I must start with the disclaimer that I like my music to be rounded at both ends — clear and distinct but also full-bodied with bass. Whether audiophiles would sneer at that or not and whether someone would remind me that music isn’t the only thing one needs earbuds for, doesn’t seem to reduce my bass-bias.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z are meant to be the right audio companions for a OnePlus phone, which is what I hooked them up with. Pairing is quick and involves a mere tap used with a OnePlus phone. Once done, you loop them around your neck, pop the buds into your ears, and sit back to listen. But before I could get around to it, I received a phone call which turned out nice and clear and smooth, with no complaints on either side.

Turning to my current favourite genre of music, slow deep Blues, I settled back to listen. And oh yes, instruments are distinct and clear. If you push the buds properly and thoroughly into your ear-canal, you get the bass end of the music. But it’s done with a light hand. While many would be happy with that sound signature, I am a little more like most Indians who want music to pack a bit of a punch.

I don’t condone thumping bone-shaking bass, but just enough to give music a full rounded off feeling. If OnePlus had done something about that, the Bullets Wireless Z would have soon become permanent companions for me, but I found the high end of the sound a little sharp, standing out by itself. For others who may look for earphones to attend to calls — and in this day and age, be on constant video chat sessions — the Bullets Wireless Z would be worth considering, particularly with a OnePlus phone.

The Bullets Z (as we will call them, for brevity) are in the neckband format and really quite comfortable. The material they’re made of is soft and has no sharp edges. The band sits very stable and balanced around the neck. The earbuds too are comfortable and can be made more so with a change of ear-tip size. There’s a controller on one side for the usual standard functions and the Bullets Z are otherwise quite simple and minimalist. They manage to look good and not cheap or plasticky. Snapping the backs of the earbuds together will turn them off, which is always convenient and conversing of battery — which in any case lasts at least 20 hours and charges fast with a 10-min charge giving many hours of play — 10 hours, says OnePlus, though that particular test wasn’t easy to do as it’s difficult to listen to anything for that long at a stretch.

These earphones are splash proof, which is a more polite way of saying sweat proof. Dropping them in a puddle is not recommended, but they would probably survive. Other special features include low latency or gap between sound and video particularly on a OnePlus phone, and the ability to switch between one paired device and another quick. The Bullets Z use USB -C and work on Bluetooth 5.0.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z
  • Price: Rs 1,999
  • Pros: Clear sound, easy set-up, good with calls, comfortable, splash proof, quick charging, long battery life, inexpensive
  • Cons: Somewhat lacking in bass

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