Don't fear the cheaper

They’re worryingly affordable, but these two newcomers to the true wireless crowd both come with audio pedigree

- Khumail Thakur

TRUE WIRELESS BUDS

OnePlus Buds Pro

What’s the story?

It’s the sheer value that makes the Buds Pro such a fantastic pair of TWS that everything else feels like a showboating effort. And that’s pretty much the gist of it.

Are they any good?

The OnePlus Buds Pro have a warm sound signature but they sound hella fun. The bass from these is tight and punchy. Ye Tune Kya Kiya by Pritam & Javed Bashir plays with an energy and tonal clarity that is hard to find at this price range. We were able to hear the fantastic percussion set with precision and every thud on the hand drums is felt with a commanding heft. The raspy vocals from Javed Bashir have a depth that doesn’t subjugate other sounds. Result? A toe-tapping experience that even the AirPods Pro can’t match at times.

The touch controls are responsive and virtually impossible to confuse, and the voice commands are foolproof. All this can be customised in the app, where you’ll also find some rather crude EQ controls.

The OnePlus Buds Pro are a fantastic TWS. There’s little to complain about and if you don’t have the cash to grab the AirPods Pro, the Buds Pro offer the value for money that was once synonymous with the brand.

Tech

Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C

IPX4

28hrs case with ANC, 38hrs without ANC

Driver 11mm

Qi-charging

Stuff says The AirPods Pro rival that offers a fun listening experience