Forget everything you know about wireless audio quality as these new earbuds change everything.
Lossless audio finally comes to wireless earbuds with Xiaomi’s new Buds 5 Pro.
Equipped with Qualcomm’s XPAN technology, these earbuds stream uncompressed audio over Wi-Fi at twice the quality of Bluetooth.
But as is often the case with new technology, there’s a compatibility issue.
What Makes These Earbuds Different
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro are the first commercial earbuds to use Qualcomm’s XPAN technology. Launched alongside the Xiaomi 15 Ultra phone at MWC 2025, these earbuds are finally bringing the promised XPAN tech from concept to reality.
What’s the big deal? These buds use Qualcomm’s new S7 Pro chip to deliver true 24-bit/96kHz lossless audio at 4.2Mbps bandwidth. That’s double what Bluetooth can handle!
If you’ve ever felt that wireless audio doesn’t quite match up to wired quality, this is the first real solution to bridge that gap since Bluetooth audio began.
To make the most of this better audio stream, Xiaomi didn’t cut corners on hardware.
The Buds 5 Pro come with a triple-driver system: an 11mm main driver backed by a PZT tweeter and planar driver, all designed specifically to handle higher-quality sound. Harman Kardon tuning puts the finishing touch on the sound profile.
But, perhaps most surprising is the battery efficiency of the Wi-Fi model.
The earbuds come with a Wi-Fi and regular Bluetooth version. But, despite transmitting more data, the Wi-Fi earbuds offer 10 hours of battery life compared to 8 hours for the Bluetooth-only model.
This solves one of Wi-Fi’s traditional weaknesses for mobile audio: its hunger for power.
How Wi-Fi Transforms Wireless Audio
XPAN technology addresses a fundamental limitation of wireless audio by using Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth.
Advanced Bluetooth codecs such as aptX Lossless max out at 1200 kbps. But, the Wi-Fi connection enables true lossless audio without compression. Meaning, you’ll basically get as much (or even better quality at times) as wired headphones.
Aside from sound quality, another major practical advantage comes in improved range. Bluetooth typically operates effectively within 10 meters indoors. On the other hand, XPAN can maintain stable connections at greater distances throughout Wi-Fi network coverage.
You’ll also be able to walk away from your phone without the connection deteriorating, as long as you stay within the range of your Wi-Fi network.
XPAN uniquely solves another persistent challenge in wireless audio: the trade-off between high bit-rate audio and low latency.
Traditional wireless audio solutions struggle to deliver both simultaneously. The new implementation manages this balance, so it’s suitable for both critical music listening and gaming applications.
The Catch
This all sounds good and all, but, as always, there’s a catch. This time, the Wi-Fi capabilities of the Buds 5 Pro only work with the Xiaomi 15 line. At least for now.
Xiaomi hasn’t announced plans or timelines for expanding compatibility to other Xiaomi phones with compatible Snapdragon chips.
This restriction boils down to hardware requirements.
Phones need a compatible Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or 8 Elite chipset to work with the S7 Pro chip in the earbuds. Meaning, the earbuds will never work with iPhones or Android phones using processors like MediaTek, Google Tensor, or Samsung Exynos.
Both the phone and earbuds must also connect to the same Wi-Fi network for XPAN technology to function.
When you’re outside the Wi-Fi range or on different networks, the earbuds fall back to standard Bluetooth.
Compatibility might eventually include other manufacturer devices with qualifying Snapdragon chips, but Xiaomi hasn’t made any specific announcements about this.
This creates a significant hurdle for adoption. Users need both compatible earbuds and phones to experience lossless audio quality. Everyone else gets standard Bluetooth earbuds, which defeats the purpose of their main selling point.
Features Beyond Lossless Audio
While the lossless audio quality grabs headlines, the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro pack more additional features worth noting.
- Active noise cancellation rated at up to 55dB reduction with customizable modes
- IP54 water and dust resistance for workout and weather protection
- In-ear detection that automatically pauses playback when earbuds are removed
- Dual device pairing allows simultaneous connection to two devices
- AI-powered features including audio recording (up to 120 minutes per earbud), transcription, and translation
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging compatibility (works with Xiaomi 15 Ultra)
- Customizable EQ settings
- Head tracking for spatial audio and dimensional sound experiences
- “Find my earbuds” feature to locate misplaced buds
- Low latency gaming mode with directional sound awareness
- Seamless integration with Xiaomi devices running HyperOS (no separate app required)
- Touch and press gesture controls for playback, volume, and noise cancellation