OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds Review: Only $39

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds

OnePlus does not only offer a few headphones under the main brand. The OnePlus Nord series now also has its own accessories, including the OnePlus Buds Nord. Titan drivers, game mode and long battery life sound promising. We are into these new TWS earbuds today and putting them through their paces.

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds 1

The inner packaging has come up with some variety, but basically it is a fairly simple packaging with the following content:

  • Pair of Nord Buds
  • Charging case
  • 3x silicon ear tips (S, M, L)
  • USB charging cable
  • User guide
  • Safety and Warranty card
  • Nord emoji sticker x1
PROSCONS
6-band equaliser for custom presetsNo aptX support
Good fit in the earNo ANC
Dolby Atmos at a budget
Strong battery life
SBC, AAC & BT 5.2
IP55 rating

Design

OnePlus has long made the most of what is available in the mid-range price bracket. Both smartphones and the devices they supply are covered by this. The Nord Buds are no different, either, and are sold for a reasonable $39.

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds 2

OnePlus, you shouldn’t anticipate expensive earbuds for that purpose. However, you at least get a unique design. The basic concept is possibly inspired by a straightforward chopstick design.

However, the speaker housing for the Nord Buds has an oval form put on it and is 25 mm in length, 12 mm in width, and 5 mm in depth. The individual earbud is 28 mm long, 20 mm wide, and 18 mm deep.

A tightly woven aluminium grille surrounds the 4 x 6 mm loudspeaker output, providing protection. Above this and positioned in-between the plug apertures is a coarser rubber grid.

In the Nord Buds, OnePlus does not include a proximity sensor, but there are at least two micros: a pressure equalisation region that is also covered by a grid, and the principal micro, which is located at the bottom end of the handle.

The contact area is one millimetre taller, chrome-plated and located on the outside of the oval handle. The screen faintly resembles a camera module. The station proves to be a lot more potent than the buds. Its dimensions are 67 x 35 x 27 mm (L x W x H), making it an oval shape as well.

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds 3

The OnePlus writing is on the lid, which is nearly unadorned. The USB-C connector and the neatly framed pairing and reset buttons are on the back, far below, and are both perfectly framed.

The assignment is absent from the buds, but right and left are marked inside with red dots. The base locations are spacious enough to accommodate the buds with various attachments.

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Molded foam is perfect for use and only causes issues during the largest expansion stage. The earphones may be put in and taken out easily at the same time. When the lid is fully open or closed with a tight snap, magnets keep the headphones in place.

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds 4

The required details, including the station’s charging state, are displayed on an LED that is mounted on the outside and in the centre of the front. It’s to save on processing if there’s anything you can hold against OnePlus. The station and earphones have a few sharp edges, but they are not everywhere. There aren’t any overly wide gaps either. But you take odd turns when it comes to colour.

The earphones come in two colors: white and black (Black Slate). However, the package likely conceals a small surprise. There are three different colours for the cardboard inside, and the wording and stickers that come with it vary correspondingly.

Comfort

As always, excellent wearing comfort is advertised. OnePlus also includes the usual three sizes of plugs. The fact that an angular shape is not made for ears is shown by the actual loudspeaker housing, which has the conventional ergonomic shape.

The low weight of the buds (4.9 grams) is well distributed over the contact surface and is hardly noticeable. Even with rough movements, the headphones stay in place. Jogging or the like shouldn’t be a problem.

The station looks a bit different; although it is not heavy at 42 grams, it is a bit bulky due to its shape and height. This is not noticeable in large bags, but it is in the trouser pocket.

OnePlus Nord Buds True Wireless Earbuds 5

There is no need to worry about water protection, and even dust is kept out of the system quite effectively, thanks to an IP55 shield. At the station, however, you should save on both, as they offer no protection whatsoever.

Sound quality

OnePlus has actually always built some special features into its earbuds. Sometimes it is LDHC support, sometimes particularly large drivers, or both. The Nord Buds Pro are looking a bit lean. The only highlights are the equalizer and the rather large 12.4 mm drivers with titanium coating. The whole thing is combined with Bluetooth 5.2 and AAC as the highest possible codec. ANC is not available. Whether that’s enough to get a clean and powerful sound remains to be seen.