Modern wireless headphones have become an essential attribute of life, allowing you to enjoy music in a noisy subway or talk clearly on the phone on a busy street. However, owners of the popular Xiaomi AirDots 2 model often face confusion about noise reduction functions, as marketing descriptions and real-world specifications can vary. It is important to immediately understand that this model implements passive noise insulation technology and electronic ENC system for calls, rather than active noise cancellation (ANC) for music, as in the older series.
Getting the microphones right and understanding them will allow you to make a big difference in the quality of your audio when you talk. Many users don't know that there are a number of steps you need to take to activate all the voice cleansing functions available, including firmware updates and proper pairing. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to make the most of your device's capabilities using built-in audio processing algorithms.
It’s worth noting that the absence of the ANC button does not mean poor communication quality. Xiaomi engineers have implemented a smart system that automatically activates noise filtering when you start a conversation. Your task is to ensure that the system works correctly by following certain guidelines for operating and maintaining the gadget.
Technical features of noise reduction in the model AirDots 2
Xiaomi AirDots 2 (also known as Redmi AirDots) is based on a Realtek chipset that supports Bluetooth 5.0. This provides a stable connection, but imposes power consumption restrictions, which directly affects the ability to implement active noise cancellation. Unlike flagship models, it uses ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) technology, which works solely to improve the quality of voice transmission to the interlocutor.
ENC works by analyzing the surrounding acoustic background with built-in microphones. Real-time algorithms separate the user's voice from extraneous sounds, such as wind, traffic, or crowd hum. However, this feature does not create "silence" inside the earphones themselves for the listener, it only clears the signal coming from you.
- 🎧 Microphones: Each earphone has a sensitive microphone that picks up voice and background noise.
- 📡 Bluetooth 5.0: Provides sufficient bandwidth to transmit processed audio stream without delay.
- 🔋 Energy efficiency: lack of energy-intensive ANC Allows the device to work up to 4 hours in talk time.
It's important to distinguish between passive and active insulation, and passive noise insulation is achieved by tightly fitting ear canals, which physically blocks some of the external sounds, an effect that many users mistake for active noise reduction when listening to music at high volume.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t expect external noise to disappear completely when listening to music, as the AirDots 2 model doesn’t have active anti-noise speakers to play out phase-out.
Configure with Mi Earbuds Basic 2
To manage additional features and check the status of the device, it is recommended to use a specialized application Mi Earbuds Basic 2 (available for Android and iOS). Although there is no direct button on “Enable noise reduction”, the application allows you to update firmware, which is critical for the correct operation of the ENC algorithms.
The setup process starts with connecting the headphones to your smartphone. After pairing, launch the app and wait for the data to sync. If the software version is outdated, the system will suggest updating the firmware, which may contain patches to improve the performance of the microphones.
In the app interface, you can see the charge level of each headphone separately, which indirectly affects the quality of the electronics. At low charge, some energy-intensive audio processing functions can work less efficiently or turn off automatically to save energy.
☑️ Checking readiness for setup
You can also find additional options for the connected device in your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings, sometimes with the “Absolute Volume” or codec settings, which can affect the final sound quality and microphone performance.
Instructions: How to activate the voice cleaning mode
Since the noise reduction function in Xiaomi AirDots 2 works automatically during calls, the user does not need to perform complex manipulations to turn it on, but there are nuances that guarantee the activation of the ENC mode. First of all, this is the use of headphones specifically for voice calls through the cellular network or messengers.
To make sure the system works, try making a test call in a noisy place.The algorithm should automatically switch to voice priority mode.If you use headphones to record voice messages or a voice recorder, the recording quality will also depend on the activity of these algorithms, although in some third-party applications they may not be activated.
The sequence of actions for verification:
1. Connect AirDots 2 to your phone.
2. Open the voice recorder application or messenger.
3. Start recording or calling in a noisy environment.
4 Ask the person to rate the purity of your voice.Remember that triple tapping on the touchpad (often confused with mode switching) in this model is designed to call the voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant).
The secret of activating maximum noise reduction
Technology Comparison: ENC vs. ANC
Understanding the difference between technologies will help you realistically evaluate the capabilities of your gadget. ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) uses microphones to pick up outside noise and generates a sound wave in antiphase to quench it. This requires significant battery resources and sophisticated electronics.
At the same time, the Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) installed in AirDots 2 focuses only on voice transmission. It doesn't create silence for you, it creates silence for your interlocutor. It's an effective budget solution that allows you to communicate comfortably without yelling into the phone.
| Characteristics | ANC (Active) | ENC (In AirDots 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Silence for the listener | A clean voice for the interlocutor |
| Working in music | Yeah, clears the noise. | No, only when you call. |
| Impact on the battery | High (up to -30% of the time) | Minimum |
| Cost of implementation | Tall. | Low. |
That’s why you might find noise reduction mentioned in the Xiaomi AirDots 2 specs, but you won’t find the cherished power button when checking. The manufacturer honestly indicates the technology’s presence, but the consumer needs to understand the context of its application.
⚠️ Note: Use of third-party apps from Play Market or AppStore stores promising to enable ANC» This model may cause Bluetooth to be unstable or warranty loss.
Improved sound quality and insulation
Even without active noise cancellation, you can significantly increase the level of insulation from external sounds. The key here is the proper fit of the headphones. Complete with Xiaomi AirDots 2, replaceable silicone embushes of different sizes (S, M, L) are usually available.
Sizing up the right size is not just a matter of comfort, it's also a necessity to create seals that are sealed. If the earphone is not tight, the low frequencies (bass) will evaporate and the external sounds will penetrate, causing you to twist the volume to the maximum, which is harmful to hearing.
- 👂 Landing Check: The earpiece should sit tight but not cause pain after 30 minutes of wearing.
- 🧼 Hygiene: Rub the speaker and microphone mesh regularly, as earwax can clog holes and make work worse. ENC.
- 🔄 Replacement of embushures: Over time, silicone loses elasticity; replacement with new (original or high-quality analogues) will return tightness.
You also need to pay attention to the equalizer in your music player, and by raising the low frequencies, you can create a sound curtain effect that subjectively drowns out the monotonous hum of transport, mimicking the work of the noise maker.
💡
Try the double seal technique: insert the earpiece, turn it back slightly, and then gently press your finger to release excess air and achieve a perfect fit.
Typical problems and ways to solve them
Users often complain that noise cancellation is "lost" or unstable, 90% of the time it's not due to a malfunction, but to software failure or contamination, and if you hear a lot of noise during a conversation, try rebooting your headphones.
To reset the Xiaomi AirDots 2 settings, you need to place both headphones in the case, open the lid and pinch the touch buttons on both headphones simultaneously for 5-7 seconds (or use the case reset method if the model implies the presence of a button on it, although in the basic version of AirDots 2, reset through 5 quick presses on each headphone outside the case is more often used, then re-pairing).
Instructions for complete reset (Hard Reset):
1. Remove the device from the Bluetooth list on the phone ("Forget the device").
2. Remove the headphones from the case.
3.Push and hold the touch zones on both headphones for about 5 seconds before turning off.
4Press and hold again about 15-20 seconds before the red indicator appears (reset)).
5. Put in the case, close, open and re-compose.If the problem persists after the earpieces are reset and replaced, there may be a hardware malfunction of the microphone, in which case software activation of noise reduction is no longer possible, and maintenance is required.
💡
The stable operation of ENC in AirDots 2 depends on the cleanliness of the microphone holes and the current version of the smartphone’s Bluetooth drivers.