Review: OnePlus Buds Pro 2

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are the successor to the first Buds Pro, which we thought were the best earbuds in their price range. Despite being OnePlus’ flagship, they’re half the price of Apple’s popular AirPods Pro. The design is almost unashamedly similar, just in black and chrome instead of white.

We were particularly impressed with the sound quality, noise cancellation and ambient sound. The various sleep and relaxation sounds seemed more of a gimmick. We did miss the EQ function, although the sound was very good without it.

OnePlus has put even more money into audio with the Buds Pro 2, which is both water and dust resistant with IP55 certification. They also support spatial audio from soundtracks like Dolby Atmos. They’ve collaborated with Dynaudio acousticians to achieve better dynamic characteristics and bass control. Each earbud has two drivers: an 11 mm woofer and a 6 mm tweeter.

Unlike their predecessors, the new earbuds have five preset EQ filters; four of them in collaboration with Dynaudio. The fifth filter, Hans Zimmer Soundscape Tuning, was developed by the legendary film music composer and attempts to create a 360-degree soundscape.

There’s also a manual 6-band graphic EQ. And whichever EQ you use, it can be used in conjunction with a bass setting called BassWave. This allows you to add extra bass without disturbing the midrange. The result is a rich and pleasing sound, almost like connecting a subwoofer.

The sound of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2

I like the sound of the Balanced and Hans Zimmer filters the best. The difference between the two is that Hans Zimmer has a little more midrange and a somewhat leaner bass, and a slightly more spatial feel.

The rhythms in Doja Cats Attention have energy in the bass, while the voice is well emphasised in the midrange. OnePlus also brings out the air in the sound. It’s both punchy and hi-fi at the same time.

Anohny and the Johnsons’ It Must Change sounds great. Anohny’s falsetto voice sounds fantastic, while the bass guitar thrives in the lower frequencies. A great piece of music presented by a pair of excellent earplugs. Similarly, Jan Gunnar Hoff’s piano sounds great with a very balanced sound.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are among the best in their price range when it comes to sound balance. The collaboration with Dynaudio has really paid off.

The voice quality on calls suffers from an overly aggressive noise cancellation that makes the s’s a bit sharp. It also lacks a bit of air at the top. But you can still hear what’s being said, and that’s the most important thing.

Conclusion

The cheapest earbuds in the test are far from the worst. In fact, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 threaten many of the more expensive earbuds. Musically, this is a real bargain, with clear sound that takes the hi-fi job in its stride. Mix in as much bass as you can while still leaving the midrange alone.