Review: OnePlus Nord Buds 2

Along with the release of the new OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, OnePlus launches its latest go-to-budget TWS earbuds with the OnePlus Nord Buds 2.

The first Nord Buds model was introduced last August 2022, it had good reviews from top tech websites remarking its excellent battery life, stylish design, and attractive price point.

For the new Nord Buds 2, OnePlus made a few upgrades on the specs including the design of the charging case as well.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is priced at Php3,990.

We’ve been testing the new TWS earbuds for about two weeks now and we would like to share our experience.

UNBOXING

The packaging box of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is made of thick cardboard-type material in a matte finish.

The box comes in black and blue color with a few printed elements on it. You have a OnePlus logo, model’s name, and an illustration of the Nord Buds 2 earbuds on the front. At the back, a sticker is placed with more information about the product and certification marks.

Opening the box, there’s a separate plastic compartment box and you’ll immediately see the charging case placed on the top. The other included accessories are inside the box.

Inside the box you have the following contents:

Charging Case
Earbuds
USB-A to USB-C cable
Extra Silicone Eartips
User Guide
Warranty Card
Sticker

COLOR AND BUILD QUALITY

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 comes in two colorways – Thunder Gray and our review in Lightning White.

The Nord Buds 2 is eco-friendly made of durable polycarbonate plastic from recycled materials.

CHARGING CASE

The charging case of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 has an oval-shaped design with curved edges. The case produced a more rounded shape and weighs around 37.5 grams making it comfortable to hold.

The full dimensions of the charging case are measured at 67.99×28.9×35.5mm.

The case has a two-tone color with the cover lid having a silver-gray color with a metallic-like finish and a OnePlus logo at the center. The main body is clad in a white matte finish with a fascinating speckled pattern all over it. Printed at the bottom of the case are certification marks and other information.

The USB-C port and the pairing button are found on the backside of the charging case. While the front side has an LED indicator which helps to show the charging level and the power. We notice that the pairing button is already too flushed to the surface of the case making it barely visible.

The charging case has no level of protection.

EARBUDS

Opening the cover lid, you’ll immediately see the earbuds that

fit securely on the case, and much easier to take them out. The earbuds don’t fall off even when you turn the case upside down while the lid is open. This is due to the strong magnets inside the charging contact points as they are fixed firmly.

The earbuds are lightweight and have an IP55 rating making them dust and water-resistant. If you get a super-sweaty workout the Nord Buds 2 will not be a problem.

In terms of aesthetics, the earbuds look unique from their other competitors in the market and appear awesome when you wear them.

The stem of the Nord Buds 2 has a flat pill-shaped design having the same speckled look in a matte finish which is identical to the body of the charging case.

The bulb part is a bit large with a glossy plastic finish and a swappable silicone ear tip attached at the end.

Each earbud has the following function or parts: dual microphones, two charging pins, a speaker grille, and a large silver circular touch sensor.

An in-ear detection feature is not present on the device and I hope OnePlus would include it on their next models.

PAIRING AND CONNECTIVITY

The Nord Buds 2 can be paired through the Bluetooth settings on your phones or using the HeyMelody app available on both Android and iOS devices.

It is equipped with the latest Bluetooth version 5.3 that’s better at reducing sound transmission latency and energy efficient. The earbuds can go a stable wireless connection with up to 10 meters.

To quickly connect the Nord Buds 2 to a OnePlus phone, it has a fast pair feature that displays a quick pairing prompt.

If you need the earbuds to restore their factory settings, the earbuds should be inside the case with the cover lid opened. Press and hold the setup button at the back for 15 seconds until the LED indicator turns red.

The Nord Buds 2 was able to provide a smooth stable connection and pairs easily to any device.

TOUCH CONTROLS

Touch controls you can do on the Nord Buds 2 are the following:

Single-tap (left or right earbud) – Play/Pause
Double-tap (left or right earbud) – Next track/Answer/End calls
Triple-tap (left or right earbud) – Previous track
Press+Hold 1 second (left or right earbud) – Switch between Noise Cancellation/Transparency
Press+Hold 3 seconds – Decline calls

So far, the touch sensor is very responsive and accurate with all of its functions.

One missing function not included in the Nord Buds 2 is volume control. We’ll just have to wait that OnePlus might have it on the next software update.

