The high-end TWS segment has become extremely competitive recently. Almost every major smartphone brand now has a pair of flagship headphones that include advanced features like active noise cancellation, high-resolution audio codecs, multipoint connectivity, and now artificial intelligence capabilities.
realme Buds Air8 Pro enters this segment with a price tag of $6,999 and a clear target. It hopes to compete with popular offerings from brands like OnePlus, Samsung, and others while offering a feature set that feels different enough to stand out. After using these earbuds for a while, I think realme has succeeded in creating a product that understands its target audience exactly.
Design that stands out without trying too hard
The first thing I noticed about the realme Buds Air8 Pro is its design. The charging case looks gorgeous and minimalist, but it’s surprisingly difficult to pull off.
The top cover has a reflective mirror finish, while the rest of the body has a matte white finish. It gives the case a premium look without feeling too aggressive or noticeable. The earbuds themselves continue the same design language. These headphones have a matte finish with mirrored accents on the stems, and honestly, they look pretty refreshing in a market where most earbuds are starting to look the same.
The case itself is compact, lightweight and can fit in your pocket. The earbuds are also lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear. I used them for long listening sessions without any discomfort, and the fit remained secure throughout. They stay in place even during light exercise and walks, eliminating the need for constant adjustment.
These earbuds are clearly designed for bass lovers
Let’s get straight to the most important part, because this is what really differentiates the realme Buds Air8 Pro from the competition. The bass in these earbuds is undeniably heavy.
Realme has equipped it with an 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeter along with dual DACs. The result is some of the most punchy bass I’ve heard on a pair of TWS earbuds in a long time.
If you regularly listen to hip-hop, EDM, Punjabi tracks, or bass-heavy playlists, you’ll love these. At higher volumes, the bass becomes incredibly powerful and vibrant. Sometimes the drums feel like they’re going straight into my ear canals.
But I was impressed that when the bass kicked in, the sound didn’t completely fall apart. Vocals remain clear and instruments still maintain good separation. The sound signature is definitely bass focused, but not cluttered.
The companion app gives you tons of audio customization options. You get EQ presets, dynamic audio controls, LHDC 5.0 settings, volume boost, and more.
In fact, my only complaint is that all of these sound-related controls feel scattered throughout the app. Realme should simply group everything under a dedicated sound section, as finding specific settings can be confusing at times.
One feature I really like is Golden Sound. It creates a personalized audio profile based on your hearing and ear canal characteristics. Once set up, the audio felt noticeably more balanced, and I rarely felt the need to manually adjust the equalizer afterwards.
Noise reduction is good, but not stellar
The active noise cancellation function of realme Buds Air8 Pro is pretty good, but it is not the strongest aspect of this headset. At maximum ANC intensity, background noise is significantly reduced, but there is also a pressure effect in the ear. Personally, I found it a bit uncomfortable during longer listening sessions.
Lowering the ANC intensity solves most problems and creates a more comfortable experience. For daily commuting, office work, and leisure travel, ANC performance is completely acceptable.
Call quality was better than expected. The six-microphone setup combined with AI noise reduction does a good job of filtering out ambient noise. Even in a busy environment, the person on the other end of the phone can hear me clearly.
Really useful AI features
AI is everywhere these days, but Realme has added a feature that feels truly useful. The headset comes with Ask AI and AI Translator. Of the two, the AI translator is undoubtedly the more useful feature.
There are two translation modes available. Live translation works well when someone is speaking and you are just listening, while face-to-face translation is designed for conversations between two people who speak different languages.
Both modes performed very well during my testing and felt more polished than I expected. If you travel a lot or interact with people who speak different languages, this feature can actually be useful rather than feeling like a gimmick.
I do wish it could work offline to some extent, as that would make it more useful when traveling, but even in its current form, it’s still one of the most impressive AI features I’ve seen on a pair of earbuds.
Battery life lives up to claims
Battery life is another aspect where realme Buds Air8 Pro performs well. Realme claims that it can play music for up to 50 hours using the charging case, and the earphones themselves can play music for up to 12 hours with ANC turned off. In real-world use, these numbers are surprisingly close to these claims.
Even with regular use, I rarely worry about battery life. The battery naturally drops faster with ANC enabled, but is still sufficient for daily use.
Quick charging via USB Type-C port. Realme doesn’t include a charging cable in the box, but honestly, most buyers already have multiple Type C cables, so I don’t think that’s a big deal.
realme Buds Air8 Pro: Pros and Cons
advantage
- Powerful bass and excellent clarity
- Comfortable fit and lightweight design for long listening sessions
- Practical artificial intelligence translation function, the actual effect is very good
- Excellent battery life and fast charging support
- LHDC 5.0 support and extensive audio customization options
shortcoming
- Max ANC creates noticeable pressure in the ears
- Sound customization settings feel scattered throughout the app
