At the product launch event held by Xiaomi on March 13, 2025, the company announced the Japanese release of flagship devices such as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra smartphone and the 11.2-inch Xiaomi Pad 7 tablet.
Among these announcements, however, the product that quietly caught my attention as someone covering AV equipment was a slightly premium pair of true wireless earbuds: Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro.
This model comes in two versions: a Bluetooth edition and a Wi-Fi edition. The Wi-Fi version supports audio transmission over Wi-Fi, and the sound quality turned out to be better than expected, which honestly got me excited. It felt like a moment where I could finally say, “Is this the next breakthrough for wireless earbuds?” That experience is what I want to share here.
That said, at the moment this feature only works when paired with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Xiaomi says compatible devices will gradually expand, so this is something worth keeping an eye on going into 2026.
Solid Hardware Specs, Including a 3-Way Driver and Recording Features
This is the Wi-Fi version of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro. Instead of relying solely on Bluetooth, it can transmit music data using Wi-Fi.
While the full details are covered in the original news article, the core specifications of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro (both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth versions) are worth summarizing. Active noise canceling is now a given, but this model clearly sits in the higher-end category, featuring a configuration where three drivers are driven by two separate amplifiers—an approach that reflects real cost and care in audio design.
Although not explicitly stated on the spec sheet, the earbuds use a proprietary three-way driver system. The three drivers are arranged coaxially in a concentric structure and powered by two amplifiers, resulting in a notably elaborate internal design.
The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro lineup includes both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi versions, with differences in price and color options. The Wi-Fi model is available only in black.
There’s also an unusual feature that allows recording by pressing the case button three times. When paired with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the earbuds support AI translation and voice transcription (scheduled to become available around summer 2025). Xiaomi says support for additional smartphones will follow.
What Is Qualcomm XPAN, the Technology Enabling Wi-Fi Audio?
Now to the main topic: Wi-Fi connectivity. As introduced in a previous related article, this feature is made possible by Qualcomm XPAN.
According to the explanation provided earlier, Qualcomm XPAN is a wireless audio technology designed to work with the latest-generation smartphone SoCs and compatible wireless earbuds or headphones. It creates a wireless communication environment using Wi-Fi protocols, while transmitting audio signals compressed with Bluetooth audio codecs.
The key advantage is support for lossless, uncompressed hi-resolution audio—from 96kHz/24bit today, and potentially up to 192kHz/24bit in the future—while keeping latency to an absolute minimum.
Qualcomm states that this is the first time the XPAN technology has been implemented in a consumer earbud product.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro supports a wide bandwidth of up to 4.2Mbps, enabling transmission of 96kHz/24bit high-resolution audio.
The Sound Is Completely Different When Connected via Wi-Fi
At the product launch venue, I connected the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro (Wi-Fi version) to a Xiaomi 15 Ultra and played some music.
While the listening session was limited to a small selection of tracks stored locally on the device, it was still enough to clearly feel the sonic advantage of the Wi-Fi connection.
Even without Wi-Fi, the base sound quality of Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro can be described as clean and flat, without any unnatural emphasis in specific frequency ranges. The earbuds deliver a tight, well-controlled sound.
The track used for evaluation was “Stop Those Bells” by Sara.K, an acoustic live recording. The earbuds reproduced the lingering resonance of the live performance with convincing clarity and resolution.
That alone would already be impressive for earbuds in the ¥20,000 range, but what truly stood out was the comparison between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.
Active noise canceling is on the stronger side, aggressively suppressing ambient sound across all frequency ranges. Personally, this type of ANC can feel a bit uncomfortable, but for users prioritizing silence, the performance should be more than satisfying.
The audio source was a 96kHz/24bit hi-resolution file from an HDTracks sampler featuring Sara.K’s “Stop Those Bells.”
I first listened using Bluetooth (AptX Adaptive), then switched on “Wi-Fi Mode.” The difference was not subtle. The most immediate surprise was the volume level.
With Bluetooth, I had to raise the volume to around 80–90% to reach a comfortable listening level. With Wi-Fi, around 60% felt equivalent. This likely relates to the increased thickness and weight of the sound, resulting in a more engaging listening experience. The change was far greater than I expected from a simple shift in transmission method.
Given that Qualcomm XPAN is described as transmitting Bluetooth-compressed audio over Wi-Fi, I hadn’t anticipated such a dramatic difference. Whether the compression method or audio processing pipeline differs internally is unclear, but it feels like there’s more at play than bandwidth alone. This is something I plan to investigate further in future articles.
Switching Between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Is Simple
First, connect the earbuds to the smartphone via standard Bluetooth settings, just like any other wireless earbuds.
Then, enable “Wi-Fi Mode” from the earbud settings. It can be turned off as well, making it easy to compare Bluetooth (AptX Adaptive) and Wi-Fi playback.
Conclusion: Wireless Audio in 2026 Should Watch Qualcomm XPAN
Experiencing music playback over Wi-Fi using Qualcomm XPAN made it clear that this technology has real potential to improve wireless audio quality. Beyond sound quality, further benefits such as reduced latency are also expected, suggesting broader improvements to the overall listening experience.
The main limitation for now is compatibility. At present, Wi-Fi audio is only available with the combination of Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro. That said, support for additional smartphones and audio devices is expected to grow.
As we move through 2026, Qualcomm XPAN is a technology well worth paying attention to. While support is still limited, Wi-Fi audio on devices like Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro shows clear potential as more compatible smartphones and earbuds reach the US market.