After 6 Months OnePlus Buds 3 review. Following the debut of the original OnePlus Buds in mid-2020, the company introduced the Buds Z and Buds Z2 in late 2020 and 2022, respectively. With the OnePlus Buds 3, it appears the company is merging elements from both the original Buds and the newer Buds Z series, perhaps recognizing the need to streamline its earbuds lineup.
The Buds 3 bridges the gap between the top-tier Buds Pro series and the budget-friendly Nord Buds series. They offer premium features like ANC, dual drivers, and LHDC 5.0 found in flagship models, all at a more affordable price point of approximately $100.
Oneplus Buds 3 Review Design
The earbuds and case of the Buds 3 closely resemble those of the Buds Pro 2, with a nearly identical appearance at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, one can notice differences in dimensions. The Buds 3 case appears narrower but taller compared to its predecessor. Additionally, the newer model’s case is slightly lighter and lacks the glossy finish on the hinge.
Although more affordable, the Buds 3 case boasts an impressive finish and solid construction. The hinge exhibits minimal sideways play, providing a sturdy feel. Its matte exterior features a chrome OnePlus logo, albeit prone to collecting lint.
Upon cracking open the case, you’ll notice a sleek matte finish inside, elegantly diffused throughout. The receptacles for the earbuds gleam with a glossy sheen, standing out amidst the muted surroundings. OnePlus continues its trend of ingenious design by discreetly embedding regulatory markings on the inner sides of the receptacles, tucked away at an angle that escapes casual observation. Inside, a solitary button awaits, poised to initiate the seamless pairing process.
The earbuds sport a familiar two-tone finish reminiscent of the Buds Pro 2 or the original Buds Pro. However, in this iteration, the glossy surface extends further across the back of the earbuds, almost enveloping the entire exterior. The matte finish is now primarily visible on the inner side and the bottom of the earbuds.
The Buds 3 earbuds diverge from the Pro models with a distinct feature set. Eschewing pressure-sensitive stalks, they adopt a user-friendly tapping mechanism for functions like play/pause and track navigation. Moreover, toggling between ANC modes is achieved through a simple tap and hold. Notably, these earbuds introduce a novel volume adjustment method: a seamless swipe up or down on the stalk. This design tweak enhances convenience for users.
The earbuds come with soft silicone ear tips, with three sizes included in the package. Using the default medium size, they fit comfortably in my ears, allowing me to wear them for hours without any discomfort.
The Buds 3 earbuds boast an IP55 rating, ensuring dust and water resistance. This shields them from sweat and water splashes, safeguarding their performance.
Software and features
The Buds 3 are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, enabling seamless connectivity. They support SBC, AAC, and LHDC 5.0 codecs for high-quality audio transmission. Featuring a dual-driver setup, they boast a 10.4mm dynamic driver for crisp low and mid frequencies, while a 6mm tweeter handles the highs. These drivers are ingeniously arranged in a vertical coaxial pattern for optimal sound delivery.
Software support is accessible through the HeyMelody app for both Android and iOS platforms. For OnePlus devices, the feature is integrated into the system settings, albeit tucked away in a somewhat obscure location. However, whether you use the HeyMelody app or access it through OnePlus system settings, the functionality remains consistent.
You can easily toggle between different ANC modes and customize the noise cancellation intensity within the app. There are three levels of noise cancellation to pick from, or you can opt for the Smart mode which adapts based on the surrounding noise levels.
The Sound Master EQ offers four built-in presets alongside a versatile six-band custom EQ, enabling you to craft numerous personalized settings. Additionally, BassWave provides a bass boost dial, allowing you to enhance or reduce bass levels independently of your chosen preset.
Also Read: OnePlus Buds 3 in India?
By default, the Hi-Res mode is disabled, but when activated, it allows for higher sampling rates and bitrates on LHDC. Toggling this setting requires the earbuds to restart.
The Golden Sound feature generates a series of tones to assess your hearing, crafting a personalized EQ profile for your ears. It operates concurrently with the presets in Sound Master EQ mode. However, I find these options cumbersome—they demand meticulous trial and error and a completely silent environment for calibration. Moreover, the outcomes frequently vary, even with consecutive tests. This method lacks consistency and reliability, often resulting in overly bright sound profiles.
