OnePlus has released another device this year. The company seems like it’s pumping out more great Android phones and accessories than ever before in 2023. The latest addition has been the Nord Buds 2 and I’ve been testing the new wireless earbuds for about two weeks now.
Design
The industrial build of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is pretty bland, to be honest. The “bullet-style” buds are plastic and have a super lightweight feel. This isn’t a knock, it’s just that these aren’t winning any window shopping design awards. The Nord Buds 2 have a short and wider stem than most which make these very compact.
I also like this wider design makes the touch sensor much easier to manipulate. No narrow, small capacitive area to find. The Nord Buds 2 have a large, silver circular sensor that makes this a breeze no matter what the situation.
Sound
The audio quality of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 punches well above the $60 price tag. The Nord Buds 2 seal great around your ears and provide full Active Noise Cancellation even at this low cost. OnePlus has actively attempted to improve the bass performance from the previous generation.
I found the overall sound to be pretty balanced. The bass is punching with mids and highs filling in the remaining spectrum well. I would put the default audio of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 up against any competition around this price range and maybe even other more expensive models.
The noise cancellation is also great. Even without the processed cancellation, the natural cancellation of the Nord Buds 2 design is efficient in most circumstances. Add in the hardware ANC and you have really good isolation of your surroundings.
App and software
If you’d like to tweak the sound, the HeyMelody app can move the EQ in your favor. The app allows you to choose from a few set audio profiles. If that’s not granular enough, you can also move each section of the EQ to your liking.
This app is available on the Play Store and iOS Store. Not only does it allow you to tweak the audio, but you can also alter the touch controls, and update the firmware of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 earbuds. The HeyMelody app is well laid out and functions well with all the phones I’ve used it with these last two weeks.
Two more great things about the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are the touch controls and the Fast Pair features. As mentioned in the design section, the controls are easy to activate and the defaults make sense. I never had to overthink or tap things multiple times to get the reaction I wanted.
OnePlus Fast Pair is also top-notch. It’s the first time outside of Pixel Buds that the pairing happens as seamlessly as Apple AirPods to an iOS device. I covered this in my OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review as well, but to have them on the budget Nord Buds 2 is just a shining win at this price.
Battery life
OnePlus estimates the Nord Buds 2 to last up to five hours. I’ve found in my testing that’s accurate. When using these under medium to moderate volume levels, I’ve tweaked out 4+ hours of casual listening. Turning on the full Active Noise Cancellation cuts into this number a little further, but I think it’s minimal.
When you do need to top off the battery capacity the travel case can give you an additional four charges away from an outlet. If you drain the combination, you have quick charge USB-C but no wireless charging. At $60 I don’t think this matters, and in true OnePlus fashion, you have a quick charge option to get back a full five hours of listening in 10 minutes and fully charge the case and Nord Buds 2 in around 90 minutes.
Conclusion
At just $60, adding ANC to the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 push them into a super attractive package in the wireless earbuds marketplace. Combine that with a lightweight design, decent audio, and great touch controls, then you have a real winner from OnePlus.
Head on over to the OnePlus.com website if you’re interested in these new Nord Buds 2 earbuds. You can choose from two colors: Lightning White and Thunder Gray. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
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