BEST under $100 🔥 OnePlus Buds 3 (Scored & Ranked)

Summary

In this detailed review, the OnePlus Buds 3 are put to the test against high-end competitors, priced four times as much. Over 10 categories, including comfort, fit security, case and battery life, controls, connectivity, call quality, app customization, noise cancelling, transparency mode, and sound quality, the Buds 3 hold their own, particularly excelling in controls and sound. The video provides a custom scoring spreadsheet for easy comparison and concludes that the Buds 3 offer impressive value, especially for under $100.

Takeaways

• 🎧 The OnePlus Buds 3 are praised for their comfort and secure fit, scoring 8.5 out of 10, with a slight edge over the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 due to a more shallow driver shaft.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The Buds 3 offer a secure fit during workouts and exercises, maintaining a score of 8, similar to the Buds Pro 2, and are suitable for various physical activities.
• 🔵 The Buds 3 case has a unique blue metallic finish that stands out, and the battery life is slightly better than the Buds Pro 2, with 6.5 hours of playback with noise cancelling on and 28 hours in total with the case.
• 🔄 The Buds 3 lack wireless charging and an IPX4 water-resistant rating on the case, which are features present in the Buds Pro 2, reflecting a trade-off for the lower price point.
• ✋ The Buds 3 introduce swipe gestures for volume control, addressing a significant shortcoming of the Buds Pro 2, and offer extensive customization options for touch controls, earning a score of 9 out of 10.
• 📶 The Buds 3 come with Bluetooth 5.3 and support for LHDC high-resolution audio, although they do not support the LC3 codec found in the Buds Pro 2.
• 🎮 The gaming latency for the Buds 3 is average, with 400 milliseconds for casual games, which may not be ideal for fast-paced gaming.
• 📞 The Buds 3 perform well in call quality tests, showing slight improvement over the Buds Pro 2 in windy conditions, with a score of 8.5 out of 10.
• 🔧 The Hey Melody app offers a range of customization options, including EQ presets and a five-band EQ, golden sound hearing test, and 3D audio, scoring 8 out of 10 for app features.
• 🔕 The Buds 3 provide decent noise cancelling capabilities with a score of 5.5 out of 10, ranking 11th among tested earbuds, and offer adjustable noise cancelling strength and adaptive mode.
• 🎵 The Buds 3 deliver a v-shaped sound tuning with a strong emphasis on bass and treble, scoring 8 out of 10, and feature a 3D audio mode that enhances the soundstage without head tracking.

Q & A

What is the price range of the OnePlus Buds 3?

The OnePlus Buds 3 can be purchased under $100, which is considered a great deal for the features they offer.

How does the comfort of the OnePlus Buds 3 compare to the Buds Pro 2?

The comfort of the Buds 3 is slightly better than the Buds Pro 2 due to a more shallow fit, which allows for a super light feel in the ear and can be worn for hours without discomfort.

What is the IP rating for the OnePlus Buds 3 and what does it mean?

The OnePlus Buds 3 have an IP55 dust and water-resistant rating, which means they are protected against dust ingress and can withstand water jets from any direction.

How does the battery life of the Buds 3 compare to the Buds Pro 2?

With noise cancelling on, the Buds 3 offer 6 and a half hours of playback with the buds and 28 hours in total with the case, which is slightly more than the Buds Pro 2.

What are the control options available on the OnePlus Buds 3?

The Buds 3 offer swipe gestures for volume control, single, double, and triple tap gestures, and a long hold for the noise cancelling toggle. They also have customizable touch controls and wearing detection.

What is the Bluetooth version and audio codecs supported by the Buds 3?

The Buds 3 support Bluetooth 5.3 and include SBC, AAC, and LHDC high-resolution audio codecs. However, they do not support LC3, which is found in the Buds Pro 2.

How does the Buds 3 perform in terms of noise cancelling compared to other earbuds?

The Buds 3 have a noise cancelling score of 5.5 out of 10, which is slightly stronger than the Buds Pro 2, ranking them 11th in comparison to other tested earbuds.

What is the EQ customization like on the Buds 3?

The Buds 3 offer EQ customization with presets and a five-band EQ, as well as a Golden Sound hearing test for personalization and a bass wave slider for different bass boost options.

How does the sound quality of the Buds 3 compare to the Buds Pro 2?

The Buds 3 and Buds Pro 2 have the same driver setup, but due to the different fit, the Buds 3 may offer a slightly different sound profile. Both are praised for their v-shaped tuning with a nice balance of bass and treble.

What are the additional features offered by the Hey Melody app for the Buds 3?

The Hey Melody app offers features such as battery life display, noise cancelling controls, EQ customization, Golden Sound hearing test, 3D audio, low latency mode, multi-point connection, and touch control settings.

How do the Buds 3 perform in terms of gaming latency?

The Buds 3 have a gaming latency of 400 milliseconds in casual games on both iOS and Android, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast reaction games like shooters.

How does the Buds 3 compare to the Soundcore Liberty 4nc in terms of overall performance?

The Buds 3 are considered the better overall earbud, with better sound quality, control, and spatial audio. The Liberty 4nc has slightly stronger noise cancelling and wireless charging, but the Buds 3 offer a more comprehensive package.

What is the final score for the OnePlus Buds 3 and where do they rank among the tested earbuds?

The Buds 3 received a final score of 78 out of 100, placing them in the fourth spot tied with the Pixel Buds Pro, which is an impressive ranking considering their price point.