OnePlus Nord Buds is a budget-friendly wireless earbuds, packed with punchy bass and impressive battery life for under $50. It provides 7 hours of playback with single charge, let’s now more in this review, design, audio, setup noise cancellation.
Design and Comfort
![OnePlus Nord Buds Design and Build quality](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/OnePlus-Nord-Buds-Design-and-Build-quality-1200x675.jpg)
Regarding the design, the OnePlus Nord Buds have two colors options a black slate or white marble. One positive aspect of the design is its compactness, Despite having short stems that dangle down, they don’t droop all the way to your chin, providing a comfortable fit. The selection of differently sized silicon tips ensures a snug fit for your ears.
The compact, lightweight design and the minimal dangling of stems mean the buds stay secure during activities like walking. Weighing only 5 grams each, they are comfortable for extended use, though ear fatigue may set in eventually.
OnePlus Nord Buds is IP55 water resistance adds to the design’s appeal. I experienced a torrential downpour a few days ago, and the buds survived without any issues. The water resistance also covers sweat, making them suitable for gym workouts or outdoor activities without concerns.
Setup and Connectivity
![OnePlus Nord Buds Setup and Bluetooth Customization](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/OnePlus-Nord-Buds-Setup-and-Bluetooth-Customization.jpg)
If you own a OnePlus smartphone, then you have a quick connect feature—just open the case, and they pair automatically. You not need any separate app; navigate to Bluetooth settings, select OnePlus Nord Buds, and access earbud functions.
You can see the battery life percentage, audio presets, and touch controls, including a handy find my earbuds feature. If you don’t have a OnePlus phone, download the Hey Melody app from the Google Play Store for customization options.
Touch Controls
Moving on to controls, unfortunately OnePlus Nord Buds lack sensors to automatically pause when taken out of your ears. You must manually pause and resume content, the touch-sensitive panels on the stem’s top end are simple and effective. A quick tap on either bud pauses or resumes audio, a double tap skips forward, and a triple tap skips back.
The touch controls are intuitive, and customization is limited. I set up double taps for track skipping, leaving triple taps deactivated. While you can activate your smartphone assistant with a long press, adjusting volume requires using your smartphone. The stems are useful, preventing accidental touch control interactions when chatting.
Active Noise Cancellation
Finding true wireless earbuds under $50 with active noise cancellation is challenging, there is no ANC on OnePlus Nord Buds. While OnePlus claims noise-canceling algorithms, my experience suggests they’re not very effective. Using these as my daily earbuds revealed they don’t reduce external sounds, lacking proper noise isolation, even without audio playing, I hear everything around me.
When outside, unless I’m blasting loud music, external noise returns, making podcasts or audiobooks challenging to hear. In noisy environments like streets or stores, I must crank up the volume. If you’re frequently on the go, consider other options. I’ve reviewed Xiaomi earbuds, and Samsung Galaxy Buds Fe costing only a bit more, offering noise cancellation. It’s worth stretching your budget to spare your ears.
Audio Quality
![OnePlus Nord Buds audio quality](https://www.clearcrypt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/OnePlus-Nord-Buds-audio-quality-1200x675.jpg)
The OnePlus Nord Buds shine in audio quality, boasts a 12.4mil titanium driver, matching pricy OnePlus’s Buds Pro. At this price point, the audio quality is fantastic, offering a balanced range without overpowering highs or lows. Even with complex tracks, individual elements are discernible, While lacking a full equalizer, preset options are available.
I preferred the bold preset for a beefier sound, Volume-wise, it can reach almost 100 decibels, delivering a powerful audio experience. With support for AAC, Dolby Atmos, and proper surround sound, watching Netflix or YouTube shows flawless sync between video and audio.
Call/Mic Quality
For phone calls with it capture my voice is clear in quiet environments like now. However, in noisy settings, like simulating smartphone use with traffic noise, my voice becomes muffled and a bit harder to understand, despite the algorithm reducing most traffic noises.
Battery Life
The OnePlus Nord Buds provides around 7 hours on a single charge, and in my tests, it was accurate around 7 to 7 and a half hours. This is a commendable result at $50 budget price.
When the buds need recharging, the bulky case provides just over three full recharges. The case itself charges via Type-C USB. If, by chance fully drained, a 10-minute charge in the case yields four to five hours of playback—an impressive fast-charging feature, fully charging them takes about an hour. The budget nature of these buds is evient in the plasticky, unattractive, and large case, making it uncomfortable to slip into jeans due to sharp corners.
Final Thought
I used OnePlus Nord Buds as my true wireless earbuds for a full week. It’s a bit disappointing that they don’t block out surrounding noise, but if that’s not a concern, I highly recommend them. The battery life is fantastic, and the audio quality is impressive for the price $50, And I also like the design. If you don’t plan on listening to many audiobooks or podcasts on the go and noise cancellation isn’t a priority, go for it.
Despite lacking noise cancellation, OnePlus Nord Buds offer amazing audio quality, good battery playtime, and a sleek design, all at an affordable price of $50.
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Desing8
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Setup and Paring8
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Touch Controls7
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Bluetooth8
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Noise Isolation7
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Battery Life8.5
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Mic Call Quality7.5