OnePlus is back in the budget audio game with the Nord Buds 2. These earphones offer active noise cancelling (ANC) and a decent battery life for a very attractive price tag.  

The addition of ANC is a step up over the previous generation Nord Buds, but how do these headphones hold up in day-to-day life?

Design and build 

• Choice of two colours 
• IP55 water-resistance
• Prone to picking up marks 

The Nord Buds 2 shares the same design language as its predecessor, with rounder and chunkier stems than models like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.  

You can get them in a choice of two colours: white or grey. I tested the former, which also features silver accents on both the buds and the accompanying case, as well as a speckled finish on the white sections.  

Whilst the design looks rather premium, the buds are prone to picking up scuffs and marks – an issue also seen on the previous generation.  

The buds weigh 4.7g, and never felt heavy in my ear. There’s a choice of three silicone tips in the box – using the smallest option was the most comfortable for me, though my ears did feel a little sore after several hours of use. 

The accompanying case is oval-shaped, and on the wide side – it’s not quite as compact as others I’ve used. However, it is lightweight at 37.5g, and feels stable and durable.  

These buds are also suitable to wear for exercise, as they have a IP55 rating, so can stand some light sweat and even a spot of rain. They stayed nice and secure in my ear, even with me jostling about doing high knees and sit-ups.  

Software and features 

• ANC and transparency modes 
• Tap controls  
• Works with the HeyMelody app 

Pairing the buds was a painless process, and will be even easier for OnePlus phone users, thanks to the inclusion of Fast Pair. Google Fast Pair isn’t supported for other Android devices, however.  

Further control of the buds is done via the HeyMelody app, which is available on Android and iOS – however, the iPhone app doesn’t appear to support the Nord Buds 2 at the time of writing.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

There are four generic sound profiles: Balanced (which is selected by default), Bold, Serenade, and Bass. There is also a BassWave toggle, which when enabled cranks up the lower tones some more.  

If you want extra customisation, you can also enable a custom sound profile and tweak the settings to your exact preferences.  

Whilst Dolby Atmos support and a Dirac Audio Tuner are technically included on the Nord Buds 2 Buds, these features are only accessible on OnePlus phones – which is a shame for other users.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Touch controls are used to play/pause your audio, skip tracks, and enable the voice assistant or game mode – though unfortunately, there’s no volume control option. Again, you can customise the command of your taps in the app.

The buds are just right when it comes to touch sensitivity. I don’t have to press very hard, but equally my hair brushing against them doesn’t accidentally pause a track. However, there is a nearly two second delay when you want to pause/play something.

Unfortunately the buds don’t come with auto-pause, so if you take out your buds a track will continue playing unless you manually stop it yourself.

Sound quality 

• Punchy volume and decent bass boost modes 
• Custom sound modes for different genres
• ANC impressive for the price 

I tested out the various sound profiles on the OnePlus Nord Buds 2, but the standard setting out of the box is to have it on Balanced, with the BassWave toggle set to medium. The 12.4mm drivers produce extremely loud audio, meaning you rarely need to crank the sound all the way up.  

Sebastian Böhm’s remix of ‘Blue Monday’ sounded great. Strings and synths were all clearly distinguishable from one another, and the bass had a decent thump. It’s not quite as powerful as what you’ll find on more expensive buds, but listening to rock tunes such as ‘Zitti E Buoni’ by Måneskin with the bass modes turned all the way up sounded strong.  

Jazz track ‘I’m Not The One’ by Snarky Puppy feat. Malika Tirolien kept all its richness and colour, with vocals balanced well with the mids and highs. However, instruments such as cymbals had a sharp edge.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Podcasts and Twitch streams had clear vocals above background sound effects. There also wasn’t any noticeable lag on the videos I watched, something that is quite common on cheaper wireless buds.

There’s a game mode in the app which is supposed to improve latency further. I tested this with Genshin Impact, but did find that there was still a slight delay even with this turned on – games are more sensitive to this latency than other content.

For the price, the ANC is good. It’s enough to block out some of the roar of the London Underground when commuting, and doesn’t have a low level hiss like the Skullcandy Indy ANC Earbuds do. Of course, if you want more effective noise-blocking, you should consider something more premium.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

The transparency mode is also useful. Providing your audio is turned below medium, you should be able to hear traffic around you or keep the buds in when ordering a coffee.

The Nord Buds 2 come with dual mics, which amplify your voice when on a call. I received no complaints from anyone when on the phone or chatting via Messenger – even when I was out and about.  

The Bluetooth range also impressed – I was also able to use the Nord Buds 2 in a different floor of my home to my phone, which is something I can’t say for other buds I’ve tested.  

Battery and charging 

• Up to 36 hours of use with the case  
• Single use battery life around six hours
• USB-C charging  

The Nord Buds 2 have an excellent battery life. According to OnePlus, the buds can last around five hours with ANC on, and seven without. With the 480mAh case, this is then extended to 27 hours and 36 hours respectively.  

Using the ANC, taking a long video call, and switching between podcasts, videos and music, I managed to stretch the battery to nearly six hours, which was a welcome surprise. Long story short, you should be able to use these earphones for extended periods of time – such as travelling on a long-haul flight – without having to worry about running out of juice.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

You can see the charge of each bud in the app, but it only shows it in 10% increments, not the exact number. This can be annoying if you know you’re low on charge and want to estimate how long you have left.  

The charging case supports fast charging, which yields five hours of use from a quick ten-minute charge. The Nord Buds 2 do not support wireless charging, but that is standard at this price point.   

Price and availability 

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 cost $59/£69 and are available now from the OnePlus website in the US and UK. You can also get them from Laptops Direct in the UK.

The price is excllent for buds with ANC, but there is similarly priced competition from the likes of the Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC and the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC.

If you have a OnePlus phone then the addition of Dolby Atmos and the Dirac Tuner are an extra incentive. However, if you have an iPhone, we recommend first checking to see if the iOS app is updated to support these buds before buying.

You can find more options in our chart of the best budget earbuds. We also have more premium options in our chart of the best earbuds overall.  

Verdict 

There’s a lot to like about the OnePlus Nord Buds 2. For the price you get impressive audio, a durable battery life, and most importantly, decent ANC – a rarity at this price.

However, they aren’t without their faults. The case is a slightly awkward shape, and they can feel uncomfortable after long periods of time. Plus, only OnePlus phone users get access to the extra audio processing features that boost the performance.  

Regardless, there’s no denying that the Nord Buds 2 offer excellent value for money. If you want a pair of true wireless ANC buds that won’t break the bank, these are a solid option.

Specs 

• 12.4mm titanium-coated drivers 
• 4x microphones (2x per earbud) 
• IP55 certified 
• Dolby Atmos (w/ OnePlus phones) 
• Dirac Tuner (w/ OnePlus phones) 
• AI noise reduction (calls only) 
• Touch controls 
• ANC (25dB depth) and transparency modes 
• Quick paired device switching 
• EQ controls 
• OnePlus Fast Pair 
• Android compatible (via HeyMelody app) 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• Battery life:
  • 5 hours playback (buds only with ANC) 
  • 7 hours playback (buds only without ANC) 
  • 27 hours playback (buds + case with ANC) 
  • 36 hours playback (buds + case without ANC) 
• 4.7g (per bud) 
• 37.5g (case only) 
• Colours: Lighting White and Thunder Grey