I’m a bit late to the party with the OnePluds Buds Pro but I heard such great things about these headphones I had to try them out. After a few days of walking around the city, riding the trains, and just working at my desk, I’ve gotten a good feel for them.
Design
Usually, OnePlus has a simple and cheap-looking case for their truly wireless earbuds. With the OnePlus Buds Pro, you have a cleaner look. The black version I have looks premium. The matte black case is small and charges via usb-c. The pair button is located on the inside of the case between the two charging cradles. The earbud stems are a polished gunmetal color that looks pretty nice.
Sound and Experience
You’re really looking for good sound and decent battery life at this price range. I am glad to say that these OnePlus Buds Pro have a nice punch. They are loud and are great at drowning out other sounds. They are way louder than the Klipsch earbuds I just tested out. They are also louder than the Airpod Pro earbuds I use often. There are three sizes of ear-tips to choose from. The active noise canceling isn’t great on these but I guess that’s good for safety measures?
Taking calls with the Buds Pro has been hit or miss for me. Sometimes it just picks up so much background noise. Most of the time though it works out well when I am taking a call indoors.
Honestly, I am not out here breaking a sweat but it’s good to know I can go from my desk to the gym in these (that IP55 rating). Loud earbuds are my fave at the gym since I usually don’t like the music that is playing. The bass bumps loudly on these and I absolutely love that!
HeyMelody App
Like many earbuds in this price range, the OnePlus Buds Pro have an app to make the most of your use. The HeyMelody app allows you to adjust what each earbud does and to select which mode you want the earbuds to be in; noise cancellation off, noise cancellation, and transparency mode. Available on both the App Store and Google Play store.
Oddly enough there is no equalizer customization but you can take a test called Audio ID that helps customize Equalizer settings. The hearing test doesn’t take too long. Once you’re done with it, you can apply the results it got but there is no way to customize it. Use the app to update the earbuds to the latest firmware. With the update, you can connect the Buds Pro for two devices at once and switch back and forth between them.
Battery
Battery life on these isn’t bad at all. Working from home and taking a lot more zoom calls I have been draining the batteries without even realizing it. Of course, I am happy it charges via usb-c and that it has fast charging to give you up to 10 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging.
Verdict
I like what they did with the OnePlus Buds Pro. You get a nice build and loud sound without killing your pockets. There are so many earbuds in this price range that it’s hard to just recommend these based on the sound alone. I do wish you could change the equalizer settings to your liking instead of just the test. The design is nice and when on sale for lower than $129, it seems like a good pair of earbuds to recommend for the look and water-resistant design.
