Sound Investment: OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are the newest addition to the OnePlus’ reasonably priced audio accent lineup. Designed to ship premium sound high quality at a not-so-premium worth, right here’s if it managed to make me dance to its tunes.

Build high quality

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are a reasonably snug match for prolonged durations of use, whether or not or not it’s my 20-minute commute on the metro or two hours on a flight. The white-splatter sample on the gray buds is barely noticeable as a design component, however the earbuds have a smooth and minimalistic look. The charging case isn’t drastically completely different from final 12 months’s – only a tad bit extra compact perhaps.

Also learn: A mellow melody: OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

Acoustics

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 options upgraded 12.4 mm drivers which ship extra resonant acoustics. There’s additionally a brand new BassWave algorithm that works to push deeper bass and crisp, clear vocals alongside. The total sound supply is really well-balanced and never annoyingly bass-heavy in any manner.

Another vital enchancment from final 12 months’s Nord Buds is the addition of energetic noise cancellation with as much as 25 dB. While this will not maintain a number of the loud bustle round you away, it nonetheless manages to tune out the quieter workplace sounds and ship a greater “sealed” expertise particularly whereas listening to music. I may additionally select to have the ambient sound mode on whereas listening to music or podcasts, particularly on the office.

I used to be informed my voice throughout calls and on-line conferences was clear sufficient. The solely instances there have been some compaints was after I was both strolling down a loud, busy street whereas sporting a masks and speaking.

Once paired with the HeyMelody app, I can rapidly look on the remaining battery life, toggle by ANC and transparency modes. While gaming, I may swap on the choice to cut back sport lag by way of Bluetooth.

I often keep away from in-ear buds that require a tough press as they push uncomfortable in opposition to the ear canal. Thankfully, the controls on the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are mild touch-based. The controls are intuitive sufficient – single faucets to play or pause, a double faucet to skip, and a protracted press to energetic ANC or transparency modes. Other capabilities embody answering or rejecting calls, and activating the voice assistant.

While setup was seamless, typically re-pairing didn’t occur very seamlessly. More usually than I needed, I needed to re-pair with a smartphone or pill with which I’d already used the buds.

Battery life

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 provide an honest battery lifetime of as much as seven hours on a single cost, and the charging case is sweet for three-four charging cycles. The earbuds assist quick charging, with ten minutes of charging supplying you with 5 further hours of playback time. The buds have an IP55 ranking, which suggests the pair is protected against small quantities of mud and low-pressure water jets.

Verdict

Recommending the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is nearly a no brainer, largely owing to the well-balanced acoustics and easy contact controls it affords. Along with it comes an honest seal, and effective-enough energetic noise cancellation, making them best for anybody who’s trying to put money into their first pair of well-priced earbuds with ANC.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2

Pros – Well-balanced sound profile, gentle contact controls, respectable battery life

Cons – No on-device quantity management, fast pair solely with OnePlus gadgets