OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord Buds, the company’s first budget true wireless earbuds in the Nord series, in India last month. It doesn’t have ANC, but comes with Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC audio codec, has 12.4mm drivers, and promises up to 30h total playback. Are these the best budget true wireless earbuds from OnePlus? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box Content:
OnePlus Nord Buds in Black Slate Colour
USB Type-C charging cable
Ear tips in Small and Large sizes (Medium-sized tips pre-installed)
Quick start guide and Safety guide
Starting with the design, the headset is housed in a round charging case that fits your pocket. The case has a matte finish, so it doesn’t easily attract fingerprints or smudges easily. The charging case measures 67.9×35.5×28.68mm and weighs 50.33g (47.23g for White). There are left and proper markings for each bud to be placed in the case.
A tiny LED indicator on the front glows in green and red colors.
The USB Type-C port is present on the back, and a setup button.
The headset has a plastic build with a glossy finish on the inside that attracts fingerprints easily, even though the other side has a matte finish. There are microphones present on the top and the bottom of each earbud.
The earbuds weigh about 4.77 grams (4.82g for white), which is light. The earbuds feature an in-ear design and come with medium-sized ear tips pre-installed. You can change to bundled Large or Small-sized ear tips if you wish. It doesn’t have an Optical Sensor for Wear Detection, so you have to use the touch interface to play or pause.
Overall, the headset offers a decent build quality except for the glossy finish and fits your ears perfectly so that they don’t fall off your ears quickly, even during outdoor activities like running or cycling. The earphones also have IP55 ratings for dust and water resistance to withstand splashes or light rain, but you can’t use them when swimming. There are no IP ratings for the case like the Buds Z2.
The OnePlus Nord Buds supports Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC audio codec. We can’t expect LDAC for the price. The connection range is around 10 meters, which is common in most headsets, and the connection quality is good. The pairing process is easy for OnePlus (6 or later) devices. Just enable Bluetooth on the OnePlus phone, open the charging case of the buds, place the charging case close to the phone, and follow the prompts. This works even with phones with the ColorOS base, such as realme.
To connect to a non-OnePlus phone or another Bluetooth device:
Place the Nord Buds into the charging case with the cover opened.
Press and hold the setup button in the case for 2 seconds to enter Bluetooth settings.
Select OnePlus Nord Buds.
Place the buds into the charging case with the cover opened to restore factory settings.
Press and hold the setup button of the charging case for 10 seconds until the indicator blinks red.
We tested it on the release GT 2 Pro and OnePlus 10R and never faced any pairing or disconnection issues. Since the phone pairs with the case and not the headset, you will need the case if you want to reconnect it or even turn on the headset if it’s disconnected from the phone.
You can customize the controls from the settings in the Hey Melody app on Android and iOS or from Bluetooth settings if you have other phones. You can change single, double-tap, and triple tap control options.
There are options to choose from equalizer settings such as Balanced (Default), Bold, Serenade, and Bass. There is also a custom equalizer option. If the phone has Dolby Atmos, it works with the earbuds.
Conclusion
Overall, the OnePlus Nord Buds offers good audio quality for the price and has different customization options. It also has a compact design and offers a long battery life. It is priced at Rs. 2,799 it is available from Amazon. In Flipkart, OnePlus.in, OnePlus Experience Stores and partner stores
Pros
Good audio quality
Good call noise cancellation
Comfortable fit
IP55 ratings
Good battery life with fast charging
Cons
No volume controls
Glossy headset design
Dolby Atmos and ultra-low latency work better with OnePlus phones.
