Having explained my opinions about the OnePlus Buds 3 in detail, I would like to sum up my review by giving these earbuds a two thumbs up. If you are someone looking for a pair of TWS earbuds that come with well-implemented features, a performance that suits most musical genres, ANC that works well for the price, and all that packed in a sleek and well built and looking package, then these earbuds are for you.
There are a few placed like the microphone and ANC in noisy environments, which could bother some, but with that out of the picture, you are looking at a solid contender in the ₹5,000 budget segment. OnePlus has implemented their learnings from their flagship earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and kept the light of hope about their core philosophy of making the best products for the lowest amount of money possible, alive. If you are looking for a unique aestheic and are a fan of the Nothing sound signature, then they make for an excellent purchase as well, but factor in the extra money you will be spending on those earbuds. The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro provide tough competition to the OnePlus Buds 3, and are definitely worth looking into.
OnePlus was introduced to us as a brand that was out there to be a flagship killer. Over the years, the brand has evidently shifted away from that philosophy for the most part. However, the remnants of the flagship killer brand still remain to be seen in the products that they release to this day. On the smartphone side of things, the biggest example of this was the OnePlus Open. When it comes to audio, their latest OnePlus Buds 3 come close to being what I would call a pair that is ready to take on earbuds that are priced almost twice as much at this offering, which comes in at Rs 5,499. So, when I got to working on the OnePlus Buds 3 review, I was excited.
These buds launched alongside OnePlus’ latest line of phones, the OnePlus 12 and the 12R.
They, come with all the creature comforts that you could ask for fitted in a package that has made a name for itself over time with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. I have a lot to say about the OnePlus Buds 3. Spoiler Alert – They are mostly positive. So, without much delay, let’s have a look at the detailed review of the OnePlus Buds 3.
Right off the bat, the OnePlus Buds 3 won my heart, with their likeness to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The charging case of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and their fit is my personal favourite amongst all the earbuds, being trumped by the Nothing Ear (2) and the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation. All three earbuds have a stem design, and I was elated to see that design being implemented in the OnePlus Buds 3. You get a matte finish on the case with two colour options to choose from – Splendid Blue and Metallic Gray. The buds have a dual texture finish with the outer side of the buds having a glossy finish and the inside having a matte finish.
The materials used on both the case and the buds are at par, if not better than what we see with earbuds in this price range. There is no metallic hinge on the case, but it feels robust. The magnets holding the lid and the buds are strong and do not let them loose. As for the fit of the buds, as I prefaced earlier, for me, it worked wonders. tehre was minimal leakage of sound even at the highest volume levels and it also ensured that I got great passive isolation, which in turn helped the effectiveness of the ANC.
I went out for a few runs with these earbuds on and I never felt uneasy wearing them, and neither did they feel that they would slip out of my ear because of the vibrations. I passed the earbuds around the folks at the Digit Test Centre and the response to the fit of the buds was great. You get a total of three pairs of silicone eartips in the box, which you can switch to ensure that you get a great fit as well.
But, again, as it is with all things audio, the fit is very subjective and what fit well for us, might not be for you. So, I would recommend that you try these out before getting your hands on them. The case is also pocketable and shaped like a flat puck, ensuring that it does not bulge out of your pocket a lot. Taking it in and out of the pocket is also fairly easy.
In terms of the features, OnePlus has made sure that you have all your basics covered. First off, you get support for LHDC high-res CODEC which ensures that you music will sound crisp at all times. The controls on the buds are solid and well-implemented. You get volume controls on the buds which makes for a great addition to the basic controls. Then there is our favourite, Hey Melody app. You get ample control and customisation options on the buds, letting you, truly make them your own. There, you also get the option to personalise your listening experience further with the OnePlus Audio ID 2.0. When I did the test runs to figure out the difference between the out of box experience and the personalised audio experience, I did find a few changes made to the low-frequency response. However, it was for the worse in my case and as per my taste. Your mileage may vary. Again, everything in the world of audio is very subjective. So, try it out on your own before buying.
