Realme Buds T500 Pro Review: An Unbeatable Deal at NPR 5999?

The NPR 5,000–8,000 earbuds market is getting pretty competitive these days. You have options like the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 and Soundcore R60i NC, both of which offer a lot for the money. And now, Realme has joined the competition with its newly launched Buds T500 Pro.

The earbuds launched in Nepal at NPR 7,499, but with discounts, you can get them for around NPR 5,999. And at that price, the T500 Pro certainly looks interesting on paper. But how good are they in everyday use? I’ve been using them to find out whether they’re actually worth considering in this price range.

So, with that out of the way, let’s get into the review.

Realme Buds T500 Pro Specifications:

• Design: In-ear fit, silicone ear tips
• Color options: Lemon Cola, Chocolate, Orange Mint
• Weight: 4.5 grams (per earbud)
• Water resistance: IP55 dust/water resistance (earbuds only)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.1, supports triple-device connectivity
• Sound driver: 12.4mm dynamic drivers
• Audio codecs: AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0
• Noise cancellation: Yes (up to 50dB)
• Battery: 62 mAh (earbuds), 530 mAh (case)
  • Up to 13.5/8 hours of music playback (ANC on/off)
• Control: Touch gesture on each earbud

Quick Price Comparison

See full specs

Buy Now

Realme Buds T500 Pro Review:

Unboxing Experience

• 1x Earbuds

• 1x Type-A to Type-C cable

• 2x Extra ear tips
• 1x Lanyard

I usually skip the unboxing part in my reviews because, honestly, there isn’t always much to talk about. But this time, I actually found it worth mentioning. The earbuds sit right on top, while underneath, you get the paperwork and two extra pairs of color-coordinated ear tips, which is a nice touch.

What caught me by surprise, though, was the included lanyard. I wasn’t expecting to find one at this price, and the quality is actually pretty good. It doesn’t feel like something Realme has simply thrown in as an extra, and I think it’s a nice little addition to the package.

Design

• Candy box design
• In-ear fit with silicone ear tips (extra tips inside the box)

As always, I want to start with my favorite part of the review—the design. And the Realme T500 Pro actually made a pretty good first impression on me.

Starting with the case, Realme has gone with a candy-box-like shape and says it’s even smaller than a candy box. And after using it for a while, I’d say that’s pretty accurate. It’s quite boxy, but still small enough to easily slip into my pocket without taking up much space. The case weighs 34.5g, so it’s also light enough that I barely notice it when carrying it around.

I’m using the Orange Mint variant, one of the two options available in Nepal alongside Chocolate. The Silver version has a smooth finish, while the other variant comes with a vegan leather finish. However, I’m not a big fan of the color combination on my unit, with a white outer shell, orange interior, and white earbuds. I would have preferred a more consistent look.

Also, there’s no physical pairing button on the case, which I found a bit frustrating. For resetting the earbuds, you have to press and hold both earbuds for around 10 seconds, which isn’t as convenient as having a dedicated button on the case.

Earbuds Design & Comfort

• In-ear design
• IP55 Rating

Moving on to the earbuds, each one weighs just 4.5g, so they feel really light in my ears. I’m also a big fan of the in-ear stem-style design, and thankfully, the T500 Pro has been quite comfortable for me. I usually wear them for around 6–7 hours during my office days, and even after that, I haven’t experienced any discomfort or ear fatigue.

The different-sized silicone ear tips included in the box also make it easier to find a fit that works for you. And when I’m using them outdoors, the IP55 rating is another useful addition, as it gives the earbuds protection against sweat and light rain. So, overall, I’m quite happy with the T500 Pro when it comes to both design and comfort.

Connectivity and Pairing

When it comes to connectivity, the T500 Pro uses Bluetooth 6.1, and I haven’t really had any complaints during my time with it. Pairing is straightforward: open the case, select the earbuds from your device’s Bluetooth settings, and you’re good to go. On supported devices like Windows, you also get a quick-pair pop-up, which makes the initial setup even easier.

Once paired, the earbuds automatically reconnect to the previously connected device when I take them out of the case. Realme also claims an effective range of up to 10 meters, and in my use, that’s pretty much what I experienced. The connection stayed stable within that range, and I didn’t run into any noticeable dropouts during my regular use.

