OnePlus Buds Pro  Headphones Review

Reviewed Sep 27, 2021 at 08:07am
Writing modified Mar 13, 2023 at 10:26am
Tested using Methodology v1.5 
OnePlus Buds Pro

Track

0.0
Neutral Sound 
0.0
Commute/Travel 
0.0
Sports/Fitness 
0.0
Office 
0.0
Wireless Gaming 
0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Calls 

Track

 0
Notice: These headphones were replaced by OnePlus Buds Pro 2

The OnePlus Buds Pro Truly Wireless are the upgraded variant of the OnePlus Buds Truly Wireless. To get the most out of these in-ears, you should pair them with a OnePlus phone, and if you use them with an Android or iOS device, you may find them a little lacking. That said, these headphones have a few new features. They now have a OnePlus companion app and a secondary app for users without a OnePlus phone, both of which offer 'OnePlus Audio ID', a hearing test that optimizes their sound profile based on your unique hearing abilities. They also have active noise cancelling (ANC), although it offers a sub-par overall performance. Unfortunately, their battery performance isn't great, although they have a 'Warp Charge' feature that's advertised to offer roughly 10 hours of continuous playback time with 10 minutes of charge time.

Our Verdict

0.0
Neutral Sound 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are good for neutral sound. While our graphs show that they have a fairly neutral sound profile, our subjective impressions indicate that they have a more bass-heavy sound. Mixes have intense thump and rumble that some users may find overwhelming. However, it shouldn't muddy vocals and lead instruments too much. On the downside, they lack sound customization features like an EQ to help you adjust their sound. Their passive soundstage is bad, so your audio seems like it's coming from inside your head rather than coming from speakers placed around you.

Pros
  • Consistent audio delivery.
  • Comfortable, well-built design.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage.
0.0
Commute/Travel 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are good for commute and travel. They're small and lightweight, making it easy to put them in your pockets or bag when you're on the go. They also have a comfortable, breathable fit and are well-built. Unfortunately, they struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. Their continuous battery life is very short, although their case holds roughly four additional charges if you need it.

Pros
  • Consistent audio delivery.
  • Comfortable, well-built design.
  • Breathable, stable in-ear fit.
Cons
  • ANC struggles to block out bass-range noise.
  • 4.3-hour continuous battery life.
0.0
Sports/Fitness 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are great for sports and fitness. Even though they lack stability fins, they have a stable, breathable, and comfortable in-ear fit, so they shouldn't fall out during your run or workout. They're also well-built and are certified IP55 for dust and water resistance. However, their continuous battery life of just over four hours is short.

Pros
  • Comfortable, well-built design.
  • Breathable, stable in-ear fit.
Cons
  • 4.3-hour continuous battery life.
0.0
Office 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are satisfactory for office use. They have a comfortable and breathable fit. Thanks to their ANC system, they can block out ambient chatter around you, and they don't leak too much audio, so you can listen to your favorite songs at a high volume without disturbing your coworkers too much. They support multi-device pairing too, meaning you can stay connected to your smartphone and PC at the same time. However, their continuous battery life of 4.3 hours is short, and you may need to recharge them in their case during your shift.

Pros
  • Consistent audio delivery.
  • Comfortable, well-built design.
Cons
  • 4.3-hour continuous battery life.
  • Bad passive soundstage.
0.0
Wireless Gaming 

The OnePlus Buds Pro aren't recommended for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only, so they aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency will likely be too high for gaming.

0.0
Wired Gaming 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are Bluetooth-only headphones and you can't use them wired.

0.0
Phone Calls 

The OnePlus Buds Pro are alright for phone calls. They have an integrated mic that can separate speech from moderate ambient noise well. However, your voice sounds thin, unnatural, and a bit distorted. While they also have an ANC system, they still struggle to cut down bus engine noise, which could be annoying if you're taking a call from a busy street.

Pros
  • Comfortable, well-built design.
Cons
  • Sub-par recording quality.
  • 0.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 0.0
    Commute/Travel
  • 0.0
    Sports/Fitness
  • 0.0
    Office
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming
  • 0.0
    Phone Calls
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 13, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Truly Wireless in
    2.  Updated Mar 08, 2023: After user feedback, we have re-evaluated the Noise Handling scoring to better reflect their performance. The Speech + Pink Noise score has been raised from 7.0 to 7.5, which has changed their overall Noise Handling score. We've corrected the setting for Microphone in Test Settings.
    3.  Updated Sep 23, 2022: We've added a comparison with the Google Pixel Buds Pro Truly Wireless in the 'Stability' test.
    4.  Updated May 30, 2022: Firmware update 531.531.411 has added multi-device pairing support, which you can turn on in their companion app. We have updated our Bluetooth test, and its scoring has changed.

    Check Price

    Glossy White
    SEE PRICE
    Amazon.com
    Matte Black
    SEE PRICE
    Amazon.com
    Radiant Silver
    Amazon.com

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The OnePlus Buds Pro come in two color variants: 'Glossy White' and 'Matte Black'. We tested the matte black variant and you can see our model's labels here and here.

