OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro review: Really good budget earphones

The hybrid ANC feature of Nord Buds 3 Pro works really good, way better than most of the rival brands under the Rs 10,000 price range.

Last week, OnePlus launched the new Nord Buds 3 Pro along with Nord 4, Pad 2 and Watch 2R in Milan, Italy.

It is available in India for Rs 3,299. It features hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) and can last for 44 hours. Does it deliver the goods? Let's check it out.

Design and build quality

The new Buds 3 Pro comes in an in-ear design language with wind-noise control capability. Earbud features outer metal mesh with concave structure to block wind noise, and also has an additional internal acoustic mesh that will further filter out wind and other noise, to ensure clear and audible voice and sound whichever way the wind blows.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

The earbuds come pre-fitted with high-quality silicone ear tips. They ensure the earbuds fit comfortably into the ears. It really works. The earbuds were able to hang to my ears during jogging. The company also offers extra silicone tips in small and large sizes, so users can try them for comfortable fit to their ears.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

Also, the sensor on the stem of the earbuds is very responsive. They quickly register touch gestures to play/pause music or pick up the call with just a tap.

The charging case comes in a visually appealing curvaceous pebble stone design. It has a dual-tone colour scheme. Our review unit- starry black-- features a smooth shiny surface in the top half section of the case and from mid-way to the base, it has a matte finish with a dotted texture resembling the cosmic black sky.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

The company also offers devices in the jade green variant. It also looks good too.

The earbuds come with an IP55 rating. It can survive water splashes and heavy sweating while doing workouts at the gym or while jogging outdoors.

Performance:

Setting up the Nords Buds 3 Pro is really easy. Just open the lids and the earbuds get detected in the Bluetooth devices list on the phones/tablets/computers.

Or, users can install the HeyMelody app to pair the Nords Buds 3 Pro to the phones. It supports both the iPhones and Android devices.

It boasts Bluetooth 5.4 and supports the Google Fast Pair feature, to maintain a stable connection with a compatible Android device with up to 10 metres.

Also, it supports dual connectivity. Customers can pair Nord Buds 3 Pro with a primary device like a phone and another personal gadget like a tablet or a computer. And, when connected to the latter, and you get a call on the phone, the earbuds will automatically switch to the primary device.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

Inside, Nord Buds 3 Pro houses a 12.4 mm dynamic titanium driver and also supports a hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC).

It supports an ultra-wide frequency range of up to 4,000 Hz, and features an improved BassWave 2.0 technology to deliver clear and crisp music to the ears.

The hybrid ANC of the Nord Buds 3 Pro works really well for earphones costing less than Rs 4,000. It can reduce the outside noise up to 49 dB during a phone call. It is very useful while answering phones in a bus or metro during rush hour. It manages to significantly reduce the outside noise of the chatter around and vehicle horns on the street. Thanks to three optimised mics, the voice is efficiently picked up and the person on the other side of the call can hear it without any distortion in the audio quality.

Even while listening to the music, the Nord Buds 3 Pro perform well. With the HeyMelody app, users can customise the audio delivery with the Master Equaliser feature. It offers three pre-set modes-- Balanced (default), Serenade, and Bass. For extra bass and fidelity, there is a dedicated Bass Wave mode. The app also offers equaliser customisation option to adjust frequencies of the audio output that match their taste.

With a full charge, the new Nord Buds 3 Pro can deliver up to 12 hours of battery life. But, with ANC-on, it can last for five hours on a stretch.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

With the charging case, it can last for up to 44 hours. Each earbud houses a 58mAh battery and the case comes with a 440mAh capacity cell.

During the review, I had to charge only once a week. I extensively used the Nord Buds 3 Pro during my long commute between my home and the office, spending close to an average of two and a half hours on weekdays. And, I used it for around 20-30 minutes for phone calls per day. Based on the battery level details (via the HeyMelody app), I used to recharge it in the weekend.

It also supports fast charging. With just 10 minutes of charging, it can last for 11 hours without ANC. The company offers type-C cable with the retail box.

Final thoughts

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro is really good quality earphones worth the asking price. The hybrid ANC feature works really good, way better than most of the rival brands under the Rs 10,000 price range.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro.

Also, the sensors on top of the stem are very responsive. Though it will take some time for muscle memory of the index finger to get used to the touch gesture, the user experience in terms of answering calls and controlling music will get better over time.

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