OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Recently, OnePlus released the much-awaited Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) earphones in India.
The new neckband earphones cost Rs 2,299 and promise flagship-level noise-cancellation capability and long battery life. Does it deliver? Here are my thoughts on the latest offering from OnePlus.
Design and build quality
It has an ergonomic design and sits comfortably on the shoulders. It weighs less than 30g, which barely registers any weight on the neck. During the entire review period (more than a week of usage), there was no irritation as such.
But, I have to note that the build quality of the OnePlus neckband earphones is really good. The wires have a line-like texture and also, can feel the premium quality of silicone used in it. Also, the two elongated nodes that house battery cells are soft and sturdy.
Furthermore, the earphones come with an IP55 rating, meaning they can sustain sweat during heavy workouts at the gym or while jogging in the park. And, also can survive moderate rain too. Maybe that's why the company is so confidently offering the earphones with an open Type-C port for charging. There is no provision for any flap to close the port's mouth.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
I love the red-hued + and - accents of the volume rockers, which add value to the visual appeal of the black earphones. Besides the booming black, the company also offers the grand green colour option in India.
The earbuds are in a glossy black hue and come with pre-fitted ear tips (medium). For me, they fit perfectly into my ears and faced no issues as such. Also, they do almost half the job of blocking the outside noise to deliver good audio output.
It should be noted that OnePlus offers ear tips in two other sizes (large and small) separately in the retail box.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
User Interface and Performance
It has a pretty straightforward forward interface. It has physical buttons for volume, pause/answer calls, and pairing. Also, in between the volume rocker, there is a button to switch between ambient and ANC modes.
And, there is also a multi-function button beside the volume rocker.
It takes barely a few minutes to connect to any smartphone. It supports Bluetooth 5.2 and can maintain stable wireless connection with the paired device inside a big house (up to 10 meters/32 feet) without having to carry the latter. Also, it support dual-device switch too.
Tutorial on how to use controls on OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC.
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
You just have to double-press the multi-function button to switch to a second phone or a tablet.
Also, the earphones come with high-quality magnetic controllers on the back. If you remove the earphones, they instantly attach themselves and turn off, when not in use. This is a really good value-added feature to save the battery life and ensure longer usage time.
For more customisation, users have to install the Hey Melody app to get more features including equalizer to fine-tune frequencies that match their taste.
Audio delivery on OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC can be customised using Hey Melody app.
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Inside each earphone, there is a 12.4mm dynamic driver that boasts anti-distortion audio technology to offer powerful beats and deep bass with good clarity. They did deliver great with almost all genres of songs and even podcasts, I tried on the music app.
As advertised, the 45dB Hybrid Noise Cancellation feature, does a fine job in reducing the outside noise, and as noted earlier, the silicone earphone tips play a significant role in contributing to controlling the disturbance.
The earphones also come with three precision microphones and AI Call Noise Cancellation feature, which were able to ensure clear voice calls even during peak rush hour traffic in Bengaluru.
With a full charge, it can last up to 28 hours without ANC and close to 20 hours with ANC on. It can deliver up to 16 hours of talk time without ANC and up to 13 hours of talk time with ANC.
I only charged once after unboxing the earphones and even after using them for several days, they still had 20 per cent juice left. Also, like the all OnePlus products, the new earphones support fast charging. Just 10 minutes of charging is enough to deliver 20 hours of listening time.
Final thoughts
Barring the excessively long name, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC is a really good product for its asking price. It is perfect for those who work out a lot, go trekking often and even those regular people who mostly commute on mass transit vehicles every day from home to the office and vice-versa.
If given a choice between TWS (Truly Wireless Stereo) earbuds and neckband earphones, I'd always prefer the latter as it offers so much freedom across all use cases. Also, it won't get lost as easily as those tiny earpods. No matter how much rush in the mass transit vehicle, earbuds may fall, but will always be connected to the neckband on the shoulder.
Also, while jogging, he/she never has to feel anxious about the earbuds falling off even if they increase the speed of the running.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
As far as the key aspect- audio delivery- is concerned, the latest OnePlus ANC neckband earphones are really good. ANC feature is way better than What I initially assumed from a device costing less than Rs 2,300. It does a fine job of reducing the outside noise to a great extent.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC comes in two colours-- booming black and grand green-- for Rs 2,299 and is available on the OnePlus website, OnePlus store app, and OnePlus experience stores including partner stores, Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra.
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