OnePlus recently launched a host of products at its Summer Launch Event in Milan. While the OnePlus Nord 4 might have been the headline act, the Nord Buds 3 Pro caught our eye in particular, as they promise lots of features at an affordable price. Over the past few weeks, we got the chance to use these latest TWS earbuds extensively, here’s what we think about the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review: Design
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro TWS earbuds come with a traditional in-ear design and have silicone ear tips. The ear tips are available in three different sizes, and the earbuds come with a slightly long stem. Further, OnePlus has provided an oval-shaped case with boxier edges from the sides.
In our testing, the medium-sized earbuds were the most comfortable and provided a firm grip for long hours of usage. The touch controls can be accessed from the indent at the back of the stem, with several customisation options available.
We received the SoftJade colour shade which has a glossy finish on the earbuds and a dual-tone matte finish on the case. There is also a small LED light at the front of the case, under the branding, which indicates the battery status. At the bottom of the case, we get a physical button that helps in connection to upto two devices at once alongside the charging port.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review: Audio quality
If you pair the Nord Buds 3 Pro with a OnePlus smartphone, you can access all controls from the Bluetooth settings page of the phone. However, users using other smartphones can access all the options from the HeyMelody application. The app offers a seamless connection and multiple audio tuning features.
You can change your ANC settings, including picking between three levels of intensity or an automatic Smart mode, which picks a personalised noise cancellation feature, based on the current ambient noise level and ear shape, creating a custom AMC profile. You can also customise the touch gestures with options available for double, triple, touch and hold, and long touch and hold.
There are three audio preset modes: Balanced, Serenade, and Bass. The default Balanced mode provides a mix of bass and treble. For users who prefer vocals, R&B, hard rock, or instrumental music, the Serenade mode gives the perfect sound experience. And if you want the thumpy bass, the Bass mode is perfect.
We used the Nord Buds 3 Pro while traveling, and it was able to significantly reduce the background environmental noise with its 49dB ANC support. It manages to drown out common disturbances like the honking of vehicles, or the sound of a ceiling fan, without unnecessary pressure on the ears.
The ANC also performs well in windy environments. If you want to remain alert when you are driving a vehicle, the Nord Buds 3 Pro also comes with a transparency mode, that provides almost real sound in the background. While using it for calling, we also received no complaints from the receiver.
The earphones are also an adequate and trusted companion while listening to music, watching movies, or if you are playing games. They may not offer a theatre-like enriched experience, but still with AAC codec support provide satisfactory performance for its price. The dedicated Game mode in the HeyMelody app drastically reduces the latency to the point where the delay is hard to notice.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review: Battery life
Each earbud comes with a 58mAh battery and a combined battery of 440mAh with the charging case. In our testing, we got almost seven hours of battery life with the earbuds on medium to high volume with ANC turned on. The case can provide upto four to five more charges depending on your usage.
When the battery is almost empty, the case takes close to 80 minutes to fully charge the earbuds. OnePlus also claims that a ten-minute charge can provide upto four hours of battery life, and we found these claims to be accurate. The case can be charged via a USB Type-C cable, which is provided inside the box.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review: Verdict
The OnePlus Buds 3 Pro at Rs 3,299 comes with a comfortable design, good ANC support, strong battery life, and impressive noise cancellation. These TWS earbuds specially cater to people who want a good and reliable pair of wireless earphones with long battery life.
Some might feel that they are compromising on the audio quality, if they love listening to vocals a lot, as the sound signature is more on the bass-heavy side. It also lacks LDAC codec support, which many earphones in its price range do provide. However, in this segment, these are small nit-pickings, which can be ignored by most. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro deliver great value and are worth a look for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money on true wireless earbuds.
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