OnePlus Nord Buds 2
The Nord Buds, which are often some of the best low-cost wireless earbuds on the market, were released by OnePlus last year, and they immediately raised the bar. They had an almost curiously low $39 price tag yet provided quite decent sound and a range of capabilities that would be adequate for the majority of users. They have even become one of my go-to pairs of earbuds, despite the fact that there are more expensive and flashier alternatives.
OnePlus is now releasing the Nord Buds 2 a little early compared to the regular annual release cycle. Much of the previous model's characteristics are carried over in the new one, but it also incorporates active noise cancellation (ANC) and makes a few other minor adjustments. The cost of this is higher at $59 however.
With active noise cancellation in addition to all the benefits of the original, affordable Nord Buds. While making a few small improvements over the first generation, the second generation has the same design and functions and maintains a very cheap price.
Specs:-
Brand: OnePlus
Battery Life: 5h / 27h (ANC on), 7h / 36h (ANC off)
Noise Cancellation: Yes
Mono Listening: Either bud
Microphones: 2 per bud
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, OnePlus Fast Pair
IP rating: IP55 (buds)
Supported codecs: SBC, AAC
Charging: USB Type-C
Driver size: 12.4mm
Price (MSRP): $59 USD / $85 CAD
Dimensions: 27.5 x 21.05 x 24.4mm (buds)
Weight: 4.7g (bud), 37.5g (case)
Color: Lightning White, Thunder Grey
Availability and Price:-
The cost of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is $59 USD or $85 CDN. You'll be able to purchase a pair straight from OnePlus at launch. By the middle of April, Amazon should be open for business.
Hardware and design:-
Between the first and second generations of Nord Buds, OnePlus decided to keep quite a few things the same. The stem of the latest model, which is pill-shaped and has a circular touch-sensitive button, is still made simply. The other notable change is that you can now get them in Thunder Grey or Lightning White, which appears to be nearly as dark as the Black Slate of the original generation.
A little bit of intense activity doesn't seem to offer much of a risk that the buds will come out because they seal into the ear rather well and are barely any lighter than the previous generation.
I can clearly feel the difference when wearing them, even though it's practically impossible to see without a very close inspection of the bulb portion that fits into the ear. The new model can annoy my ears in as little as 10-15 minutes, whereas I already found the old generation to get somewhat uncomfortable after approximately 30-45 minutes. Obviously, this varies from person to person, and it only matters if you intend to wear them for several hours at a time rather than just 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
One significant alteration was made to the casing design, indicating that OnePlus is paying close attention to the customers (or reviews) of the original. The original generation case featured clearly sharp edges that, if gripped closely, I think are likely to leave a noticeable outline in the fabric of a bag or trousers pocket. The top and bottom edges of the updated version are rounded off, effectively eliminating any dangers to your clothing.
This modification does have one undesirable side effect, though. The older squared-off form, despite having a very thin lid, nonetheless had enough of an edge that it was simple to open by pressing against just one side. As the redesigned rounded form is more difficult to hold, I have to open it with much more deliberate effort.
This time around, the magnets in the casing and earbuds appear to be a little stronger. The new buds now like to cling together in some orientations and jump into place when they are dropped into the case, but I can still easily suspend a single bud from the top of the case, just like with the previous model. But if they're thrown in a little too much off-angle, the slight size increase indicated above also makes it feasible that they can get trapped in the incorrect orientation. Although it may seem like a little issue, you must be more cautious when storing the buds.
ANC and audio:-
The original Nord Buds clearly outperformed their price range in terms of audio quality. Although I'm sure they were never meant to satisfy extremely demanding listeners, most people would be content with their sound. The Buds 2 continue where the first ones left off and actually strengthen the original's bass, which was its one real flaw.
The Nord Buds 2 now have more natural bass and slightly increased midtone clarity thanks to OnePlus' modification of the sound chamber. The HeyMelody companion app will still need to be opened in order to choose a bassier preset or adjust your own EQ settings before turning on the new BassWave feature, but the Nord Buds 2 can genuinely produce some of the authentic thud that the first model was unable to.
The main highlight of the Nord Buds 2 is active noise cancellation. Although it is undoubtedly a commonplace function in more costly wireless earphones, it is still uncommon in versions priced under $80. And like the great majority of earbuds, the Nord Buds 2's ANC only actually works to suppress a few higher-pitch frequencies while leaving the majority of lower-frequency noises unaffected. It can undoubtedly reduce the annoying fan sounds coming from my NAS, but it doesn't appear to accomplish anything else.
In actuality, you can typically eliminate ANC because there is a lot of built-in sound separation. Although I wouldn't precisely compare them to earplugs, these buds do effectively block a lot of sound. In order to make up for it, there is also a transparency mode that amplifies ambient noise while the ANC works to reduce it. Sadly, the end result is incredibly airy and produces a loud, persistent white noise similar to what most earbuds do when in transparency mode. While music is playing, it isn't too much, but if the buds are otherwise inactive, it becomes distracting.
It's important to note that during the evaluation period, there were a few small desynchronizations and glitches. Most of the time, it immediately resolved itself and resumed playing, almost as if they were in low-latency mode, but occasionally I had to put them back in the case to let them reset. This is typically a side effect of pre-production firmware, in my experience, and should typically be resolved with an update soon after introduction.
The app's features:-
The companion app is necessary for configuring and updating the buds, as you might anticipate. When paired with the company's earphones for the first time, modern OnePlus phones may also automatically install an app. You can also anticipate seeing a few unique features incorporated into the UI. Simply download the HeyMelody app (iOS version) from the appropriate app stores for all other phones. Of course, you can pair the buds without the app to any Bluetooth-enabled device, but you won't be able to customise them.
The software offers the standard selection of settings, including the ability to change the multi-tap behaviours (which can vary for each earbud), modify your EQ, change ANC modes, and enable a low-latency "Game" mode.
I can tell that the Game Mode does make a slight difference in the delay for games and unsynced videos, but not enough to make a difference after testing the latency with both my MacBook Pro and my Pixel 7 Pro. With the low-latency setting on, it feels like it's still a good half-second behind, enough that voices don't appear as they should in movies and game sounds are simply always late. It may be able to enhance this with firmware, but I can't say with certainty.
Charger and battery:-
There wasn't much time to assess battery life due to a tight review deadline and certain practical issues (e.g., FedEx frequently misses delivery deadlines). However, OnePlus claims that ANC is activated for five hours per charge and that ANC is disabled for seven hours per charge. This seems to be quite consistent with my experience so far.
If you can utilise a charging brick from OnePlus, the Nord Buds 2 support rapid charging through USB-C and should provide five hours of playtime (with ANC turned off) in just ten minutes of charging.
Should buy them?
The Nord Buds 2 are an excellent deal at only $59, much like the originals. They give the functionality that the majority of users require, however without some of the extras like multipoint networking, in-ear detection, or wireless charging. Sound quality is much closer to the $100–$150 competition than it should be.
My only real issue is a fit that makes me uncomfortable, but that's a personal quirk that won't affect everyone. The Nord Buds 2 should likely be a contender for many individuals, unless you're looking for a particular feature, audiophile-level quality, or a different fit.
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