The 3.5mm headphone jack is now mostly found on budget and mid-tier phones but not for long. The only option is to buy a pair of wireless earbuds, which can be pricey if you are looking for ANC and a comfortable fit, like the ones from Samsung, Sony or Sennheiser. The 3K mark — or thereabouts — is the new battle zone and one of the leaders in this segment is Realme, which has a new offering — Buds Air 2.

In case a budget phone is on your list, chances are that you would not like to spend Rs 15,000 on earbuds. Buds Air 2 does some of the high-end tech magic at a down-to-earth pricing. Not that it would knock the AirPods Pro or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro out of the ballpark but there a few pleasant surprises.

Let’s straightaway dive into the sound because that is what makes it special. If bass is what you are looking for, there is plenty to like about these tin cans. Though not a regular on my playlist, Schoolboy Q’s album Crash Talk got played twice because of the energetic performance on tracks like 5200 and Crash, which has a smooth hook. It was followed by Madonna’s Madame X. The politically-polarised track Extreme Occident is full-bodied while I Don’t Search I Find is a reminder of her Vogue days. The vocal clarity is undeniable, separating it well from the background music. With active noise cancellation turned on, I could ignore the noisy fan in my room. Once on the balcony, the ANC kept going but I did hear some honking but nothing that would be a big bother. Realme has, in fact, done a good job to keep the comfort level up; there is none of that stuck-in-a-vacuum feeling that comes with ANC. Does it compare with numbers from Sony or Samsung? Not quite but here you are paying less than 3.5K. So, a good show, thanks to the 10mm hi-fi bass boost driver. It also supports the latest Bluetooth 5.2, meaning there is zero problem with connectivity.

Moving to mic quality, the best test is to stand near a running tap and call a friend. And then do the same while waiting outside the doorway and watching cars pass by. On both occasions, the mic did a good job and the dual mic noise cancellation did cut off most of the noises.

In fact, the ANC combined with the comfort fit makes it a perfect pair of earbuds to be worn during commute. You don’t have to play any music; just toggle on ANC and most of the jibber-jabber around you will subside.

In way of design, there is nothing new to be said and the same goes for battery life which holds up 25 hours of total playback (including charge from the case) if you don’t turn on the ANC and keep the volume somewhere around the 50 per cent level.

Realme has truly changed the hardware game at budget prices. Without compromising on the design factor, it is offering some strong contenders, be it phones or wireless earbuds. Realme Buds Air 2 (Rs 3,299) clearly punches above its weight to become your sonic companion.

High notes

• Good ANC and bass for the price point

• IPX5 rating for water resistance

• Long battery life

Muffled notes

• Mic could have been better