The OnePlus 3D Audio feature allows users to activate 3D audio processing for all audio output. However, without head-tracking hardware on the Buds 3, the audio remains fixed to the listener’s head position. Compared to the advanced Dolby Atmos processing found in many smartphones, including OnePlus models, OnePlus’ 3D Audio falls short. Additionally, it lacks the immersive quality of music mastered in true spatial audio. Instead, it resembles the artificial surround sound features in 90s cassette players, failing to deliver a convincing experience. Notably, OnePlus has refrained from falsely claiming Dolby Atmos support for its earbuds, as it has done in the past with its phones.
You can customize tap gestures on the earbuds, including single, double, and triple taps, with single taps initially disabled. Additionally, you can personalize the slide and touch-and-hold gestures for ANC modes. An impressive feature of the Buds 3 is that during a call, if you remove them, the audio seamlessly transfers to the phone’s earpiece or loudspeaker, unlike other earbuds where it typically continues playing unless manually adjusted.
The Buds 3 offers dual connection capabilities, allowing them to stay simultaneously connected to two sources. However, when both connections are active, the available sampling rates and bit rates for LHDC support decrease significantly. To access the full range of bit rate options, connecting to only one device at a time is necessary.
Finally, you have the option to update the firmware. Our review unit was operating on v121.121.101 during testing. Typically, OnePlus continues to release updates for its audio products for several months post-launch, with certain models receiving updates for up to a year.
Oneplus Buds 3 Review Performance
Audio quality
The audio quality of the OnePlus Buds 3 is generally pleasant and non-offensive. It’s worth noting this, especially considering past OnePlus models often leaned towards an overly bass-heavy sound profile, which is not the case with this iteration.
Certainly! The default ‘Balanced’ preset maintains a noticeable emphasis on both bass and treble frequencies, akin to a v-shaped sound profile. However, unlike previous models, the bass and treble are not overpowering, addressing past criticisms. OnePlus’s naming choice, ‘Balance,’ holds some validity this time, reflecting the more harmonious distribution of frequencies in the sound profile.
When evaluating the sound quality of the Buds 3, it’s evident that both the bass and treble frequencies are inoffensive. However, there’s a noticeable dip in performance when it comes to the upper mid-frequencies, lacking detail and energy, resulting in a somewhat congested sound.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to enhance this aspect: the Serenade preset. This setting adjusts the low and high frequencies while emphasizing the upper mid-range, essentially offering a balanced sound profile. In essence, it could be dubbed the “Balanced” preset, as it brings the sound closer to reference without needing extensive equalizer adjustments.
The Bass preset delivers what it promises, providing a punchier mid and low bass akin to default presets found in other OnePlus earbuds. On the other hand, the Bold preset, similar to Balanced, further suppresses the mid-range for a more aggressive V-shaped tuning.
The BassWave feature is intriguing, allowing users to amplify or attenuate the bass. However, extreme adjustments may result in a slightly muffled sound, suggesting that fine-tuning via the custom EQ might be preferable. While it defaults to the Balanced preset, it would be beneficial to have the option to edit other presets for more precise adjustments.
Summing up the frequency response discussion, the Buds 3 represents OnePlus’ considerable improvement in tuning compared to previous models like the Buds Pro 2, which suffer from the boomy and muddy sound. Despite Bluetooth audio limitations and driver quality constraints at this price point, the overall audio quality of the Buds 3 is commendable. While not exceptionally detailed, they remain enjoyable for extended listening sessions, especially with minor tuning adjustments to optimize performance in this segment.
Microphone
The microphone performance of the OnePlus Buds 3 is satisfactory. While it may not deliver the most natural or full-sounding voice, it consistently provides clear and artefact-free audio. Additionally, it excels at suppressing background noise, even in noisy environments. In comparison to the Buds Pro 2, the microphone performance of the Buds 3 is notably superior.
Noise cancellation
The Buds 3 comes equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC), and its performance is notably impressive. At maximum setting, it effectively suppresses low-frequency noise while offering decent mid and high-frequency suppression. Although the pricier Buds Pro 2 outperforms in mid and high frequencies, the Buds 3 comes remarkably close.
Users have the flexibility to manually adjust the ANC level, with options including Max, Moderate, and Mild. Transitioning from Max to Moderate allows some mid-frequencies to pass through, while Mild doesn’t provide much improvement over having no ANC enabled. The ability to tailor ANC effectiveness can be beneficial in situations where total isolation from surroundings isn’t desired, such as when listening to airport announcements. However, it’s unclear if lower settings offer any power-saving advantages.
