Pros:- Enjoyable and customisable sound output- Support for LHDC 4.0 codec and Google Spacial Audio- Stylish design, comfortable in-ear fit, good passive noise isolation- Ingress protection for buds as well as charging case- Wear detection, multipoint support- Useful companion app with more customisation options- Good battery backup, supports wireless charging
Cons:- Average ANC for the segment, transparency mode sounds cosmetic- No support for LDAC codec (yet)- No volume control on buds
Price: Rs 11,999
Rating: 4/5
After a year and a half, the successor for the OnePlus Buds Pro has arrived. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 claims to offer a lot of enhancements in multiple areas right from the driver configuration to active noise cancellation (ANC) to battery backup. Does all this actually translate into a much-improved performance as compared to its predecessor? Let’s find out.
Image Credit: Tech2 Ameya Dalvi
The case can recharge the buds thrice more comfortably, thus taking the overall battery backup between 20 to 30 hours, with and without ANC respectively. That is perfectly acceptable battery life for the segment. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 supports quick wired charging, and 10 minutes of charge gives you close to 3 hours of play time on the buds with ANC off, and close to 10 hours overall with the charging case. That’s quite impressive. The battery status of each earbud as well as that of the charging case is visible on the phone/companion app.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2: Price and verdictThe OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is priced at Rs 11,999 with a one year warranty. The price may be Rs 2,000 higher than that of the Buds Pro at launch, but it does bring a lot of improvements and new elements to the table. Specs aside, the sound quality, call quality and battery life are now better on the Buds Pro 2, and you get a lot more sound and controls customisations which were missing on its predecessor, thus justifying the price difference.
As for alternatives, the Oppo Enco X2 is the biggest threat. Not only is it a thousand Rupees cheaper but also offers more refined sound with better balance between the three frequency ranges. The Buds Pro 2’s output is more punchy, and it offers better battery backup and more sound tweaks in comparison, making the contest more even. Another option to consider is the upcoming OnePlus Buds Pro 2R for a good 2K less, if you do not care about wireless charging or Head Tracking. All other features of the Buds Pro 2 are available there. Take your pick.