Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD review: hybrid earbuds with three drivers

Specifications

Type of	In-ear
Headset	3 buttons + MEMS microphone
Impedance	32 ohm
Sensitivity	10 dB
Rated power	5 mW
Playable frequencies	20-20,000 Hz
Cable	Rubber, length - 1.25 meters
Output	Gold-plated mini-jack (3.5 mm)

Equipment

Instead of the traditional cardboard box, Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD received a festive set:

plastic case-box;
rubber holder;
cloth bag;
three pairs of ear pads.

The latter were in conventional hybrids and in other solutions of the company. In Pro HD, the material has changed: the ear cushions are now slightly softer, but denser at the base.

A rubber holder may work well for storage, but you won't be able to fit it into a pouch, for example. The box is clearly not portable: scratches remain instantly. And the loop is made of very dense scotch tape.

So, in fact, the extended package turns out to be a marketing gimmick. But if you combine a bag and a box, then you get excellent protection, albeit very dimensional.

Appearance and ergonomics

The design of Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD is different from its predecessors. The headphones have become larger and more impressive. The main feature that attracts attention is the spherical milling of the back of the earphone. The previous model had a straight cut.

The metal headphone cup is now matte rather than polished. This type of coating is less prone to scratches. On the sides there are slot-shaped phase inverters - real, working. At sufficient volume of the music being played, a noticeable stream of air comes out of them.

There is a lot of plastic in the design. In fact, this is a good idea, which is easiest to appreciate in cold weather: the ears freeze less.

Another change is the wire. It is now silicone, soft and flexible, does not stiffen in the cold, while retaining all the necessary properties. The memory effect was not detected, and the knots are unraveled without much difficulty.

Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD received an updated remote control. It used to have three flat rectangular buttons that fit snugly together. Not very comfortable, especially on the run or in the cold. The new version received three large round buttons. It's almost impossible to miss.

Of course, there are a few buts. Three buttons only work with Android. The upper and lower ones control the volume, the middle one is multifunctional. When playing music, it acts as a Play / Pause. With an incoming call, a single press starts the conversation, a long press hangs up the phone, and a double press turns off the microphone.

On iOS devices, only the middle button works and only when playing music. A single press starts or pauses the music, a double press starts the next track, a triple press starts the previous one.

The plug is metal, straight, gold-plated. To some, this solution will seem less convenient than the usual L-shaped. My headphones with a straight plug live much longer.

Sound

The main thing about headphones is their sound. Many stylish and popular models have a disgusting sound. The sound of Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD is quite specific due to the armature driver, so the testing had to be meticulously. Two sources were used: the Little Dot MK II amplifier connected to a desktop PC, and the Meizu Pro 5. So let's see how the new Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD cope with various tasks.

Metal (Therion, Voivod, Testament, Obituary, Meshuggah). Tracks with a pronounced mids sound very good. Voivod tracks sound the most profitable in headphones: there are many high notes, complex guitar parts are as detailed as possible, and low frequencies are represented by exceptionally high bass. With all this hybrid headphones cope with a bang.

Hip-hop (Infectious Grooves, Rage Against The Machine, "Bloodstream"). A second dynamic driver helps the Hybrid Pro HD handle sub-bass - significantly more than any other cheap hybrid headphones. Although I would not recommend this model to bassheads. The beat sounds bright, accurate, without drowning out the high frequencies. The dip in the middle range is not noticeable here. On the contrary, the mids do really well, especially when compared to conventional Hybrid.

Electro, D'n'B. By the time of listening to this part of the test songs, the ears were used to the sound of the new Xaiomi. This allowed me to appreciate the depth of the scene: it is great. Even when the software gadgets are completely turned off, the feeling of Dolby 3D turned on or another type of 3D sound implementation is created.

Jazz, psyhobilly. Taking into account the cost, I definitely recommend Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD to all fans of this genre. None of the budget armatures or hybrids I tested reproduce the contrabass in such detail when playing slap. The saxophone sounds great. Even in the most difficult moments, the compositions remain as legible as possible: here are the drums, here are the double bass - separate from vocals and other instruments.

Classical music. The effect is about the same as when listening to extreme genres. The balanced full sounding of all components of the orchestra is not overshadowed even by individual shortcomings of the wind section.

conclusions

Review of Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD headphones

Unlike the previous version of the Xiaomi hybrid headphones, the new Hybrid Pro HD received a richer sound with an excellent mids. The detail and scene that many fans have loved have not gone anywhere.

At the same time, it is worth noting the bright color of the sound. Xiaomi engineers are looking for their sound, and they succeed. However, it will be difficult to tune certain frequencies. Factory equalization affects all reproducible ranges, and there is no need to talk about any even (monitor) sound. Everything is done in accordance with the psychoacoustic model of hearing: elaborate lows, precise upper bass, detailed vocals.

But is it worth asking for more from a $ 30 mobile headset? I assure you that you will not find a brighter and more pleasant sound in the price range of up to $ 50 to $ 70. Lovers of extremely low sounds should pay attention to the models of headphones without fittings - these are the properties of this type of acoustics. But if you suddenly want something interesting, unusual, then Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD will not disappoint.