OnePlus Buds Pro 3 Review: Nothing Comes Close

OnePlus isn’t the first choice that comes to mind when you think about audio products, but the company has done well in the segment in recent years. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are the brand’s latest and most premium pair of TWS, offering significant improvements in sound, ANC, and battery life while staying at the same price as the previous year’s Buds Pro 2.

After using them for a good part of my work week, I’ll answer whether they are the best in the price range and share my honest thoughts in this review of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3: What’s in the Box

Before starting with the review, let’s take a quick tour of the box contents:

• OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (Earbuds + Charging case)
• Quick start guide
• Red Cable Club Card
• Four pair of ear tips: XS, S, M, L (Medium tips pre-applied)
• USB A to C cable

Build and Design

The design seems to be the most controversial aspect of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. It’s because older buds had this suitcase-style case which looked more professional than anything else in the market. My friend who’s a fan of the show “Suits” bought the Buds Pro 2 just cause it’s something he could imagine, Harvey Specter rocking.

The new Buds Pro 3 sticks to a more traditional eggshell design. Similar to the Nord Buds 3 Pro (review) (Yes, I know the naming scheme is pretty confusing). They come in two color options: Midnight Opus and Lunar Radiance and we got the second one. It looks damn nice with the faux leather-like finish at the front and back with golden tape around the sides.

The case itself is made of plastic but the build quality is great. Not a single part feels loose or wiggles around. The OnePlus branding is embossed at the front while showing off the Dynaudio tuning at the back. The USB-C charging port is at the bottom, along with the charging LED. You’ll find the pairing button on the side.

Opening the lid is a damn pleasant experience as you can do it with one hand thanks to the new design. And snapping it shut is as satisfying as it gets. Inside, you’ll be greeted with buds that share the same in-ear design with a few tweaks in certain areas. The stems are longer for better voice pickup, the magnetic connections are shifted to the stems with new “L” and “R” indicators taking their place. The shiny chrome finish also now extends to the nozzle of the buds.

They along with the case are pretty lightweight coming at just around 60 grams. The buds fit snug into my ears with medium tips and refused to fall out or let loose even when I kept jamming to my favorite tunes while rushing my way back home in Delhi rains.

On that topic, The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 has IP55 protection. So they shouldn’t fail you in the rain or when you’re sweating in the gym. Honestly, apart from design, I have no complaints about these buds. But even that is subjective because some of my Beebom buddies loved this new design.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Connectivity

For connectivity, it has the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard with Google’s Fast pair connectivity. The Buds Pro 3 also supports dual device pairing which isn’t enabled by default. You’ll have to turn it on from the companion app but what’s more strange is the lack of Microsoft Swift Pair support. Especially in high-end earbuds when it’s available in cheaper alternatives.

As for the connection quality, I used these Buds with OnePlus 12R and the connection was pretty strong throughout my usage. I got no drop-offs while using the buds and having the phone in my pocket. The same was true even in the crowded morning metro that I typically board for office.

Sound and Mic Quality

OnePlus claims that the Buds Pro 3 are their “absolute best ever earbuds”. They include the same dual driver setup as the older Buds Pro 2 with an 11mm woofer and a 6mm planar tweeter. But to further improve the sound, OnePlus added dual DACs and tuning by Dynaudio.

The result is a rich and balanced sound signature. This is unlike the bass-heavy output that the company’s older TWS used to have. Every frequency gets its own space to shine without bleeding into another. However, the emphasis is more on the mids and the highs from what I can tell. It’s similar to the Realme Buds 6 Pro that I reviewed previously. But, these buds are much more refined and detailed.

Listening to tracks like Blockbuster, Kana Yaari, or Pasoori from Coke Studio, was a joy as every instrument and beat got its own room to shine all because of the wide sound stage. My editor, Ajaay suggested trying tracks from DankPod’s playlist, and after listening to a few songs, I felt that the mids were a bit hollow. Not completely satisfying but not too exaggerated like they were in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

The bass isn’t bloated or over the top like it used to be. It feels just right, even a little subdued at times. But I’d rather have that over the stinky distorted lower frequencies. But bass heads who crave that wobbly effect in their eardrums can improve the bass by using the BassWave option in the EQ settings. With it, you can turn down the bass or pump it up to the max to enjoy your Rock and EDM tracks.

Talking about the EQ settings, there are five presets to choose from, each of which helps boost a specific frequency except for Dynaudio. This one helps to balance the bass, vocals, and treble to mimic the audio coming from a set of their own speakers. I tried the Dynaudio preset and honestly found it quite flattering. I would say I even preferred it over the balanced option that’s set by default. But all that has changed since OnePlus rolled out an update to the Buds Pro 3.

