New Redmi Buds 8 Active (2026) for $16 — AAC, IP54, and 37-Hour Battery

Xiaomi just dropped the Redmi Buds 8 Active for $16 (119 CNY). The previous Buds 6 Active cost $14 and were among the cheapest TWS earbuds with Bluetooth 5.4. For $16 you now get IP54, AAC, and fast charging that’s twice as efficient. The Buds 6 Active looked decent on paper too — but turned out to be one of the weakest TWS earbuds in their class. Let me break down whether Xiaomi actually fixed the problems.

• Battery: bumped from 6 h to 7 h per earbud. With the charging case — from 30 h to 37 h, same capacity
• Protection: was IPX4 (splash only), now IP54 (added dust protection)
• Codecs: added AAC — better Bluetooth audio quality, especially on iPhone
• Wind noise reduction on calls: was up to 4 m/s, now up to 6 m/s
• Fast charging: 10 minutes on the charger gives 2 hours of music (was 1 hour)
• Driver: same 14.2 mm, but with a titanium-coated diaphragm
• Weight: 3.8 g per earbud, down from 4 g

Battery. Same 37 mAh in each earbud, same 475 mAh in the charging case — yet Xiaomi claims +17% battery life on paper. The 37-hour figure comes from Xiaomi’s own tests at 50% volume with SBC codec. In real life, cut that by a third. Fast charging also got better: 10 minutes on the charger now gives 2 hours instead of one.

Protection. Was IPX4 — splash resistance only, with no dust testing whatsoever. Now it’s IP54 — Xiaomi claims partial dust protection. Not sealed, but better than before.

Sound. The driver stays at 14.2 mm, but the diaphragm now has a titanium coating. What that actually means in practice — I’ll find out when I test them. They also added AAC codec — it delivers better Bluetooth audio than the basic SBC, which was the only option on the Buds 6 Active. For semi-open earbuds at $16 — that’s a solid addition. There are 5 EQ presets available through the Xiaomi Earbuds app.

Features. HyperOS Connect — instant pairing with Xiaomi phones and tablets. Dual-device connectivity — switch between your phone and laptop without reconnecting. Google Fast Pair. Weight dropped from 4 g to 3.8 g — for earbuds with no silicone tips that rely entirely on their shape to stay in, that actually matters during long listening sessions.

On paper, Xiaomi fixed pretty much everything you can fix at $16: longer battery, better protection, AAC instead of bare SBC. But the Buds 6 Active also looked great in the press release — and then disappointed. There’s no active noise cancellation, no sound isolation — these are open earbuds for people who want to hear the street. If you need sound in the subway — look elsewhere. If you need cheap buds for calls and podcasts — there’s almost nothing else at $16. Whether you trust the specs or wait for my test — that’s your call.

What do you think about the new Redmi Buds 8 Active? Drop your take in the comments.

Source: GizmoChina