Before you purchase the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, you will be required to give an honest answer to a challenging question: Is having excellent musical fidelity more important to you than having the best possible Active Noise Cancelation (ANC)?
If you answered “yes,” then the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 should be on your radar because the company has formed a partnership with Dynaudio. After listening to them for a few weeks, I came to the conclusion that they might not be as appealing if you want the best of both worlds, which is something I discovered for myself. This is how they normally behave.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 design
These compact earbuds have a polished stem and a matte finish for an eye-catching look. The color “Arbor Green,” which can be seen in our photos, was designed to complement the “Eternal Green” color of the OnePlus 11 smartphone. There is also a black version of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 available. The case is the same color as the device and is made of plastic with a subtle grain pattern. This results in it being lightweight, but it has the appearance and the sensation of being easily scratched.
The overall design hasn’t really been altered much since the OnePlus Buds Pro, but there have been some minor tweaks here and there. The weight of each bud has increased by half a gram, while the dimensions have shrunk by one or two millimeters on each side. However, it is a more manageable weight. Both the earbuds and the casing of the Buds Pro 2 have the same water resistance rating of IP55, while the case has the same rating of IPX4. This implies that you will be able to listen even if it is raining, and even your sweat won’t have an effect on them.
The fit of the Buds Pro 2 is comfortable for me. OnePlus claims that it has streamlined the earbud casing for a better fit, and I can attest to the fact that they fit rather comfortably in both of my ears. They haven’t come out while I’m working out, but sometimes it feels as if they don’t seal very well for me. This is because OnePlus, unfortunately, only includes a choice of three differently sized alternative silicone ear tips, which is a little restricted. I would have liked to have more options. I thought the ones in the middle were just right, but the larger ones were just a touch too big for me.
This is the only thing that can be said about the fit and comfort of the earbuds that is unfavorable, but I do believe that the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 would have almost perfect in-ear fit and comfort if the silicone tips were a little bit more adaptable, or if a set of foam alternatives were included in the package.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 features
Bluetooth 5.3 allows for connectivity with Android as well as iOS devices while using the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. If you have a current OnePlus phone with OxygenOS 12 or 13, you can find all of the options baked within the operating system. However, you will need to look for them because for some reason they are tucked away. If you don’t already have it, you’ll need to download the HeyMelody app, which you can do from either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The iOS platform lacks support for certain capabilities, like the Spatial Audio format. You can move between devices without any problems, the Bluetooth range has been really good, and the connection has been very stable.
The Dual Connection feature, which allows the Buds Pro 2 to connect to two devices at the same time, is one of my favorite aspects of this product. Because it is not turned on by default, you will need to enable it through the options menu before you can use it. The earbuds had no problem remaining connected to both the phone and the computer at the same time and continued to play audio without making any complaints. It’s a useful function, and it performs quite well. There is also an option for Fast Pair, and after pushing the button on the case, it just took a few seconds for the case to pair with each of the devices that I tested it with.
Touch controls are located on the stems of the Buds Pro 2, and they respond with button-like haptic feedback when pressed or squeezed. These controls are used to control the device. The lengthy stems make the controls responsive and make it simple to find their location. It is awkward to switch between the noise cancelation being on, off, or in the transparency mode because it plays a sound that is not particularly descriptive to accompany each settings. You find yourself cycling through the modes or reaching for the app in order to determine which option is now active. This is because the fit can be inconsistently snug, and the noise-cancellation effect isn’t always as noticeable as it could be.
An equalizer, a Game Mode, a fit test, and a “Golden Sound” mode that tunes the sound based on your hearing and the anatomy of your inner ear are also included in the app’s feature set. Additionally, the noise cancellation feature may be customized through the app. When you use it, the sound of the headphones will undoubtedly be altered, and you will also have the ability to save multiple settings. The last mode is called Zen Mode Air, and it allows users to store and play back one of five various ambient sounds (ranging from white noise to the sound of waves lapping on the shore).
