You can’t expect the world from Rs2,799/$39 earbuds. After reviewing a series of much pricier products, I’ve spent the last few days trying out the new OnePlus Nord Buds. There’s something unflattering about the name to me; “Nord Buds” sounds like a prop that would’ve been used on Mork & Mindy circa 1979.

 But it matches the branding of OnePlus’ budget phone lineup, which has proven to be immpressive, so it makes sense for the company to expand the brand to budget earbuds. Regardless, the features and performance of these inexpensive buds are more relevant than what they’re called. 

The budget category of wireless earbuds is inundated with options from Skullcandy, JBL, Anker Soundcore, JLab, and countless brands you’ll find on Amazon. Most stick to the basics and aim to deliver a decent fit, sufficient battery life, and a lively, bass-heavy sound profile that can partially mask their underlying audio quality compromises. With the Nord Buds, OnePlus has checked off pretty much all of these fundamentals.

They’re comfortable to wear, can last for up to seven hours on a single charge, and their 12.4-millimeter drivers amplify bass and treble enough to make the Nord Buds perfectly enjoyable for uncritical listening. They’re also rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, which is more durable than what a Rs16,000/$200 sony earbuds will give you. OnePlus definitely picks up points there.

Like other companies, OnePlus reserves a few software features exclusively for owners of its own smartphones — but they’re fairly minor in the grand scheme of things. OnePlus phones can take advantage of a low-latency gaming mode and are able to adjust earbud settings, customize controls, and make EQ changes with the built-in Bluetooth menu. If you’ve got an Android phone from a different brand, you can install the Heymelodyapp app to access the same functions; you’re really only losing out on the low-latency trick in that case. There’s even a Heymelody app for iphone, which is admirable when companies like Google and Samsung have abandoned iOS software support for their earbuds. HeyMelody for iPhone hadn’t yet been updated to support the Nord Buds at the time of this review, but that should change soon enough.






The Nord Buds don’t look as cheap as they cost: the earbud piece is glossy, but the outer stem is matte with a circular chrome accent that doubles as the touch surface for controls. The stems are shaped like popsicle sticks, which is enough to make them feel less like AirPod clones than earlier OnePlus earbuds. You get the status quo trio of silicone tip sizes in the box, and the large pair managed to keep them firmly in my ears with a good seal and decent noise isolation. The latter is an important factor, as the Nord Buds don’t include active noise cancellation, so a tight seal is crucial to cut down on outside clamor. Comfort is an area where I’ve got no complaints; the Nord Buds gave me no soreness or irritation after a couple days of using them at length at the coffee shop and office.

These earbuds have a very bass-forward sound that also emphasizes treble frequencies. The highs are raised a little more than I’d like and can come off sharp on an odd track here and there. That’s something you can dial back with the EQ adjustments on Android, and you’ll probably want to bring up the mids while doing so. The Nord Buds aren’t shy about their smiley face Eq curve, but they still make for pleasant listening. You might be under the assumption that Rs2,799/$39 earbuds would sound muffled or indistinct, but the Nord Buds manage to overdeliver in this regard. They lack the fidelity, presence, and detailed soundstage of earbuds in the premium bracket, but if you told me I’d be stuck with these for a few weeks, I wouldn’t be terribly upset about it. That’s a good place for Rs2,799/$39 earbuds to be. 

DESIGN, COMFORT AND BATTERY LIFE

OnePlus, wasn't that the price fighter of mobile phones? The OnePlus Nord Buds isn't that much of a steal: in today's Rs3,000/$50 price range, its feature set is barebones without Active Noise Cancelling and a Transparancy mode.

The charging case is rather basic as well. It can charge the earbuds fully four times before requiring new power itself, which can only be provided via USB-C and not wirelessly. The case is too bulky to carry comfortably in a jeans pocket and it attracts fingerprints easily. Thanks to OnePlus’ simple font logo imprinted on the lid, it could easily be mistaken for a $20 offering. It's a big case for these earbuds.




The earbuds themselves are more distinctive, tying oval earpieces to round stems with a silver-shiny touch panel on the top. As almost always, this oval design is comfortable to wear for a few hours in a row. It's a natural form factor that fits easily and snug enough in most (medium-sized) ears.

They're IP55 waterproof to withstand rain and sweat, so it's easy to take these for a run or workout. Battery life is solid too, lasting up to 7 hours on a single charge.