You also have the Spatial Audio equivalent on these buds, in the form of OnePlus 3D Audio. It does a great job of providing an immersive experience, and I found it especially useful to level up my gaming and movie-watching experience. Talking about gaming, you get a 94 ms low latency mode. It is not the most impressive of the lot, but does the job of making the experience snappier. There is ANC as well, which I will be talking about in the next section of this review. There is Google Fast Pair baked into the buds to ensure quick pairing to Android devices. Even on my iPhone I did not experience any major issues accessing features, or anything else. So, Apple users, if you are looking for a pair of TWS earbuds on a budget, then you can definitely consider these. Lastly, the dual device quick switch also works like a charm, rounding off the user experience perfectly.
The most important part of the review – the performance of the OnePlus Buds 3. These earbuds bring in a sound signature that must be familiar to the users of OnePlus’ earbuds. The sound signature, as you can see, is U-shaped, which means that you get a bass-boosted sound, with the highs also getting a boost to balance things out.
In tracks like Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, the bass response was punchy, and did not sound muddy, which is the case with many earbuds at this price. In the highs, because of the boost, there was a slight bit of sibilance that I could notice, but not much. For starters, sibilance in audio signifies the overemphasis of the S and T sounds in the response of a pair of gear. In vocal-heavy tracks as well, there was not much to complain about, apart from sections where I did feel the drop off in clarity in the presence of a very complex mix of instruments. If you are listening to tracks by bands like Linkin Park, where certain tracks are backed by very dense instrument lines, then you will definitely experience a slight loss of clarity in the vocals.
What some brands do in this case is, have a dual driver setup, which divides the work of sound reproduction between two drivers, one for bass and one for mids and the highs. This also needs to be done with a lot of care, to avoid auditory masking. OnePlus has done that, and succeeded in almost all respects.
If you are to draw parallels between the sound signature of the OnePlus Buds 3 with another pair of TWS earbuds, the I would say, look at the Nothing Ear (2) and the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro. The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro performs an excellent balancing act, ensuring that you get a well-rounded sound on a budget. The Nothing Ear (2) has the most prominent bass boost of the lot, and at times, does sound a bit off-place, with the bass sounding muddy. OnePlus Buds 3 is bang in the middle. Due to the lows and highs having a boost, it hits the right notes most of the time, but missed out on a few occasions.
As for the mic, I placed calls and took samples across a wide variety of scenarios. In noise heavy situations, for example, when you are walking on the road, the mic struggles to single out the voice of the speaker in some cases. However, for the most part, it works well. In silent rooms, you will have no difficulty in making calls or recording audio. Same is with the ANC. In noisy situations where the sound coming in is erratic, there are a few shrill notes that are let in. However, for the most part, it gets the ANC basics right, thanks to the isolation that the buds offer, due to their excellent fit.
The battery life on the OnePlus Buds 3 is claimed to be 44 hours in total (ANC off, 50% volume, AAC). I tested these earbuds with ANC on, and volume set at 50 per cent and the buds clocked in 6 hours and 15 minutes, falling 15 minutes short of the claimed 6 hours and 30 minutes total. Impressive. As a reviewer, it was great to see OnePlus include different scenarios for battery-level claims that they made on their specs sheet.
Most of the time, we are left wondering what the settings were, and in turn, you the reader are also left wondering where the deficit came in. If you run out of juice, you can quick charge these earbuds to get a claimed 7 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charge. The charging interface is USB-C and you get the signature OnePlus red and white cable in the box.
Having explained my opinions about the OnePlus Buds 3 in detail, I would like to sum up my review by giving these earbuds a two thumbs up. If you are someone looking for a pair of TWS earbuds that come with well-implemented features, a performance that suits most musical genres, ANC that works well for the price, and all that packed in a sleek and well built and looking package, then these earbuds are for you.
There are a few placed like the microphone and ANC in noisy environments, which could bother some, but with that out of the picture, you are looking at a solid contender in the ₹5,000 budget segment. OnePlus has implemented their learnings from their flagship earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and kept the light of hope about their core philosophy of making the best products for the lowest amount of money possible, alive. If you are looking for a unique aestheic and are a fan of the Nothing sound signature, then they make for an excellent purchase as well, but factor in the extra money you will be spending on those earbuds. The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro provide tough competition to the OnePlus Buds 3, and are definitely worth looking into.
If you are curious about what’s in the box of the OnePlus Buds 3, watch the unboxing here –
