OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review: Affordable earbuds packed with features
OnePlus's first Nord Buds was a basic pair of TWS earbuds, but one that offered sound customizations through the companion app; something not available on OnePlus earbuds till then. In addition to that, it featured an unusual design that was polarizing to an extent in terms of likeability but unique for sure. It got most of the basics right and was a decent option in the crowded segment, though nothing special. The company has decided to push the envelope further with its sequel by adding active noise cancellation to the mix without bumping up the price much. The design also gets a coat of polish and there are promises of improvements in three key areas - sound quality, call quality and battery backup. Can the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 dominate the budget TWS earphones segment? Let's find out.
Buds retain their design, case looks better, fit remains comfortable
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 retain the design of the first Nord Buds with the distinct pill-shaped stems. The only thing different here is the finish, with the company switching to smooth matte from gloss; a welcome change that makes them feel a lot less plasticky. The case gets the same finish too that makes it smudge-free. It now has rounded edges that easily make it look more premium than its predecessor. It is marginally smaller and lighter too but still not pocketable. While the finish feels good to touch, it looks grainy on close inspection. OnePlus prefers to call it 'tasteful speckled accents' which can easily be mistaken for dust or dandruff (only one of my friends saw it that way, but now I can't unsee it). The metallic paint and elevation on the touch zones on the Nord Buds are replaced with subtle glossy circles here. The touch sensitivity is good and the buds produce a sound every time you tap in the zone. The Nord Buds 2 have an IP55 rating for dust and fluid resistance; just the buds, not the case. Battery capacity stands at 480mAh for the case and 41mAh for each bud. A charge indicator LED can be spotted at the front of the case, while a USB-C charging port and a camouflaged Bluetooth pairing/reset button are located at the back. The buds are fairly light at less than 5 grams each while the case weighs around 38 grams. The buds fit snugly in the ears and do not pop out even during a workout or a jog. One can wear them for hours without any discomfort. The right-sized silicon tips from the three bundled pairs offer good passive noise isolation.
Custom sound presets and ANC top the list of features
Just like its predecessor, each earbud is fitted with a 12.4mm dynamic driver as well as two microphones for calling and AI noise reduction in calls, and this time they also need to take care of active noise cancellation (ANC), the very feature that sets these earbuds apart from the first Nord Buds. When switched on, it can reduce ambient sounds up to 25dB. OnePlus has skipped the wear detection sensors again, something we are not pleased about. The Nord Buds 2 are compatible with the HeyMelody app that you need to install on non-OnePlus phones or on older phones from the company prior to the OnePlus 6. The HeyMelody app is available for iOS and Android both. The app lets you configure the controls and update the firmware, and of course, you have the Sound Master EQ (equalizer) too that lets you tweak the output and create your own sound profiles. More on that in a bit. Through the companion app or Bluetooth settings on compliant OnePlus phones, you can assign play/pause, previous/next track, voice assistant or nothing to single, double and triple tap gestures for the left and right earbuds. Touch+hold lets you switch between ANC profiles - ANC on, ANC off and Transparency mode. The last option lets ambient noise through so that you can be aware of your surroundings or have a quick chat without removing the buds from the ear. You still cannot assign volume control to any of the gestures. The Bluetooth version has jumped from 5.2 to 5.3 but the codec support remains the same - SBC and AAC. They also support Dolby Atmos when paired with compliant devices. The latency figure hasn't been specified by the company but there was no noticeable lag between the video and audio when streaming videos. The wireless range is perfectly fine with the connection staying strong at 10 meters with a clear line of sight.
The equalizer facilitates better balance in sound but ANC underwhelms
These buds are quite loud and rarely did I need to go beyond 60% volume even when outdoors. Just like the Nord Buds, the default sound signature here on the 'Balanced' profile is bass-heavy. There's just too much loose bass that causes auditory masking in the midrange spectrum leading to a soft midrange response. Even vocals feel subdued in several tracks. Bold preset offers better balance, while Serenade is better suited for stuff like podcasts. And of course, there's a Bass preset too for more bass; never mind! Unlike when reviewing the first Nord Buds, we didn't stress about the default sound or the presets, and once we were done experiencing them, we headed straight to the Sound Master EQ. It offers a six-band equalizer that lets you tweak the sound and create your own audio profiles. While it doesn't create magic and make the Nord Buds 2 sound like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, it does make a significant difference to the sound quality by bringing a better balance. There is no one-shoe-fits-all solution when it comes to sound preference. It differs from individual to individual, and one should play around with the equalizers to finetune the output to suit their taste. We would suggest pushing the mids bars (3rd and 4th) up by a few units and lowering the second bar a bit for sharper mids and better vocal clarity. The reproduction of highs is a little better here than the Nord Buds making the overall output more lively in comparison. And finally, we come to the new addition here - ANC. Unfortunately, it isn't very impressive. Yes, this is an inexpensive product but we have seen better ANC in this budget too. It reduces certain sounds but doesn't eliminate most of them, and that includes even the noise of the fan in the room, let alone the traffic when outdoors. Transparency mode is passable for the segment.
Impressive call quality and battery backup, fast charging is more-than-handy
The call quality on the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 sees a definite improvement over its predecessor. It is pretty good indoors as well as outdoors. The person on the line was clearly audible and I was heard by the caller with ample clarity. When outdoors, the AI noise reduction does a very good job of keeping the ambient noise in check. It cannot eliminate the noise entirely, but it does not let it impact the voice clarity much, making this a good option for those looking for TWS buds for calling. The battery backup of the Nord Buds was one of its strong points, and that hasn't changed here either. In fact, the Nord Buds 2 case promises a bit more juice. The company advertises five hours and seven hours for the buds with ANC on and off, respectively, and 27 to 36 hours with the case with or without ANC. During our testing with loudness under 60%, the earbuds managed to match the figures with ANC on and go a little beyond seven hours with ANC off. The case can recharge them four more times. That gives you an overall battery backup of 25 hours for the buds and case combined with ANC on and at least 10 extra hours without ANC, which is quite impressive. Fast charging figures are similar to its predecessor, which weren't bad to begin with. A mere 10 minutes charge can give you close to five hours of playtime without ANC, which is more than handy. The product can be fully charged in about 90 minutes. The battery level of each earbud as well as the charging case is visible on OnePlus phones or in the HeyMelody app.
Performance and features make it a solid option
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is priced at Rs. 2,999 and comes with a one-year warranty. That's just Rs. 200 more than the first Nord Buds at launch. Yes, the ANC is not great here, but it is still a lot better than no ANC at all, and you are almost getting it for free. Add to that a better-looking product, slightly better sound quality, higher battery backup and good call quality for a tiny premium, and it spells much better value for money. It doesn't skip any good features of its predecessor either, and you get the Sound Master EQ, configurable controls, fast charging and the unique buds design on the Nord Buds 2 too. All things considered, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 offers a lot of goodness under Rs. 3,000 and earns our recommendation. Yes, as always there is competition in the segment, but from just a couple of players, mainly from Realme. The Realme Buds Q2 and the Realme Buds Air 2, both offer slightly better noise cancellation in this budget, slightly more detail in sound, customizable touch controls, three sound profiles but no custom EQ. Their battery life or the call quality, though not bad, cannot match up to the Nord Buds 2. The Buds Air 2 which sells at a price similar to that of this OnePlus product also has wear detection sensors. The Buds Q2 plays the price card well and can be found between Rs. 1,999 to Rs. 2,499. Choose one with features that are more relevant to you.
