Realme Buds T200 Review: Affordable Entry-Level Earbuds with Impressive Sound

Explore the Realme Buds T200—budget-friendly earbuds boasting advanced features like active noise cancellation and LDAC for a stellar audio experience.

When you're hunting for earbuds that won't empty your wallet but still deliver respectable features, the Realme Buds T200 might just be your next favorite gadget. I dove into these entry-level wireless earbuds from Realme, priced at an incredibly accessible $35, to see if they truly punch above their weight.

Design That Keeps It Simple Yet Functional

The Buds T200 sport a straightforward design that feels like a chunkier, more angular cousin of the AirPods Pro. The charging case features a neat LED status light on the front and a USB-C port below—standard, but reliable. One tiny hiccup: there’s no dedicated pairing button on the case. To pair the earbuds, you have to take them out and press and hold both earbuds simultaneously. It’s a bit clumsy, but once you get the hang of it, it’s manageable.

The earbuds themselves come with colorful silicone tips and have subtle indentations on the stems indicating where to tap for controls. However, they don’t have optical or capacitive sensors inside, so they won’t automatically pause your music when you take them out. A minor inconvenience, but worth noting.

One real gripe I had was with how the earbuds sit in the case. They nestle in too deeply, making it tricky to pull them out—especially since the external surfaces are glossy and easily slick with fingerprints. I found myself wrestling to fish them out more than once!

Despite this, the Buds T200 are super comfortable for daily wear. They're light with soft ear tips, and since there’s no single-tap activation, you don’t accidentally trigger anything just by grabbing them.

The build quality mostly meets expectations for this price. The earbuds and case are plastic, naturally, with the case lid having a slight wobble and the glossy finish prone to scratches. Still, the earbuds boast an IP55 rating, so dust and water splashes aren’t a worry.

You can snag these in four colors: the neon green shown here, Dreamy Purple (with purple interiors), Mystic Black (featuring a stylish blue inside), and Snowy White (with a subtle grey interior).

Software & Features: Realme Link’s Mixed Bag

Realme Link is the hub for customizing the Buds T200’s features. Unlike some brands that offer dedicated apps just for audio devices, Realme Link is a jack-of-all-trades app covering everything from smart home gadgets to fitness trackers.

Here’s the catch: You must create a Realme account and log in to use it with the Buds T200. This mandatory login feels like an unnecessary barrier—especially since it’s just earbuds we're talking about. While signing up with a temporary email is easy, many end up using personal info, which is less than ideal for privacy.

If you use a Realme phone, this login is unavoidable. On the flip side, brands like OnePlus and Oppo don’t require extra apps or logins for their earbuds if you use their phones, since Bluetooth settings handle it all. Realme’s insistence on this login seems like a push to collect user data rather than a user-friendly choice.

But, once you're in, the app is handy. It offers a six-band customizable equalizer with presets, spatial audio (though without head-tracking), and a toggle for “High-Resolution Sound” that enables LDAC codec support. Note that this is off by default, so without using the app and logging in, you’re stuck with standard SBC or AAC codecs.

Tweaking the Sound: Dynamic and Detailed

Inside the app, you’ll also find a “Dynamic Sound” mode, which switches on a simpler three-band EQ. The benefit here isn’t entirely clear, especially since the six-band EQ gives you more precise control. Still, it’s a neat option if you prefer less fiddling.

Other cool features include:

• Active Noise Cancellation toggling
• Gaming Mode, which drops latency down to a claimed 45ms
• Gesture control customization
• Dual-device connection management
• A “MindFlow” mode—a playlist of relaxing melodies for unwinding

Realme even shows the exact color variant of your earbuds in the app, a nice little touch that shows attention to detail.

Performance: Sound That Surprises

Sound Quality

The Buds T200 pack 12.4mm dynamic drivers and link via Bluetooth 5.4, supporting SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs with resolutions up to 32-bit/96kHz.

Switching to the “Original Sound” preset, these earbuds deliver truly impressive audio clarity. The bass is modestly enhanced—not overwhelming, but enough to give tracks a satisfying depth without muddying the mids.

Midrange frequencies shine with clear, vibrant vocals and instruments that pop out in the mix. The highs sparkle with brightness and airiness, giving the soundstage a surprisingly wide and immersive feel.

If I had to nitpick, a touch more warmth in the upper mids would be welcome. The treble can sometimes feel a little harsh, especially on bright songs, but a quick EQ tweak smooths that right out.

Overall, the tuning here showcases Realme's skill in crafting an enjoyable listening experience at a bargain price. I found myself hunting through my playlist, eager to test how different songs sounded in these earbuds—and genuinely enjoying the results.

Compared to others in their price range, these earbuds stand out. It’s not the most detailed soundstage you’ll encounter on wireless buds, but the balance and liveliness make them addictive to listen to. Honestly, I was surprised at how often I kept coming back to them instead of switching to my pricier sets.

Microphone Quality

The Realme Buds T200’s microphones perform decently. In quiet rooms, voices come through clearly with minor distortion. In noisier settings, voices soften and mellow but remain understandable. Background noise is managed reasonably well for this price segment.

Active Noise Cancellation

The Buds T200 feature active noise cancellation with two external mics but lack an internal feedback mic inside the ear canal. This means no way to check if the ear tips seal well.

Unfortunately, the ANC doesn’t impress much. When I first tried it, I thought it wasn’t on at all. They only slightly reduce ambient noise, especially mid and high frequencies. It’s what I’d call “better than nothing” ANC—if noise cancellation is a big deal, you’ll want to invest more.

The transparency mode is similarly muted, often making it easier to just remove the buds to hear your surroundings clearly.

Latency and Connectivity

Realme claims a 45ms latency in gaming mode, and even without it, lag is minimal thanks to straightforward audio processing. With gaming mode on, delay is barely noticeable.

Connectivity is rock solid—I experienced no dropouts or pairing hiccups, and switching between devices worked smoothly.

Battery Life

Realme promises 4.5 hours of playback with LDAC and ANC active. I got about 4 hours and 40 minutes at the highest LDAC bitrate (990 kbps), which is slightly above the claim.

Dropping the bitrate to 660 kbps stretched playback to 5 hours and 19 minutes, with no obvious dip in audio quality. Most users leaving settings on auto will likely enjoy even longer battery life, as the buds default to the lowest bitrate.

Final Verdict: Sound Over Everything

At just around $35, the Realme Buds T200 reveal their budget roots in some areas: all-plastic construction, so-so ANC, and the frustrating mandatory app login.

But then you put them on, hit play, and suddenly price fades into the background. Realme’s tuning is so strong that I started reconsidering some pricier earbuds I’ve tested that simply didn’t sound as good. If you’re an audiophile on a tight budget, these are a gem.

So here’s the deal: if noise cancellation is your top priority, keep looking. But if you crave rich, tuneful sound without blowing your budget, Realme Buds T200 are a fantastic find.

• How is the build quality of the Realme Buds T200?
  They’re made of plastic with a slightly wobbly case lid and a glossy finish that scratches easily but are IP55 rated for dust and water resistance.
• Do the Buds T200 support multiple Bluetooth codecs?
  Yes, SBC, AAC, and LDAC are supported, with LDAC delivering the highest audio quality.
• Is active noise cancellation effective on these earbuds?
  ANC is present but minimal—it's better than no ANC but not comparable to higher-end models.
• Can you use the earbuds without the Realme Link app?
  You can use basic functions without the app, but advanced features and LDAC require logging into the app.
• What is the battery life like?
  Around 4.5 hours with ANC and LDAC active, extending up to over 5 hours at lower bitrates.

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