OnePlus Buds Pro 3: Feature-laden and future-proof

In a market teeming with affordable wearable audio, standing out with a unique product is a seemingly impossible challenge. This year, OnePlus has shown that it can be done. With their ₹11,999 wireless earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the company has packed in impressive tech features and partnered with Danish audio legend Dynaudio to tune these buds to deliver high-quality sound. 

Externally, the Buds Pro 3 are premium-looking. The case is attractively oval-shaped and dressed in a leathery texture -- though it’s a variety of plastic. They’re IP55 rated, which means a bit of dust and water won’t kill the buds. The case had better be safely tucked into a pocket or purse. The magnets on the case lid and those holding the buds are firm. In addition to charging by cable, they’re also chargeable wirelessly -- a premium feature. 

The Buds 3 Pro are available in black and white or Midnight Opus and Lunar Radiance, which undoubtedly sounds better. On one side is the OnePlus logo and on the other, Dynaudio. Both are subtly executed. The case looks elegant and is well-built. It does have a certain weight to it but on the plus side, you won’t just forget them in a pocket. In the box, there’s the usual paraphernalia -- cable, ear-tips, literature etc. The buds themselves can’t be described as small exactly, but they are a balanced size and weight and are instantly comfortable unless you have a specific issue with earbud fit.

If you pair the buds with a recent OnePlus phone, the controls to everything for them is simply via Bluetooth settings. There’s a pairing button on the case, but it’s so flush against the case that you’ll miss it. It will still pair. If you’re using a non-OnePlus phone, you may need to download the HeyMelody app on Android or iOS to select the options and make your choices. That includes access to choosing how you want the on-buds controls, namely all the taps, swipes and squeezes, to work. The buds will work with any phone, including the iPhone, but to actually use the sound quality features you need to use a playback device that supports the codecs. And finally, you need to use a streaming source that supports hi-res lossless and Spatial Audio. In short, a few ducks have to be in a row for everything to work as intended although they will work anyway and sound good even without doing very much.

To get to what makes this set of earbuds stand out in a market that is teeming with affordable wearables, it’s a dual-driver design with an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter. Each driver has its own DAC (digital to analogue converter) for higher quality and lower interference.

There is support for SBC, AAC, and LHDC 5.0. There is no LDAC and because this is a future-forward standard, some devices will default to AAC. With a partnership with Dynaudio, the OnePlus buds are tuned to the Danish audio legend. The presets on the EQ are marked as being tuned by Dynaudio.

All tech talk aside, the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro sounds really good, especially in their price category. They’re plenty loud, leaving enough room for them to sound good and clear at a lower volume. They also sound very clear and don’t crossover into overly sharp sound though you may find yourself sometimes lowering volume more than you would on other earbuds. The dual DACs also make for robust bass and good treble as well as good instrument separation. You will need to enable Dynaudio sound from the settings. Similarly, hi-res music depends on the source you’re listening to. Spatial Audio can also be enabled from the app or settings, again, since it depends on the streaming source, among other variables. The sound quality is tuned for general consumer preferences but many reviewers find the sound close to audiophile level. You can also use the EQ and Bass boost presets to choose how you want them to sound. A ‘Golden Sound’ feature also adjusts the sound to you, with a test. Another feature one can access is advice on neck vertebrae health, for which you will need to install the OnePlus O Health app. On a OnePlus phone in particular the settings are something a user should really explore in detail because there are features one can’t guess and end up missing out on. For example, there’s a setting to control the phone’s camera with two squeezes on the earbud’s stems which will trigger shutter release and a short timer before taking the shot.

Noise cancellation on the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro cuts 50 per cent of steady sound. It is adaptive to the user if worn properly. Combined with the content one is listening to, they keep out enough sound so that you have to switch to transparency to talk to someone. One could readily say the noise cancellation is nearly at the flagship level, without the price tag. Other features on these earbuds include good latency and gaming support, multi-point connectivity and stable connections. These buds have a claimed battery life of 6 hours with AAC and 5 hours with LHDC - which is why it’s important to be familiar with the settings and options, especially as everyone’s listening style is different.

For the general Android user, especially a OnePlus user, the Buds 3 Pro are easy to recommend. They sound great, fit comfortably, are full of features and are future-proof.