Why I'm not calling these 'Pro' - OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro

Summary

This video reviews the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, exploring their features like active noise cancellation (ANC), design, and sound quality. The reviewer questions the 'Pro' label since there’s no non-Pro version and discusses the earbuds’ performance, particularly issues with fit and ANC. While the buds offer good bass and loud volume, they struggle with creating a proper seal, affecting sound and noise cancellation. The reviewer finds them okay for their $80 price but suggests cheaper alternatives like CMF Buds, which offer better sound and design.

Takeaways

• 🎧 OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are the focus of the review, but there’s no non-Pro version, raising questions about the 'Pro' label.
• 🔇 The term 'Pro' seems to imply active noise cancelling, following a trend in the wireless earbud world, likely influenced by Apple.
• ♻️ The earbuds have a sparkly design, suggesting the use of recycled plastic, which the reviewer appreciates.
• 📱 The case has a compact design with a pairing button, a USB-C port, and comes with short USB-A to C cable.
• 🎤 Each earbud contains three microphones for better sound capture, but the fit might affect the seal and noise isolation.
• 💦 The buds have an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, making them well-protected against splashes and light exposure to elements.
• 📊 Sound profile is V-shaped, with a notable emphasis on bass and treble, making it less neutral and more bass-heavy.
• 🎚️ The app offers three different EQ presets: Balanced (default), Bass Boost, and Serenade, which lower bass but keep treble high.
• 🔋 Battery life is decent at 5.5 hours with ANC on and extends to 20 hours with the charging case. Without ANC, playback time jumps significantly.
• 💰 For $80, the reviewer suggests the CMF Buds as a better alternative, as they offer better sound and more vibrant colors.

Q & A

What product is being discussed in the script?

The product being discussed is the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, which is part of OnePlus's value brand.

Why are these earbuds called 'Pro'?

They are called 'Pro' likely because they feature Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), although the script questions whether the term 'Pro' is becoming synonymous with ANC in the wireless earbud world.

What is the design and material of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro?

The buds have a stem design with a glossy near-ear section and soft-touch stems. The case has a matte finish, and the earbuds are made from plastic, possibly recycled, according to the script.

How many microphones are on each earbud and where are they located?

Each earbud has three microphones. One is on the bottom of the stem, another is on the top, and the third is near the driver.

What kind of protection do the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro offer?

They are IP55-rated, meaning they offer good protection against dust and can handle jet sprays of water from all angles, but they are not submersion-proof.

What are the key issues with the fit of these earbuds?

The earbuds do not seem to go very deep into the ears, affecting the fit. Even with different ear tips, the seal wasn't ideal, which could impact sound quality, especially bass response.

What sound profile do the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro have?

The sound profile is V-shaped, with an emphasis on bass and treble. Vocals are forward, but the mids are somewhat recessed. They are not ideal for users seeking a neutral sound.

What is the battery life of the earbuds with and without ANC?

With ANC on, the earbuds last 5.5 hours and 20 hours including the case. With ANC off, the battery life more than doubles to 12 hours on the buds and 44 hours with the case.

How effective is the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) on these earbuds?

The ANC is not very strong, especially around the 40-60 Hz range. It blocks less sound than passive noise isolation in some frequency ranges, likely due to a poor seal during testing.

Is the product recommended, and how does it compare to alternatives?

The reviewer suggests that while the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are okay for their $80 price, there are better alternatives, like the CMF Buds, which are cheaper and offer better sound quality.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 First Impressions and Unboxing of OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro

The speaker dives into the unboxing experience of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, questioning the 'Pro' designation despite the lack of a non-pro model. The key features highlighted include the buds' active noise cancellation (ANC), small and lightweight case design, stem-based earbud form, and the use of recycled plastic. The unboxing reveals silicone ear tips and a short charging cable. The earbuds have a unique design with a glossy finish near the ear and a soft-touch stem, featuring three microphones per bud for ANC and a decent feel in the hand. IP55 dust and water protection ratings are noted as well. However, the speaker hints at a potential fit issue that will be discussed later.

05:01

🔊 Sound Profile and Fit Issues with OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro

The focus shifts to the audio performance and fit of the buds. Despite some issues with the fit, which led to only an 'average' seal during testing, the buds produce a loud, bass-heavy sound. The speaker also mentions the V-shaped frequency response, with significant bass and treble enhancements, making the earbuds less suitable for those seeking a neutral sound profile. Fit tests using the app yielded inconsistent results, indicating that the seal may impact sound quality. The speaker also reviews EQ presets, including a 'balanced' profile, a bass-boosting option, and a 'serenade' setting, though they find these presets skew the sound in non-ideal ways.

