Apple’s launch of the AirPods began a massive shift in the audio industry. The shift towards truly wireless audio accessories. Initially the AirPods met their share of criticism for the design and the hefty price until people started to actually realise the benefits and the efficiency of the discreet true wireless earphones, and since then, the design has been all the rage.

But the truly wireless designs that many brands came out with, often came with a premium price tag. These weren’t products that the ordinary value-for-money hunting individual could afford. That changes with the Oraimo AirBuds — a pair of truly wireless earphones that claims big battery life and sits just at Rs 2,999.

Design, Build

The oraimo AirBuds come in a glossy black encased within a matte-like black case. The case itself acts as the charger for the earbuds with 500mAh of battery, while each of the ear pieces have a battery of 50mAh in them.

The earhooks on the buds are small and don’t offer much grip when put into the ear. While some of us at the office experienced frequent fallouts, others were fine with it. We’ll have to leave this to personal preference to determine if the buds can fit snugly in your ears. The buds are small but replaceable so those with larger ears can slip on a pair of larger ear tips on the ear pieces to get a snug fit.

While the charging case isn’t the smallest we’ve seen, it isn’t too big to pop out of the ‘compact’ category. The micro-USB charging port lies on the front side of the case, above which is a horizontal LED which tells you when your buds, or the case itself is being charged.

Performance

Pulling out the earbuds from the case turns them on and you can then pair them with your smartphone. Once the AirBuds have been paired with a device, the experience becomes very seamless. The next time you just turn on the Bluetooth on your smartphone, pull out the AirBuds, put them in your ears, and you’re good to go.

The AirBuds sound great considering how budget-friendly these truly wireless earphones are. There is support for HD audio AAC codecs here and that’s a bonus. The AirBuds are heavy on bass. The lows are more pronounced than the highs and the mids and while the bass you get is impactful and you will feel the ‘thump’, it isn’t the deepest bass; but vocals manage to hold their own. However, with that being said, these are a truly special pair and have to be heard to be appreciated.

Verdict

The oraimo AirBuds offer an affordable solution to anybody who wants to enter the world of truly wireless audio. Whether you don’t want to shell out big bucks for costlier buds, or if you just want to get the hang of truly wireless earbuds before you invest in something more expensive, these are a pretty great option.

For the small Rs 2,999 price you pay, you get solid value for money on the oraimo AirBuds. The sound isn’t the best but the better sounding earphones you get in this price bracket are probably wired. For true wireless earphones, the AirBuds offer great sound for the price. Add great battery life in the bag and you have got yourself one complete package in this affordable piece of gadgetry.