In the crowded market for true wireless earbuds, standing out from the competition has become increasingly difficult. OnePlus tries it with the new Buds Pro, noise-canceling in-ear headphones that combine a new design (and less inspired by Apple’s AirPods) with premium features such as active noise cancellation and Dolby Atmos, which only works with OnePlus smartphones from model 7 onwards .
We have tried them in preview and we can certainly promote them: they are an honest product, which lives up to its promises and combines good audio quality with active noise cancellation that works well, but without surprising. The only element that has not convinced us is the price: not because they are not worth it 149 euro, given the technical equipment, but because on the market there are competitors who play evenly, both for specifications and for audio quality, but cost up to 50 euros less.
OnePlus Buds Pro, everything you need to know
Here are all the salient features of the new earphones from OnePlus which makes sense to keep in mind when comparing with other similar products:
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
- Dynamic drivers da 11mm
- 4.35 grams of weight per headset
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Battery life: 5 hours with ANC, 7 hours without (respectively 23 hours and 31 hours including case)
- Fast charging: 10 minutes (via USB-C) for 10 hours of music playback
- Reload wireless on the case
- IP55 sweat and dust protection
- Presence sensor to start or stop the music when putting on or removing the headphones
- Fast pairing with OnePlus devices
- Noise reduction in calls thanks to AI
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OnePlus Buds Pro: how they go
We tried the Buds Pro with both an iPhone and a OnePlus smartphone and it immediately became clear to us that the overall experience is superior in the second case. In particular for the speed with which the Buds Pro connect to the device, for the possibility of activate Dolby Atmos mode and then for the low latency, especially useful if you wear headphones while playing.
For the rest, the audio quality is good regardless of the smartphone: i bass are present and warm enough, the alti not excessively crystalline. Good performance with very different genres, from rock to ambient, as it is reasonable to expect from headphones that aspire to be versatile and suitable for everyone.
We also tested the call quality, which according to the interlocutors is very good. The presence of an algorithm that distinguishes our voice from the background makes itself felt during phone calls: it is capable of effectively reducing wind noise as well. Active noise cancellation is also very good. We have tried the Buds Pro on the plane and the effect is great: the noise of the engines disappears and the sounds of the cabin are also effectively damped. OnePlus has implemented an adaptive noise cancellation feature on these earphones that should adjust the attenuation intensity based on external noise. We were unable to notice any particular differencesHowever, and in general here we prefer to have direct control over the level of noise cancellation rather than letting the software decide.
The functions of the OnePlus Buds Pro are possible adjust from the HeyMelody app, available for both Android and iOS: it is well done, intuitive and simple to use, even if it is a generic app that also works with Oppo headphones. From OnePlus we would have expected at least a dedicated app, more in line with the design and style of the brand. In addition to the controls of the headphones, from the app you can access the Zen Mode Air, an evolution of the Zen Mode of Oxygen OS: it is a series of white noises that can be reproduced at will to promote concentration or relaxation, to use for studying, working or falling asleep.
Finally, the app includes two other very useful functions: the Fit Test, to check that the headphones are positioned correctly in the ear and that the correct size rubber tips are being used; the OnePlus Audio ID, a second audio test that checks the shape of the ear and adjusts the equalization accordingly, to ensure the best possible audio quality. Both work well, but while the Fit Test actually helped us to better position the earphones, in the case of the Audio ID we could not detect radical differences in the quality of the music played through the headphones.
Tech Test
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OnePlus Buds Pro: what we liked
- Quality audio and noise cancellation work well
- The battery lasts a long time and recharges quickly (via cable): in 10 minutes you get to 10 hours of playback (counting headphones and case)
- Design different from most competitors
- Great integration with OnePlus devices, on which Dolby Atmos mode is also available
- Ergonomics: The headphones fit very well and stay firmly in the ear even when running or exercising
- Resistance to sweat and rain IP55 (IPX4 for the enclosure)
What to improve
- The plastic of the custody charging does not communicate quality, especially to the touch, and the opening mechanism is slightly loose
- During calls the noise cancellation creates an excessive isolation effect, which we have not encountered with other headphones
- The price it could have been a little lower to outperform the competition of the same range
Conclusions
If you already own a smartphone OnePlus (from 7 onwards) and are you looking for a pair of true wireless headphones with good audio quality and noise cancellation, then surely these OnePlus Buds Pro are for you. The same goes for the other brands too, so it becomes difficult to recommend these earphones to who uses Samsung instead of Buds2, or a who has an iPhone instead of the AirPods Pro (net of the price differences of the latter). It is not OnePlus’ fault, but it is the destiny of the medium-high-end true wireless earphones, all accessories that base the value on the functions linked to the ecosystem they belong to. The OnePlus Buds Pro are a convincing product even when used with other smartphones and are worth considering if you are looking for a pair of ANC earphones, but in this case the competition becomes tight, and it becomes difficult to ignore the higher price compared to competing products with very similar characteristics and audio quality.
The OnePlus Buds Pro can be pre-ordered until August 24 and will be available from day 25 on OnePlus.com and on Amazon; they cost 149 euros
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