realme Buds T110 review: Stylish earbuds that fuse affordability and versatility

Earphones and the music-loving experience has come a long way from what was once the norm. If you’re reading this and you’re from Gen-Z, just know that us Millennials had to put up with the advent of mp3 or file-sharing programs like Limewire. Not to mention having to use 1st and 2nd generation iPods to connect to our wired listening device, which not only made it a chore and hassle to carry around, but could easily break and/or fray. 

To make a long-story short; music, movies, video games, and cell phones were once separate and disconnected components to one’s interests. realme has come out with their latest do-it-all earbuds, the realme buds T110, packed with features that will cater to the different market segments.

Whether you’re balling on a budget, an avid gamer, or just live an active and on the go-lifestyle, there’s something here for you. So, does the T110 pass the test? Let’s find out.

Design and build

When I first got the T110 in-hand, what stood out was how light and compact the charging case was. It kind of reminds me of those miniature easter eggs they give to kids in Easter. It is rounded in a way that makes it very sleek and stylish, and initially I got scared that I would drop it because of how smooth the finish was.

Same goes for the earbuds itself, until I eventually got the hang of it of course. The color scheme I received was the Pop White, and after around 1 month of testing, and bringing it around town (in my pockets or in my backpack), it still looks the same and as when I opened it, not even a smudge or dent could get on this thing.

So, as far as aesthetics and durability goes, I have nothing negative to say about it other than that you have to be careful of not dropping it especially when you remove the earbuds because of how slick it is. The earbuds also come in Country Green and Punk Black colors, which evoke quite a modern feel.

Ease of use

The T110 is perfect for your on-the-go lifestyle, as it is equipped with features to make the experience more seamless for the user. First, there are 3 different ear-tips sizes to choose from, small to medium to large. In my case I preferred the large because it felt just right for my ear canal. Second, the charging case cover easily slides up and down thanks to a magnetic-type open-and-close mechanism. Third, the earphones automatically connect to your paired device once you remove the earbuds from the case. Fourth, the earbuds automatically disconnect, but only after you’ve placed it back inside the charging case. It would have been more intuitive and ergonomic for this feature to happen automatically once you’ve removed the earbuds from your ear, since the loudness of my music could be heard from the outside.

Touch controls

As far as the ancillary features go, once you’re connected and listening, they have the feature where you can instantly pause-and-play the music by pressing twice on the earphone “touch area”. Press thrice on the right earbud to skip to the next track, and likewise on the left to go back. Press and hold for 3 seconds on right/left side to make it louder/softer. 

Also, you can answer/hang up on voice calls by double-tapping the touch area on either side and reject calls by a pressing and hold for 2 seconds of either side. The only issue I had was that sometimes the touch area was not as responsive so make sure you press quickly and with a firm grasp when using it.

One other thing the T110 has going for it is you can change the button settings to your desire with the realme Link App.

Sound quality

For all you audiophiles out there, the T110 has something for you. It features a 10mm Dynamic Bass Driver.

After testing the T110, the best way I can describe it is being rich and immersive, yet powerful. It features an Active Noise Cancellation system. The bass and treble were the most powerful and immersive elements from my experience. It also felt like I was having a surround sound system in my own head. I could hear the rhythm guitar on one ear, and the lead guitar on the other. This made the dual guitar harmonies and guitar solos that I often jam to very satisfying. The bass guitar could also be heard to a lesser extent in the background, though I wish it was a bit more prominent. The drums are where things get taken up a notch, as I said it felt powerful that I could hear every bass drum, snare, and drum-fill almost overpowering the rest. The drum cymbals were also just good enough to be heard.

The vocals were also a high point, being rich and immersive. I could hear some words more clearly than I’ve ever heard before. Vocal harmonies and backing vocals were also very good. Speaking of volume, I had no problems with the volume levels which were just right considering how overpowering the bass tends to be. I could crank it up if I really wanted to raise the roof but that was only for certain songs.

realme Link App

Now, if you’re on Android, you have additional options for your listening experience via the realme Link App. It offers three custom presets: “Bright” for clear vocals, “Balanced” for balanced bass and treble and “Bass Boost+” for a deeper bass and punchier sound.

Out of these three, I found the Bass Boost+ to be my favorite as it made the native Surround Sound setting on my Spotify Android even more immersive. I could hear every harmony and backing instrument reverberate and serenade me. Almost as if I was at a live, yet intimate, small-venue concert.

The realme Link also has an option to increase the sound level from the default phone setting, which proved useful since the Bass Boost and native Surround Sound tend to tone down the volume a tad bit. 

As for voice calls, I found the performance of the T110 to be satisfactory given the Active Noise Cancellation feature. Though I had to turn up the volume on my iPhone, I could hear the caller and he/she could hear me clearly without any lag.

Wireless connection

When it comes to gaming and the modern gamer, the T110 has you covered. This is due to 88ms Super Low Latency while in Gaming Mode. The low latency allows for a near-perfect sync between the audio and visuals. This also comes in handy for competitive gameplay.

Though I’m not much of a gamer anymore these days, I did test how the T110 fared on my iPhone through Netflix’s gaming catalog. I found the sound to also be that of rich immersion, while simultaneously being responsive. I had a blast while playing an action-adventure game like Hades. I could hear every whisper and footstep as I awakened in a dungeon while monsters lurked in the darkness. Every attack, spell and dash felt responsive as I battled with the undead. I also played Into the Dead 2, a drive-and-shoot game spin-off of The Walking Dead series, and as a fan of the series I could say the immersion was good enough to have a bit of fun while killing time.

Battery and charging

As far as the battery performance goes, I found during my testing that even after several prolonged sessions of use (around 2-3 hours on average) that the battery never even got low-batt. Another plus is that the charging time took more or less about only 10-20 minutes to fully charge.

The earbuds are supported by a type-C charging cord. Unfortunately, the cord does not come with the package straight out of the box. 

Verdict

For pricing, the realme Buds T110 comes in at an affordable and budget-friendly price of Php 1,399. In today’s market, the value for your money at this base-level price range simply cannot be beat.

Where performance meets style, the realme Buds T110 is simply more than a bang-for-your-buck earphone if you ask me. At the end of the day, it’s got something for everyone. I’m sure glad I had the pleasure to test it and my ears are certainly thanking me (being the snobby audiophile that I am).