The first edition of OnePlus’ Nord buds were one of our favourite buds under Rs 3K in 2022. OnePlus has launched its successor alongside the Nord CE 3 Lite. The major talking point for these buds is ANC (Active noise cancellation). This is a big deal and not a feature that you will find on too many TWS Bluetooth earbuds at this price point. Do these buds offer more than just ANC and are they one of the best buys in the budget segment?

Familiar design

Last year we said that the Nord Buds boasted of a fresh design aesthetic. It certainly made the 2022 edition stand out in a crowd. OnePlus doesn’t break away from this template, these buds look familiar, bordering on predictable. The colour options are quite bland too – you can pick from Lightning White or the Thunder Grey that we checked out. Just like the predecessor, these buds are almost weightless and are comfortable to wear. They sit quite securely in your ears unless you push yourself at the gym. Just like the first edition, the default buds worked well for me and created a good ear seal.

Hey Melody

Pairing was a breeze. I hooked these buds up with a Samsung smartphone after installing the Hey Melody App. I didn’t need to press any buttons, the phone automatically detected these buds; smooth. The app itself is functional but not high on aesthetics. You get a few sound modes in the Sound Master EQ. I played around with these modes while playing my current favourite – Bones by Imagine Dragons, on loop. The Bass mode was quite impressive. These buds clearly punch above their weight in the acoustics department.

Shut the world out

We think that ANC is a great add-on at this price. The Nord Buds 2 offer three levels that allow you to turn off ANC or switch between transparency and noise cancellation mode. I turned on ANC on a busy street and it was quite effective. Don’t expect the same silence levels as premium buds though. These buds achieve a good level of noise cancellation also in part because of the ear seal. More than the ANC it’s the sound stage that impressed us at this price point.

A no brainer?

OnePlus claims a battery life of 36 hours for the case (27 hours with ANC on) and 7 hours for the buds (5 hours with ANC on). I had ANC on throughout the testing and found that OnePlus’ claims almost matched my real-time experience. You get the same handy inclusions from last year’s buds like IP55 certification (for dust and water resistance) and ultra-fast charging that gives you 5 hours of playback with a 10-minute charge. It all adds to the appeal of these buds despite a predictable design. The ANC and sound quality make it one of the best buys under Rs 3,000.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 comes in Thunder Gray and Lighting White and cost Rs 2,999.