OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro Review | Does its job but offers nothing memorable

As tech companies try to woo India’s price-sensitive shoppers, many are offering budget versions of their devices alongside the flagship or premium products, so that tech users are represented across diverse price points. OnePlus is a company that follows this strategy, as its more affordable Nord line-up of products is meant to appeal to the budget-conscious.

The Hindu reviewed the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones priced at ₹3,299, to test whether the company could strike the perfect balance between cost and quality. Here is what we discovered.

Design

OnePlus has delivered a burnished charging case lid on a subtly paint-flecked case body, resulting in a quirky design that will definitely draw curious eyes to your accessory. The available colours are Soft Jade and Starry Black; the former is great for users who enjoy a bit of flair, while the latter looks mature yet unique.

The earphones themselves have short stems and an elegant flared shape. They are made of single-shade plastic. However, the mostly non-glossy finish gives it a clean touch.

That being said, the tiny ‘R’ and ‘L’ cut-outs on the plastic body of the earbuds take away from the premium feeling and increase the chance of dust collection in the device.

The absence of a built-in rolling volume controller on the stem of the earbuds is inconvenient
| Photo Credit:
Sahana Venugopal

While the earlier OnePlus Nord Buds 2 went for a similar flecked design for both its case and the earphones, this looks far more artistic on the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro charging case.

A pinhole light on the charging case shows the pod’s battery level.

Technical Specifications

• Battery: 58mAh for earbuds; 440mAh for the case
• Bluetooth: 5.4
• Microphones: 3-mic call noise cancellation
• Drivers: 12.4mm dynamic driver
• Noise Cancellation: up to 49dB Adaptive Noise Cancellation, with three ANC models, as well a transparency mode and a personalised noise cancellation mode
• Waterproof rating: IP55
• App: HeyMelody can be downloaded for audio customisation and setting up the touch controls

Audio

There is nothing extraordinary about the audio quality of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3. It cuts down most external noises effectively and plays your music. The job gets done but the experience isn’t particularly enchanting—​especially if you have tried other TWS devices from the OnePlus stable. This isn’t a mid-segment vs premium product issue, as much as it is a sound optimisation shortcoming.

The device’s bass, whether one is using the dedicated bass mode or the BassWave option in the HeyMelody app, sounds as if the listener is waiting for an oncoming thunderstorm; the bass quality is extremely muddy and the clarity of the actual media suffers as a result. The default Balanced mode is too quiet and muffled, so a listener is better off building a custom audio profile by using the equaliser controls in the accompanying app. When one does this, the sound quality improves drastically and you can enjoy brighter and cleaner tones. However, this shouldn’t have to be the case for an optimal experience.

The device’s ANC is fine, as it is able to cull continuous distracting sounds such as rattling fans and the TV playing in the next room, but it also lets you hear doorbells and washing machine jingles without too much strain. Some users may prefer deeper coverage.

Finally, the absence of a built-in rolling volume controller on the stem of the earbuds is inconvenient. The other touch controls all feel too similar to each other, leading to confusion. Pulling out an earbud pauses the media you are listening to.

Phone calls were clear and coherent, as well as distraction-free.

We enjoyed using the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro for hours on end, both with and without adaptive noise cancellation
| Photo Credit:
Sahana Venugopal

App

Users of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro will have to download the HeyMelody app in order to configure their earphone settings and optimise the fit and controls of their device. They can switch between the Default, Serenade, and Bass modes, based on the media they are listening to, while a BassWave slider and equaliser gives listeners manual control over their audio quality.

Users can take an in-app test to confirm the fit of their earbuds, but they do not get the hearing test and custom audio profile provided as part of the premium OnePlus Buds 3 experience.

Battery

We enjoyed using the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro for hours on end, both with and without adaptive noise cancellation. The buds will last you throughout most of your work day as well as the major part of a long-haul flight, though you may be cutting it close if you depend exclusively on the ANC mode.

We noticed that while the earbuds enjoyed battery longevity, the case was drained a tad too quickly for comfort. However, this seemed to be a display issue on the app. Charging the device as a whole for less than 30 minutes gives you 100% charged earbuds and a 40% charged case. With 10 minutes of charging, you’re set for 1-2 hours of listening, with ANC enabled.

According to OnePlus, playback without ANC is 12 hours with the earbuds alone, and 44 hours with both the earbuds and the case combined. This goes down to 5.5 hours with the earbuds alone and 20 hours with the earbuds and the case combined when using ANC. These stats largely aligned with our experience.

Verdict

Isolated from its TWS siblings in the OnePlus stable, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro is a dependable pair of earphones that will please most budget hunters. However, its muddy bass and poorly configured sound modes disappoint the first-time listener, who will have to make adjustments within the app in order to get pleasing audio.

On the other hand, the battery life is decent and the device charges rapidly.

All in all, if a buyer who is looking at the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro has around ₹2,000 to spare, they can safely upgrade to the far superior OnePlus Buds 3 to enjoy its premium audio and fun features instead.