nice sound with small points for improvement

With a new collaboration in the field of sound, OnePlus hopes to score high with its OnePlus Buds Pro 2. How do these new Buds from OnePlus work and what sound quality can you expect from these in-ears. Today in our test the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review

OnePlus has released another set of in-ear headphones. It is the successor to the OnePlus Buds Pro, which we tested two years ago. Let’s see what OnePlus has improved in the meantime and whether the collaboration with Dynaudio has been a good step.

In the package

We received the green variant (Arbor Green) from OnePlus, it is striking that it still seems necessary for a set of in-ears to send a fairly large package. In addition to the case and the in-ears, we also find a few extra fits in the box. A short USB-C cable is also included. You will also find some paper in the form of a quick start, warranty and conditions.

In use

Moving on to using this OnePlus Buds Pro 2, pairing the headset is straightforward and a breeze. That is also because the headset supports Google Fast Pair. You will see a notification on your phone when it is near the headset.

We start some music and let ourselves be surprised. We notice that the sound seems to be more balanced. The bass tones sound warm and not exaggerated, voices are clear and the highs are pleasant to listen to. We can hear that well in Michael Jackson’s Beat It, for example, and we can hear the right balance in Coldplay’s Orphans. If we want to put the bass tones to work for a while, the Buds Pro 2 know what to do with Tate McRae’s – uh oh, this colors the over-modulated bass tones nicely within the lines.

For example, these in-ears seem well suited for different types of music, but how is that on the road? The Buds Pro 2 have active noise cancellation, ANC for short. In the standard mode in which ANC is on, it is noticeable that some sound is still being passed through. You can still hear some buzz, especially in a busy train. That is mainly in the high tones because the low is absent when we are not playing music. Work in progress for the successor!

Other functionalities

What you can of course also do with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is to control your music without using your phone. For example, a single squeeze on the end pauses the music, squeezes twice for the next song and three times you go back a song.

With the option “Golden Sound” in the headset settings you get a hearing test in which you indicate whether you can just hear a beep. This is done in three minutes and the headset is completely adjusted to your hearing.

Via the app you also have the option of setting sound profiles and creating a custom equalizer. A recent firmware update for the Buds Pro 2 also adds BassWave and a sound profile composed in collaboration with one of the most famous film score composer Hans Zimmer. On a special page of OnePlus you can hear a special recording with spatial sound for the Buds Pro 2. BassWave should improve the bass tones a bit, but the difference in sound with or without the function is quite minimal.

Battery life

The in-ears last an average of one working day, which translates into about 8 hours of playtime. The Buds Pro 2 are charged through the case and according to OnePlus, 10 minutes is good for 50% charged earphones. If you have a QI charger on your desk, feel free to put the buds on your charger, they will also be charged. In total you can complete about 3 days of 8.5 hours with ANC. You can easily add another day without using noise cancelling.

Judgement

OnePlus has upgraded its Buds Pro 2 compared to the Buds Pro. The sound quality has improved considerably, but the active noise cancellation still lets through a bit high. The price of this OnePlus Buds Pro 2? 179 euros. For this suggested retail price, there is little to criticize about this OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which produces beautiful portable sound in every segment.

You can find the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 in the OnePlus, Coolblue, Amazon or Belsimpel stores.