OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is the latest generation TWS earbuds from the company and is the successor to the last year’s OnePlus Nord Buds. One of the major highlights of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is its 25 dB ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) which was missing on its 1st gen Nord Buds. Other highlights include an improved 36 hours of music playback, quick charging, Dolby Atmos support, and more. Here’s more about the earbuds in our full OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Specifications
- Driver: 12.4 mm dynamic driver, Titanized vibrating diaphragm
- Driver Sensitivity: 111 dB ± 3 dB @ 1 kHz 179mV
- Microphones: 2 + 2 dual microphones on each earbud (total 4 mics)
- Frequency Response Range: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C
- Wireless Range: 10 meters
- Bluetooth Codec Support: AAC, SBC
- Protection: IP55 (earbuds)
- Features: 25 dB Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, BassWave algorithm, Dolby Atmos, Dirac Tuner, Sound Master Equalizer, 94ms ultra-low latency, fast pairing, touch controls, in-ear detection, HeyMelody App
- Battery Runtime: 41 mAh (earbuds), 480 mAh (case), ANC Off – up to 36 hours of music playback (earbuds + case), up to 7 hours of music playback (earbuds), ANC On – up to 27 hours of music playback (earbuds + case), up to 5 hours of music playback (earbuds)
- Charging Time: 60 minutes (earbuds), 90 minutes (earbuds + case), 10-minute quick charging (5 hours playback)
- Colors: Thunder Gray, Lightning White
- Weight: 4.7 grams (each bud), 37.5 grams (case)
- Price: ₹2,999
- Availability: 11th April 2023 on OnePlus.in, Amazon.in, Flipkart, Myntra, OnePlus Experience Stores, and select partner stores.
- Offers: ₹200 discount on ICICI Bank cards and EMI (till 17th April 2023)
Design, Build Quality, & Ergonomics
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 flaunts a matte finish oval-shape designed casing with curved edges as you can see in the images, it looks quite a bit different than the predecessor which has a flat-style non-curvy casing. The Nord Buds 2 is made from eco-friendly recycled materials and comes in two – Thunder Gray and Lightning White colors.
The backside of the case has a USB Type-C port that supports 10-minute quick charging while the front side has an LED indicator that shows the power, charging, and low battery. The case weighs about 37.5 grams and the earbuds weights around 4.7 grams each with an IP55 water-resistant design, lighter than Nord Buds.
Opening the case, the earbuds you see are identical to the 1st gen, we tried to put the Nord Buds in the new casing and it surprisingly fits inside. The earbuds look quite unique from its rivals and also look fantastic when you wear them.
Each earbud comes with dual microphones (a total of 4 on both), one at the bottom and one around the eartips. You will see two pins on the buds used for charging, the outer side has gesture control for controlling the music and calls.
Hardware, Audio Performance, & Features
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 offers better features over its predecessor, such as a longer battery life, ANC, a newer Bluetooth version 5.3, etc. The Nord Buds 2 is a midrange TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds featuring titanium coated 12.4 mm drivers using N52 neodymium magnets for improved sensitivity and powerful sound output.
The Nord Buds 2 also uses a new BassWave algorithm that dynamically enhances the sound for a bass-boosted and balanced listening experience with crisp and clear vocals. The audio quality on the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 sounds similar to its first-gen Nord Buds, but we can say the overall sound output is great, thanks to the BassWave feature. You can expect a reasonable sound quality on OnePlus Nord Buds 2.
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 now offers ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) that can eliminate up to 25 dB of ambient noise. This is a great addition to the earbuds, the predecessor Nord Buds was lacking the feature. The Nord Buds 2 uses ANC which is highly effective and isolates the environment. The ANC performance on the Nord Buds 2 is so far great for this price budget.
The earbuds offer a total of four microphones (2 + 2), a Dolby Atmos + Dirac Tuner, and offer Sound Master Equalizer via the Hey Melody app. The frequency response range on the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is much wider from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Other features include Transparency mode, 94ms low latency mode for gaming, fast pairing via Bluetooth 5.3, touch controls, and in-ear detection.
Note that the earbuds do support Dolby Atmos and Dirac tuning, but you don’t see the premium features like Spatial audio and LHDC 5.0 Hi-Res Audio which has a transmission rate of up to 1 Mbps. The earbuds rather use the standard AAC (44.1 kHz, 16-bit, 264 kbps) and SBC (48 kHz, 16-bit, 320 kbps) audio codecs which are widely popular in Bluetooth-enabled earbuds.
The earbuds connect via Bluetooth 5.3 and Google Fast Pair and support full features via the Hey Melody app. OnePlus HeyMelody app that lets you connect and use many of its features including firmware updates. The app displays battery information, controls for Active Noise Cancellation, audio tuning & equalizer, gesture shortcuts, and more. The app is available for Android and iOS platforms.
Battery Runtime & Charging
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 earbuds offer a USB Type-C charging port support for a 10-minute quick charge. A quick 10-minute charge can deliver 5 hours of music playback and charges fully in 60 minutes (earbuds only) or in 90 minutes (earbuds + case). No wireless charging is available since it comes under the midrange category, you might get wireless charging support on premium earbuds priced higher.
For its battery, each earbud packs a 41 mAh battery and 480 mAh in the charging case. Compared to its previous generation i.e. OnePlus Nord Buds, the battery capacity remains the same, however, the overall battery life has been improved – a total of 36 hours in Nord Buds 2 vs a total of 30 hours in Nord Buds.
OnePlus says the Nord Buds 2 can deliver a music playback of 7 hours (earbuds) and 36 hours in total with the case on a single charge (ANC off). With ANC turned on, it delivers 5 hours on earbuds and 27 hours on earbuds with the case. The battery life drops by 9 hours delivering up to 27 hours with active noise cancellation (ANC turned on) with the case whilst 5 hours on only earbuds.
If you are using it more for phone calls, you get up to 3.5 hours (ANC disabled) or 4 hours (ANC enabled) on earbuds and a total with the case up to 19 hours (ANC disabled) or 17 hours (ANC enabled). This is on continuous usage, it depends on how frequently you use ANC on the earbuds and set the volume levels, you are most likely getting more battery runtimes if you have mixed usage.
You get very good battery runtimes in this price range, the Nord Buds 2 can offer a music playback of up to 36 hours in total with ANC disabled and that’s pretty much all you need. The battery life on the earbuds is exceptionally great and stands out in its segment. If used 4 hours a day, the earbuds can last about 8-9 days on a single full charge. As we assume, you have to charge the earbuds + case fully 3-4 times a month for a 4-hour daily usage. The battery life may vary depending on the use of ANC and volume levels.
Verdict – OnePlus Nord Buds 2 Review
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 offers better features over its predecessor, a stunning 36 hours of battery life, now with ANC support. In addition to these, fast charging support, Dolby + Dirac tuner, IP55 waterproof rating, and exceptional sound quality make it a top-notch contender in its segment. For those having a budget under ₹3,000 for a pair of earbuds, this would be one of the best earbuds you can get.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 – Where To Buy?
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 comes in Thunder Gray, and Lightning White colors and is priced at ₹2,999. The earbuds will be available from 11th April 2023 on OnePlus.in, Amazon.in, Flipkart, Myntra, OnePlus Experience Stores, and select partner stores. Launch offers include ₹200 discount on ICICI Bank cards and EMI till 17th April 2023.
