Price: Rs 2,299

What’s good about it:
- Good sound output after tweaks
- Surprisingly good 30 db ANC
- Customisable sound and controls through Realme Link app
- Pleasant design, comfortable in-ear fit
- IP55 dust and splash resistance
- Impressive battery backup, fast charging
-Decent call quality
- Excellent value for money

What’s not:
- Most sound presets are no good
- Average Transparency mode
- No wear detection sensors or dual-pairing support

What? You want all the features of the Nord Buds 2 for close to Rs 2,000? Are you serious! But wait, Realme might just grant your wish courtesy of their Buds T300. And not just match but even outdo its OnePlus competitor in an area or two. While the Nord Buds 2 looks unique, the Realme Buds T300 looks more like the Apple Airpods, and is a lot more pocketable thanks to its compact design. In addition to most of the key features, their sound quality and battery backup are similar too.

Having ANC in earbuds priced close to 2K itself is a big plus, and doing it better than something more expensive is special. The 30 db ANC on the T300 is easily the best that you get under 3K. You get sound presets and the 6-band EQ too in the companion app, and it does sound almost as good as the Nord Buds 2 after a few tweaks. While the call quality is good, the OnePlus buds are a step or two ahead in that department. Lastly, an impressive 25 to 37 hours of battery backup rounds off this excellent all-round product.

Oppo Enco Buds2
Price: Rs 1,799

What’s good about it:
- Lively and loud sound output
- Useful sound presets
- Lightweight and comfortable fit
- Compact and pocketable charging case
- Good battery life
- IPX4 sweat resistance
- Programmable touch controls including volume control

What’s not:
- Below-par call quality
- Sounds a bit too bright at high volume
- No dual-pairing support

If ANC is not a requirement, and you are looking for the best-sounding TWS earbuds under Rs 2,000, say hello to the Oppo Enco Buds2. For less than 2K, you get a pair of TWS earphones with a neat design, lively sound output, multiple sound profiles, configurable controls and impressive battery backup. The circular case looks cool and is very much pocketable. These buds are among the loudest around, and the default sound signature is reasonably balanced for a pair of budget wireless earphones.

The sound quality is very good for the segment right out of the box. On top of that, you get two more sound presets - Bass Boost if you prefer a bit more warmth in the output and Clear Vocals that does pretty much what it suggests. You can choose them from the companion app and also configure the touch controls from there. Battery life is quite good with the buds lasting 6.5 hours and a total backup of about 26 hours with the charging case. Long story short, I can’t think of anything better around Rs 1,799 unless you wish to bump up the budget by Rs 500.