10:03

🎮 Controls and Customization Options for the Buds

The speaker reviews the control options for the earbuds, explaining that single taps do nothing by default to avoid accidental touches, while double and triple taps control song playback. Long presses can be customized for volume control, but the speaker criticizes the slow response time. They also highlight the noise-cancelling features, which include three levels: mild, moderate, and max. However, testing revealed that the ANC performance is not very strong, especially around the 40-60 Hz range, and the speaker attributes this to the fit issues. The transparency mode and mic performance are also mentioned, with average sound rolloff at high and low frequencies.

🔋 Battery Life and Price Considerations

Discussing the battery life of the Nord Buds 3 Pro, the speaker notes that the buds last 5.5 hours with ANC on and up to 12 hours without it, while the charging case extends usage to 44 hours in total. A quick 10-minute charge provides 11 hours of playback. However, they express doubts about the ANC's effectiveness, given the minor noise cancellation impact. The speaker compares the $80 price point of these earbuds with alternatives, particularly the CMF buds, which are cheaper and offer a better experience overall. Despite the Nord Buds 3 Pro's decent performance, the speaker finds them unremarkable and suggests exploring other options.

🤔 Final Thoughts: Are They Worth It?

The speaker concludes by summarizing their mixed feelings about the Nord Buds 3 Pro. While acknowledging that the buds provide ANC and reasonable sound quality for their $80 price, the speaker criticizes the poor fit and subpar noise-cancellation performance. They recommend considering cheaper alternatives like the CMF buds, which offer better sound and design. Ultimately, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are deemed mediocre and not fully 'Pro' as the name suggests.

Keywords

💡OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro

The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are the wireless earbuds being reviewed in the video. The 'Pro' branding is questioned by the reviewer, as these earbuds offer features like active noise cancellation (ANC) but don’t seem to have a significant distinction from non-Pro models. The video explores the features of these earbuds, such as sound quality, fit, and design, to determine their value.

💡Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) is a feature in headphones and earbuds that reduces unwanted ambient sounds using built-in microphones. In the context of this video, the reviewer critiques the ANC on the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, noting that its performance isn't very strong, especially in certain frequency ranges, and may not block out noise effectively due to fit issues.

💡Fit Test

The fit test refers to a feature in the OnePlus app that helps users determine if their earbuds fit properly. A proper fit is important for sound quality, particularly bass response, and effective noise cancellation. The reviewer mentions that the earbuds achieved only an 'average' fit during testing, which may have affected the overall sound and ANC performance.

💡IP55 Rating

The IP55 rating indicates the level of protection the earbuds have against dust and water. 'IP55' means that the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are fairly resistant to dust and can withstand water sprays from any direction. This is highlighted as a positive feature, although they are not fully waterproof for submersion.

💡Sound Profile

The sound profile refers to how the earbuds reproduce different frequencies. In the video, the reviewer describes the sound profile of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro as 'V-shaped,' with a big boost in bass and treble. This makes bass-heavy sounds more prominent and vocals more forward, but it may not appeal to users seeking a neutral, balanced sound.

💡Controls

The controls on the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are customizable through the app, allowing users to configure actions like play/pause, skipping tracks, and adjusting volume. However, the reviewer criticizes the slow response of the volume controls and mentions that the default settings might not be ideal for all users, such as lacking an immediate single-tap function.

💡Transparency Mode

Transparency Mode allows users to hear ambient sounds around them while still wearing their earbuds, useful for situations where awareness of the surroundings is important. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro include this mode along with ANC, and the video briefly mentions its availability but does not delve into its effectiveness.

💡Battery Life

Battery life refers to how long the earbuds and their charging case can function before needing to be recharged. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro offers up to 5.5 hours of playback with ANC on and up to 12 hours with ANC off. The case adds additional hours, making it a total of 44 hours without ANC. The reviewer finds this battery performance impressive, especially when ANC is turned off.

💡Seal

The seal refers to how well the earbuds fit in the user’s ear, which affects both sound quality and noise cancellation. The video highlights that the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro didn’t achieve a good seal during testing, which likely contributed to suboptimal bass response and noise-cancelling performance. This is presented as a significant factor impacting the earbuds’ overall performance.

💡Price Comparison

The price comparison is made between the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, priced at $80, and another pair of earbuds, the CMF Buds, which are cheaper and, according to the reviewer, offer better sound and more fun colors. This comparison emphasizes that the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro might not be the best value for money, and other options could be more appealing.

Highlights

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro includes active noise cancelling despite there being no non-Pro version.

