OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Review: Better than the Galaxy Buds2 Pro?

Launched alongside the OnePlus 11, the Buds Pro 2 is the newest premium TWS from OnePlus. The Buds Pro 2 has been released this time with a Dynaudio partnership, which I think is courtesy of Oppo, as OnePlus shares its Hasselblad partnership with Oppo's premium devices.

The significant price hike of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus Buds Pro, raises a few eyebrows. Hence the question arises, is it that much better than the OnePlus Buds Pro to justify its price of ₹11,999? Let's find out, shall we?

PROS

• Premium design
• Effective noise cancellation
• Easy-to-use apps packed with features
• Thumping bass with overall strong audio output
• Great battery life with ANC

CONS

• Light audio leak
• Slightly high latency
• Slightly bulkier case compared to other premium buds

Design

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in terms of design. It has a sleek, pocket-friendly design that doesn't bulge out from the pocket at all. Despite a sleek design, the Buds Pro 2 feels slightly bulkier when compared to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. OnePlus Buds Pro 2 comes in two colors, the OG Obsidian Black and Arbor Green. The one we have here is the Arbor Green which OnePlus launched to match its new OnePlus 11.

The earbuds come with a dual-tone finish; it has a glossy touch on the stem and a matte feel on the buds. The case, on the other hand, comes with a matte finish. The overall look and feel of the buds is somewhat similar to that of the AirPods Pro.

Comfort and Fit

Now this may be subjective, but the fit of the Buds Pro 2 was decent in my ears. It remained intact even while running, working out, and especially skipping. However, the fit was not good enough to prevent audio leakage. While the leakage was evident, it was not sufficient to recognize what I was listening to, so you can carry on with your guilty pleasure playlist without worry.

Finally, the case comes with an IPX4 rating, and the buds with IP54. So, you might want to avoid using them in the shower.

Sound Quality and ANC

As Hans Zimmer is the brand ambassador for the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, what better soundtrack to test the audio than 'Mountains' from Interstellar? Also, to spice things up, I pitted the Buds Pro 2 against the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro powered by AKG.

I can confidently say that the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro stand shoulder to shoulder in overall sound quality. I was effortlessly able to distinguish all the instruments playing in the track in both the buds, but the thumping sound of the organ introduced in the background at 2:02 hits you like a truck and makes the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 stand above the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, at least in terms of bass.

Even statistically, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 has a slightly bigger driver (11mm) and tweeter (6mm) compared to Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro's 10mm driver and 5mm tweeter. Interestingly, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro comes at ₹15,390, whereas the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will cost you ₹11,999. But, to be fair, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro has less latency when compared to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which is funny because the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 ad features Hans Zimmer mixing sounds using the Buds Pro 2, which is a nightmare for any sound mixer. Any Bluetooth audio device is a big "no-no" in the audio industry. Anyways, the Galaxy Buds 2 pro is more compact and, ironically, pocket-friendly in terms of fit.

Now, the feature you wanted to read about the most, noise cancellation. The Buds Pro 2 provides a 48db perfectly good active noise cancellation. I'll say it was efficient enough to save me from all the hassle in the background. While traveling in Delhi Metro, with music on, I almost skipped my station as the loud announcement was completely inaudible.

Call Quality

Moving on to the mic. The most important question here is how well can it operate in a noisy and turbulent area. To test this out, I lent it to a friend and made a phone call while he was crossing a busy New Delhi road. I was surprisingly able to figure out each word he was saying without the need for him to repeat himself. The voice was pretty clear on that front. The Buds Pro 2 actively detected the noise in the background and canceled it to cater to his audio during the call, and the loudness of his voice was intact too.

Connection & Hey MelodyApp

If you use a OnePlus or an Oppo device, you might find a match in the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 as it connects super-easily with any OnePlus and Oppo device and comes with all the settings within the Bluetooth menu. But, if you are using any other Android device or if you are an IOS user like me, then you have to welcome the HeyMelody app on your phone.

About the HeyMelody App, it's pretty great. It comes with interesting, no gimmicky features. Right off the bat, it gives you an option for Dual Connectivity, so you don't need to jump between two devices. It allows you to switch efficiently between the ANC and the transparency mode. Once you tap into ANC, you can toggle among the three levels based on your surroundings, or you can just allow the app to automatically do that for you by tapping on Smart ANC.

The Buds Pro 2 also caters to you with an earbud fit test and also comes with Golden Audio, which customizes the sound to your ear canal structure and hearing characteristics to give you an overall better hearing experience. That apart, you can adjust the EQ based on your requirements, and the app, not only allows you to do so by providing presets but also allows you to customize it manually based on your suitability.

Another cool feature of the app is that it comes with Zen Mode for those stressed souls who are deep into the corporate rabbit hole or anyone who needs a few mins to relax. You can long-press the stem for 4-5 seconds to tap into Zen Mode, which plays soothing white noise to get you into the zone.

However, a drawback here is that the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 only supports LHDC, so for those who prefer LDAC this might come as a bummer.

Battery and Other Features

The Buds Pro 2 comes with a 525mAh battery in the case and can last up to 39 hours on a full charge. However, with ANC on, it might come down to around 30 hours, which is still great as it gives you roughly 7 hours of playback time per use.

There are also a few other interesting features based around the stem: a quick squeeze on the step to play and pause, a double squeeze to move on to the next track, and a triple squeeze to play the previous one. However, it lacks stem volume control.

Conclusion

They say, "Never judge a book by its cover", and the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 justifies this statement. It looks similar to its predecessor, the OnePlus Buds Pro, but is an upgrade on all other fronts, making it stand well over it and even edge out other major TWS flagships in significant categories with a well-justified price.

With powerful bass, strong battery life, and effective noise cancellation, these buds will satisfy you in almost every department. Team that up with an easy-to-use feature-packed HeyMelody App and a beautiful premium look, specifically the Arbor Green color, and you might be looking at the most worth-it TWS in this price range.