OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Review: Listening ‘Bud’dy that gets you grooving in no time

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r TWS Review Summary:

Editor’s Rating- 3.7/5

Earbuds are an important part of our lives these days. I myself hardly step out of my house without my wireless earbuds. Whether it is listening to music or making calls or streaming on OTT platforms, earbuds fulfill all these tasks conveniently and also fall within my limited budget. To cater to such casual users like me, OnePlus has launched a new set of buds in its Nord Series in the country. OnePlus Nord Buds 2r have gone official in India with 38 hours of playback time, good audio quality, IP55 rating, and latest dynamic drivers. Although the new OnePlus buds claim to give a good performance at a price of under Rs 2,500, but are these worth the upgrade? Let’s find out.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Unboxing

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r comes in a cardboard box that contains-

• OnePlus Nord Buds 2r
• USB Type-C charging cable
• Ear tips in small & large sizes
• Stickers
• Quick start guide
• Safety guide

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r: Design & Fit

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r carries forward the design language of its predecessor with slight changes here and there. There is an elliptical-shaped charging case made of durable plastic that has a matte finish and is soft to the touch. The case however is prone to scratches and smudges and they are clearly visible due to the shade of the case.  I received the grey shade of the Nord Buds 2r that looks premium when held in hand or worn in ears. The buds are also available in blue color.

The earbuds have a pill-shaped stem design that previous Nord buds also had. The buds have a touch-sensitive zone on top that allows you to perform various actions with a tap of a finger. When inserted in the case, the buds effortlessly glide in and align themselves properly. This is because the case has strong magnets that hold the earbuds securely. Although the case itself clicks shut securely, still make sure you don’t drop the case as there are chances the buds might pop out if the case falls down.

Let’s talk about the fit of the earbuds now. The buds come with various-sized ear tips so one can use whichever size fits their ears best. It fits snugly into the ears and created a secure seal that prevented the buds from dislodging or falling out easily. The buds are lightweight, so much so that I didn’t feel them in my ears even after wearing them nonstop for 5-6 hours. While activities like brisk walking, exercising, or jogging as well, the buds never loosen or fall out, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.

These are IP55 rated so are protected against water and dust. Overall, for a TWS priced under Rs. 2.5k, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r doesn’t disappoint in terms of fit or feel. The design is ok but slightly boring and lacks premium appeal that one usually associates with OnePlus. If you are someone who likes fashionable audio devices, then these buds will disappoint you, otherwise, they are pretty decent in terms of design and fit.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r: Connectivity, Controls & Features

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r comes with Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC audio codec. The pairing process is very simple as all you need to do is open the case with buds inside and then turn on the Bluetooth of your device. It will automatically detect Nord Buds 2r and you can connect the buds to the device. Mine is a Redmi smartphone and Nord Buds 2r connected seamlessly with it.

The buds have a touch sensitive zone which performs following functions-

• single tap for play/pause
• double tap for play next or answer call/hang calls
• triple tap for playing previous track
• long touch and hold for switching devices

The controls of the earbuds can be customized from the HeyMelody app on Android and iOS. There are options to choose from different equalizer settings such as Balanced, Bold and Bass. There is a camera control option for compatible phones and Find my earbuds to make a noise so you can easily find the buds when they are connected to the phone. One downside is that there is no option for volume control, which was present in first Nord Buds and Nord Buds 2. Also, the earbuds doesn’t support multi-point connectivity so you need to put the effort to bring it back in the pairing mode every time you need to connect it with a different device.

The Nord Buds 2r don’t come with Active Noise Cancellation, but then you can’t get everything in a TWS under 2.5k.

ALSO READ: Best 5G phones under Rs 30,000 in India

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Review: Sound Quality & Call Quality

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r comes with good acoustics and decent bass. The sound quality on these buds is good enough for casual listeners but for hardcore audiophiles, the buds will fall short.

These come with 12.4mm dynamic bass drivers and Dolby Atmos support along with dual mics, and an AI Clear Call Algorithm. Nord Buds 2r comes with a sound master equalizer that offers balanced, bass and bold modes. This allows listeners to enjoy music the way they want to and the Dirac audio tuner optimizes the audio to give an immersive listening experience. Songs with fast beats like Jhoome Jo Pathaan, Tere Pyaar Mein, and Issa Vibe sound great with thumping beats and elevated treble and bass. The vocals of artists are clear in slow songs like Tere Hawaale, Tu hai toh mujhe, apna bana le, and others.

The Buds can be used for a variety of tasks apart from listening to music and streaming content. The actual test of the buds happens when these are used for attending meetings on Zoom calls. The AI noise cancellation that claims to filter ambient noise and enhance human voice blocks out disturbing background noises well. There is a dual mic setup as well, so while you can hear voices clearly, the person at the other end will also be able to hear your voice well if his/her internet connection is strong. Attending calls while in crowded areas like a market or shopping mall was also convenient as I could clearly hear the voices from the other end.

The buds have a game and audio mode as well that has very low latency for a seamless experience.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r TWS Review: Battery

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r has a long battery life. The buds themselves last around 7.5 hours with continuous music listening. In this case, the buds can be fully charged four times. This means along with the case, the buds last for more than 32 hours with moderate usage. The playback time is pretty decent as charging the case after 3-4 days is not much of a hassle.

The brand has not made any big claims about the charging speeds, but when charged with a 30W charger, the case and buds took around 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge completely. In today’s day and age, fast charging is much needed so OnePlus could have worked on that part a bit.

Review Verdict: Should you buy OnePlus Nord Buds 2r?

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r is an affordable Truly Wireless device that is a decent upgrade to Nord Buds as these come with better battery life, crisper call quality, and a good fit. The buds are priced at a mere Rs. 2199 which is easily affordable by budget consumers. However, the Nord Buds 2r is not meant for you if you need premium-grade features like multi-point connectivity and ANC. In this case, one should opt for Nord Buds 2 at a slightly higher price point. Otherwise, the Nord Buds are IP55 rated, touch-sensitive and have a decent design. So, if you want a TWS device for everyday usage without burning a hole in your pocket, OnePlus Nord Buds 2r can be a smart choice.