Triple-Device Connectivity

One of my favorite features here is the triple-device connectivity. You can connect the T500 Pro to three devices at the same time, although you first need to enable it through the Realme Link app. In my experience, switching between my PC and phone worked really well. I simply have to pause playback on one device and start playing something on the other, and the earbuds automatically switch over. I really liked how seamless this was..

You can also manually switch between devices by pressing and holding the earbuds for around five seconds. I found this genuinely useful during my daily use.

Control

Getting to the controls, the earbuds feature capacitive touch controls on each side. By default, you get the usual play/pause and track controls, but unlike many budget TWS earbuds, these gestures can be customized through the Realme Link app.

For double tap, you can assign play/pause, next track, voice assistant, or no action. Meanwhile, triple tap offers even more options, including previous track, next track, volume up/down, voice assistant, Game Mode, Face-to-Face Translation, Live Translation, or no action.

In general, the touch controls work well and are quite responsive. However, I did occasionally face instances where the earbuds failed to recognize my taps, which could be frustrating, especially when trying to perform double- or triple-tap gestures.

App Support

Before getting into the audio, let’s talk about the app support. The T500 Pro uses the Realme Link app, which is Realme’s single app for all its devices, including earbuds, watches, and other IoT products. It can feel a little confusing at first, especially with sections for things like health tracking. However, once you get used to the layout, I found it pretty easy to navigate and use.

You get good control over the earbuds through the app, with options to customize the touch controls, enable features, manage connectivity, and adjust other settings. Overall, I had a good experience with the Realme Link app, and it gives you plenty of control over the T500 Pro.

Audio

Now, moving on to the audio, and honestly, this is another area where I’ve been quite impressed with the T500 Pro. Right out of the box, I really like how Realme has tuned these earbuds. The bass has a nice punch without feeling too heavy, while the treble has a good amount of sparkle. I also like the sense of openness in the sound, which makes them enjoyable to listen to for longer periods.

The T500 Pro uses 12.4mm dynamic drivers and supports Hi-Res Audio with LHDC 5.0, and in my day-to-day listening, the audio has been clean and clear. Whether I’m listening to vocals, bass-heavy songs, or something more instrumental, I haven’t really had any complaints. The sound has enough energy to keep things interesting, but it doesn’t feel overly aggressive or tiring.

And if the default tuning isn’t exactly what you like, you can play around with the EQ presets in the Realme Link app. You get Clear Vocal, Nature Balance, Clear Bass, which is the default, and Bass Boosted. I personally stuck with Clear Bass for most of my use, but it’s nice to have these options depending on what you listen to.

There’s also a custom EQ if you want to tweak things yourself. As for the other features, you get up to 50dB ANC, a six-mic system, and 45ms low latency. In my use, I haven’t had any complaints with the low-latency mode or the microphone quality either. The ANC also does a good job of cutting down surrounding noise, especially lower-frequency sounds, although it doesn’t completely block everything out.

So, while these are nice additions, what matters most to me is that the T500 Pro simply sounds good. After spending quite a lot of time with them, I’ve been genuinely impressed with the overall audio experience.

Battery

• 62mAh (earbuds) / 530mAh (with charging case)

Finally, let’s talk about battery life. The Buds T500 Pro comes with a 62mAh battery in each earbud and a 530mAh charging case. Realme claims up to 13.5 hours of playback on the earbuds alone, or up to 56 hours with the case at 50% volume with ANC turned off.

In my case, I’ve mostly been using them with ANC turned on, and the battery life has been pretty good. I was able to get through my regular listening without having to worry about charging them too often. The quick charging is also really useful, with 10 minutes of charging giving up to 10 hours of playback. So, overall, I’ve been quite happy with the battery life.

Conclusion

All in all, the Realme Buds T500 Pro is an easy recommendation at around NPR 6,000 in Nepal. It offers a sleek and comfortable design, good audio quality, and a solid set of features, including ANC, LHDC 5.0, low-latency mode, and customizable controls. The triple-device connectivity is also a standout feature and something I found genuinely useful in everyday use.

There are a few minor issues, like the occasional missed touch gestures and the lack of a physical pairing button, but they don’t take away much from the overall experience. So, if you’re looking for TWS earbuds with good sound, useful features, and reliable connectivity without spending too much, the Realme Buds T500 Pro is definitely worth considering.