HEYMELODY APP

The HeyMelody is a OnePlus companion app that lets you customize, control, and view other information on the Nord Buds 2.

The app can view the battery levels of the earbuds and charging case. You can customize the touch controls, activate the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), update the firmware, and turn on the Game mode feature.

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You can adjust the sound profile of the earbuds from four different equalizers presets: Balanced, Bold, Serenade, and Bass. If you prefer to customize your sound profile, you may save up to two custom profiles on the app.

If the low-end bass you feel from the Nord Buds 2 is not enough, you can activate the BassWave feature that improves the bass even more. You can pick how much the strength of the bass is from weak to strong.

Locating misplaced buds are not offered in HeyMelody functionality.

SOUND QUALITY AND ANC

The Nord Buds 2 is equipped with an immense 12.4mm driver. OnePlus constructed each earbud with an individual rear cavity design to have a larger diaphragm with titanium coating. Plus, they’ve used N52 magnets to improve their sensitivity for powerful and clearer sound output.

For an overall great audio experience, it features Dolby Atmos, and the built-in Dirac Audio Tuner to optimize digital audio for a perfect sound and better listening in any type of environment.

The sound quality coming out of the earbuds is pretty outstanding!

You get crisp clear vocals, mid-range is good and a rumbling amount of bass that is punchy making you groove as you listen.

Plus, the inclusion of the BassWave algorithm technology which you can toggle or customize to further provide an enhanced sound and balanced listening experience. So, if you want deeper bass you can do it with a little adjustment.

I can say that the overall sound is pretty well balanced with the mid and high tones filling in very well. The audio level is superb in every music genre you play from hard metal songs to bassy hip-hop or R&B music.

The earbuds have dual microphones which makes our calls clear and loud on the other end.

The active noise cancellation feature on the Nord Buds 2 is good. With the perfect silicone ear tip size, you’ll get a nice seal around your ears for a full ANC experience.

You also have a transparency mode to let the outside sound in allowing you to still hear what’s going on around you.

Turning on the ANC had us a good isolation of our surroundings to better hear and focused on what we’re listening on the earbuds.

Lastly, it also supports audio formats of AAC and SBC.

BATTERY

The charging case is equipped with a 480mAh battery while each earbud packs a 41mAh battery.

It took us almost 1 hour and 30 mins to fully charge both the earbuds and charging case from 0 to 100% using the USB Type-C cable.

OnePlus claims that the Nord Buds 2 on a single charge can give you 7 hours of listening time on the earbuds with ANC off. You can extend more playtime up to 36 hours using the charging case which is equivalent to 4 extra charges.

With a speedy fast charging ability on the Nord Buds 2, you can charge it for 10 minutes only resulting in an additional 5 hours of listening time on the device.

The LED indicator on the charging case assists us to be aware of the battery level on both the case and earbuds. When the earbuds are inside the case, the LED light emitted will reveal its battery level. If you take out the earbuds, the indicator is for the battery level of the case.

Green indicator: high battery level
Yellow indicator: medium battery level
Red indicator: low battery level

The charging case and the earbuds do not support any wireless charging feature.

We tried listening to our Spotify playlist for 1 hour straight and we saw a 10% decrease in battery thru the HeyMelody App. Then it went down to 70% after we played Mobile Legends Bang Bang, PUBG and browse a few videos on TikTok for another 1 hour. All these activities happening with the ANC on.

WHAT WE LIKE

Attractive Design and Lightweight
Eco-friendly Material Used
Great Sound Quality
Excellent Bass
Battery Life
USB-C Charging Port
HeyMelody App
OnePlus Fast Pair
Responsive Touch Sensors
IP55 Rating
Good Noise Cancellation

WHAT WE WANT

In-ear detection
Locate my earbuds function on the App
Volume Control

CONCLUSION

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are an excellent audio companion to watch your favorite videos, listen to music, and play games on any connected device.

The earbuds are lightweight, IP55 waterproof rating, and are comfortable for long sessions of use.

The Nord Buds 2 offers a set of great features a stunning 36 hours of battery life, stylish design, ANC support, fast charging support, and responsive touch controls.

The remarkable thing about the Nord Buds 2 is how it produced an impressive high-quality sound. Together with the BassWave algorithm, it ensures users a balanced listening experience with a nice build-up of bass and clear vocals.

In general, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is a good pair of audio devices to invest in.