OnePlus is aware of what it is doing in relation to audio, whether or not that is entry-level neckbuds or its Buds Pro sequence. The launch of the OnePlus Buds 3 alongside the OnePlus 12 showcased a refined shift within the design language, with the chrome-accented design extending to cowl the stalks in addition to the motive force housing. This led to a cleaner look, however what made these earbuds stand out is the sound high quality.
OnePlus earbuds all the time had a definite tonal attribute with an exaggerated bass — a lot in order that the unique Buds Pro drowned out different frequencies — however that modified with the Buds 3. The earbuds nonetheless had a great presence within the low-end and treble areas, however that they had a lot better tuning, and that led to the Buds 3 having a definite benefit over the dearer Buds Pro 2.
That’s the narrative behind the introduction of the Buds Pro 3. OnePlus is switching up the design of the case, and is rolling out sizeable upgrades to the drivers and tonal stability. The finish result’s that the Buds Pro 3 are the best-sounding OnePlus earbuds by a big margin; they are not simply the very best that OnePlus made thus far, however the most effective earbuds you should purchase at the moment.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Pricing and launch date
OnePlus launched the Buds Pro 3 on August 20, and so they’re out there now. The earbuds retail for ₹11,999 ($143) in India — the identical because the Buds Pro 2 — and so they’re occurring sale within the nation beginning August 23. They’re debuting at $149 in North America, and can go on sale on the similar time. You can get your arms on the earbuds for $119, with OnePlus providing a $30 low cost as a launch-week incentive.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Design
OnePlus hasn’t modified an excessive amount of on the design facet of issues, with the Buds Pro 3 that includes a refined change as an alternative. The shiny accents that lined a portion of the stalk on the Buds Pro 2 now prolong right through the stalk and the motive force housing, and it offers the earbuds a cleaner design.
The different key distinction is the dimensions; the Buds Pro 3 are bigger than their predecessor, and whereas the motive force unit is roughly the identical dimension, the stalk extends out significantly. The result’s that every earbud is a smidgen heavier at 5.28g (versus 4.9g on the Buds Pro 2), however even then, they’re on the lighter finish of the size, and there isn’t any fatigue in any respect when sporting the earbuds for an prolonged period.
The earbuds can be found in two shade selections — Midnight Opus and Lunar Radiance — and I bought the latter. The Midnight Opus mannequin is the way in which to go if you’d like earbuds that entice consideration, however each variants have the identical shiny texture. As you may think about, the shiny coat is vulnerable to smudges, and I’d have most well-liked a variant with a matte texture.
There are 4 pairs of suggestions bundled within the package deal, with the medium dimension put in as default. The match is simply as comfortable because the Buds Pro 2, and the buds keep safe within the ear even throughout exercises, and there are not any points on this space.
While there is not a lot in the way in which of design change with the earbuds, OnePlus overhauled the case this time. Unlike the flat designs of years previous, the Buds Pro 3 are encased in a pill-sized case that is noticeably bigger, and what’s attention-grabbing is that it’s made out of fake leather-based. Most earbud instances I’ve used are usual out of plastic or steel, so it’s attention-grabbing to see OnePlus take this route.
The leather-based end positively makes the case look upmarket, however the draw back is that it is not as pocketable. There’s nonetheless an LED indicator, however it’s now situated on the backside subsequent to the USB-C charging port, and there is a pairing button on the suitable that permits you to join the earbuds to your telephone.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Features
OnePlus overhauled gesture controls on the Buds Pro 3, and there is a grooved texture on the backside of the stalk of every earbud that serves because the gesture recognition space. Having a definite texture makes all of the distinction in utilizing gestures, and whereas the same old play/pause squeeze controls are simple to make use of, slider gestures — to regulate quantity — are irksome, and I could not get these to register irrespective of what number of instances I activated the gesture.
The single and double press gestures set off with none points, and it is simply the sliding controls which can be finicky. That stated, the gestures are considerably higher than the Buds Pro 2; these earbuds had a restricted recognition space, and gestures had been so annoying to make use of that I did not trouble in any respect.
OnePlus added IP55 mud and water resistance to the Buds Pro 3, and so they’re nice for exercises. While the earbuds have ingress safety, the identical would not prolong to the case, and OnePlus must rectify that with the following technology.
An enormous speaking level this time is adaptive ANC, which does a more practical job at blocking out exterior sounds. You can simply change the extent of noise isolation, and there is a transparency mode that simply permits ambient noises to be audible. On the entire, ANC is terrific at blocking out on a regular basis sounds just like the hum of an AC, site visitors noises, or any ambient sounds.
