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Haylou W1 vs Realme Buds Air8 Pro: which should you buy?

On aggregated review scores the Realme Buds Air8 Pro comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 84. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.

Our pick: Realme Buds Air8 Pro - Outstanding overall at around $74.

Score breakdown

Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.

Realme Buds Air8 Pro leads on 6 of 7 measures.

  • Haylou W1
  • Realme Buds Air8 Pro
HearWiki score
51
84
Sound
5.5
8.4
Noise cancelling
-
8.4
Battery
5.6
7.2
Calls
6.5
8.5
Value
5.9
9.2
Price (USD)
$40
$74

Generation & platform

The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?

New platform

Realme Buds Air8 Pro (2026) against Haylou W1 (2021). The Realme Buds Air8 Pro is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.1 against 5.3, Top codec LHDC against aptX Adaptive and ANC type Adaptive against None. It also adds Multipoint pairing and Water resistance IP55 against IPX4.

  • W12021
  • Buds Air8 Pro20265 yr newer
What differsW1Buds Air8 Pro

Platform

Bluetooth
5.3
6.1
Top codec
aptX Adaptive
LHDC
ANC type
None
Adaptive

Everyday features

Multipoint pairing
No
Yes
Water resistance
IPX4
IP55

Level on: USB-C, Custom EQ, Companion app.

Specifications

W1Buds Air8 Pro
Type
True Wireless
True Wireless
Price (USD)
$40
$74
HearWiki score
51
84
Released
2021
2026
Availability
Discontinued
Sold new
Driver
2-driver hybrid
2-driver hybrid
Driver type
hybrid
hybrid
Driver size
7 mm
11 mm
Drivers per side
2
2
Frequency response
20 Hz - 20 kHz
20 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance
32 Ω
-
Bluetooth
5.3
6.1
Codecs
SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive
SBC, AAC, LHDC
Multipoint pairing
No
Yes
Latency
65 ms
45 ms
Wireless range
10 m
-
Battery life
6.5 h
12 h
Battery incl. case
35 h
50 h
Full charge time
120 min
120 min
Quick charge
-
10 min → 11 h
Wireless charging
No
No
Active noise cancelling
No
Yes
ANC type
-
adaptive
Companion app
Yes
Yes
Custom EQ
Yes
Yes
Wear detection
-
Yes
Controls
-
touch
Weight
4.6 g
4.8 g
Case weight
-
53 g
Water resistance
IPX4
IP55
USB-C
Yes
Yes
Microphones
6
6
Call noise reduction
-
Yes
Call NR technology
-
AI ENC

What reviewers said

Haylou W1

The Haylou W1 is a budget-friendly true wireless earbud that focuses on clear call performance and a comfortable fit, powered by a hybrid dual-driver setup. While its sound signature can lean bright and it lacks noise cancellation, it offers solid everyday features like aptX Adaptive support and an IPX4 rating for a reasonable price.

  • Pro:Strong call quality with six microphones
  • Pro:Comfortable and lightweight design
  • Pro:Supports aptX Adaptive for low-latency audio
  • Con:Sound can be overly bright at times
  • Con:No active noise cancellation
  • Con:Lacks multipoint connectivity

Realme Buds Air8 Pro

The Realme Buds Air8 Pro are feature-rich wireless earbuds that deliver strong adaptive noise cancellation, clear call quality, and a versatile hybrid driver setup for under $100. They offer a long 12-hour battery per charge, Bluetooth 6.1 with triple-device multipoint, and IP55 water resistance, making them a solid everyday choice. Sound tuning requires some adjustment to get the best performance, but the overall package is impressive for the price.

  • Pro:Strong adaptive ANC and usable transparency mode
  • Pro:Long 12-hour battery life with 50 hours total via case
  • Pro:Triple-device multipoint connectivity
  • Con:Sound tuning needs effort to optimize
  • Con:No wireless charging support
  • Con:Battery life per charge may vary depending on usage

Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.

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