At the moment, inexpensive wireless earbuds are crushing their upmarket cousins by delivering a balance of solid performance, features, and value for money. These are not just inexpensive, they deliver good battery life, dependable Bluetooth connectivity and solid voice call quality. The latest entry to the segment is OnePlus Nord Buds 2r, which has all the basic features most people look for.
Sonic boom
There is nothing new to say about the design, except the fact that no compromises have been made and the fit is snug. There are a few sets of ear tips in the box to ensure you get a good fit. Nord Buds 2r is about the sound, both music and voice calls.
The sound cans come with 12.4mm extra large drivers and Dolby Atmos. Now, that’s a biggish driver for an inexpensive pair of earbuds, which have been engineered to allow more air inflow, increasing the quality of bass. The sound is bold and bass heavy. You can feel it while listening to the duo Everything but the Girl’s album Fuse and the first track from it, Nothing Left to Lose. Equally enjoyable is When You Mess Up with its Auto-Tune-like effect.
The sound changes completely on Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. The song Fishtail opens on an introspective mood and then gets a brilliant trap beat. Fingertips finds comfort in piano and strings. The diverse sounds are well-represented by Nord Buds 2r. Switching gears, we moved to the US duo The Lemon Twigs and the song In My Head, a reminder of Beach Boys in post-Pet Sound era.
OnePlus says a high-tension wire coil has been used to enhance tension and endurance. Like on Nothing Ear 2 or most Sony earbuds, there is easy pairing on the Nord sound cans. Usually on an inexpensive set of earbuds one doesn’t get app support. Here you do. There are three modes to choose from — bold, bass and balanced. You can also customise audio settings through the Hey Melody app, which also allows access to Game Mode. You will be able to see how much battery is left on the buds and on the case through the app, besides a section on what the different taps on the earbud would entail. It’s a simple app but effective.
These are earbuds which you will use a lot in gyms as well as taking calls during commutes. So, microphone is an important aspect. It comes with dual mics on each earbud for voice detection as well as enhanced noise cancellation. The AI noise cancellation technology takes care of most loud noises outside, like that of drilling. Don’t expect too much out of these earbuds while on the road but the sound isn’t bad at all. A scenario in which the technology is used well is in windy situations. It can cut out the wind and ensure the person at the other end is able to hear you clearly.
Should you buy it?
Let’s talk about battery life. The company says you will get eight hours on a full charge and with the charging case it can last up to 38 hours. Those are good figures and we haven’t been able to drain the battery completely. Face it, you won’t use any wireless earbud more than three hours a day. As far as connectivity goes, I haven’t had a problem at all because it uses Bluetooth 5.3 transmission technology. During gaming the buds work well but there is nothing very different from what you would get on rival earbuds. More importantly, you get IP55 rating, which amounts to water and sweat resistance. For an inexpensive pair of earbuds, this is the device to have (pricing wasn’t announced at the time of publication). There is enough bang for the buck. Lately, OnePlus has been having a good run and Nord Buds 2r is not an exception as it is enjoying a slam-dunk moment.
The wireless sound cans are IP55 rated for water and sweat resistance
The earbuds work with the Hey Melody app