OnePlus Buds Z2 keep the bass in and the noise out 

The second iteration of OnePlus’ budget buds, the Buds Z2, look very much like their previous gen version. The case is a glossy plastic cartridge in either ‘Obsidian Black’ or ‘Pearl White’ with a silver OnePlus logo on the top. They’re compact and light enough to slip into a pocket and be carried around quite easily. The gloss will probably be covered with non-gloss and some scratches in time, but I have to say that kind of thing never bothers me with earbud cases — as long as they sound good. Despite what companies say I don’t believe earbud cases to be an extension of my personality, for heaven’s sake.

Before we get to how the Buds Z2 sound (which in a word, is ‘interesting’ let’s look at the buds themselves. They are a big smaller and in general pretty okay. But more importantly, they’re instantly comfortable. There are two other ear-tip pairs in the box, but the default fitted quite good. There seems no question of them falling out. I reluctantly jumped up and down with my head on one side and couldn’t dislodge them at all. This time around they’re IP55 splash and sweat resistant, so they can accompany you to the gym, when gyms are open and the world is right again.

Connection instantly

The Buds Z2 pair instantly with a single tap if you’re connecting to a OnePlus phone. They do work with all others, of course, but on a OnePlus you can control settings and update firmware directly. On other Android phones, download the HeyMelody app. The buds themselves have some onboard controls. Taps, not swipes, will give you the basic controls. I do trigger an action accidentally quite often when adjusting the buds in my ears or switch the music off because the buds do have in-ear detection.

One thing that definitely works as advertised is some active noise cancellation. While you can’t compare with some of the topmost expensive products offering ANC, these buds claim to cut the outside noise by 40 per cent. You can surely tell the difference specially when you take them out of your ears and suddenly encounter the hiss and crackle of everything around you. It’s by no means extreme, but it is noticeable. The seal provided by the soft ear-tips and the general good fit of the buds also adds to the cutting of noise. There’s a transparency mode as well and you can trigger it by pressing and holding on the back of one earbud. You can adjust the extent of ANC in the Bluetooth or app settings.

Now as to what they sound like… The Buds Z2 sound loud and pack quite a bit of bass with their 11mm drivers tuned to do just that. In fact, it[s important to be a bit careful and not listen too loud and long if you want to safeguard your own auditory apparatus. The mids may well be described as a bit overwhelmed by the extent of bass and by the slightly accentuated high frequencies. At loud volumes, those treble sounds can be a little too sharp. The buds support Dolby Atmos and work on Bluetooth 5.2, holding a signal well. Calls are loud and clear.

Battery life

The battery life of the buds and case is about 38 hours with 8 hours per cycle. A 10- minute top-up can give up to 5 hours of play. I tend to listen rather loud and will full noise cancellation, so I manage to deplete battery a lot faster.

For the asking price, the Buds Z2 do very well for themselves in a scenario where there are ever so many true wireless audio products.

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