FFinally, an Android rival to the AirPods Pro has arrived. OnePlus’ new Buds Pro 2 noise-canceling headphones are some of the first on the market to support Google’s new spatial audio virtual surround sound technology, bringing it gives them a boost in a crowded market.
The earbuds cost £179 and compete directly with the similarly priced Pixel Buds Pro and £249 AirPods Pro, but with the added bonus of having an Android and iPhone app, so they’re truly cross-platform.
The Buds Pro 2 have a fairly simple design and are slightly more compact than most rivals, including the AirPods Pro 2, making them lightweight and comfortable for long listening sessions.
Stems are compression sensitive for playback controls. Press and hold to turn noise cancellation on and off, while taking out one earbud to pause the music. There’s no option to adjust the volume, so you’ll have to reach for the buttons on your phone for that.
The headphones last up to six hours between charges with noise cancellation on, and charge just over three times from the small flip-top case for a total of 25 hours of playback. The compact case is pocket-friendly and charges in 100 minutes via USB-C, but it also has Qi wireless charging.
Specifications
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Waterproof: IP55 headphones (sweat resistant); IPX4 case
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, LC3, LHDC
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Battery duration: with headset ANC 6h, 25h with case (9/39h ANC off)
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Headphone Dimensions: 24.3×20.9×32.2mm
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Headphone Weight: 4.9g each
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Driver Size: 11 and 6mm
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Charging case dimensions: 61x50x25.4mm
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Cargo box weight: 47.3g
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Box load: USB-C, Qi wireless charging
connectivity
The Buds Pro 2 tick all the boxes for Bluetooth connectivity. They support the latest Bluetooth 5.3 with Fast Pair for Android, in addition to AAC, LC3 and LHDC audio standards, making them suitable for a wide range of devices. Either earbud can be used for mono audio or calls only, supports seamless switching between devices, and can be connected to two devices at once.
Good sound and spatial audio.
The Buds Pro 2 generally sound great for the money, comfortably keeping up with similar easy-listening competition at this price point. They produce a well-rounded sound with detailed highs, well-balanced mids, and enough bass for most, even if they can’t quite reach the deepest notes. Their pitch separation and handling of complex tracks is good, and while they suit most genres of music, some, like Britpop, can sound a bit flat on occasion.
The companion app has a full equalizer, as well as a sound customization system that performs a five-minute listening test and adjusts the audio to your personal hearing profile accordingly.
The headphones are among the first on the market to support Google’s new implementation of spatial audio virtual surround technologywhich is built into Android 13. It works similar to the popular feature used by Apple for AirPods with the iPhone, producing a more immersive cinematic experience on the go, even if it’s better to leave the music in stereo. .
The Buds Pro 2 also have sensors that can track the position of your head in relation to your phone so that the center channel of a movie, usually dialogue, always sounds like it’s coming from the screen. It works very well.
Spatial audio requires gaming, music and video streaming apps to be updated, with live functionality for YouTube at the time of testing and other major companies expected to follow suit in the near future.
Noise Cancellation
The headphones do have adaptive active noise cancellation which can be turned up or down based on ambient noise, but it’s pretty weak, which means it’s best left at its maximum setting. Even then they have problems with the highest notes, including the noise of a car tire, the clicking of keys in an office, and the noise of the wind.
They’ll muffle the hum of engines or the roar of a plane, but they can’t challenge the best for the ability to cut out everyday distractions. Noise cancellation also changes the sound from the headphones, making it a bit more direct and punchy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Transparency mode sounds natural enough and is good enough for hearing traffic or announcements, but it’s a bit quiet in conversations with other people.
Call quality was pretty good, but while my voice remained clear to the caller, the headphones let through a fair amount of background noise in busier environments.
Sustainability
OnePlus rates the batteries to at least 80% of their original capacity after 500 full charge cycles, but they are not replaceable nor are the earbuds repairable, ultimately making them disposable. The headphones are not made from recycled materials and the company does not publish environmental impact reports or offer trade-in or recycling.
Price
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 costs £179 ($179) to ship on February 16.
For comparison, the cost of Nothing Ear 1 £149the cost of Google Pixel Buds Pro £179the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 cost £279.95 and the cost of Apple AirPods Pro 2 £249.
Verdict
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are some of the first Bluetooth headphones to hit the market that support Google’s new Spatial Audio surround sound technology for Android.
They sound head and shoulders above most easy-listening gear for this price, and the spatial audio system works well for movies. The active noise cancellation does a decent job of reducing the roar of the engines, but it’s weak against the highest pitches and therefore can’t compete with the best.
With an app available on Android and iPhone, they are fully usable with any platform, unlike some competitors. Support for connecting to two devices at the same time is a rare but welcome feature. A comfortable fit, decent battery life, and a nice, compact case make them easy to live with, too.
The lack of onboard volume controls is a bit disappointing, but the biggest problem is that, like most other true wireless earbuds, the battery isn’t replaceable, ultimately making them disposable and losing a star.
Advantages: comfortable, good sound, spatial audio with Android, Fast Pair and multipoint Bluetooth, noise cancellation, cross-platform app, compact case, compression playback controls.
Cons: weak noise canceling against higher tones, irreparable, no built in volume control.