Active noise cancelling in earbuds may often be marketed as a 'Pro' feature, with Apple potentially influencing this trend.

The case has a compact design with a matte lid, short USB-C charging cable, and pairing button.

The earbuds feature a glossy finish near the ear, a soft-touch stem, and three microphones per earbud.

IP55 rating offers strong protection against dust and water, including jet sprays, but they are not submersion-proof.

Issues with the fit may affect sound quality, particularly bass response, based on how well they seal in the ears.

The sound profile is V-shaped with a prominent bass boost and treble lift, though mids are somewhat recessed.

Three different EQ presets are available, including balanced, bass boost, and serenade, though the latter is unbalanced.

The app allows customizing controls on both earbuds, but the volume control response is slow and cumbersome.

Transparency mode, noise cancellation, and adjustable noise cancellation levels are available, but not as effective as some competitors.

Fit testing revealed inconsistent seals between different ear tips and even between the user's ears.

Battery life ranges from 5.5 hours with ANC on, up to 12 hours with it off, and 44 hours total with the charging case.

Quick charging gives 11 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge when ANC is off.

Price point is set at $80, though the reviewer suggests better alternatives like the CMF Buds.

Overall impression: the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro feel 'okay' but not 'Pro,' with notable issues in design, fit, and sound quality.

Transcripts

so much to unpack it's OnePlus Nord

that's their value brand buds 3 Pro

there's no non-pro so why are they

called Pro is it because they have

active noise cancelling in the truly

Wireless earbud world does the word Pro

simply mean active noise cancelling and

if so do we have apple to blame for that

I don't know if my hands are really

greasy right now but I am streaking up

everything this is kind of cool it's got

a sparkly look to me that means recycled

plastic I don't hate that at all more on

that later what else is in here oh it's

like a clam shell it's me is this their

logo what is this guy who is he the labs

did open this package up before these

silicone ear tips were in a little

packet and a charging cable with OnePlus

red it's a to c and it's really short

this is as about as short as they come

on the bottom of the case we have a

pairing button and a USBC port and then

you can see the lid is mat it's not

speckled this is brand new plastic

baby decent feel pretty small case and

the buds themselves stem design oh but

they're tapered they're kind of chungus

on the ends that's different it's glossy

near the ear and then the stem is more

of a soft touch there are three

microphones on each earbud there's also

you can see the kind of pogo pins for

the charging that's where they make

contact with the case oh you can

definitely screw up which one goes where

and when I plugged them in I had

charging light on the front oh it's

yellow

actually there are three microphones on

each earbud there's one of the bottom

here there's one at the top of the stem

and then there's one right by the driver

there and interestingly there's also an

indicator for this being the right

earbud and that is a hole probably a

vent for the drivers they come in two

colorways black or Jade it's kind of

green I think the design language

overall for some reason is giving Smurfs

to me they're just kind of bulbous they

don't go very deep in my ears

which could be related to an issue that

I'll tell you about a little bit later

as far as the feeling of them being you

know on my body and not going to fall

out they feel secure they're IP 55 rated

so that's pretty good on the dust

support um lots of your phones just

don't even certify the Engish protection

for dust and debris five is the second

highest you can get for that and then

for the water protection a lot of

earbuds just have four which is splashes

these have a five which I believe is jet

sprays from all angles um the next level

up would be submersion they're not ready

for that the buds

themselves nine 38 for the case 50 for

the total on the nose that's wow it's

like they plan that trying the large tip

it actually doesn't feel like it's

sealed any better than the medium I

think the problem here is how how far in

they go not how girthy or narrow the tip

I chose was the app does have a fit test

that we will do later first I want to

see how they sound and how they tested

from the lab but we'll do that after

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get $5 off all right we are paired up

