Home Wireless Earbuds Ultimate Ears Drops Vs. Xiaomi Flipbuds Pro

A Review By Comparison of the Ultimate Ears Drops Vs. Xiaomi Flipbuds Pro

Last updated on Apr 19, 2023   7 min read
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Ultimate Ears Drops

Ultimate Ears Drops

Reasons why you might like the Ultimate Ears Drops

Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

See price on Amazon

Reasons why you might like the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Overall Score 5.7 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 7 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features Ultimate Ears Drops Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4
weight 12.2g
has no wires or cables
wingtips included
sweat resistance
is dust proof and water-resistant
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 9.2mm 11mm
lowest frequency 20Hz
highest frequency 20000Hz
sound pressure level 110dB/mW
POWER battery life 6hours 7hours
battery life of charging case 9hours 21hours
charge time 0.52hours
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v4.2 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has aptx adaptive
MICROPHONE number of microphones 2only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
See price on Amazon

A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro IPX4

IP ratings is the level of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (water).

Scoring IPX4, the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro's rating is read as, the first value of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second number of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.

Weight

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 12.2g

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro have a weight of 12.2g . We take in account a lower weight better because lighter devices are easier to transport.

Has No Wires Or Cables

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

True wireless devices have no cables linking any part of the device together, Ultimate Ears Drops are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the two earbuds together.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also is true wireless since it has no cables connecting the two earbuds .

Wingtips Included

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops come with wingtips, these are reserved for workout earbuds and come as an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.

Sweat Resistance

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops are resistant to sweat

Is Dust Proof And Water-Resistant

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops are both dustproof and water-resistant.

Has Stereo Speakers

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops have stereo speakers, what this means is that Ultimate Ears Drops's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also have stereo speakers

Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

ANC makes use of more advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) then adding -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 therefore "diluting" the noise.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears as you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background noise.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops sit tightly in place, this creates a sound seal that tones down your environment noise while preventing the device music from leaking out .

Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this implies that both reduce ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Ultimate Ears Drops 9.2mm
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 11mm

Ultimate Ears Drops driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size dictates the loudness of the earbuds.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro driver unit is 11mm in diameter, making them have a larger driver unit than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 1.8mm , a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not imply that they deliver better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Ultimate Ears Drops 20Hz
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Highest Frequency

Ultimate Ears Drops 20000Hz
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio component generates high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sound Pressure Level

Ultimate Ears Drops 110dB/mW
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

SPL, is the pressure level of sound, measured in decibels, dB, Ultimate Ears Drops's measurement is 110dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

Power

Battery Life

Ultimate Ears Drops 6hours
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 7hours

Ultimate Ears Drops's battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro's battery life is more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 1 hours . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Ultimate Ears Drops 9hours
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 21hours

The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the Ultimate Ears Drops's case has a full charge of 9 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging the case itself.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro's charging case has a battery life of 21 hours, more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 12 hours

Charge Time

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 0.52hours

It requires 0.52 hours to fully charge the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Has Wireless Charging

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply place down on a compatible charging pad.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also support wireless charging, take note of the charging standard of a device.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your device and case.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.

Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro too have USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets.

Bluetooth Version

Ultimate Ears Drops v4.2
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro v5.2

Ultimate Ears Drops have Bluetooth version of 4.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, newer than that of Ultimate Ears Drops . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Ultimate Ears Drops 10meters
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 10meters

The Ultimate Ears Drops have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Ultimate Ears Drops

Has Aac

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Ultimate Ears Drops will work well with your MacBook. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.

Has Aptx Adaptive

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro support APTX Adaptive as well which implies that both can adjust the bit rate for different scenarios, such as listening to HD audio from other devices.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Ultimate Ears Drops 2only
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 6only

Ultimate Ears Drops have 2 microphones.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro microphones are 6, more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 4 . More microphones result in better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out noise.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce background sounds from the earbuds' sound.

Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing the earbuds

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a run but still want to be able to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Ultimate Ears Drops support the find earbuds feature.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also have the find earbuds feature. You can use the device app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to help you find them.

Supports Fast Charging

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge the earbuds.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes.

Multipoint Count

Ultimate Ears Drops 2only
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro 2only

The Ultimate Ears Drops have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro support multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the Ultimate Ears Drops . Bluetooth multipoint is useful because you can be on one call without missing notifications coming from another device.

Has A Mute Function

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also support the mute function. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

Ultimate Ears Drops have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro also support voice prompts meaning the earbuds will notify you when the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the device.

Travel Bag Is Included

Ultimate Ears Drops
Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro

The Ultimate Ears Drops come with their own special case. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them inside your bag without a cover may easily damage them.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro too have a case included, which offers safe transportation.

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