The Nord Buds 3 are the most recent in-ear really wi-fi earbuds from OnePlus and an India-exclusive product. These are the novice model of the Nord Buds 3 Professional that launched a few months in the past and the brand new entry-level mannequin within the lineup.
For probably the most half, this is similar product, simply with a few adjustments, most notably to the energetic noise cancellation. This implies you’re nonetheless largely getting the identical design, the identical drivers, and the identical and even higher battery life. All that for 30% much less cash feels like a very good deal however we should see if it is price it.
Design
The design of the Nord Buds 3 is sort of an identical to that of the Professional mannequin. The one distinction is within the end, with the Professional mannequin having a dual-tone end in addition to a speckled paint sample on the case whereas the non-professional mannequin is both all-glossy for the white mannequin or all-matte for the black mannequin.
As such, all observations on the Professional mannequin apply to this one. It is moderately well-designed with good match and end, construct high quality and luxury. The usual mannequin additionally retains the IP55 mud and water resistance for the earbuds from the Professional mannequin.
Software program
The Nord Buds 3 pair with Android and iOS gadgets utilizing the HeyMelody app. These utilizing OnePlus smartphones or tablets don’t want the app as all performance is constructed straight into the Bluetooth settings of these gadgets.
The app means that you can regulate all the options obtainable on the earbuds. You possibly can change your ANC settings and EQ, toggle recreation mode, handle paired gadgets, and customise gestures. It’s also possible to replace the firmware however Nord earbuds hardly ever ever get updates so it is not of a lot use.
HeyMelody app
In comparison with the Professional mannequin, the Nord Buds 3 lose a handful of options, largely associated to the ANC. You don’t get adjustable ANC ranges and might solely toggle it on or off or allow transparency mode. There’s additionally no customized noise cancellation characteristic that adjusts it to your ears and ambient noise. You additionally do not get the earbud match check characteristic since there isn’t any third suggestions mic pointed inside your ear that the Professional mannequin has.
However by far probably the most annoying omission on the Nord Buds 3 is the dearth of in-ear detection for controlling playback and ANC. This implies the earbuds do not know of whenever you put on or take away the earbuds, and thus can not play/pause the music for you, or allow or disable ANC. At this level, this characteristic needs to be desk stakes, and releasing earbuds in 2024 with out it simply does not appear proper.
Gesture management
The dearth of this characteristic means it’s important to depend on gestures to regulate playback. This works by tapping on the aspect of the earbuds, which works moderately nicely more often than not. Nonetheless, the only faucet gesture, which might solely be enabled for play/pause performance, is way too simple to set off by chance, which might be why it’s disabled by default.
Efficiency
Audio high quality
The Nord Buds 3 have the identical 12.4mm dynamic drivers with a titanized diaphragm because the Professional mannequin. Each fashions additionally assist solely SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.4 connection.
Based mostly on that, one would possibly assume the 2 would sound the identical, however the tuning is totally different. OnePlus leans even additional into the bass-boosted side of the sound, although the Nord Buds 3 Professional have been already pretty bass-heavy.
When it comes to audio high quality, there is not a lot excellent news to report. It is the identical type of bloated, bass-heavy sound that we have now come to count on from OnePlus at this level. Whereas the bass itself is not overwhelming, it has a wooly, boomy high quality to it with out a lot precision. It is also largely mid-bass slightly than sub-bass that you just’d need to have.
In a bid to make the bass stand out, OnePlus additionally dramatically nerfs the remainder of the frequency spectrum. Whereas the decrease mids are respectable, which preserves many of the timbre of vocals, the higher mids and treble are eviscerated. This additional provides to the muddiness of the sound as there’s simply no element or decision to talk of and all the things simply sounds delicate and bassy.
The three EQ presets are largely simply two presets. The Bass preset sounds just like the default “Balanced” preset, simply with much more mid-bass for added bloat. The Serenade preset is way too mid-forward and tends to sound honky consequently. Thankfully, there’s a guide EQ obtainable that allows you to create a number of customized profiles.
