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Almost three years ago, OnePlus launched the original Bullets Wireless Z. I’ve been trying out its new avatar, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC, and looks like it has a lot going for it!
Design
The headband is compact and the neckband is lightweight-enough at 29.2 g. Design-wise, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC does not look very different from its predecessor, except for the active mic placement on the earbuds. I found the neckband to be flexible to wrap around my neck with ease, under the shirt collar, without any discomfort. It was also easy to store and carry the device in my work bag for days, although it’d occasionally get stuck to some metal objects.
The pairing and setup was quick and easy. The device itself features four buttons including a pause/play button, volume up and down, as well as a multi-function button which can be used to toggle ANC and transparency mode, once configured.
To quickly tweak the equaliser settings, the HeyMelody app came in handy. It offers control over most of the settings such as switching between noise cancellation and transparency mode, function button assignment and installing firmware updates. OnePlus smartphone users are in luck as they can switch on the ANC from the smartphone’s device setting itself. I could pause a song mid-way using the pause/play button present on the surface of the neckband or by magnetically locking the end of the headphones.
Sound Quality
For the price, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC delivers good audio thanks to its 12.4 mm titanium audio drivers that comes with a basic active noise cancellation feature. The passive noise cancellation was also good considering the fit-in-the-ear was nice. The buds also deliver well on the bass front with instruments being clear in Jawan’s Chaleya and the vocals on most tracks, including Coldplay’s A Sky Full Of Stars came through with much depth.
The ANC was decent with its ability to block-out ambient sounds — such as the whirring of the fan and the low hum of the AC — to a certain extent. However, it doesn’t really match up to the efficacy of the ANC that high-end earphones offer.
Even during my commute, the neckband design works as I respond to calls. I was told that my voice was clear without any background disturbance, while I was in a noisy parking lot.
Battery life
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 was easily able to get through a week with about 3-5 hours of usage every day. The battery is said to last up to 20 hours with ANC-on, and did, in fact, come close to the rated 30 hours with ANC-off. On the one odd day that I forgot to charge it before work, the quick charge feature lets the device be powered for almost 20 hours of playback after a 10-minute plug-in.
Verdict
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 is the best headband at this price point considering it delivers good sound, great battery life and decent ANC. Understandably, at this price point, the ANC isn’t the best that money can buy or even close. But overall, it would make for an easy, affordable gift to oneself or to a loved one.
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