For the past two weeks, I have been using the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the company’s latest premium wireless earbuds, and I am thoroughly impressed with them.
With top-notch noise cancellation and impressive sound quality, these earbuds certainly make an impact. The original OnePlus Buds Pro and the Buds Pro 2 have won me over with their affordable prices and reliable Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
While the ANC may not be equivalent to the AirPods Pro 3 or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, it should be noted that these options are significantly more expensive.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 fills the divide between the OnePlus earbuds and the premium hearables offered by Apple and Samsung. It boasts all the impressive features such as a dual driver, adaptive noise cancellation, pinch gestures, faux leather design, and spatial audio.
The earbuds were fine-tuned by Dynaudio, a renowned Danish company that specializes in producing high-quality audio products.
In addition, the feature-rich app allows for seamless integration with not only your OnePlus smartphone but also with other Android phones.
Key specs
- Drivers: 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter
- Audio codec: SBC, AAC, and LHDC 5.0
- Battery life: Up to 10 hours
- Type: In-canal
- Connection Type: Bluetooth
- Water/Sweat-Resistance: IP55
- Price: $180
| Pros | Cons |
| Dual-driver audio with deep lows and detailed highs | No LDAC support |
| Good control gestures | |
| Competitive price |
Design & connectivity
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 features a significant change in design from its predecessors. The previous squarish case design has been replaced with an oval shape, which is a much more convenient shape for pocket storage and portability. Additionally, OnePlus has made the switch from a horizontal layout to a vertical design for the case, further improving its overall design.
The charging case has a stylish two-tone design featuring a leather finish on the front and back and a metallic texture along the sides. I have been using the Lunar Radiance color variant as per OnePlus’ name, and it exudes a sleek and high-quality appearance. The front of the case is adorned with the OnePlus logo in gold, and the back pays homage to the Dynaudio tuning.
The earbuds have a stem-style design with shiny stems and a matte ring displaying the Dynaudio logo. The plastic interior is marked with “L”(left) and “R”(right), indicating which earbud should be placed in each ear and also acting as a vent.
The earphones were very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time. I experienced no discomfort while wearing them on a 4-hour flight, as well as during meetings and gym sessions.
It is important to properly size the eartips as my ears fit perfectly with the default ones that came with the earbuds, but they were too small for my girlfriend. To accommodate different sizes, OnePlus provides three additional pairs of eartips with the earbuds for you to switch out as needed.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and has an IP55 water-resistant rating. Throughout my testing, the earbuds consistently maintained a stable connection, even when I moved to a different room. The feature allowing for simultaneous connection to two phones functioned flawlessly. Pairing the earbuds is a simple process, especially if you own a OnePlus phone.
Features and controls
The HeyMelody app, found on the Play Store, offers a range of impressive software features for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Within the app, you have the ability to adjust the noise cancellation levels to high, moderate, low, or Auto, which automatically adapts to the surrounding noise levels. While I typically use the high mode, I have found the other modes to be equally effective.
There is a feature available to activate Game Mode, which decreases audio latency while gaming. Additionally, the earbuds have the ability to use Spatial Audio, although it is not turned on by default. You have the option to select either fixed Spatial Audio or Head Tracking modes.
The earbuds have simple controls that are easy to use. A brief squeeze of the stem will pause or resume music, a double squeeze will skip to the next song, and a triple squeeze will go back to the previous one. Adjusting the volume is as easy as sliding up to increase it or down to decrease it. To manage noise cancellation and transparency, simply squeeze and hold the earbud stem for one second.
Sound quality
The sound quality of the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro is excellent. Its dual-driver design features an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter, with each driver equipped with its own DAC to minimize crosstalk, interference, and improve power management. These earbuds are compatible with SBC, AAC, and LHDC 5.0.
During my experience with the buds, I found that the Balanced EQ mode met most of my requirements. It was expertly tuned by Dynaudio and was the preset mode.
The Dynaudio EQ is designed to emulate the sound of Dynaudio speakers. While it did not perfectly reproduce the sound, it still delivered an enjoyable listening experience. Additionally, there are other EQ modes available such as Bold, Serenade, and Bass for those who enjoy a strong bass. Furthermore, users have the option to customize their own equalizer settings.
When playing songs with intense bass, such as Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle,”the earbuds produce a strong thumping sound. The drivers are capable of handling maximum volume without any distortion, and even at moderate levels, the bass maintains its fullness while the highs are finely tuned to complement the emphasis on low-end frequencies.
The drivers are able to produce a strong, subwoofer-like rumble when playing tracks with deep bass, while the dedicated tweeters effectively handle vocals with good clarity and crispness.
The woofers in orchestral music are responsible for delivering the deep bass tones of the drums, while the tweeters add a touch of treble to enhance the richness of the baritone vocals.
Overall, the audio quality was reliable for gaming. The headphones were put to the test in popular games such as Fortnite, COD, and Valorant, and while there were occasional instances of slight lag, they still performed admirably. Additionally, the microphones proved to be impressive as the other party had no trouble hearing me during calls and meetings, as I was able to speak loudly and clearly.
ANC & Battery Life
The noise cancellation of the Buds Pro 3 is undoubtedly superior to that of the Buds Pro 2. It is of exceptional quality and effectively operates in any environment.
Despite living in a loud neighborhood with constant traffic and honking, I was able to block out the noise by using ANC. It effectively adjusts to the surrounding noise, regardless of location.
The transparency mode allows for increased audibility of external sounds with a slight boost in high-frequency tones, resulting in improved clarity of voices.
According to my testing, the earbuds from OnePlus deliver on their claim of providing five hours of battery life with ANC turned on and 10 hours with it turned off.
Testing the battery life of earbuds is a challenge as they begin charging as soon as they are placed back in their case. However, they were evaluated with ANC disabled and were found to provide approximately nine hours of playback.
Should you buy it?
As an Android user, you can’t go wrong with these earbuds if you’re looking for a pair under $200. They offer satisfactory battery life, exceptional sound quality, Active Noise Cancellation, and strong bass. The only downside is the absence of LDAC, resulting in a downgrade to AAC.
Verdict (4/5)
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 offers exceptional features and sound quality that are typically found in more expensive models, making it a wise investment.
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