Utilizing the guide EQ, it took seconds to vastly enhance the default tuning of the earbuds. The 6-band EQ is slightly restricted, particularly within the mid-range frequencies, but it surely was nonetheless potential to get a good sound out of it. Bettering the higher mids and highs vastly improves the perceived stage of element within the sound whereas additionally bettering different facets of the sound, akin to imaging and soundstaging.
At this level, I’m prepared to supply my companies professional bono to OnePlus to assist enhance the default tuning of their earbuds. I really feel like this has gone on for lengthy sufficient and so they want somebody to course appropriate as a result of that they had good sound on their audio product of their early days. The present tuning sounds prefer it was made completely by and for individuals who have by no means heard something higher although persons are way more conscious of what good sound needs to be like nowadays. I’m assured that most individuals who admire sound would choose my preset or one thing comparable over the default tuning if it got here pre-installed within the app as a preset, and it took me lower than a minute to make it.
Microphone
The Nord Buds 3 have subpar microphone efficiency. The voice sounds garbled and continuously fluctuates even when recording in a quiet room. There’s additionally the occasional crackling sound heard within the background.
Noise cancellation
The Nord Buds 3 have energetic noise cancellation that guarantees as much as 32dB of attenuation, down from the 49dB promised by the Professional mannequin. As talked about earlier than, the usual mannequin has two microphones on the surface, one for ANC and the opposite for calls, whereas the Professional mode has three, with the third being contained in the earbud for suggestions.
The ANC efficiency on these earbuds is mediocre. Whereas low-frequency attenuation is respectable, they nonetheless let in a good quantity of mid and high-frequency noise. Additionally, if there may be plenty of high-frequency noise, such because the sound of rainfall or development work, then enabling ANC someway amplifies the high-frequency noise, extra so than if ANC was disabled.
In comparison with the Professional mannequin, the distinction is kind of clear. The Professional mannequin does very well and although there may be nonetheless some side of that prime frequency amplification, it is not as noticeable or bothersome as on the usual mannequin.
Equally, the transparency mode is not pretty much as good on the usual mannequin. The sound is a bit muffled and I discovered myself eradicating the earbuds to listen to individuals round me higher.
Latency
The Nord Buds 3 have good latency efficiency. The default latency is fairly respectable and will get even higher with recreation mode enabled. Completely satisfactory for informal gaming or watching content material on a PC.
Battery Life
The Nord Buds 3 have a claimed battery lifetime of 12 hours with out ANC, the identical because the Professional mannequin, which is not shocking for the reason that two have an identical battery sizes. Nonetheless, the usual mannequin has 8 hours of claimed battery life in comparison with 5.5 hours of the Professional mannequin, merely because of having a worse and fewer battery-draining ANC.
When testing with ANC, I managed to get 9 hours and 6 minutes of playback. That is a bit increased than the claimed determine, which is not shocking because the ANC stage is dynamically adjusted primarily based on ambient noise, and the check atmosphere was seemingly not loud sufficient to set off the max stage ANC.
With ANC disabled, I acquired 12 hours and 26 minutes of playback, the identical as what I acquired on the Professional mannequin and nearer to the claimed 12-hour quantity.
Total, the battery life on the Nord Buds 3 may be very spectacular but it surely comes at the price of decreased ANC efficiency in comparison with the Professional mannequin.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 are priced at INR 2,299, which is pretty inexpensive and a very good bit cheaper than the INR 3,299 worth of the Professional mannequin.
For the cheaper price, you worsen noise cancellation and no in-ear detection for play/pause. Audio high quality stays a sore spot for each fashions and the cheaper Nord Buds 3 has someway even worse tuning out of the field. The battery life is healthier on the non-Professional however once more, it comes at the price of worse ANC efficiency.
Total, the Nord Buds 3 is barely really useful if you cannot spend further for the Professional mannequin, although it’s nicely price it, and are prepared to spend time tuning the sound no matter which one you choose.
Professionals
- Engaging, well-built design
- Snug
- Nice battery life
- Good latency efficiency
Cons
- Shoddy audio tuning
- Subpar microphone efficiency
- Mediocre noise cancellation
- No in-ear detection characteristic