Latency and connectivity
The Buds 3 demonstrates commendable latency performance even without specific latency-improving modes. When connected to a PC, some audio lag may be noticeable but isn’t significant enough to be distracting. However, when paired with a phone or tablet, automatic audio synchronization for video content prevents any noticeable delays.
Enabling Game mode through the HeyMelody app or automatically on OnePlus phones when a game is detected further reduces latency. In this mode, latency is minimized to the point where any lag between on-screen content and sound becomes imperceptible. OnePlus claims a minimum latency of 94ms, which is satisfactory for mobile gaming.
Out-of-the-box connectivity performance is stable. However, manually adjusting bit rate controls can introduce some issues. The claimed maximum bit depth and a sampling rate of 24-bit, 96kHz, with a bitrate of up to 1Mbps using LHDC, can be manually adjusted in steps of 400kbps, 500kbps, 900kbps, and 1000kbps.
The 400kbps and 500kbps modes are usable, while the 900kbps mode is generally functional when the device is nearby. However, the claimed 1000kbps bitrate is impractical, leading to significant sound distortion and breaking even with the device nearby.
The Bluetooth radios in the earbuds seem unable to handle such high data transmission rates, particularly when the device is not in direct proximity. Default settings typically prioritize stability, often resulting in the lowest bitrate, such as 400kbps when using LHDC. Therefore, while codecs may boast high bitrate numbers, in reality, they may not significantly impact performance, emphasizing the importance of stability over sheer bitrate values.
Oneplus Buds 3 Review Battery Life
OnePlus distinguishes itself with a detailed breakdown of battery life figures on its website, covering scenarios with ANC on/off and including results for ANC and LHDC, a rarity in the industry and commendable practice.
For this evaluation, the focus is on two relevant figures: battery life with ANC off using AAC and LHDC. ANC won’t be assessed as it deactivates when the earbuds are removed.
With ANC disabled, the Buds 3 lasted 11.5 hours using AAC, exceeding OnePlus’ claim of 10 hours. Similarly, with LHDC set to 24-bit/48kHz and 500kbps, the earbuds achieved 8.5 hours, surpassing the advertised 7 hours.
Additionally, OnePlus states a 2-hour playback time after a quick 10-minute charge, a detail somewhat tucked away in the fine print. In testing, this claim was held, with 2.2 hours of playback using AAC and 1.6 hours using LHDC.
The real-world performance consistently exceeds OnePlus’ claims, instilling confidence in the ANC-enabled figures, which are also respectable. However, it’s worth noting that opting for LHDC bitrates higher than 500kbps significantly impacts battery life.
OnePlus Buds 3 Review: Available Discounts
The OnePlus Buds 3 are currently available at a discounted price. Here’s a breakdown of the available offers:
- A base discount of 15% brings the price down to ₹5,499 from the MRP of ₹6,499.
- There are also potential additional discounts through specific banks, offering ₹500 off for using ICICI Netbanking, OneCard EMIs and Credit Cards, or IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards.
- Membership in the Red Cable Club may qualify you for further savings of up to ₹1200.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Buds 3 represents the pinnacle of the company’s audio product lineup thus far. With notable improvements in audio quality and tuning, OnePlus is progressing in the right direction. The active noise cancellation performs admirably, the microphone quality is solid, the comfort is top-notch, and the battery life is impressive. While there are some concerns regarding LHDC, overall criticisms are minimal. Priced at $100/€99/INR 5499, the OnePlus Buds 3 comes highly recommended.
FAQ
1. How much do the OnePlus Buds 3 cost?
The OnePlus Buds 3 are currently priced at ₹5,499, which is a 15% discount off the MRP of ₹6,499. There may also be additional discounts available through specific banks and the Red Cable Club membership program.
2. Do the OnePlus Buds 3 have noise cancellation?
Yes, the OnePlus Buds 3 features Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) with a maximum noise reduction of up to 49 dB.
3. How long does the OnePlus Buds 3 battery last?
The OnePlus Buds 3 offer up to 7 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC turned off, and up to 35 hours with the charging case. With ANC enabled playtime reduces to 5 hours with the earbuds and 24 hours total with the case. The fast charging feature provides 10 minutes of charge for 7 hours of playback.
4. Are the OnePlus Buds 3 waterproof?
The OnePlus Buds 3 have an IP55 water resistance rating, meaning they are protected from dust and light water splashes. However, they are not fully submersible and should not be used for swimming or showering.
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