Living with Xiaomi Dual-Driver Earphones

Buying this thing was a total accident — I saw it going for absurdly cheap on Xianyu.

I’ve got a decent impression of the Xiaomi Piston Pro. I still use it plugged into my tablet or PC for Galgames and videos. The sound isn’t anything high-end, but it’s not bad either — good enough for watching videos or playing games. It has a mic too, so it can pinch-hit for voice chat.

So when I saw how cheap this was, I bought the “Xiaomi Dual-Driver Earphones.”

The word “dynamic driver” in the name meant I already had some expectations about the sound before buying. Dynamic driver, right — big boomy bass. But after a few days of listening, it feels a bit different. Sound-wise this is worse than the Piston Pro, but in plenty of ways it’s better. Quick rundown:

• The magnetic design is handy. There are magnets on the backs of the earpieces, so you can snap them together and hang them around your neck instead of letting them flail around
• Looks good. I personally really like this blue design — nicer than the old silver one, and the carbon-fiber pattern gives it some flair
• Same fit as the Piston Pro. Nothing outstanding, but comfortable enough
• Nylon cable, fairly tough. Much better than the rubber on the Piston, which tears easily
• The sound is hard to describe. The bass is heavy, really heavy, but not to the point of rattling your skull — tolerable, I guess. Fine for voices, not recommended for music
• No mic, so no voice chat (looked closer and it does have one, it just doesn’t work on my laptop — maybe a compatibility issue)

All in all, these are for people who don’t want to spend much but like listening to voice-type audio — gaming, videos that are mostly talking, that sort of thing. Not really recommended for music. And the fact that they were going for just 30 yuan shipped on Xianyu is another reason to recommend them.