Xiaomi Unveils Buds 5 Pro with Wi-Fi and Lossless Audio

Xiaomi Unveils Buds 5 Pro with Wi-Fi and Lossless Audio
  • Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro launched in Europe
  • Wi-Fi connectivity for lossless audio up to 4.2Mbps
  • Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip and Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite
  • Compatible with select smartphones, including Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra
  • 11mm dynamic drivers with PZT tweeter and planar driver
  • Support for aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless
  • Bluetooth 5.4 and ANC up to 55dB
  • AI features including real-time translation
  • Ten hours of battery life for Wi-Fi models, 40 hours with charging case

Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro and Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi

Xiaomi's new Buds 5 Pro have launched in Europe and are available in two flavors, the standard Buds 5 Pro and the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi. Both models have a very impressive specification, but the Wi-Fi ones are particularly impressive: they're capable of delivering lossless audio at up to 4.2Mbps over their Wi-Fi connection.

The Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi have Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip and Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, which supports audio at up to 96kHz/24-bit. However, there's a caveat: it'll only work with certain smartphones. Xiaomi says it'll post a list of compatible devices on its website imminently. Right now, the only supported phones are the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra.

The Buds 5 Pro are based around 11mm dynamic drivers with a PZT tweeter and planar driver, and they support aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. Bluetooth is 5.4 and the built-in ANC is capable of removing noise up to 55dB. The buds also offer AI features including real-time translation.

Surprisingly, the Wi-Fi models have even better battery life than the Bluetooth-only ones: ten hours compared to eight, with a total of 40 hours via the charging case.

The Buds Pro 5 are £159.99 (about $200 or AU$325) and you can have them in white or gray; the Buds Pro 5 Wi-Fi are £189.99 (around $240 or AU$385).