Note:
After a recent update (version 119.119.036), the Dynaudio tuning has gotten worse to the point where there’s a noticeable echo and hollowness to the sound preset. Now, you’re better off using the Balanced preset to get a proper sound output.

One thing that felt lacking was the high-res LDAC codec which OnePlus couldn’t get the license to for some reason. So it comes with LHDC codec which also delivers high-quality sound streaming but not as good. The overall experience is pleasing and it goes well with any song, movie, or show you decide to play on it. Just don’t go into it expecting truly high-end audio.

Spatial Audio

Like any premium earbuds these days, they also include Spatial audio support with head tracking. However, the head tracking feature only works with the OnePlus 12/12R and OnePlus Open. This time, instead of going for their own custom version, they are using Google’s Spatial Audio setup.

It’s good and has a decent depth but nothing that would blow your mind. I tried watching the new Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse while having it on and it didn’t add much to the experience. I would prefer having Hi-res audio instead of using this feature.

Call and Mic Quality

For calling, OnePlus includes a 3-mic array on each earbud along with a VPU (Voice Pick-up Bones Sensor). These along with the longer stem this time give you a pretty clear voice pickup. I’d say it’s almost on par with what you get on the AirPods Pro 2nd generation. The person on the other end could listen to what I was saying, without me having to yell or talk louder than I usually do.

The included AI Clear Call algorithm also helps to eliminate background noise. This especially comes in handy to remove excess noise when walking in public like the crowded markets of Gurugram.

ANC and Transparency Mode

The noise cancellation on these buds is dangerously good. They come with 50 dB of noise cancellation which can block up to 5500 Hz of environmental noise. If you enjoys your own company then just turn ANC on and you’ll be left isolated from the rest of the world.

While listening to music at 50% volume, I was waiting for the next metro just to look up and see it had already arrived. This is of course with the mode set to its highest default option. There are three options to choose from. There’s a fourth Smart mode which automatically adjusts the intensity based on the incoming noise.

As for transparency mode, it worked pretty well too. I wouldn’t say it is as good as the ANC but it did its job. I sometimes noticed that my own voice felt hollow or artificial at times but these were just a few instances. Otherwise, I don’t have any complaints to make about it, nor do I have much to add to it.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Touch Controls

For the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the company opted for pinch-style controls like we see with AirPods. There are grooves on the stem that guide your fingers where you need to pinch to activate the gesture. Samsung, please take notes.

You can pinch once to play/pause tracks, twice to play the next track or reject calls, and thrice to go back to the last track. Pressing and holding will switch between noise cancellation and transparency modes. Sliding your finger along the length of the stems lets you increase or decrease volume.

Companion App Experience

As with any other OnePlus or Oppo buds, you’ll need the HeyMelody app to access and control several in-app features. If you have a OnePlus device, the controls will be available via the Bluetooth menu without needing the app. However, these were unavailable for me when I tested these buds. Leaving me with the only choice to download the companion app on my OnePlus 12R.

As for the app itself, it’s well laid out showing all the different feature sets in an informative manner. At the top, you’ll see the buds and the case charging level, followed by the current noise mode. From here, you’ll get to enable spatial audio, personalized sound tuning, earbuds fit test, and download the latest updates for your buds.

It’s also where you’ll find the Neck Vertebrae Health feature. I have seen this feature when testing the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro but unlike that one which gives you reminders to stretch your neck once in a while, this is a lot in depth. It connects via the OnePlus OHealth app and tracks your neck posture. You can use it to see your health, and get stretching exercises with videos to improve it.

It’s a pretty handy feature for folks like me who spend a good chunk of their day sitting in front of a desk. Apart from that, the app itself is well-made, and the overall user experience is great. It’s the second-best companion app for me right behind the Nothing X.

Battery Life and Charging

Would you believe me if I told you I went through an entire weekend without putting the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 to charge? Yes, the battery life is seriously that good. Each bud has a 58 mAh battery capacity and the case has 566 mAh. These are not big numbers yet the earbuds are efficient enough to go 22 hours including the case with ANC and LHDC turned on and 43 hours with everything turned off.

It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to charge it from 0 to 100%. There’s wireless charging support which for some reason works from the front so you’ll have to put it flat on its face. This takes almost two and a half hours as tested by our in-house researcher, Shashwat.

Should You Get the OnePlus Buds Pro 3?

OnePlus has put some effort into improving its products over the last gen, listening to user feedback, and working on the areas that needed fixing. If you look at it as a whole, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is a seriously good pair of earbuds that can give some other premium devices a run for their money just for how much stuff it packs in.

But there are other competitors in the market like Nothing Ear (hands-on) that are available for the same price and give you more or less the same feature set. So I’d suggest if you want a good out-of-the-box experience with balanced sound then go with the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. But if you want a more hip design and don’t mind excess bass then Nothing should be an easy pick.