Lava’s new lineup of smartphones provided something fresh this year.
Lava ProBuds: What’s good?
Design, Build quality: The Lava ProBuds feature a great design that looks sleek in matte black. The vertical case also has a nice, sturdy hinge to it. A couple of additions that we liked here include the battery status LEDs on the outside of the case, which is where they should be, unlike some products that have now started placing it inside the lid.
Another interesting element we weren’t very sure about is the charging port on the side of the case instead of the bottom or the back. This certainly snatches the case of its symmetric design when it is on charge, but then makes it convenient when you are charging the case with your phone’s reverse charging or a power bank.
The earbuds themselves are some of the best we have tested in this segment. Everything from the weight, the fit and the comfort are on point, even when using the ProBuds for longer sessions. However, that again could be subjective to your ear size and design. Thankfully, there are replaceable silicone tips here for that.
Unfortunately though the port is still a micro-USB one and not USB-C, which is weird considering Lava’s own top-end budget phones have moved on to USB-C.
Sound: Coming to the most important aspect of the Lava ProBuds, the sound is not too impressive, but not bad either. Sounding just like a lot of other budget earbuds, the ProBuds give out a clean output that is fairly crisp considering the price here. However, with this price comes the lack of depth and richness, which can be blamed on the small 5.8mm drivers.
As a result, instrument separation is not great, observable in sounds with multiple layers like ‘Faint’ by Linkin Park or ‘My Immortal’ by Evanescence. While it might sound like complaining, the Lava ProBuds is still competitive with and better than a number of entries when it comes to this price bracket. Also, the bass is decently punchy so if you are into bass-heavy music only, you should be good.
Connectivity: One of the best aspects of the Lava ProBuds is one where a number of other budget devices usually falter and that is good, solid, reliable connectivity. The Lava ProBuds are great here, instantly connecting to a number of devices including multiple phones from popular brands.
The pairing process was also a breeze. There are also absolutely no issues with the ProBuds’ individual earbuds connecting with each other. Simply pull the buds out of the buds and the buds are connected to each other and to your device by the time they’re in your ear, each time.
Battery Life: The Lava ProBuds also feature good battery life and can last between 4 to 5 hours in one go, and maybe more, depending on the kind of music you’re listening to and the volume levels. Practically speaking, unless you are into longer music or call sessions, a single charge should easily last you a couple of days at least.
Lava ProBuds: What’s not good?
Call Quality: Like a lot of budget earbuds, there is one area where the Lava ProBuds struggles and that is call quality. Unfortunately, the dreaded ‘budget-bluetooth-earbuds-call-quality’ is an evident trait in calls as parties on the other end in blind tests, almost always complained of muffled voices and an overall poor sound quality.
You can still make calls, and yes, they should work fine if you are in a quiet place. But if you pick or make a call with the ProBuds in the middle of a busy day at the office or from a cafeteria, you will be repeating sentences quite often.
Verdict: Who should get the Lava ProBuds?
The Lava ProBuds offer a decent sound experience, comparable to many other rivals in its segment, but it is aspects like battery life, reliable connectivity and a solid build quality that make the ProBuds stand out from the crowd. You will find similar sounding earbuds at a price of Rs 2,199 or even a tad lesser. However, if those aspects we mentioned above are important, this is a solid product to consider for those who want to just have a consistent music-listening experience without too many calls.
