Review: Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro
The days when Google was known purely for its search engine are long gone. The Internet giant is now a fixture in the smart hardware market. China's search engine giant "Baidu" also wants to emulate this, entering the intelligent hardware business with "Xiaodu Technology" in 2018.
A product that is also looking for buyers on Western markets for the first time is the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro. What makes the headphones so interesting compared to the competition is the integration of Baidu Translation AI, which translates into up to 45 languages in real time.
Design, workmanship and delivery
Earbuds
First things first: The design of the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro. Xiaodu does not dare to experiment here, but has opted for the typical "toothbrush head" that visibly protrudes from the ear. The 34,3 x 25 x 21,5 mm large and 5 g light earbuds are also very reminiscent of Apple's design philosophy. You can't blame Xiaodu, though. After all, the design has proven itself and Xiaodu is just one of many who use the ergonomic design.
The compact housing looks elegant. The 12 mm dynamic driver is hidden behind a fine-mesh metal grille. The smart gesture control, which is not on the outside but on the inside of the handle, has been solved in an interesting way. If we turn all the way down the handle, the microphone for voice telephony is located in the middle at the end. There are a total of three microphones per earbud, which together enable Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and filter out background noise when making calls.
The inside of the earbud stem is discreetly printed with the respective direction information L or R. However, the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro cannot be used the wrong way round due to their ergonomically angled shape. Last but not least, each earbud is equipped with a carrier detection sensor.
charging Case
The charging case is a well-rounded thing in the truest sense of the word. Standing upright is possible, but due to the rounded underside it's a pretty wobbly affair. When opened, the charging case is no longer standing. Rather, it is designed to lie down, because this is the only way to reach the USB-C charging socket on the underside.
The Xiaodu lettering has been discreetly printed on the front. There is a small status LED in the middle, which shows the battery level of the case and the connection status. Speaking of connection - to reset the earbuds there is a button on the side of the case, which puts the earbuds into pairing mode by holding it down.
The lid of the charging case is held magnetically. A notch at the front makes it easier to lift the lid. The earbuds fit snugly in their intended charging slot and are also held in place magnetically.
Processing and delivery
The processing quality is okay. The two earbud housings are visibly composed of two parts, but there are no sharp edges. The glossy white plastic with a piano finish is a matter of taste, but it also has a small disadvantage. Dirt is visible relatively quickly.
The scope of delivery includes the two earbuds, the charging case, a USB-C charging cable, ear tips in sizes XS, S, M and L as well as a multilingual user manual.
comfort
The wearing comfort is a subjective issue, but in a direct comparison with the Apple AirPods Pro I could not find any disadvantages. Due to the very similar design, the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro sit comfortably light in the ear. Keeping the earbuds in your ears for a long time is no problem. Unpleasant pressure or a foreign body sensation did not occur even after two hours of continuous sonication.
The IPX4 marking promises protection of the earbuds against sweat and splash water, so that you can wear them during sports without any problems. During light activities, the earbuds stay securely in the ear. As a rule, nothing slips during sporty, dynamic movements. Here and there it can happen that you have to readjust.
Interestingly, the Xiaodu app has an “Ear Plug Fit Test” integrated (Apple offers a similar function for the AirPods Pro). If the earbuds don't sit properly in your ear, the app can detect this. In the test, the fit test worked and detected precisely as soon as the earbuds were loose in the ear.
Our tip
It is generally recommended to replace the earmolds with high-quality memory foam adapters (e.g. Comply) to exchange. These enable an even better hold and improve noise isolation.
Hardware
Xiaodu promises a powerful sound with precise bass thanks to the large 12 mm dynamic driver with plastic membrane.
Current Bluetooth 5.2 is available on the connection side. Unfortunately, high-resolution codecs such as aptX or LDAC are not supported. Here you have to be satisfied with SBC / AAC.
sound quality
First of all: The perception of sound differs from person to person. This is how the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro sound to me:
Sound signature and spatiality
The earbuds deliver a particularly warm sound signature (U-shape) that should suit the sonic preferences of many mainstream music listeners and are suitable for pretty much any genre.
The spatial listening experience is limited due to the design and a wide stage image should not be expected.
