Honor’s 2026 Budget Earbuds: Are They Worth It?

Honor has added two new budget earbuds to its lineup in Nepal, the Earbuds X10 Lite and Earbuds A Pro. On paper, both look quite well-equipped for their segment, with large dynamic drivers, ANC, app support, and the usual features you'd expect from a modern pair of TWS earbuds.

I spent the last few days using both of them as my everyday earbuds, and honestly, my experience was a bit mixed. There are some things Honor has done well here, but there are also a few compromises that become pretty obvious once you spend some real time with them. So, are these actually worth your money, or do the specs look better than the earbuds themselves?

Honor Earbuds X10 Lite and Earbuds A Pro Specifications 

Honor Earbuds X10 Lite and Earbuds A Pro Price in Nepal

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In the Box

Inside the box, you get the earbuds, charging case, three pairs of ear tips, and the usual paperwork. That's pretty much everything you'd expect to find with a pair of earbuds in this price range, so there isn't much to talk about here.

Comfort and Build

I didn't really have any problems with the comfort of either earbud. I used the X10 Lite as my main pair for about four days, and I was wearing them for pretty long stretches while working. They fit well and I never got that feeling where you just want to take the earbuds out after wearing them for a while.
 

The earbuds themselves also feel pretty solid. The ear tips feel good and nothing about the build gave me any reason to complain. The case is a different story though. The lid opens quite nicely, but the case itself feels a bit cheap in the hand. It works fine, it just doesn't give you that premium feel.

With the A Pro, I had a slightly different first impression of the case. I actually thought the magnets were weak at first and that the earbuds might come out if I shook the case. So I tried exactly that, and surprisingly, they didn't move at all. The earbuds stayed locked in place, so the magnet is definitely stronger than it initially feels.

App Support

Both earbuds use the Honor AI Space app, and the experience is pretty much the same on both. Getting them connected to the app was a little annoying at first and I had to fiddle around with it, but once it was set up, reconnecting was much easier. From the app, you can change the ANC mode, check battery, switch between EQ presets like Rich Bass and Treble Booster, and change the touch controls.

What I don't like is how basic the app feels. There is no custom EQ, which is something I personally miss because I like playing around with the frequencies to get the sound I want. There is also no dual-device connection, so when I'm switching between my phone and laptop, I have to disconnect one before connecting the other. At this point, I feel like both of these should be pretty basic features, especially when you can find them on cheaper earbuds too.

Audio Quality

The X10 Lite sounds better with vocals and acoustic stuff than with bass-heavy music. The bass isn't bad, but it doesn't have that punch I want from tracks with deep kicks or 808s. I listened to quite a bit of Phonk, EDM, Trance, Trap, and Hip-Hop on these, and honestly, I wouldn't pick the X10 Lite for that kind of music.

I had a much better time with something like "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. The guitar sounds clear and the vocals sit nicely in the mix, so you can hear what's going on in the midrange. But as soon as the song needs more weight from the lower end, the X10 Lite starts to feel a bit thin.

The treble is also slightly too airy. It's not something that bothered me all the time, but some higher-pitched sounds can get a little sharp. Overall, the tuning feels more focused on the mids, with neither the bass nor the treble really standing out.

The A Pro has much better bass response. I could hear the difference pretty quickly with "HUMBLE" by Kendrick Lamar, where the kick and bass have a lot more presence. "Tore Up" by Don Toliver also sounds much more energetic on these, especially when the bass comes in.

My main issue with the A Pro is actually the treble. Some tracks can sound pretty sharp, and Spatial Audio seems to make this worse. I noticed it quite clearly while listening to "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" by The Police. With Spatial Audio on, the treble gets a bit too aggressive for my liking.

Thankfully, there is an easy fix. Turn Spatial Audio off and the sound becomes noticeably more natural. I ended up keeping it off most of the time because I preferred the way the A Pro sounded without it.

One thing I've been listening to a lot lately is Ne Prosto Orchestra's electronic and orchestral mixes. If you're into that kind of music, give them a listen. The combination of electronic tracks with a full orchestra is seriously good.

That also exposed another weakness of the A Pro. The soundstage is only average, and when there are a lot of instruments playing around the same frequencies, they don't always feel properly separated. Instead, some of them start blending together, which is especially noticeable with orchestral tracks.

Bluetooth Calling

The microphone quality on both earbuds is actually quite good for the price. Voices sound clear during calls, and I didn't have any major problems being heard from the other end.

I used them for normal phone calls and quick meetings, and the microphones handled those without any issue. There isn't much to complain about here, especially considering the price of these earbuds.

ANC and Transparency

The ANC on the X10 Lite is average. It does a decent job cutting out constant sounds, like the AC running above me, but it doesn't do much when it comes to voices. I could still clearly hear people talking around me in the editing room with ANC turned on, so it is useful, just not something I'd call impressive.

The A Pro is similar. Its noise reduction works fine for everyday background noise, but it still struggles with sounds happening around you. I wouldn't pick either of these specifically for their ANC, but having it is definitely better than not having it.

Transparency mode is also just okay on both earbuds. It does what it's supposed to and lets outside sound through when you need to hear what's happening around you, but voices can sound a little robotic. Most of the time, though, it's good enough for quick conversations or when I need to hear what's going on without taking the earbuds out.

Battery and Everyday Use

Battery life turned out to be pretty decent on both earbuds. On a single charge, I was getting around 4.5 to 5 hours of use from the earbuds before having to put them back in the case. With the charging case, I could comfortably use them for around two to three days before needing to charge everything again.

I also tested them during my daily commute from home to the office, which takes me around 45 minutes. With the X10 Lite, the battery dropped by around 15% during the trip while using Transparency mode. The A Pro did a little better and dropped by around 12% under the same kind of use.

So I wouldn't say the battery life is anything crazy, but it is good enough for everyday use. I could go through my workday, commute, and regular listening without constantly checking the battery percentage, which is what I really want from earbuds at this price.

Would I Buy Them?

After using both of these earbuds as my daily pair, I wouldn't recommend either at their current prices. The X10 Lite is comfortable and has decent battery life, but the sound doesn't really work for me, while the A Pro sounds better but still doesn't feel like a Rs. 5,000 pair of earbuds.

Between the two, I'd pick the A Pro. But honestly, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. You can look at options like the Redmi Buds 5A, Redmi Buds 8 Lite, or Realme Buds T200, depending on your budget.

Or, if you're already looking to spend around Rs. 5,000, I'd recommend considering the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 instead. Its official price in Nepal is Rs. 5,499, and that's basically the same price as the Honor Earbuds A Pro, and for me, the Nord Buds 4 makes much more sense at that price.

Songs referenced in this Honor Earbuds X10 Lite vs Honor Earbuds A Pro review:

• "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
• "HUMBLE" by Kendrick Lamar
• "Tore Up" by Don Toliver
• "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" by The Police
• Ne Prosto Orchestra

Honor Earbuds X10 Lite and Honor Earbuds A Pro: Pros and Cons