OnePlus has not yet offered a specific timetable for the introduction of the function; however, it has confirmed that it would be included at some point in the future and that it will utilize the earphones to send information regarding the user’s posture. Squeezing the stems of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is slightly less awkward and uncomfortable than pressing the body of the ‘buds, as you would do with pairs like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which is how you control the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and use the app. Controlling the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and using the app is not any better or worse than using other true wireless earbuds.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 sound and listening capabilities
Inside each pair of OnePlus Buds Pro 2 earbuds is an 11mm and 6mm driver that was developed in collaboration with Dynaudio. These drivers support SBC, AAC, and the LHDC 4.0 Lossless codec. I tested the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 with the OnePlus 11, an iPhone 14 Pro, a 2020 iPad Pro, and an M1 Mac mini. I streamed music from Tidal, YouTube Music, and my personal library in addition to streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and Vimeo.
The song “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran is a fantastic illustration of the Buds Pro 2’s strengths. Vocals that are centered, genuine, and forceful inside a large soundstage with a strong bass kick that does not overshadow the ever-present midbass and percussion. Because of how they bring that nearly overproduced stereo effect that repeats itself throughout the song to life, listening to it is an engaging and exciting experience. They give out a very good impression.
Not every music is as successful as others, and the Buds Pro 2 sometimes sounds muddy and confusing in guitar-driven pop tracks. This gives the impression that the headphones are straining when they are being pushed to their limits, which leaves you feeling a bit dissatisfied.
It is essential for the voices to be placed front and center in the music that I listen to, and the Buds Pro 2 are successful in this regard nearly entirely independent of the genres of music that people listen to. There is a greater amount of bass than on the Apple AirPods Pro, and the voices have a great deal more depth and emotion than on the Nothing Ear 1. Despite this, I have not had the opportunity to compare them to Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 have a tone that is broader and more bright in comparison to the original AirPods Pro; nonetheless, they are unable to match the excellent precision, stereo separation, and balance of the AirPods.
However, it is the manner in which they process vocals that have won over my heart for the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The adorable chirps of each and every Woo! During “Rollercoaster,” Ah member stands out, and the song’s baseline actually pumps away the whole time, turning it into an experience that is immersive, fun, and exciting—exactly what the song ought to be. Throughout Nogizaka46’s rendition of Koko ni wa Nai Mono, the vocals are kept distinct and are placed front and center on the stage. As a result, the build-up to the chorus sounds amazing. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 truly shine when it comes to music with a strong emphasis on the vocals.
But the Buds Pro 2 have a better potential for deeper bass, and as a result, they can be more exciting to listen to. I find that the AirPods Pro are clearer and more controlled than their predecessors. The call quality is fantastic, whether I’m making a voice call or a video call using my Mac; either way, I’ve used it with a variety of different phones. On the other hand, the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature may result in issues, which I will discuss in more detail later.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2: The Next Generation of Audio
Fixed and Head Tracking are both modes that can be selected from inside the settings menu on your phone for the Spatial Audio feature, which is now included in Android 13. I put the function to the test on the OnePlus 11, which the company introduced alongside the Buds Pro 2 earlier this week. If you dig far enough into the convoluted settings menu for Spatial Audio, you will find a demonstration that allows you to hear the difference between the two modes. An update will be released later in the month of February, which will include a specially tuned Spatial Audio EQ that was designed by composer Hans Zimmer.
If you watch spoken word on YouTube, you will notice the Spatial Audio effect; however, the implementation on YouTube is not as effective as Apple’s. The issue is that it moves from left to right when your smartphone is not in the center of your field of vision, which causes it to distinctly mute the earphone on the opposite side of your head. Especially when additional pressure is exerted when noise canceling is active, it gives you the weird sense that the earbud has suddenly stopped working. It takes a few seconds for it to reposition itself and sound more natural after the initial shock.
When listening to music, the effect is slightly less distracting than normal, but still has a significant impact on the way the song sounds overall. To make Spatial Audio function, there is a whole lot of algorithmic wizardry going on in the background, and not everyone is going to like how it changes the tone, bass, and vocals of different songs. When it’s not as fluid as it should be, the feature becomes more of a distraction than anything else, and I’m not yet sure that there is any value in using Spatial Audio on Android.
