Many people complain that using in-ear headphones is uncomfortable or that they fall out of their ears. Moreover, for health reasons, not everyone can use them. And these are not imaginary problems. I have someone in my family who finds it difficult to fit headphones other than on-ear headphones.
Meanwhile, the Huawei FreeClip 2 attached to the earlobe fits perfectly into the ear. To such an extent that they are ready for less demanding training. The latter is helped by the complete waterproofness of the headphones – they have been certified IP57.
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Equipped with a flexible titanium connector, Huawei headphones are so comfortable and light (each weighs 5 grams) that after some time it is easy to forget about their presence in the ear. Probably because of this, Huawei has used a function in FreeClip 2 to inform the user if one of the headphones has fallen. In my opinion, rightly so, because a very real scenario is the handset slipping off when taking off a hat or hood.
The new FreeClip 2 has a slightly smaller case than its predecessors. At first glance (see the photo below) this is not a huge difference, but in the pocket it turns out to be significant.
Huawei FreeClip (left) vs new FreeClip 2
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
So do the new Huawei FreeClip 2 have any disadvantages? Of course, and even more than one. The sound quality of in-ear headphones is very sensitive to their positioning. Even a little movement means a noticeable difference in quality.
The open design lets all surrounding sounds into the ear. At home or in the office, this can even be an advantage. In traffic or other noisy places – a nightmare. You then have to drown out the ambient noise with high sound intensity (FreeClip 2 can even do it automatically), but… it is unhealthy for our hearing.
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Open headphones generally do not have ANC, and therefore… awareness mode. Therefore, if we listen to music loudly, talking to other people will not be comfortable at all. You will need to mute it or stop it.
Huawei FreeClip (left) vs new FreeClip 2
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
Unusual but practical controls
FreeClip 2 is controlled using gestures, which is quite typical for in-ear headphones. However, they have an interesting function. The headphones are equipped with bone conduction sensors and instead of the headphones themselves, we can… stomp on the cheek below them, for example. It works very precisely and makes sense. First of all, this way we will not accidentally change the position of the headphones in the ear. We won't have to reach under the hat if we pull it over our ears and cover the headphones.
Huawei FreeClip 2
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
However, Huawei designers went a step further – we can answer or reject calls with head gestures. We answer by nodding our heads “yes”, we reject with a gesture “no”.
Do Huawei FreeClip 2 play well?
When using in-ear headphones, we can count on solid bass, and when ANC is turned on, solid sound even at low sound levels. FreeClip 2 are headphones that sound pleasant, have open vocals, bright highs and a wide music scene. However, the bass is limited. It is present in the message, but it cannot be compared to the low tones coming from good in-ear headphones. Moreover, the sound of FreeClip 2 is pleasant, but only up to 50-60 percent volume. Then it becomes more and more sharp and aggressive – with a strong emphasis on the midrange and top of the band. For the more initiated – we measured the headphones' transfer characteristics at various volume levels and the listening impressions described above are fully supported by the measurements. Therefore, Huawei designers did not manage to cheat physics.
Transfer characteristics measured at: 30 percent volume (orange graph), 50 percent volume (green graph), 80 percent volume (blue graph, and 100 percent volume (red graph). It is clear that at higher volume levels, the increase in sound intensity in the midrange and high range is much greater than that which appears in the bass range. This makes the sound flatter and more aggressive, and the response is less linear
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
Do FreeClip 2 sound better than other Huawei earbuds?
As a general rule, new headphones should sound better than older models. Compared to the first ones FreeClipFreeClip 2 reproduces sound that is more transparent, selective and has a bit more bass. This, however, disappears a bit in the brightening of the sound.
FreeClips, on the other hand, present a more subdued, warmer sound and, to be honest, if you have older Huawei clips, for the sound quality alone… there is no point in replacing them.
For the inquisitive:
- Charts of the transfer characteristics of both headphone models – FreeClip 2 (green graph) vs FreeClip (red graph)
Huawei has another interesting in-ear headphones in its offer – FreeBuds 6. These are the most interesting Huawei headphones of this type. They play really solidly, with much more bass and more “noble” than both variants of music clips. Of the three, they are also the model with the best call quality and a substitute for ANC. A substitute, because the quality of its work cannot be compared to the performance of in-ear headphones.
What about the quality of the conversations?
We often use mobile headphones to conduct conversations in the field. How do FreeClip 2 fare in this regard? Definitely better than the previous model and… this is the only argument to replace it. In a quiet environment, our voice is perfectly legible, in a noisy environment – well recognizable, although strange hums and distortions may creep in. However, if call quality is your priority, I would choose the in-ear FreeBuds Pro 4 or the previously mentioned FreeBuds 6.
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We have comfortable mini headphones, but what about the battery and operating time?
Small, light, comfortable. That's all well and good, but Bluetooth headphones must have one more advantage – long battery life. We tested it and FreeClip 2 played music at maximum volume and used the best available AAC audio coding. 7 hours. This means that if we listen more rationally, at a volume of 50-60 percent, we have a chance of 8-9 hours of work.
Huawei FreeClip 2
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
We charge the headphones in the case (it takes less than an hour). Its battery lasts for less than three recharges. The case can be charged wired or inductively (Qi standard)
Open-ear headphones. Do they make sense and for whom?
High wearing comfort, open design that does not cause ear fatigue for many hours, the ability to maintain contact with the surroundings and long battery life – if these features are important to you, you should add FreeClip 2 to the list of your future headphones.
Huawei FreeClip 2
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Piotr Kwiatkowski / Onet
However, if you travel frequently, listen to music in noisy environments, have no problems with wearing in-ear headphones, or are simply reluctant to wear something that resembles a clip/earring on your ear, then such bold, stylish designs as FreeClip 2 are definitely not for you.
