OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is one of the top-selling true wireless earbuds in the competitive
segment, winning over audio enthusiasts seeking economical options without compromising on audio
quality. We used this product for a couple of weeks. Here is everything to know about Oneplus Nord Buds 2.
In a hurry? No time to read?
Table of Contents
What’s in the box?
The packaging quality is good. The box contains the following:
⦁ OnePlus Nord Buds 2 earbuds
⦁ OnePlus Nord Buds 2 charging case
⦁ User guide
⦁ Silicon ear tips x 3 (S, M, L)
⦁ Safety and Warranty card
⦁ USB Type-C charging cable
Specification Overview
Design and features
The Oneplus Buds 2 has a stylish, ergonomic design and is made from eco-friendly recycled materials. The case looks sturdy enough and has a sprinkled paint finish over it, which could look like dust first, but nothing to worry about- it is just a design. It comes in two colors- White and Grey.
The case has a compact design with curved edges and weighs just 37.5 g making it light and comfortable to carry. The charging port and pairing button are at the rear while the indicator light comes in the front. The buds are seated over a pretty strong magnet inside the case, not to worry about the buds falling off from the case.
The earbuds have a flat, broad stem with the same “dust spec design” and weigh around 4.7g. The buds have a rear cavity design for a comfortable fit in the ear. With the right-sized ear tips, it snugs perfectly so that it won’t slip even if you go for a jog. The seal also enhances passive noise cancellation and improves the audio experience. Oneplus Nord Buds 2 is a good choice for extended listening sessions due to its lightweight and comfortable fit. Your ears won’t get fatigued!
Sound Quality
While discussing the sound and call quality of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 the main things to be pointed out are the Active noise cancellation, Basswave algorithm, and the master equalizer.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 comes with a 25 dB active noise cancellation feature. It has 3 different modes- ANC, Off, and Transparency.
You can switch between these with one long press on the touch control. ANC performs brilliantly indoors and decently outdoors. So once you start playing audio with the ANC on, there is no going back to the OFF mode. Transparency helps you to be aware and engaged with the environment around you.
Nord Buds 2 features a massive 12.4 mm driver with a titanium coating BassWave™ algorithm that dynamically enhances the bass to your audio experience. Another feature is the Sound Master equalizer with 4 preset sound profiles -Balanced, Bold, Bass, and Serenade and of course, there is an option for custom EQ! Nord Buds 2 also supports Dolby Atmos. The OnePlus sound ecosystem- built in Dirac Audio Tuner along with Dolby Atmos will give you an ultra-immersive audio experience.
While switching to game mode, the normal latency offered is 94 ms which itself is quite phenomenal. If connected to a Oneplus device the latency comes to 47ms, which is exceptional. Nord Buds 2 is a good option for gamers too! (Performance in general, is the best when connected to Oneplus devices)
The call quality is impressive with effective ANC, AI Clear calls algorithm, and the dual mic design – one for call clarity and the other for noise cancellation. The mic quality seems to be pretty decent in this price range.
Battery life and playback
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 has a battery capability of 41 mAh per earbud and 480 mAh for the charging case. The wired charging time is 60 mins for the earbuds and 90 mins for the earbuds and charging case together. A quick charging of 10 mins can offer a playtime of 5 hours.
When fully charged, the Nord True Wireless Buds 2 offer an impressive playtime. With the ANC on, the playtime is 5 hours for the earbuds alone and 27 hours for the charging case. If the ANC is disabled, it extends to 7 hours for the earbuds and 36 hours for the charging case. For phone calls, with the ANC enabled, the talk time would be 3.5 hours for the earbuds and 17 hours with the case while turning the noise cancellation off offers a talk time of 4 hours for the earbuds and 19 hours with the case.
IP55-Water and Sweat Resistance
Oneplus Nord Buds 2 has an IP55 rating- it is water, dust, and sweatproof. The point to be noted here is that liquid and dust damages are not covered under warranty. So IP55 rating doesn’t mean that you can take it underwater but yes, you can wear it in your gym.
The Touch Control: How Good Is It?
The touch control is placed on the broad stem of the buds. It is sensitive enough to make sure that the touch command is registered easily. It is reasonably detailed and can be customized in the Bluetooth settings on OnePlus devices or via the app on non-OnePlus devices.
If you are playing a soundtrack one tap will start or stop the music. Double tap to move forward to the next song, triple tap for the previous soundtrack, a long press to switch between ANC modes and a slightly longer press to switch to the other paired device.
The Buds 2 doesn’t have an in-ear feature, so the music won’t play or stop automatically while you insert or remove the wireless buds.
Pairing and connectivity
This TWS has a range of 10m connectivity and supports Bluetooth version 5.3. It supports fast pairing with the OnePlus series 6 and above running on Android 11 or later versions. OnePlus devices will have all the controls in the Bluetooth setting after the Nord Buds 2 is connected meanwhile non-OnePlus devices will require the HeyMelody app. We have prepared a detailed guide on pairing.
Summing It Up
This is the best budget earbuds you can buy for your OnePlus phones. However, if you are looking to pair it with some other smartphone, the audio quality will be likeable, and nothing extraordinary for the price. OnePlus seems to be going the ‘Apple way’ of providing brand-exclusive experiences.
