Quick Specs
Our Verdict
Featuring multipoint Bluetooth, dual drivers and active noise reduction, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are the Chinese manufacturer's new high-end headphones.nProsnn Very good sound qualityn Good call qualityn Good user comfortn Multipoint Bluetoothn</ul
Featuring multipoint Bluetooth, dual drivers and active noise reduction, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are the Chinese manufacturer's new high-end headphones.
Pros
- Very good sound quality
- Good call quality
- Good user comfort
- Multipoint Bluetooth
Cons
- Battery life is short
- Average active noise reductio
TECHNICAL DATA
| n Model | n OnePlus Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|
| n Format | n In-ear |
| n Active noise reductio | n Yes |
| n Dolby Atmos Surround sound | n Yes |
| n Battery life | n 39 hours |
| n Bluetooth versio | n 5.3 |
| n Min frequency response | n 10 Hz |
| n Maximum frequency response | n 40,000 Hz |
| n Weight | n 9.8 grams |
DESIG
CASE
WATERPROOFING
While the casing is IPX4 certified, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are IP55 certified. This means that they are not only resistant to splashes - and therefore rain or sweat - from all directions but also to dust.
USAGE AND APPLICATIO
THE BLUETOOTH
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 support not only Bluetooth 5.3 but also Bluetooth LE Audio. Unfortunately, despite this very up-to-date connectivity, the headphones sometimes need help to stabilise the signal. On several occasions, when coected to a Vivo X80 Pro in SBC, the headphones lost the coection for one or two seconds. This happened to me on several occasions when ruing with headphones, the smartphone in an armband, and the phone in my pocket.The headphones are, however, compatible with multipoint Bluetooth and can therefore be coected to two devices simultaneously. While this feature has been available for several years from competing manufacturers - Jabra comes to mind - it is good to see it being made available to other brands.In fact, by activating the "dual coection" mode on the Heymelody app, you can coect the Buds Pro 2 not only to your smartphone but also to a second device, such as a computer. This means you can quickly join a video meeting on your PC and answer a call on the fly from your phone, all while keeping your earphones on.
NOISE REDUCTIO
Like the first generation, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 features multiple microphones to reduce active ambient noise. According to the Chinese manufacturer, the headphones can reduce sounds to -48 dB. However, as is often the case with this type of data, OnePlus does not communicate on all the reduced frequencies but only on the most robust noise reduction observed in a well-controlled setting.nWithin its app - or Bluetooth settings for a OnePlus smartphone - it will be possible to adjust the level of active noise reduction between smart, max, moderate and soft modes.Logically, the smart mode will allow you to navigate between the other three modes depending on the surrounding noise. However, the result is hardly convincing even with the max mode, which is supposed to be the most effective in reducing noise.In use, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 do a good job of reducing the most constant, muffled sounds, such as faoise or the hum of traffic in the distance. However, the headphones have a much harder time with more punctuated sounds and mid-range frequencies, such as human voices. So they won't manage to reduce the sounds of conversations in a noisy open space sufficiently. It's OK, but nowhere near the level of the best in the business, whether it's the Sony WF-1000XM4, the Bose QC Earbuds II or the Apple AirPods Pro 2.OnePlus also offers a "custom noise cancellation" mode that will play some sounds in your ears to analyse the shape of your ear canal. However, I have to admit that even after doing this, I didn't notice any difference.
TRANSPARENCY MODE
Noise reduction means transparency mode. Of course, this function is also offered by the Buds Pro 2. However, unlike some competitor models, no additional filters or functions are offered. There is no adaptive mode to reduce the loudest sounds - like on Bose and Apple models - nor is there a function to emphasise the midrange and human voices.The transparency mode of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is convincing enough, however, and will allow you to hear better than with passive isolation, primarily by increasing the volume of high and low frequencies. If the rendering is slightly muffled, it's still more than enough for a quick conversation at the office or to make sure you don't miss a voice aouncement while waiting for your train.
AUDIO
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are each equipped with two dynamic drivers designed in partnership with the Danish speaker brand Dynaudio. There is a main transducer, with a diameter of 11 mm for the low frequencies, and a secondary transducer, which will be responsible for transmitting the high frequencies, with a diameter of 6 mm.This dual transducer technology is becoming increasingly common in wireless headphones, as it is also found in the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. On paper, it offers a great deal of interest, with more detail in each frequency range, since there are transducers specially dedicated to certain sound frequencies.The OnePlus headphones are also compatible with AAC and SBC codecs, as well as the LHDC 4.0 codec. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified, as they can generate frequencies from 10 to 40,000 Hz. However, not all smartphones are compatible with the LHDC codec, and you'll need a Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo or Huawei smartphone to take advantage of it.Moreover, although the peak around 2000 Hz could tend to cause auditory fatigue as the human ear is so sensitive to this frequency range, this is not the case. Thanks to the W-signature and the equal emphasis on low frequencies, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 manage to provide a comfortable enough foundation that they don't prove unpleasant, even over the long term.If this sound signature is not your liking, OnePlus has thought of alternatives. In addition to the default EQ, which is described as 'balanced', the HeyMelody app lets you choose between a 'lively' (treble boost), 'serenade' (midrange boost) and 'bass' (bass boost) preset.The app also allows you to create your own EQ with six bands (62, 250, 1000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 Hz) adjustable from -6 to +6 dB. OnePlus also says it has worked with composer Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, Gladiator, Dune, The Dark Knight) on a "Soundscape" equalisation profile, but I was not able to test it as it wasn't offered until the earphones were released.As mentioned earlier, the headphones are compatible with spatial audio in two ways. If you're using a OnePlus or Google smartphone that supports Google's spatial audio, then you'll be able to enjoy Dolby Atmos on compatible video applications. This gives you a more immersive experience with greater spatialisation.If you have a OnePlus smartphone, you'll also get spatial audio on any application, with the option to enable head movement tracking. However, unlike Apple's AirPods Pro 2, this isn't instrument tracking, with voices always centred in front of you, but simply an effect where the soundstage remains on a fixed point, even if you move your head.The effect is, therefore, less striking, even if it remains effective. The main advantage of this function is that it is compatible with audio streaming applications.
MICROPHONE
BATTERY LIFE
To ensure the Buds Pro 2's battery life, OnePlus has built a 60mAh battery into each earbud and a 520mAh battery into the case. According to OnePlus, this means up to 6 hours of battery life with the headphones ioise reduction mode - 25 hours including the case - and 9 hours without noise reduction (39 hours with the case).As for recharging, once in their case, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 recover 60% of its battery in barely 10 minutes. However, a full charge will take 1 hour and 24 minutes. Rest assured, the last few battery points are the slowest to recover, and within 32 minutes, both headphones had recovered 90% of their battery life.The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 casing can be charged either via a USB-C cable - OnePlus provides a short USB-A to USB-C cable - or via an induction charging base that supports the Qi wireless charging protocol.
CONCLUSIO
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