OnePlus is once again at it, now with their third generation of OnePlus Buds 3, their latest in-ear Bluetooth earbuds. Offering an exceptional listening experience while significantly undercutting competitors with a price of only $99.99, do these earbuds have what it takes to be one of the best earbuds deals on the market?
While they certainly look very sleek in their blue metallic colour and compact case, I couldn’t help but notice how similar they look to the AirPods Pro offered by competitor Apple. However, I certainly appreciated that they come in actual colours compared to Apple, which only offers its earbuds in white. The case is also a satin blue plastic, that OnePlus calls “Splendid Blue”, which should hide fingerprints and skin oils better than other competitors on the market, though you can also opt for Metallic Grey if you do not want a more colorful set. Overall, the look of both the case and earbuds is minimalistic, which is something I find adds to the appeal over the competition.
True to the brand, the OnePlus Buds 3 come with the signature red and white OnePlus charging cable, something I and many other fans of the company have come to love. Along with that, you will find your usual sets of different-sized ear tips along with manuals and warranty booklets. While it’s by no means anything more than other brands offer, the way OnePlus presents its products with full-colour images on its packaging adds a touch of premium feel to the look of the product.
“Pairing the OnePlus Buds 3 to my computer and cell phone was a quick and seamless process…”
The OnePlus Buds 3 come integrated with several control options, similar to previous years, such as track skip, volume, pause/play, etc., along with listening mode, all incorporated into the stalk of the buds, making operation very simple and easy to master. Within minutes, I was controlling my media through the earbuds as if I had owned them for months. Pairing the OnePlus Buds 3 to my computer and cell phone was a quick and seamless process, and in only a short moment, I was able to kick back and enjoy my music.
Impressively, OnePlus has rated the Buds 3 for up to ten hours of use, provided you aren’t using ANC or 6.5 if you are. Not only are these numbers impressive considering how compact the buds are, but this places the OnePlus Buds 3 among one of the longest-lasting pairs of earbuds I have tested to date. While I was never able to completely drain the batteries in a single sitting, I could regularly go four to five hours when listening to music (with ANC enabled) and still have 20-30% battery life remaining by the time I removed them.
Also incredible is the charging time. In as little as 10 min, you can get an additional seven hours of listening time on the OnePlus Buds 3. This means in less time than it takes for me to get to work, I can have my earbuds ready for nearly a full workday of listening time. If I really had to gripe, I would only wish that the carrying case had wireless charging built-in. However, this is far from a deal breaker for me.
“In as little as 10 min, you can get an additional seven hours of listening time on the OnePlus Buds 3.”
Listening to my music with the OnePlus Buds 3 has been a wonderful experience. Music felt as though it had extra depth and richness to it while delivering the punchy low and bass tones I enjoy. Mids and high tones were crystal clear and, all together, helped immerse me further into my music. The ANC mode was my most common mode of choice as it often allowed me to sink into my own little world when trying to unwind.
The ability the OnePlus Buds 3 have to tune out background noise was exceptional. Rarely did I ever hear any noticeable background noise when using them, other than maybe the occasional keyboard clack when in between tracks or videos. Furthermore, I was also able to perfectly tune the earbuds to my ears with the help of OnePlus’s app HeyMelody.
In the app, you can view current battery levels, further adjust the sound produced by the OnePlus Buds 3 and even reprogram the controls of the buds themselves. While I didn’t mess with all settings, having the flexibility to tune the earbuds to my liking was especially convenient if I did not like how they operated. One aspect that was additionally helpful was the ability to view and change the listening mode of the OnePlus Buds 3. This is mainly because changing the mode through the buds themselves did not say which mode you are in other than an audible beep when changing them.
To wrap everything up, I am thoroughly amazed by not only the sound quality of the new OnePlus Buds 3 earbuds, but everything that comes with them. The ability to last me well over a full day before needing a charge (without ANC) paired with a comfortable listening experience make the OnePlus Buds 3 easily one of the best pairs of earbuds I have had the pleasure of testing.