Both watching content on Netflix (although I do not pay for the Premium subscription level, which may be a contributing factor) and listening to content on Google Podcasts did not appear to have any effect while using the Spatial Audio feature. It is a feature that I would not like to use very often on the Buds Pro 2, due to the weird sensation that it currently produces and the lack of widespread support that is available free of charge.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2: Active Noise Cancellation
The noise canceling mechanism on the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is one that I do not like. In addition to the difficulties involved in actually activating it, which were covered earlier, I do not believe it to be very efficient. Due to the fact that both the on and transparency modes artificially bring sounds from the outside environment, it may be extremely challenging to differentiate between the two at times, particularly when listening in specific environments. When active, active noise cancellation can give otherwise innocuous noises from the outside world a metallic and eerily magnified quality. When you use the transparency mode, it will sound exactly the same as your own voice, and it won’t come close to being as nice or natural as it does with the AirPods Pro.
Even if the noise cancellation feature is activated, I am still able to clearly hear myself typing on a mechanical keyboard. Furthermore, this keyboard is not very loud. I am currently wearing them while I type this. Worse, these ambient sounds that aren’t blocked out tend to grow sharper when mixed with voices, and this can make it uncomfortable to have ANC on, particularly when making phone conversations.
When utilizing ANC, louder sounds, such as passing traffic or dull, continuous noises like ambient conversation and machinery, are muffled; nonetheless, the effectiveness of ANC is significantly lower compared to that of the Apple AirPods Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2. Despite the fact that I truly like the way the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 sounds when listening to music, I have found myself reaching for both of these when I really need to shut out the world. As the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 have not yet been released, I can only review what I hear while using them. There is a possibility that an upcoming software update will improve the OnePlus Buds Pro 2’s performance.
The ability to effectively filter out ambient noise is a function that is crucial to me, and the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is lacking in comparison to the competitors in this regard. I’m not sure whether this is a software glitch, an issue caused by the earbuds not always sealing well, or just the way they’re supposed to be, but I do know that the ANC is typically a lot better than it is here.
Battery life and charging capabilities of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2
Because OnePlus has made some bold statements, consumers have a great deal of anticipation surrounding the Buds Pro 2’s battery life. On paper, utilizing the 520mAh case battery, you can expect 25 hours with active noise cancellation turned on and 39 hours without it, and nine hours from a single charge of the 60mAh battery in the earbuds when active noise cancellation is turned off. The housing comes with a quick charge feature that, after only ten minutes of charging, should give enough power for three hours of listening. Additionally, wireless charging is included in the design of the case.
The longevity of the battery has been satisfactory. After three and a half hours of utilizing the headphones for voice and video chats between various devices when the active noise cancellation feature is turned on, their capacity is reduced from 100% to 50%. According to this, you should be able to use it continuously for about seven hours. This is longer than you would probably get from the AirPods Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, both of which should give roughly five hours with the active noise cancellation feature turned on.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 price and availability
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 has a price tag of $179 and will be made available for purchase beginning on February 16; pre-orders were available beginning on February 7. Both the color featured in the photographs here, Arbor Green, and another color, Obsidian Black, are available for them. You will be able to purchase them from both the OnePlus online store as well as Amazon.com. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will be available in the United Kingdom on February 16 at a price of 179 British pounds; their release date is also February 16.
With the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, you find yourself in a challenging situation.
It is possible to detect the presence of Dynaudio in the sound that is produced by the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, and this has brought the headphones to life. I really love the punchy bass and the amazing manner in which they treat vocalists, and I have a lot of fun listening to music on them. Even after three or four hours of continuous usage, they are lightweight and comfortable, and the battery life is outstanding. Additionally, the battery life is excellent. It’s nice that the Buds Pro 2 are compatible with a wide variety of devices, and they include all of the essential features that make using them a breeze. However, the ANC feature does not perform as expected, the Spatial Audio feature is a gimmick, and it is disappointing that the price has increased in comparison to the OnePlus Buds Pro.
For in-ear noise cancellation, I’ve found that both the AirPods Pro and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro from Samsung are much more effective than conventional headphones at isolating me from ambient noise. Both of these headphones are more expensive than the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, but the excellent Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Jabra Elite 7 Pro may be purchased for close to the same amount of money. If you frequently use ANC, either of these might be a better choice for you. The disappointing active noise cancellation (ANC) and the increased price bring down the overall impression of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which is sad given how well they perform when it comes to merely playing music.
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