OnePlus is moving into the premium segment with the new Buds Pro, in this review we found out whether it is really premium.
In 2021 there is a huge choice in terms of Bluetooth earphones. The icing on the cake are, of course, those earphones with active noise cancellation. OnePlus is now also participating in this segment with the brand new Buds Pro. But to what extent can the Chinese tech brand compete with the top?
Good quality for a low price. Well, OnePlus has fluctuated a bit in that regard in recent years. The 9 Series smartphones of the brand are certainly not cheap. While the Nord series does combine good hardware with a competitive price tag. The new Nord 2 is certainly a winner in that regard. The OnePlus Buds Pro seems to be somewhere in between. It’s not cheap, it’s not terribly expensive either. You could describe it as the golden mean.
OnePlus Buds Pro review – specifications
The wireless earphones of the brand come in two colors. Matte Black or Glossy White. Definitely choose the black one if you don’t want to look like the umpteenth AirPods copy. In our case the Matte Black variant. The earphones support Bluetooth 5.2 and have an IP55 rating. This makes them water and sweat resistant to a certain extent.
The wireless range of the Buds Pro is about 10 meters and active noise reduction comes in the form of Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation, as the brand calls it. The included charging case has a 520 mAh battery. The caps themselves each have a 40 mAh battery. 10 minutes of charging means 10 hours of listening pleasure thanks to the support of Warp Charge. It is possible to charge the case wirelessly using Qi technology. The packaging consists of the following:
- 1 x Pair of OnePlus Buds Pro Earbuds
- 1 x OnePlus Buds Pro Charging Case
- 1 x User Manual
- 3 x Silicone Earbuds (S, M, L)
- 1 x Safety and Warranty Card
- 1 x USB Type-C Charging Cable
OnePlus Buds Pro experience
And, how do they give birth? I must immediately say that they are a lot nicer than the cheaper Buds. However, some getting used to it is necessary. At least, in my case. You can feel them in your ears and it took me some effort to get over them. If you’re listening to good music, you don’t pay attention to that.
The Buds Pro sit firmly in your ears. Move your head as hard as you can, they really won’t fall out! Handy during sports or running, when you have a lot to do with movement.
As far as the audio quality is concerned, the Buds Pro score very well. Are you a real music lover and do you want to hear all instruments string tight, then this is not the product for you. For example, the bass isn’t very impressive, but it’s not a deal breaker. I am sure that this is more than enough for the average consumer. On the bike to work or on the train listening to music via the Buds Pro is where the product excels. The convenience of the earphones in combination with okay listening quality is worth a thumbs up. If you travel 3 hours up and down every day, I would say; opt for headphones.
Active Noise Canceling
I would describe the active noise suppression with a satisfactory rating. OnePlus is not setting the new standard here or anything. Edge noises such as the wind, a creaking door or footsteps of a roommate are well filtered. If the same roommate is on the phone, you can still hear the voice in the background. After all, they are earplugs and not headphones. So completely shutting yourself off from the world is not one of them. During a long plane flight, my preference is for quality headphones with noise reduction instead of the OnePlus Buds Pro. For everyday life, however, the Buds Pro are fine.
Service
The ears are operated by touching the stem. This is definitely not my thing. Several times it happened to me that I was correcting the ears in terms of seating position. You then sit on that stem and hop, before you know it you have accidentally pressed a ‘button’.
A funny feature is the Zen Mode Air. You can listen to soothing sounds with it. It is very personal whether you benefit from that. I’m tired of those sounds after 3 minutes of listening, but I can imagine that there are people who will make use of this.
Battery life
The battery life is really great I must say. The OnePlus Buds Pro last up to 38 hours if you use the charging case in between. Just 10 minutes in the case and you can go for another 10 hours.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Buds Pro cost € 149. Presale started on August 18. The earphones are very pleasant to use and have a fairly long battery life. If you’re hoping for a premium experience, the Buds Pro may disappoint. They are not as expensive as premium competitors and so is the quality. The charging case is not made of the most beautiful material, the sound quality is not excellent and the active noise cancellation has its limits. On the other hand, the Buds Pro are almost half cheaper compared to the AirPods Pro from apple.
Pros
- Sits firmly in your ears, won’t fall out
- Price is okay considering the quality
- Active noise cancellation is a nice addition
- Long battery life
- Wireless charging of the case
Negatives
- Active noise cancellation sometimes gets stuck
- Sound quality not for the gourmet
.