and ready to to groove baby

ooh they get loud oh these are

basy I usually don't turn your phones up

to the max while I'm doing these videos

cuz it's usually unbearable um this is

not unbearable that doesn't mean that

they don't go super loud it could just

mean that they don't get super harsh and

uncomfortable at loud volumes I mean

they're definitely loud enough you're

going to be able to drown out the crappy

music at the gym with your own crappier

music of course at the volumes they're

going to leak sound a little bit too for

the people around you now let's check

out how they measured you can see that

the frequency response is kind of

v-shaped there's a big bump in the base

and an even bigger bump in the Trello

but one thing to note though is when we

plugged these into the ears of our

mannequin head that tests earphones and

then we ran the app fit test we could

only get a fit of average not a good fit

we got good fits on our own years but

not for the mannequin head and so that

kind of shakes our confidence and our

test results a little bit if if it had a

better seal it may have had an even

bigger bump in the base over here around

60 HZ which would make it even more

v-shaped and maybe even more base below

40 HZ we don't know this for sure that's

just a charal interpretation of what

maybe could have happened the app does

offer three different EQ presets the

default is balanced but you also can

increase the base that's the red line on

the screen here or you can turn on

serenade which is weird because it

lowers the Bas but keeps the treble the

same you might think that's getting it

towards being more natural because on

the balance profile the Bas is

overcooked however since it just makes

the graph more and more skewed it might

actually sound less balanced to you so

summing up the sound profile you're

going to hear base kicks are going to be

really prominent vocals are really

forward the mids are kind of depressed a

lot of people will like these but if

you're after a neutral sound these are

just not very neutral control out of the

box let's take a look at the controls

and the app you can adjust the controls

independently on both left and right by

default single tap does nothing which is

actually not uncommon because it helps

reduce in inverted Taps double tap is

for the next song triple tap is for the

previous song and long touch press and

hold does nothing and by default they

are completely symmetrical so I guess

for plain pause they just want you to

take it out of the ear that's kind of

crazy I'm going to turn that on to oh

play and pause it's the only option they

give you for single tap when you hit it

you do get a tone like me options for

double tap way more okay you can also

make that play and pause previous or

next you can do the voice assistant or

game mode interestingly you can't make

triple tap play and pause they just

think that's preposterous and here's the

volume controls long touch can go volume

up or volume down I would put down on

the left and up on the right let's see

how well that works oh wow that takes

forever to engage and then the steps are

pretty slow too when you hit it it

actually gives you like a 32 one go kind

of sound in your ear it goes beep beep

boop now it is adjusting that is so

weird it's like it has to unlock before

it's going to start adjusting the volume

it just takes so long I would I would

never use that imagine someone comes up

to talk to you and you're like hold on a

second let me just turn this down hold

on this s is still pretty loud okay now

I'm ready like all noise canceling

earbuds these days they have the

transparency mode off and active noise

cancelling but these ones actually have

different levels of noise cancellation

mild moderate and Max and we did some

measurements but just with Max it's not

the strongest active noise cancelling

we've ever measured but again we had

that seal issue and that could be at

play in particular you can see around 40

60 htz range that it's really not doing

very much compared to just having your

earbud in with the active noise

cancelling off just treating them kind

of like earplugs that's what what the

green line is you can see that the red

active noise counceling line is actually

higher than the passive green line from

around 1,000 to 2500 htz meaning that

the active noise cancelling actually

blocks out less sound than just having

them in your ears in this range and this

is something we've seen before we're not

sure what the mechanism is there but

it's not unique to these buds OnePlus

advertises up to 49 DB of active noise

cancellation we don't know at what

frequency that claim is from we only got

you know not even 30 um again grain of

salt because we didn't have a great seal

in the mannequin I'm calling it that now

let's do a mic test now the phone has

been taken away so you know the sound's

coming through the earbuds you can see

rolloffs at the very high end and then

also around 100 Hertz or 200 HZ and that

that is actually normal you want the

base to roll off a bit so that the

people on your call don't hear all the

Rumblings around you the reason that it

rolls off at the high end is actually

just because of the way the Bluetooth

works but this is how the mic sounds

I've just done a fit test and I found

out using the medium siiz tips I only

get an average seal on both years but if

I wear the bigger ones I get an average

seal in this year and a good seal in

this year cuz my head ain't symmetrical

in terms of battery life little bit

crazy 5 and 1/2 hours on the buds and 20

hours including the charging case if the

ANC is on which normally I would would

say I'm going to have that on all the

time however since thec doesn't really

do that much and in light of what I'm

about to tell you I might just have it

off when thec is off the battery life

like more than doubles to 12 hours on

the buds and 44 hours with with the

charge case and the buds that is a crazy

proportion usually it doesn't get that

much better jeez and if you charge him

for 10 minutes you get 11 hours of

playback again with NOC that's a

that's just silly let's talk price for

$80

us honestly I think I'd rather buy the

cmf buds instead they're cheaper they

come in more fun colors they got that

cool dial on the case which I don't care

about but just overall they sounded

better uh there's I don't see a reason

to buy these instead of those sorry

OnePlus that might hurt a little but if

you can't get the cmf buds these are

okay I just I think you can do better

they're okay I don't love the seal I

don't love the look they're kind of just

they're kind of meh but they're only 80

bucks they don't feel very Pro yes they

have a ANC kind of I'm going to just

call these the Nord buds 3 come at me

OnePlus thanks for watching guys if you

haven't seen our cmf buds video go check

that out save your money