As fewer new devices come with headphone jacks built in, electronics makers are racing to supply gadget owners with wireless earphones that let them experience premium-quality sound and audio customised to their ear at the lowest possible price point.
On that note, we were able to experience the OnePlus Buds 3 that launched this year and are retailing at ₹5,499. Here is what we discovered.
At a Glance
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Design
We received the OnePlus Buds 3 in a ring box-shaped case that was a lovely shade of metallic baby blue. The OnePlus brand name is emblazoned in small silver letters, and the buds themselves come with a stylish mirror-finish body and a denim blue accent. The design is iconic yet casual, and makes the device perfect for gifting.
Once in your ears, the OnePlus Buds 3 are comfortable to wear for hours on end, while the HeyMelody app helps you confirm the perfect in-ear fit. Fitness enthusiasts can rest assured that their workouts will not be interrupted by slipping ear buds.
A side view of the OnePlus Buds 3 in their case | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
However, we noticed that the earphones feel quite warm when you put them in your ear immediately after charging the case. This is definitely an area for improvement as it raises worries about the longevity of the device if left to charge for extensive periods.
We were happy to see that OnePlus has improved its touch interface for the TWS earphones, so that volume adjustment and ANC mode changes are more intuitive. When you pull out an earbud, your music or show automatically pauses and the ANC mode is deactivated after a second, making the Buds 3 a great multi-tasking tool.
The OnePlus Buds 3 are available in the Metallic Grey and Splendid Blue shades; we strongly prefer the latter.
The case comes with a handy battery indicator light.
Technical Specifications
- Battery: 58mAh battery + 520mAh battery with the case
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Microphones: 3
- Drivers: 10.4mm woofer + 6mm tweeter dual drivers
- Active Noise Cancellation: up to 49dB, with adaptive ANC and transparency mode
- Waterproof rating: IP55 Water and Dust Resistance
- App: HeyMelody can be downloaded for audio customisation and checking the battery stats
Sound
A difficult confession to make: while we reviewed the OnePlus Buds 3, our personal audio devices from premium brands such as Sennheiser and AKG were left to gather dust. The OnePlus Buds 3 blew them all out of the water with its astonishing sound quality, immersive 3D audio features, formidable noise cancellation, and easy-to-use customisation controls.
With these earbuds, listeners will not only find hidden elements or distinct notes in their favourite songs; they will also find flaws in the cleanest of tracks.
The bass is highly customisable, so everyone from meditation lovers to metalheads can find the perfect setting for them by using the HeyMelody app. Audio is clean and crisp without compromising on fullness. Listening to music with the OnePlus Buds 3 feels breathtakingly intimate, as though you are at a concert being performed exclusively for you.
One fascinating feature is a hearing test you can take on the HeyMelody app, which suggests a custom ‘Golden Sound’ profile based on your ears’ unique build. Your music can then be adjusted through the Buds 3 to accommodate your specific needs.
In our case, our custom sound profile offered to boost the middle tones to deliver warmer sounds. We tried this out and all our music suddenly felt much closer to the ear than ever before. While the technology powering this feature is still experimental, it is fun to explore and could help listeners who have hearing conditions.
However, note that the hearing test does not necessarily reveal much about the health of your ears; the custom audio profile did improve our listening experience overall, but it seemed to assume we were suffering from hearing loss, so the boost sometimes took the volume too high.
The OnePlus Buds 3 provides a mighty active noise cancellation (ANC) mode that comes close to muting the world. It cuts out low-level distractions such as whooshing fans or people talking, while thinning out louder irritants - such as construction - to make them tolerable. There are multiple ANC modes for different settings. In fact, the maximum ANC mode was so effective that we sometimes needed to take out the earbuds to get acclimatised to ambient noises again. The OnePlus Buds 3 will certainly make long flights and train journeys a tranquil experience, while the transparency mode is strongly recommended for activities such as cooking or jogging.
Phone calls were loud and clear when using the earphones, with the ANC mode making it easier to hear others and be heard in spite of distractions on either end. OnePlus uses an AI-based call algorithm in these earphones and we could hear some corrections being made to the other person’s voice in order to provide cleaner and better balanced audio, but this was sporadic.
One disappointing note is that we could not pair the OnePlus Buds 3 with our MacBook; this was something we also noticed with the OnePlus Nord Buds 2.
A screenshot showing how the HeyMelody app customises the audio experience based on a hearing test you can take | Photo Credit: HeyMelody app settings
Battery
The OnePlus Buds 3 really shine here. The company claims the earbuds can offer listeners up to 10 hours of immersive audio without ANC on a single charge, or up to 44 hours of total listening time. We maxxed the ANC mode and found that the Buds 3 and their case lasted a little more than 20 hours spread over close to 3 days before the charging cable was required on scene.
The Buds 3 come with fast charging capabilities, and we confirmed that ten minutes of charging the case gives you about three additional hours of listening time (with ANC at its max). According to OnePlus, this goes up to seven hours without ANC.
Charging the earphones is even quicker when using the case alone. Let the Buds (and your ears) rest for a few minutes and they are ready for hours of action once more.
Verdict
As soon as you put in the OnePlus Buds 3, you claim the best seats in the house for whatever entertainment you have in mind.
The wireless earphones offer listeners exceptional audio and eerily effective ANC at an accessible price point of ₹5,499. Apart from its mild heating issue and MacBook connectivity problems, the stylish device is a smart gift for yourself or almost anyone else you can think of. The OnePlus Buds 3 will surely win over TWS skeptics, frequent flyers, sound purists, and especially those tech users who never have time to charge their electronics.
