Review OnePlus Nord Buds

You can't wait for the world of $ 39 headphones. After reviewing a series of much more expensive products, I spent the last days testing the new Buds OnePlus Nord. There is something little flattering about the name for me; "Nord Buds" sounds like an accessory that would have been used in Mork and Mindy around 1979. 

But it coincides with the Budget Alignment brand of OnePlus, which has proven to be impressive, so it makes sense that the company expands the headphones Budget brand. Anyway, the characteristics and performance of these economic outbreaks are more relevant than they are called.

The budget category of wireless earbuds is inundated with options from Skullcandy, JBL, Anker Soundcore, JLab, and countless brands you’ll find on Amazon. Most stick to the basics and aim to deliver a decent fit, sufficient battery life, and a lively, bass-heavy sound profile that can partially mask their underlying audio quality compromises. With the Nord Buds, OnePlus has checked off pretty much all of these fundamentals.

They’re comfortable to wear, can last for up to seven hours on a single charge, and their 12.4-millimeter drivers amplify bass and treble enough to make the Nord Buds perfectly enjoyable for uncritical listening. They’re also rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, which is more durable than what $200 Sony earbuds will give you. OnePlus definitely picks up points there.

Like other companies, OnePlus reserves a few software features exclusively for owners of its own smartphones — but they’re fairly minor in the grand scheme of things. OnePlus phones can take advantage of a low-latency gaming mode and are able to adjust earbud settings, customize controls, and make EQ changes with the built-in Bluetooth menu. 

If you’ve got an Android phone from a different brand, you can install the HeyMelody app to access the same functions; you’re really only losing out on the low-latency trick in that case. There’s even a HeyMelody app for iPhone, which is admirable when companies like Google and Samsung have abandoned iOS software support for their earbuds. HeyMelody for iPhone hadn’t yet been updated to support the Nord Buds at the time of this review, but that should change soon enough.

Nord outbreaks do not look as cheap as they cost: the headset piece is bright, but the outer stem is matte with a chrome circular accent that functions as the touch surface for controls. The stems are shaped like a palette sticks, which is enough for them to feel less like clones airpod than the anterior headphones of OnePlus. He obtains the status quo trio of silicone tip sizes in the box, and the big pair managed to keep them firmly in my ears with a good stamp and a decent noise isolation. 

The latter is an important factor, since Nord sprouts do not include the cancellation of active noise, so a tight seal is crucial to reduce the outer clamor. Comfort is an area where I have no complaints; The Nord outbreaks did not give me pain or irritation after a couple of days of using them extensively in the cafeteria and the office.

These earbuds have a very bass-forward sound that also emphasizes treble frequencies. The highs are raised a little more than I’d like and can come off sharp on an odd track here and there. That’s something you can dial back with the EQ adjustments on Android, and you’ll probably want to bring up the mids while doing so. The Nord Buds aren’t shy about their smiley face EQ curve, but they still make for pleasant listening. 

You might be under the assumption that $39 earbuds would sound muffled or indistinct, but the Nord Buds manage to overdeliver in this regard. They lack the fidelity, presence, and detailed soundstage of earbuds in the premium bracket, but if you told me I’d be stuck with these for a few weeks, I wouldn’t be terribly upset about it. That’s a good place for $39 earbuds to be.

The no-frills, matte charging case for the Nord Buds avoids any flimsiness; its pill-shaped lid has a sturdy mechanism and no annoying wiggle. But the case is on the taller side. No matter which way you slide it into a pocket, there’s going to be some bulge. Hopefully OnePlus can shave off some millimeters next time. The magnets do a competent job of holding the earbuds in place, though you can shake them loose with some force. The case charges over USB-C, and to absolutely no one’s surprise considering the $39 asking price, there’s no wireless charging on offer. But, on the plus side, it charges quickly. OnePlus claims you can get five hours of playback after just 10 minutes of charging time.

OnePlus says the Nord Buds can hit up to seven hours of continuous playback, and my time with them so far hasn’t given me reason to question that estimate. The case will get you another 30 hours of total listening time.

There must be a consistent inconvenience somewhere for $ 39 headphones, right? Of course, there are, and with Nord outbreaks, that weakness is microphone performance. You just don't want to use them for voice calls or zoom meetings. 

They are not competent in the task, since people report that my voice sounded confusing and difficult to distinguish in the trial calls if I was somewhere with an even moderate background noise. It is also disappointing that, although the Nord Buds admit OnePlus's rapid patented pair, they do not take advantage of Google's rapid pair for instant configuration with many other Android phones.

But those are really the only failures on the Nord Buds report card. Their Bluetooth 5.2 connection has been reliable, and the earbuds never got in the way or exhibited frustrating bugs over several days of use. They cover the basics admirably, are a solid budget effort, and lend more credibility to the Nord lineup.

Even if the Nord Buds end up mainly appealing to the OnePlus faithful, they’re a good value at 39 bucks that, in the words of my colleague Allison Johnson, can make you feel like you’re getting away with something — just like other Nord hardware. And even if I have the urge to say “nanu nanu” every time I mention their name.