We are talking about the high-end wireless headphones from OnePlus. They have active noise cancellation, the Dynaudio seal of quality and a design you will fall in love with.
I like to find products that take risks with a different design in a market category where it seems that all devices are the same.
When you hold the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 in your hand for the first time, there is a microsecond during which you may wonder what exactly it is you have in your hands. But don’t worry, I can confirm that these are OnePlus’ wireless headphones.
In fact, they are the successors to the Buds Pro 2, which were quite popular in the editorial department at the time. These Buds Pro 3 were presented at the end of August.
I have been testing them thoroughly and in this review of the Buds Pro 3 I am going to tell you everything you need to know about this manufacturer’s wireless headphones.
The most unique design I have seen in wireless headphones
The same goes for the headphones themselves, which have a metallic color even brighter than the casing but, in reality, they are made of plastic.
This does not mean that, because they are made of plastic (like the vast majority of this type of headphones), they convey a feeling of poor quality: quite the opposite, I have to tell you that they feel very well finished in the hand.
I especially liked the case, it’s very different from what you usually see on the market. With permission from Nothing Ear (a), of course.
On the back of the case you can see the inscription “Co-created with Dynaudio”, a prestigious audio company that has participated in the sound configuration of these headphones.
You have to get used to the way the headphones are stored, which is to insert them through the earpiece first and then let them settle completely with the magnet.
The case comes in a vertical format, so it lies completely flat when placed on a flat surface.
I was struck by the fact that there are not one, but two LED indicators: one on the outside, which is used to show the charge status when the cable is connected; and another on the inside, which indicates the status of the headphones when the box is opened.
OnePlus certifies that these headphones have IP55 protection, so they should be fine if they get a little wet with sweat while you’re exercising.
In the box you will also find the USB type C charging cable and ear tips in different sizes (XS, S, M and L). They are available in black and white.
The darkest app in history
I have to admit that I spent 10 or 15 minutes looking for the official app for the OnePlus headphones (it’s the first time I’ve tried one of these).
First I tried different combinations in the Google Play Store (“oneplus buds”, “oneplus headphones”, “oneplus buds headphones”), but none worked; I also tried to install the OnePlus Buds application via APK, but, of course, it only works with OnePlus phones.
Until finally I came across HeyMelody, which with this name completely unrelated to the manufacturer turns out to be the official app for OnePlus headphones for other manufacturers’ phones (both Android and iOS).
The headphones are Fast Pair compatible, so all you have to do is open the box and if your phone is compatible with this technology, a pop-up window will automatically appear asking if you want to pair them.
From HeyMelody you can see the charge level of the headphones and the case, as well as control the noise cancellation, the equalizer, the dual connection (they are compatible with up to 2 devices connected at the same time) or the touch controls of each headset.
On this last point, the touch control of the headphones, I have to say that I personally did not like it.
I prefer the touch control that the headphones have on their external surface, and not this system of pinching the headphones, which caused me an annoying sensation every time I brushed my beard with my fingers every time I was going to perform an action.
The gestures are highly customizable, that’s for sure. In total there are five gestures that can be configured on each headset.
Continuing with the application, other functions have caught my attention, such as Game Mode, a special low-latency mode for games that can only be reduced to the advertised 94 ms if you use a OnePlus mobile compatible with Pro Gaming mode, or Find My Headphones, which is sure to save you more than one scare when you think you’ve lost your headphones again.
Although the mode that really surprised me was Golden Sound.
It’s a feature that performs a hearing test (like at the doctor’s, yes) to adjust the sound details to your hearing.
At the end, it allows you to check the difference between the default sound and the personalized sound for you; to be honest, with my wooden ears I didn’t notice any difference, but I trust the technology and left the personalized mode activated for my ears.
It’s not the best app I’ve seen for wireless headphone control (its design is quite simple), but it has everything you need to customize the operation of the Buds Pro 3.
One of the best wireless headphones I’ve tried for audio quality
If there is one reason why I would recommend buying the Buds Pro 3 over their design or battery, it is the audio quality.
I don’t know if it’s the Dynaudio touch, the choice of components or a combination of both, but believe me when I tell you that they sound fabulous.
The headphones have two Dynaudio-designed drivers, with 11 mm bass drivers (dual magnet dynamic driver) and 6 mm treble drivers (flat diaphragm).
In addition, each earpiece has a dual DAC that controls each of these drivers separately.
The Buds Pro 3 have a very good level of audio quality, with a detail between bass and treble that creates an experience of the highest level.
For the most sybaritic, they are compatible with the LHDC 5.0 audio codec, with a bitrate of 1 Mbps and 24-bit/192 kHz audio support. They work with Bluetooth 5.4.
I also have good things to say about the noise cancellation which, in addition to being active, is adaptive and can be configured to isolate you to a greater or lesser degree (up to 50 dB), as well as having a transparency mode to allow you to hear ambient sound.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the three microphones with bone conduction pickup that ensure you can be heard perfectly, even in noisy environments, when making a phone call or recording audio.
Many hours of battery life, depending on how much noise cancellation you use.
The Buds Pro 3 are made to last for hours and hours of music playback. I can assure you that the 10 hours of playback without noise cancellation or AAC/LHDC, as well as the 5 hours with noise cancellation and LHDC, as promised by the brand, are not far from reality.
The total battery life, depending on whether noise cancellation and AAC and LHDC technologies are used, is between 21.5 and 43 hours. In other words, you can listen to music for up to two full days without having to charge them.
They have wireless charging, so you can use a charging pad or a compatible mobile phone to charge their battery.
As for wired charging, OnePlus offers up to 13 hours of music playback (without noise cancellation or AAC/LHDC) with just 10 minutes of charging.
Verdict: these are the wireless headphones I will recommend when someone emphasizes sound quality.
There are dozens of models of wireless headphones on the market, ranging from 20 euros to more than 240 for models like the Sony WF-1000XM5. However, you will see few like this design.
In addition to being special because of their design, I think the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 also stand out because of how well thought out their audio section is.
They sound (much) better than the vast majority of wireless headphones I’ve tried so far, they are high-end without a doubt and, in addition, they have noise cancellation that isolates you wonderfully in noisy environments.
The only negative thing I can say about this product, and this is a very personal opinion, is that I didn’t really like the touch controls on the headphones (I prefer those that are controlled by touch pulses on the headphones themselves).
