OnePlus' Nord series of products began with a phone in August 2020. Carl Pei, who was still with the company at the time, told me in an interview he helped create the Nord series because "technology has improved to a point where you can make a good phone without using the highest-end components."
That has clearly been the idea behind the Nord's earbuds line too. I went into this review of the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 blind, without knowing the products' specs, feature set, or price. I was initially unimpressed with the somewhat generic design and hollow feel. But that changed immediately when I realized these earbuds cost only $59 and actually offered decent active noise cancelation (ANC).
Of course, other recent earbuds I've tested recently, such as the Nothing Ear 2 or OnePlus's own flagship Buds Pro 2 have better designs and audio quality, but the Nord Buds 2 offer arguably better price-to-value ratio than all of them.
About this review: This review was written after a week of testing the OnePlus Nords Buds 2 provided by the company. OnePlus had no input in this review.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are affordable earbuds that offer solid audio quality and surprisingly functional ANC. They're some of the best budget earbuds you can buy right now.
- Brand
- OnePlus
- Battery Life
- 5h / 27h (ANC on), 7h / 36h (ANC off)
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Additional Tips
- Yes, three sizes total
- Noise Cancellation
- Yes
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- Drivers
- 12.4mm
- Mono Listening
- Yes, either earbud
- IP rating
- IP55
- Weight
- 4.7g (bud), 37.5g (case)
- Dimensions
- 27.5 x 21.05 x 24.4mm (buds)
- Price
- $59
- Actually functional ANC at this price range is super rare
- Stable connection
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Bland design
- Five-hour battery life is just OK
OnePlus Nord Buds 2: Price and availability
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are available now directly from OnePlus' website for $59. Amazon availability is expected later this month. The earbuds come in either white or black.
Hardware and Design: A bit generic
Looks are subjective, but the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 have a very bland, boring look. Everything from the nondescript OnePlus logo on the top of the case to the all-white (or all-black) case and earbuds remind me of those generic no-name earbuds you can find in street markets of Southeast Asia for like $10.
The lid feels noticeably flimsier than the lids of other earbuds I've tested, flopping open with a slight flick of the finger. In fact, both the Nord Buds 2 and the case have this very hollow, cheap feel. Granted, the "other earbuds" I refer to are flagship earbuds from Apple, Samsung, and Bose that I've previously reviewed, and that cost anywhere from $150 to $350, so it's not a fair comparison.
If you're thinking I'm being way too harsh, that there are really only so many design traits you can throw at a set of earbuds, OnePlus has already proven it can change that up. Even giving the earbuds a two-tone finish with a brighter color, like the original Nord Buds' neon green finish, would add much-needed flavor. And for what it's worth, the OnePlus' flagship earbuds, the Buds Pro 2, are among the best-looking earbuds on the market.
OK, enough dwelling on looks; let's move on to practicalities. The Nord Buds 2 are very lightweight at 4.7g per bud, and despite their clunky look with the chubby stems, they fit in my ears very comfortably. There are three sizes of silicon tips available, but the default medium ones fit me well right out of the box. Charging is done via USB-C, and there is no wireless charging support.
Performance: Good audio, but laggy
You control the earbuds via a small touch panel on the outside (the silver spot) that supports taps. The controls are the usual fare: you can start or pause audio, and long-press to switch between ANC or Transparency mode. The earbuds are also rated IP55 for splash resistance, so you can use them out in the rain without concerns. OnePlus doesn't specify the battery size inside the earbuds, but they're advertised to last five hours on a single charge with ANC on, and that's about the time I got to during a long-haul flight. The case adds another 5.5 charges for roughly 27 hours of total audio time with ANC on.
And you will want to leave ANC on because I find the silicon tip seal doesn't naturally block out audio as much as other earbuds. But as I've mentioned a couple of times already, the ANC here is actually functional. It is nowhere near as strong as the ANC seen in Apple's AirPods Pro 2 or even the Nothing Ear 2, but it's about on par with the ANC in Jabra's $99 Elite 4s and slightly behind the $179 OnePlus Buds Pro 2. This means it's good enough to eliminate many low-frequency noises and at least mute high-frequency ones. It's enough that I can wear it in a noisy coffee shop and get a bit more peace. The transparency mode is also decent; it lets in outside sound as promised, but human voices can sound muffled in outdoor settings.
Those of you who read my OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review may remember I criticized its ANC as lacking. Well, that was evaluating the ANC performance at those earbuds' higher price point. At the Nord Buds 2's $59 price tag, I have no complaints whatsoever. I have not had many experiences with sub-$99 earbuds in the last few years, but I asked around some industry peers who have, and they say the Nord Buds 2 having actually usable ANC at $59 is very rare.
There are 12.4mm drivers inside, and the sound chamber has a new design that lets in more bass. I have not tested the original Nord Buds, so I can't say how much of an improvement this is, but generally, audio quality can be considered good at this price range, and on par with the Jabra Elite 4.
If I had to nitpick, the Nord Buds 2's audio fidelity does sound flatter than the Nothing Ear 2 or OnePlus Buds Pro 2's audio performance, but that's only noticeable if I listen to hip-hop, electronic tracks, or anything with a lot of bass. For a lot of pop music and podcasts, I wouldn't be able to point out where the Nord Buds 2 sound inferior to the flagship OnePlus buds.
The overall connection was also strong, even as I wore the earbuds outside and walked around city streets. There is, however, some noticeable lag when I'm wearing the earbuds to play games or watch videos.
Software: Just the basics
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 uses the same HeyMelody companion app available on iOS and Android, and it offers the usual control customization (you can change a long press to activate Google Assistant or Siri instead of toggling between ANC/Transparency mode, for example).
The Nord Buds 2, as budget earbuds, don't have many special features like spatial audio, but you can use the earbuds to control your smartphone's camera shutter. There is also a Game Mode, which is supposed to reduce latency, but it didn't do much from my testing.
Should you buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 2?
You should buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 if:
- You want new earbuds and saving money matters a lot
- You want ANC in your earbuds
You should not buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 if:
- You need better audio quality and don't mind paying for it
I help upkeep XDA's best wireless earbuds list and I reviewed a few high-profile wireless earbuds over the years, such as Apple's AirPods Pro 2, Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, and Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds 2. And in all of those reviews I either wrote or alluded to the fact that you can find a perfectly fine pair of wireless earbuds for $50-ish dollars, that spending well into the triple digits for wireless earbuds is purely for enthusiasts or those picky about audio and ANC.
Well, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are more than perfectly fine at $59. They pack in audio quality and ANC on par with earbuds that would usually cost $99 or $129. While they're not actually better than the $149 Nothing Ear 2 or $179 OnePlus Buds Pro 2, that might not matter.
I can say this: If your budget for new earbuds is under $100, the Nord Buds 2 are very likely the best option right now.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2
The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 are affordable earbuds that offer solid audio quality and surprisingly functional ANC. They're some of the best budget earbuds you can buy right now.