OnePlus Buds Z2 Design
OnePlus may have started with the popular ‘outer ear fit’ of the original Apple AirPods, but the company has since moved on to making ‘in-ear fit’ products with active noise cancellation. The design of OnePlus Buds Z2 has also been made in such a way that active noise cancellation is available as much as possible. To ensure that the buds fit comfortably in the ears, three pairs of silicone ear tips are provided in the box, along with which a short USB Type-C charging cable is also provided.
If we look at OnePlus Buds Z, no significant changes have been made in the design of OnePlus Buds Z2. The earpiece and charging case look similar. One difference seen in the new model is that a grill cover has been provided on the inner microphone for active noise cancellation. The second big change is of color. Black and white color option is available in OnePlus Buds Z2, which was not there in OnePlus Buds Z.
I really liked the all-black color of my review unit. However, the glossy finish of the device tends to pick up fingerprints very quickly, so the earpieces and case need to be cleaned frequently. The charging port and pairing button are present on the back side of the case. OnePlus logo is given on the top of the lid and there is an indicator light on the front.
The case is not too big and fits easily in the pocket. The case comes with an IPX4 water resistance rating, while the earpiece comes with an IP55 dust and water resistance rating. Each earpiece weighs 4.5 grams and both have three microphones each, which come for ANC and voice pickup.
The outer side of the earpiece is touch-sensitive so that playback can be controlled. These can be customized through Bluetooth settings on OnePlus smartphones or through the HeyMelody app. You can control music playback, switch between ANC and transparency modes, activate the voice assistant on your smartphone, and switch between the last two paired devices using different gestures. Are.
If you use OnePlus Buds Z2 with a OnePlus smartphone, all these settings and customizations are easily available in Bluetooth settings. In this you can check the current level of battery of earpiece and charging case. You can switch between the two ANC modes provided – Normal and Max. You can also select the active Bluetooth codec, switch between ear detection to play and pause music, test earfit and even update the firmware of the earphones.
This customization menu on OnePlus smartphones is very easy and fast to use. But if you don’t have a OnePlus smartphone, you can also do customization through the HeyMelody app (available on iOS and Android). However, the smoothness in the app will be a little less, but it works well with the Buds Z2. The disappointing thing here is that you cannot customize the equalizer through the app or through the settings of the OnePlus smartphone.
It supports Google Fast Pair for Android smartphones. Dolby Atmos and gaming mode (94ms latency) only work on select smartphones like OnePlus 7 and above. 11mm dynamic drivers are provided in the earphones. These have a frequency response range of 20 to 20,000Hz and have Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity equipped with SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs.
The battery of OnePlus Buds Z2 is quite good for this price segment. The earpieces provide a backup of 4 hours 30 minutes at 60 percent volume with ANC mode. With the help of the charging case, it can be fully charged 4 times, which means the total battery life becomes 23 hours. Fast charging option is not provided, but it is claimed to get 5 hours of playback time in 10 minutes of charge.
Punchy sound, good active noise cancellation on the OnePlus Buds Z2
OnePlus has progressed very slowly in its true wireless earphones segment. The company has launched a number of earphones and OnePlus Buds Pro priced at Rs 9,990 is the winner among them. The OnePlus Buds Z2 comes in at half the price, but has one feature common to more expensive headsets, and that is active noise cancellation. In this area the Buds Z2 performed as I expected.
The performance of OnePlus Buds Z2 does not depend on the device, that is, it does not make much difference which smartphone you are connecting it to. With the help of SBC and AAC Bluetooth codec I OnePlus 9 Paired these earphones with and was able to use Dolby Atmos and low-latency mode. I used these for a long time during the review. Apple iPhone 13 And I was able to customize it easily with the help of HeyMelody app.
You often expect a sonic signature sound when buying an affordable true wireless headset, one that slightly boosts the bass (lows) and trebles (highs) and slightly suppresses the midrange. Most buyers look for similar sound in their affordable earphones. I liked the punchy sound of these OnePlus earphones quite well in some tracks.
I listened to the song Glitter by Keys N Krates, the lows in the beat sounded quite aggressive and powerful to me, whereas the sound of the 70s melodic songs was quite clean. One feature you will see in OnePlus Buds Z2 is that these earbuds have a very good balance of bass and treble. I really liked the bass-focused sound of David Guetta’s fast and aggressive song ‘Dirty Sexy Money (Mesto Remix)’. OnePlus Buds Z2 are quite loud and apart from producing punchy sound, they are also capable of keeping up with fast paced music. If I compare it with other headsets in this price range, there is a re-verb feel with the bass, which is not found in others. Compared to the rough and finishless sound of OnePlus Buds, the new buds give a much refined sound.
Dolby Atmos and low-latency mode worked well when used with the OnePlus 9. Atmos is designed to sound a little more open and airy than the high-resolution sound of Apple Music. Low-latency mode is activated as soon as you turn on Pro Gaming mode on the OnePlus smartphone. It managed to provide better latency.
Active noise cancellation is available only in very select true wireless earphones priced under Rs 5,000, but OnePlus has done a good job in this area. However, when compared to expensive earphones like OnePlus Buds Pro and Nothing Ear 1, there is a slight difference, but still in terms of price, I found them better than other earphones I have used in this price range.
Two modes are provided for ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) – Normal and Max. I did not find any significant difference between these two. However, after activating them, there was a significant reduction in indoor and outdoor noise while listening to music, audiobooks and calls.
In Transparency mode, I was able to hear the surrounding sounds easily, but my own voice sounded very loud and strange. In such a situation, removing the earphones from the ears while talking to someone seemed a better option. The call quality and connection stability of the device is quite good. The earphones did not experience any stability problems even at a distance of up to 4 meters from the paired device.
Verdict
OnePlus may have taken a long time to enter the true wireless segment, but with its recent products it has made a big impression in this segment. OnePlus Buds Z2 also seem to be moving forward in this trend and along with a very effective sound experience, they provide ANC and some useful features, which include fast charging and Dolby Atmos support. However, to make the most of them, you will have to use them with recently launched OnePlus smartphones. Even if you have another Android smartphone or an iPhone, the OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS is a great option for under Rs 5,000.
Realme also offers similar features in this price segment but the quality of OnePlus gives tough competition to others in this segment. I did not find any significant shortcomings in the device. If you have a tight budget of Rs 5,000, then you can definitely buy these, but I think by spending a little more money you can also buy Nothing Ear 1 or Jabra Elite 75t, which are better options.
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