OnePlus Buds Z2 Design
OnePlus may have started with the popular ‘outer ear fit’ of the original Apple AirPods, but the company has since then been making ‘in-ear fit’ products with active noise cancellation. The OnePlus Buds Z2 has also been designed in such a way that active noise cancellation is as good as possible. To ensure that the buds fit comfortably in the ears, three pairs of silicone ear tips have been provided in the box, which also come with a short USB Type-C charging cable.
If we look at OnePlus Buds Z, there is no major change in the design of OnePlus Buds Z2. The earpiece and charging case look the same. One difference is seen in the new model that a grill cover has been given on the inner microphone for active noise cancellation. The second big change is in the color. Black and white color options are available in OnePlus Buds Z2, which was not there in OnePlus Buds Z.
I really liked the all-black colour of my review unit. However, the glossy finish of the device picks up fingerprints very quickly, so the earpiece and case need to be cleaned frequently. The charging port and pairing button are located on the back of the case. The OnePlus logo is placed 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 earpieces come 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 earpieces is touch-sensitive for playback controls. These can be customised via Bluetooth settings on the OnePlus smartphone or via the HeyMelody app. You can control music playback, switch between ANC and transparency mode, activate the voice assistant on the smartphone, and switch between the last two paired devices using various gestures.
If you use OnePlus Buds Z2 with a OnePlus smartphone, then all these settings and customizations are easily available in the Bluetooth settings. In this, you can check the current battery level of the earpiece and charging case. You can switch between the two ANC modes – Normal and Max. You can also select the active Bluetooth codec, switch between ear detection to play and pause music, test earfit and also update the firmware of the earphones.
This customization menu is very easy and fast to use on OnePlus smartphones. But if you do not have a OnePlus smartphone, you can also do customization through the HeyMelody app (available on iOS and Android). Although the smoothness in the app will be a little less, 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.
For Android smartphones, it supports Google Fast Pair. Dolby Atmos and Gaming Mode (94ms latency) work only on OnePlus 7 and some select smartphones after that. The earphones have 11mm dynamic drivers. They have a frequency response range of 20 to 20,000Hz and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity is provided with SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs.
The battery of OnePlus Buds Z2 is quite good for this price segment. The earpieces give backup for 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, that is, the total battery life becomes 23 hours. The option of fast charging is not given, 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 been moving at a slow pace in its true wireless earphones segment. The company has launched a handful of earphones and the OnePlus Buds Pro priced at Rs 9,990 is the winner among them. The OnePlus Buds Z2 comes at half the price but has one feature common with the more expensive headset, and that is its active noise cancellation. In this area, the Buds Z2 performed as I expected.
The performance of OnePlus Buds Z2 is device independent, that is, it does not matter which smartphone you are connecting it to. With the help of SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, I have tested the performance of the device. OnePlus 9 I paired these earphones with a 2.4G and was able to use Dolby Atmos and low-latency mode. I used them for a long time during the review. iPhone 13 I also connected it with HeyMelody and I was able to customize it easily with the help of the HeyMelody app.
When you buy an affordable true wireless headset, you usually expect a sonic signature sound that slightly boosts the bass (lows) and trebles (highs) and slightly suppresses the mid-range. This is the kind of sound most buyers look for in their affordable earphones. I really liked the punchy sound of these OnePlus earphones in some tracks.
I listened to Keys N Krates’ Glitter song in it, the lows in the beat sounded quite aggressive and powerful to me, while the sound of 70s melody songs was quite clean. One feature you will find in OnePlus Buds Z2 is that these earbuds have a very good balance of bass and treble. I really liked the bass-focused sound in David Guetta’s fast and aggressive song ‘Dirty Sexy Money (Mesto Remix)’. OnePlus Buds Z2 are quite loud and apart from punching sound, they are also able to maintain the pace with fast-paced music. If compared to other headsets in this price range, re-verb is felt with the bass in them, which is not found in others. Compared to the rough and finishless sound of OnePlus Buds, the new buds give a very 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 Apple Music’s high-resolution sound. The low-latency mode was activated as soon as the Pro Gaming mode was turned on on the OnePlus smartphone. It managed to deliver better latency.
Active noise cancellation is available in very few true wireless earphones priced under Rs 5,000, but OnePlus has done a good job in this area. However, there is a slight difference when compared to expensive earphones like OnePlus Buds Pro and Nothing Ear 1, but still for the price, I found these to be better than other earphones I have used in this price range.
There are two modes for ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) – Normal and Max. I did not notice any significant difference between the 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 too loud and strange. In such a situation, it seemed better to remove the earphones from the ears while talking to someone. The call quality and connection stability of the device is quite good. I did not feel any stability problem in the earphones 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 mark in this segment. The OnePlus Buds Z2 also seem to be moving forward in this trend and offer a very impressive sound experience along with ANC and some useful features, including fast charging and Dolby Atmos support. However, to make full use of them, you will have to use them with the recently launched OnePlus smartphones. If you have another Android smartphone or iPhone, then also the OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS is a very good option under Rs 5,000.
Realme also offers similar features in this price segment, but the quality of OnePlus gives tough competition to the rest in this segment. I did not find any major flaws 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 than this.