OnePlus Nord Buds 2r – This shines in the crowded market
Searching a budget TWS earbuds can be tough these days because of a ton of options in the Indian market, every other day you will see a new TWS earbuds getting launched. Neither of these has software support and the quality or reliability is in question always, so, OnePlus has made a bold move by launching one of the cheapest TWS earbuds in the Indian market.
Yes, the new OnePlus Nord Buds 2r is now available to buy for only ₹2,199 and for the price I would say, a lot of people will be looking towards it in the upcoming Prime Day Sale or when you need one in general. So, reviewing this Nord Buds 2r for your reference is what we have prioritized, having reviewed all OnePlus TWS earbuds so far, I personally feel this one will blow your mind.
OnePlus has given all the basic features you expect from a TWS earbuds and made it surprisingly cheap, though I wanted to find flaws in it, mind you it’s very hard to find one honestly. Here’s a complete review of the new OnePlus Nord Buds 2r and whether you should buy it or not:
What’s in the box
- OnePlus Nord Buds 2r earbuds x 1 pair
- OnePlus Nord Buds 2r charging case x 1
- User guide x 1
- 4N ear tips
- Safety and Warranty card x 1
- 1N charging cable
- Nord emoji sticker x 1
OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Specifications
- [Enhanced Sound Experience]: The buds come with a 12.4mm driver unit, which delivers crisp clear and enhanced bass-quality sound experience
- [Sound Master Equalizers]: For the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r, you get to choose how heavy or light you want your sound with the help of the sound master equalizer’s 3 unique audio profiles – Bold, Bass & Balanced
- [Battery Life]: The flagship-level battery life for the all-new OnePlus Nord Buds 2r delivers up to 38 hrs of non-stop music on a single charge.
- [IP55 rating]: IP55 Water & Sweat Resistance
- [Gaming Mode]: It allows users to access a plethora of features while playing supported games on a OnePlus handset. They can be accessed at any time while playing games and give players the option to toggle different features and settings
Design, Build Quality and Comfort
By the look of it, the Nord Buds 2r looks nice and clean, nothing extraordinary yet very subtle, it has this similar design language to its brother Nord Buds 2, available at slightly higher pricing. This Deep Grey color variant is very minimalistic, not as good as its brother looks like but does the job honestly, also talking about build quality, it is also made up of plastic and is similar to the Nord Buds 2, with the lid being tactile, not the most premium I would say but yes its usable.
Talking about comfort while using this OnePlus Nord Buds 2r, I would say it’s very similar to the Nord Buds 2 again because the design of the Buds itself is the same. The stem is a small one but fits perfectly into your ears, when you are still and indoors, its good and won’t fall off but it’s very unsafe to carry outdoors, also, it comes with silicone tips which I would recommend using the one which fits your canals to get the best comfort and right fit.
Using this Nord Buds 2r for a long time won’t be hurting your ear as the buds are very light and it’s quite comfortable for long calls or binge-watching as well, overall, in this department, I would again say, gets the job done. Also, it’s IP55 rated, so even if you take this one out in this monsoon season you don’t have to worry much.
Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r borrows the same features as the Nord Buds 2 offers, featuring the latest Bluetooth 5.3 and supports audio formats of AAC, and SBC. I loved the fact that OnePlus kept the connectivity similar because sometimes in budget earbuds connectivity is overlooked and users cannot even connect the buds to their phone.
If you have a smartwatch, you can also connect the Nord Buds 2r easily and listen to music effortlessly, also connecting this TWS earbuds to a OnePlus phone is very easy thanks to OnePlus Fast Pair. Or else you have to use the HeyMelody app and that will take some time, even for both OnePlus/Oppo phones, you have all the controls of this earbuds via the Bluetooth settings, from Dirac Toner to Sound Master Equalizer, and you can easily configure.
Audio Quality
Now, the most important part of any TWS earbuds is its sound quality obviously, the Nord Buds 2r does fill in the shoes where its brother Nord Buds 2 leaves off, giving users almost similar audio quality at a cheaper price. The same big 12.4mm drivers give such a nice wholesome sound quality that you will love it, but not the most accurate for hardcore fans but I think most people will love the music.
Using the Sound Master Equalizer, you can set the mode to Bold to feel the bass and you will enjoy Bollywood music thanks to the thumping beats. Though the lows are not the best or as good as the Nord Buds 2 but again for the price it’s good, also, having the Dolby Atmos support does help in making the content more lifelike in terms of audio.
If you are an average music listener, the balanced sound quality gives you a soothing audio experience daily and it’s a perfect option for you. The biggest difference between the Nord Buds 2 and Nord Buds 2r is the absence of ANC which if is not the biggest priority for you this Buds 2r is a value-for-money option, and to some extent, this one has ENC and can filter some background noise out.
Call Quality & Microphone
One of the key aspects of using a TWS earbuds is because of attending calls which a lot of other products do overlook but this OnePlus Nord Buds 2r is also reliable as the regular Nord Buds 2. Thanks to the Dual mic and AI noise cancellation call, you can easily communicate using this TWS earbuds without any hiccups and talk for hours without hurting your ears or the opposite party.
Battery Life
If you thought the battery life on the regular OnePlus Nord Buds 2 was great, well, OnePlus has taken the benchmark even higher with this Nord Buds 2r, yes, you can get up to a whopping 38 hours of playback when fully charged. This is an extreme level of battery life, as it lacks ANC, the battery life has stepped up to 8 hours of playback using the buds at one go or 4 hours of talk time, which for most users will be great.
It’s been a few days since I got this TWS earbuds but I have failed to drain out its battery and this one gives my OnePlus Buds Pro 2 a strong competition, which is six times as expensive as this one, really commendable!
Verdict
The new OnePlus Nord Buds 2r at ₹2,199 is really tempting and I did find it hard to point out its flaws because at that price expecting features like Auto Pause or ANC is harsh. The most important thing is, this one is reliable and if you are buying the most basic features like endless music streaming, binge-watching, and long voice calls, this one does it like no other TWS earbuds can at the same price.
Also, with software support and a year of warranty, this is a highly recommended option for OnePlus fans especially and if you just want a reliable TWS earbuds without burning your pockets, this is easily the one you should consider.
Buy this Deep Grey variant from Amazon India: https://amzn.to/3O5ak9j or get the sassy Triple Blue one from the OnePlus India store: https://fas.st/9vf0Us
