Reviews

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review: Great sound, decent ANC

The earbuds are co-created by Dynaudio, a Danish company that specializes in high-end loudspeakers.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are the latest wireless earbuds from the Chinese smartphone maker, and they aim to compete with the likes of Apple, Sony, and Samsung’s premium audio offerings. They come with active noise cancellation, spatial audio, hi-res audio support, and a sleek design.

They are also co-created with Dynaudio, a Danish company that specializes in high-end loudspeakers for home systems, professionals, and cars. But how do they sound and how are they as a daily driver? Let’s dive in.

Design

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 has a sleek and elegant design that resembles the AirPods Pro 2, with a glossy white stem and a matte black ear tip. You can choose between two color variants: Arbor Green and Obsidian Black.

The stem has a pressure-sensitive area that lets you squeeze to control various functions, such as playback, calls, and noise cancellation. The earbuds are comfortable to wear and fit snugly in the ears, thanks to the three sizes of silicone tips provided in the box.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

The earbuds are IP55 rated for water and dust resistance, while the charging case is IPX4 rated. The case is also small and light, with a USB-C port and Qi-certified wireless charging support.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

The case can store up to 30 hours of battery life with noise cancellation on, while the earbuds can play up to 9 hours on a single charge. The case also supports fast charging, giving you 10 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging.

Performance

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is powered by dual drivers that consist of an 11mm woofer paired with a 6mm tweeter. The sound quality is influenced by their collaboration with Dynaudio, which has provided its expertise in acoustic engineering and tuning. The result is a warm, detailed, and enjoyable sound with a wide dynamic range and sound stage.

They support Bluetooth LE Audio, which is a new standard that promises better sound quality, lower latency, and multi-streaming capabilities. They also support LHDC, which is a hi-res audio codec that can deliver up to 24-bit/96kHz audio quality. However, these features are not widely supported by other devices yet, so you may not be able to enjoy them fully.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

To make the most out of the earbuds, we recommend you use its companion app. You can do without it, of course. Since the earbuds support Android’s Fast Pair, you can easily connect them to a smartphone in just a few taps. But the app, called HeyMelody, allows for more customization, firmware updates, and other premium features, such as Golden Sound, a personalized sound by means of a hearing test, and sound profiles, which you can select based on your preferences.

The earbuds’ adaptive noise cancellation can automatically adjust the level of noise reduction based on your environment. You can also manually choose between these modes: Mild, Moderate, Max, and Smart.

The noise cancellation is decent, but not as effective as some of the best (and more expensive) noise-canceling earbuds on the market. It can effectively block out low-frequency noises like MRT train tracks, traffic, or airplane engines, but it struggles with higher-pitched sounds like voices or music, which it only muffles instead of eliminating.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 also features transparency mode, which lets you hear your surroundings clearly without taking off the earbuds. You can activate it by squeezing the stem or using the HeyMelody app. The transparency mode is good for situations where you must be aware of what’s happening around you, such as crossing the street or talking to someone. I found the transparency mode to be clear and almost natural-sounding, without too much distortion or hissing.

One of the highlights of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is spatial audio, which creates a surround sound effect for compatible videos. The feature uses head-tracking technology to adjust the sound based on your head movements, giving you a more immersive experience. At the time of writing, spatial audio only works with the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 11R. It will support more OnePlus phones in the future.

Final Remarks

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is a positive mix of features and sound quality. The collaboration with Dynaudio was fruitful. They sound good and have some impressive features like spatial audio, hi-res audio support, and fast charging, but they also have some drawbacks like limited noise cancellation and limited compatibility with non-OnePlus devices.

Still, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is a solid alternative to Apple and Sony’s premium audio products if you want a reliable and sleek pair of earbuds that can deliver great sound during long commutes and air travel.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is priced at ₱9,990. It is available at OnePlus kiosks nationwide, and online on Lazada and Shopee.

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

Write A Comment