It did a good job muting the sounds of my keyboard, and there is a sensible mode that dynamically adjusts the extent of isolation based mostly on ambient noise. At the opposite finish of the size, the earbuds have spatial audio, and whereas I’m normally cautious of producers providing digital encompass sound, OnePlus is utilizing Google’s Spatial Audio tech as normal, as an alternative of the customized answer that was used on the Buds Pro 2.
The mode basically mimics a way of area, and because the earbuds now use Google’s normal tech, they’re out there on a a lot wider number of units, OnePlus and in any other case. Rounding out the options, the earbuds have a latency of 94ms, however there is a gaming mode that lowers the latency significantly.
While the Buds Pro 3 are bigger than their predecessor, they home a barely smaller 58mAh battery (the Buds Pro 2 had a 60mAh battery), and the case has a 566mAh battery of its personal. It takes 70 minutes to cost the interior battery, and there is quick charging that delivers as much as three hours of music playback with only a 10-minute cost.
In my utilization, I bought simply over 5 and a half hours of playback between costs, and that is in keeping with most different earbuds I’ve used this 12 months. With quick charging and the case’s built-in battery, you will solely must cost the case itself as soon as per week on common.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Sound high quality
The Buds Pro 3 have twin audio drivers that embody a 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeter, and OnePlus says it redesigned the woofer to ship higher accuracy, and the tweeter has higher vary within the high-end. Like the Buds Pro 2, OnePlus collaborated with Dynaudio over the tuning of the Buds Pro 3, and there’s a lot to love right here.
The earbuds join over Bluetooth 5.4, and I did not have any points pairing with the OnePlus Open, Magic 6 Pro, or the Pixel 9 Pro XL. What’s nice in regards to the earbuds is that they’ve multipoint connectivity, so you may pair with two units without delay. That stated, the largest problem I’ve with the Buds Pro 3 is that they lack high-res codecs; you aren’t getting any AptX or LDAC codecs, and that is annoying.
You’re as an alternative restricted to SBC and AAC, and whereas there’s LHDC, the codec is not predominantly out there in forged units, so more often than not, you will be left with SBC. LDAC has been normal on Android for simply over 5 years now, and I do not see why OnePlus simply did not get a license to combine it into the earbuds.
And as for the sound, it is protected to say that these are the best-sounding OnePlus earbuds by a sizeable margin. They nonetheless comply with a V-style signature to the sounds with both finish of the frequency boosted, however that does not shade the mid-range to any significant diploma, and the general sound high quality is among the many greatest on this class.
You get a pleasant rumble within the low-end, and the bass has loads of power and vigor. But it is not wherever as exaggerated as earlier fashions, and would not bleed into the mids. The treble can also be rather more detailed, and also you get clear highs with a great quantity of extension with out noticeable sibilance. The mids have good dynamics, and vocals come via clear.
On the entire, there is a noticeable shift within the sound tuning, and OnePlus did a number of the suitable issues on this space. You additionally get customized modes to tweak the sound stability, and these may be accessed through HeyMelody when you’re utilizing a non-OnePlus telephone. What I like is the flexibility to tweak the EQ, and when you like a balanced sound, decreasing the sub-bass and boosting the mids just a little makes these earbuds shine.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: The competitors
I actually like Creative’s Aurvana Ace 2; they use an modern solid-state driver to ship clear highs, and it makes a distinction in each day use. The total sound is among the many better of any earbuds, and they’re an important worth at $119. They do not miss out on any of the extras both, and also you get the whole suite of AptX codecs.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Should you purchase it?
You can buy this if:
- You want light-weight earbuds
- You need highly effective sound with good customizability
- You want good noise isolation
- You need IP55 ingress safety
You should not purchase this if:
Overall, there is not a lot to fault with the Buds Pro 3. OnePlus made all the suitable adjustments with the earbuds, and it is the sound high quality the place there’s the largest distinction; whereas earlier fashions had been squarely aimed toward bassheads, the Buds Pro 3 have a a lot better tuning, and can be utilized throughout quite a lot of genres.
I additionally just like the tweaks to the design and the case. The sound is inherently customizable, so when you miss the bass-heavy tuning of earlier generations, you can also make the requisite adjustments to the EQ. The earbuds are gentle sufficient that you do not discover them even after prolonged use, and battery life is nice.
The solely problem is that you aren’t getting AptX codecs, however exterior of that, the Buds Pro 3 are among the many greatest earbuds out there at the moment.