    If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

    Popular Headphones Comparisons

    The OnePlus Buds Pro are the upgraded variant of the OnePlus Buds Truly Wireless, coming with an ANC system, a companion app, and more overall functionality with Android and iOS devices. They have a somewhat bass-heavy sound profile that delivers extra boom and thump to mixes. While it shouldn't overwhelm vocals and lead instruments, the headphones lack an EQ or presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. Unfortunately, their continuous battery life of 4.3 hours is short, and their ANC does a worse overall job of blocking out background noise than their successor, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Truly Wireless. The ANC also underperforms when compared to the OnePlus Buds Z Truly Wireless, which can only reduce noise passively.

    Check out our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the best earbuds and in-ear headphones, and the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ear headphones

    OnePlus Buds Pro 2

    Track

    The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are the next generation of the OnePlus Buds Pro. While they're similarly comfortable and well-built, the second generation's ANC has a significantly better noise isolation performance, and the battery life has improved too. They're more customizable thanks to their companion app's graphic EQ, presets, and spatial audio support.

    OnePlus Buds

    Track

    The OnePlus Buds Pro are better in-ears than the OnePlus Buds. The Pro are more comfortable and stable, and they have an ANC system, so they can to block out more ambient noise. They also have a companion app, which offers features like button mapping. However, the original Buds have a better overall battery performance.

    Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless

    Track

    The Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless are slightly better in-ears than the OnePlus Buds Pro. While both headphones are comfortable, the Sony are better built, have a significantly better noise isolation performance, and superior battery performance. Their companion app also offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. However, the OnePlus have a low latency 'Pro Gaming Mode,' advertised to lower audio lag when paired with compatible OnePlus phones.

    OnePlus Buds 3

    Track

    The OnePlus Buds 3 are a later generation of the OnePlus Buds Pro and offer a better overall performance. While both models are similarly comfortable and well-built, the third-gen have a significantly better noise isolation performance and a longer-lasting continuous battery life, and their mic has an improved recording quality, so they're the pick if you take many calls. That said, the original headphones have a flatter sound profile, which some users may prefer.

    Show more 
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!

    Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.

    You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedIn-ear
    EnclosureLockedClosed-Back
    WirelessLockedTruly Wireless
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedLocked
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedLocked
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedLocked
    Talk-Through
    LockedLocked
    Additional ControlsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceLockedLock °C

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    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    HLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    VolumeLockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)
    Transmitter RequiredLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    HLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    VolumeLockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)

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    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Bass Amount
    LockedLock dB
    Treble Amount
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB

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    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High-Bass
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Mid Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High-Mid
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Treble Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High-Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Imaging
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Passive Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Distance
    LockedN/A
    Openness
    Locked
    0.0
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    Locked
    0.0

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    0.0
    Virtual Soundstage
    Head Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Speaker Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Room Ambience
    LockedLocked
    Head Tracking
    LockedLocked
    Virtual Surround
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 90
    LockedLock
    WHD @ 100
    LockedLock

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    Test Settings
    Firmware
    LockedLocked
    Power
    LockedLocked
    Connection
    LockedLocked
    Codec
    LockedLocked
    EQ
    LockedLocked
    ANC
    LockedLocked
    Tip/Pad
    LockedLocked
    Microphone
    LockedLocked

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    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation
    Isolation Audio
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    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Noise CancellingLockedYes
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-Line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedLocked
    MicLockedYes
    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
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    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Handling
    SpNR
    LockedLock dB
    Noise Gate
    LockedLocked
    Speech + Pink Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
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    Speech + Subway Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
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    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power-Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedLocked
    iOSLockedLocked
    AndroidLockedLocked
    macOSLockedLocked
    WindowsLockedLocked
    Equalizer
    LockedLocked
    ANC Control
    LockedLocked
    Mic ControlLockedLocked
    Room Effects
    LockedLocked
    Playback Control
    LockedLocked
    Button MappingLockedLocked
    Surround Support
    LockedLocked

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    NFC Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Line Of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft (Lock m)
    PC Latency (SBC)
    LockedLock ms
    PC Latency (aptX)
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (aptX HD)
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (aptX-LL)
    LockedN/A
    iOS Latency
    LockedLock ms
    Android Latency
    LockedLock ms

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    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    Non-BT Latency
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    DetachableLockedLocked
    LengthLockedN/A
    Connection
    LockedLocked
    Analog/USB Audio Latency
    LockedN/A

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    PC Compatibility
    Analog
    LockedLocked
    Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked

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    PlayStation Compatibility
    PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedLocked
    USB Input
    LockedLocked
    Line In
    LockedLocked
    Line Out
    LockedLocked
    Optical Input
    LockedLocked
    RCA Input
    LockedLocked
    Dock Charging
    LockedLocked
    Power Supply
    LockedLocked

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