Orders
We do not fall from the clouds, Xiaomi addresses the chapter of the commands by looking at the best elsewhere and monkey almost identically the AirPods Pro 2 formula. The headphones thus incorporate a tactile surface into the stems, a surface that it is possible to pinch or touch. A simple, double or triple pinch, is associated with navigation, a long support allows you to switch between the different noise reduction modes, while the vertical sweep is directly associated with the change in volume. To this is added a detection (deactivable) of the port in order to break or restart reading. Our only criticism, in this case, concerns the average reactivity of orders. It is sometimes necessary to insist slightly to trigger the action, the haptic return being a little weak.
Note that if the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi are already almost complete with these default symmetrical commands, Xiaomi opens the way to personalization. It is thus possible, via the application, to associate the various actions with other orders.
Connectivity
A real technological demonstration, the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi integrate almost everything that can be integrated in 2025, and even a little more. The Qualcomm chip used thus supports the multipoint and is compatible with the audio. To this is added an advanced management of codecs: SBC, AAC, APTX, Aptx HD, APTX adaptive, and even its Surchase Aptx Lossless, the only Bluetooth Codec currently stamped Lossless.
In classic Bluetooth mode, we have noted a latency of around 180 ms, which is already very correct, but not low enough for useless use/image of video content. With other codecs, in particular the LC3 (in the audio), the latency is clearly reduced.
Connection stability is quite good, but not perfect in multipoint mode. When this function is activated and the headphones are connected on two devices (which deactivates HD codecs), several problems may appear: temporary disconnection of one of the headphones, problems of connection with the app, etc.
-Finally, it is difficult to miss one of the major arguments of the product, namely the possibility of going through a WiFi link via the XPANDED Personal Area Network). This technology, announced in March 2024, makes it possible to create a so-called “micro-power” WiFi network, sufficient to pass on high quality musical files without loss, but modest enough not to slash the autonomy.
For the audio flow itself, Qualcomm had already specified in 2024 that it consisted of a new evolution of the adaptive APTX. The codec used for XPAN technology is therefore a slightly boosted version of the APTX Lossless, climbing to 24 -bit/96 kHz quality, against 16 bits/44.1 kHz. The speed of transmission (which is not the same thing as Bitrate) is thus pushed to 4.2 Mb/s. In this mode, stability is impeccable, even in a dense environment. The use of a WiFi flow instead of Bluetooth visibly facilitates things.
Application
Whether through the Android/iOS app or the native interface integrated into Xiaomi phones, more elegant, but offering the same functions (with a few details), Xiaomi offers a fairly rich experience, which does not lose the user.
The manufacturer opts for a fairly proven approach: a visually pleasant main tab and grouping information, as well as the most used settings and secondary tabs, in particular dedicated to advanced functions and settings.