Depths, mid and highs
You could almost think that the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro want to “burst into the house”. A full bass creates a lot of pressure from below and shapes the sound. Mids and highs are still not neglected. Even if the powerful low frequencies obscure the fundamental range somewhat, the mids are reproduced with appealing precision.
Hard songs like "Papa Roach - Last Resort" sound simply captivating with the Xiaodu Earbuds. But the earbuds can also score points with their warm, harmonious sound when listening to moderate pop music. The height imaging is agile, but not strenuous at all.
Active Noise Canceling (ANC)
Noise cancellation (ANC) works quite well with the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro. While it's not the best ANC I've come across, it's one of the better ones in this price range. Monotonous humming noises, such as those from a fan or those that often occur in airplanes, are effectively eliminated. There is no unpleasant feeling of pressure on the ears. However, when no music is being played, you can hear a slight background noise, which disappears when music is played.
In addition to the ANC, the Xiaodu Earbuds offer a transparency mode that intensifies ambient noise. This also works reliably and is a useful feature in traffic, for example, to increase your own awareness. If you don't want to use any of the functions, you can simply switch them off with a gesture (if set) or with an app.
latency
Despite the lack of latency-free codecs, the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro do not have to struggle with latency problems. If you watch a film, for example, the sound is played back synchronously with the picture.
Operation and App
In order to be able to use all the functions of the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro, the Xiaodu App is required. The app is available for Android and iOS devices. However, iPhone users must register to use the app. With Android, you are spared registration and have linked the earbuds to the app in just a few steps. So far, the app is only available in English.
The structure of the app is simple. The charge status of the earbuds and the charging case is displayed at the top of the start screen. The "Device Settings" item takes you to the settings, which can be used to control the "Noise Control", i.e. the ANC or the transparency mode. The setting options for gesture control are located under “Quick Operation Settings”.
gesture control
The gesture control is slightly different from other in-ear headphones. Instead of “Touch” you use “Press”. Pressing the earbud stem triggers the individual gestures.
For example, a short press pauses music playback. Press twice and you get to the next song. A long press controls the ANC and swiping up or down adjusts the playback volume. A short click confirms that the gesture has been recognized.
Unfortunately, there are no extensive customization options for the individual gestures. Only the “Press” menu item allows you to choose between “Noise Control” and calling up the voice assistant. The gesture control itself works reliably.
Carrier detection
The “Automatic Ear Detection” function is intended as carrier detection. If you take one of the earbuds out of your ear while music is playing, playback is automatically paused. When reinserted, playback resumes. This also works reliably.
Real-time translation
A small special feature of the Xiaodu Du Smart Buds Pro are the translation functions. With the “Dialogue Translation” and “Simultaneous Interpretation” functions, 45 languages can be translated in real time.
The following example: You are on vacation and meet someone who only speaks French. What is spoken is recorded via the Xiaodu app and translated to the earbuds in real time. In addition, you can see in the app what the Xiaodu app has understood and what the translation is. This also works in the opposite direction, but you have to change the input language manually.
Unfortunately, playing the translation through the smartphone speaker does not work. So you always have to show the open Xiaodu app to the other person so that he or she can see your own translation. Or you pass the earbuds on (uargh!). The translation function cannot be called up without a smartphone and app, which is why the Xiaodu translation function is basically no smarter than an ordinary translation app.
The quality of the translation going through the Baidu Translator is good. Prerequisite for translation at all is an existing internet connection. Offline translations are not supported.
Microphone and calls
The voice quality for calls was not entirely convincing to me. Sometimes the person you were talking to could understand you well, but sometimes the sound was dull and scratchy. The suppression of background noise probably plays a decisive role here, which filters background noise quite well, but also impairs the voice quality.
Another special feature of the Xiaodu app is the option to record calls. If you make a call via the earbuds and start the recording via the Xiaodu app, the ongoing call will be recorded and saved.
Battery
With ANC on and medium volume, the battery lasts about 4 hours (about 5 hours without ANC) before the earbuds have to be put back in the case. The charging case has a quick charge function, with which the earbuds can be charged to 10% battery in just 35 minutes. The earbuds are fully charged after 55 minutes.
It takes 1 ½ hours to fully charge the case. Contactless charging is not supported.