CONTROLS AND CONNECTIVITY

The OnePlus Nord Buds controls can be changed via the HeyMelody app for Android and iPhone (although iPhone support isn't there yet), and you probably will, as this is one of these buds with the same controls on both sides of the earbuds, but too little controls overall.

With one tap either left or right, you pause or play. Two taps = skip a song. Three? Return one. Via the app, it's possible to add (de)activating the Game Mode and/or the voice assistant on your earbuds, and change the setup of the track changing controls. Unfortunately, it's not possible to change volume from the earbuds. Happily, the touch panel is easy to locate and operate, and affirms your action with a lovely little click sound.

Connectivity is solid. The earbuds pair and connect quickly when you take them out of the case, and the Bluetooth signal stays strong for more than ten meters away from your device.



There's no automatic multipoint connection, but you can switch manually between two devices once you've connected the buds to two different devices and add the control option via the app. Listening on your laptop and getting a phone call? Tap the earbuds to switch towards the phone. It works… if you keep the function in mind at the very moment, that is. Automatic switching is rare, but it definitely works better than this.

CALLS, MOVIES AND GAMES


The OnePlus Nord Buds are great for calls. The microphone puts your voice through loud and full, with also enough clarity. Even nearby noise is reduced wonderfully and barely audible in both phone and video calls. Entering a Zoom meeting while people are shoving all the furniture in the office behind you? You probably can. A combination of wind and noise can drag your voice with it somewhat - as it can on all wireless earbuds.

While watching videos on Android and iPhone goes perfectly in sync out of the box, you'll need the app first to update the earbuds and add a Gaming Mode.

When you activate this mode, there's still some delay in sound effects, but it's easy to enjoy a game like Call of Duty mobile - in which the earbuds even give you nice spatial details such as shots around you.


APP SUPPORT FOR ONEPLUS NORD BUDS

The OnePlus Nord Buds enjoys support from the free HeyMelody app for Android and iPhone. This simple app provides useful extra features, like a Gaming Mode that comes with the first firmware upgrade. The iPhone version doesn't support the Nord Buds at the time of writing, but this will likely change soon.



Apart from updating the firmware, the app lets you take a tutorial for the standard controls, lets you see the battery life of both earbuds, (de)activate the gaming mode, change the controls (but not add volume controls), and select a sound equalizer.

It's fun to play with the four preset equalizers or to create your own EQ, but apart from the bass-boosting, treble-reducing Bass EQ, the preset equalizers don't really add much. Bold gives upper-mids a metallic edge; Serenade intensifies Treble in an unnatural way. Still, the app is easy to operate and adds some useful functions.

SOUND QUALITY OF ONEPLUS NORD BUDS: AIRY


The Nord Buds have a balanced-warm sound. The mid-bass isn't the fullest as bass-tones roll-off quickly, but there's a steady slam with a real quick pacing. No, really: the bass is fast enough to make easy-going songs uplifting. The sub-bass can rumble loosely underneath it, but multiple basslines can become muddy and even distort a bit when a song pushes it.



It's a shame OnePlus didn't entirely nail this part, as the rest of the sound is so good. Lower-mids are boosted to give drums sweet impact and darker electronic tones their full, flowing presence desired in dance genres, without overtaking the rest of the sound.

Furthermore, the Nord Buds have a very pleasant tonal balance. The sound has a subtle warm undertone that doesn't color the music too much, but it also surprises with a lovely airiness. Music feels quite wide around you, and different instruments and effects appear vividly from your left and right. Separation between instruments is good, while vocals have their logical center position. Vocals have a forward and natural presentation and set themselves subtly apart from instruments.They're devoid of sharpness or harshness. There's also enough space in the sound to give center mid-tones like guitars and piano play a good presence - a rare characteristic on cheaper wireless earbuds.

Lastly, the OnePlus Nord Buds can go very loud. When you go way up though, the sound can become thin and somewhat hollow - no surprise.

Especially if you're into blues, jazz, vocal, or acoustic music, the OnePlus Nord Buds is an exceptional choice under Rs3,000/$50 with its balanced and airy sound.


VERDICT

The OnePlus Nord Buds may lack Active Noise Cancelling or a Transparency mode, but it's a strong all-rounder with an impressively balanced and airy sound on a budget.

Related search on TrailinTech4u-:

#Nothing phone 1 review

#Iphone 14 series

#World's fastest gaming smartphone

#Macbook air m2