Noise Master Buds review: An Indian brand steps up to be heard

And when you have a company like Bose lending its name to any product, albeit to expand its base in the market, there is a minimum guarantee when it comes to quality. And this increased accessibility to Bose level sound quality and noise cancellation is what will get many people to pick up the Noise Master Buds. 

The Noise Master Buds with a premium metal case and rotating lid design. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The buds themselves have a regular design and are comfortable to wear over long hours and quite lightweight too. The case starts flickering its white LED band as soon as you open it suggesting it is ready for pairing. The Noise Audio app lets you set up the Master Buds and switch on noise cancellation. This is a bit of an issue for me, as the noise cancellation is not on by default and needs the app to start. Once the setting is saved, however, the app does struggle at times to remember the paired earbuds. The app also offers an equaliser with one basic customised setting too. You can also set up gestures to adjust volume. An app that lets you customise settings is a good option at this price point. 

The shiny metallic lid of the Noise Master Buds. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The Adaptive ANC is decent. In my open living room I could hear some noises from the kitchen, though it was good at cancelling the sound of the water flowing from the tap. This is not the kind of noise cancellation that sucks you into a negative space of sorts, but instead mutes a lot of the ambient noise. Which means in extremely noisy environments like a metro coach this will be of good use. 

Now, for the audio tuning on which Noise and Bose have collaborated. The audio profile is sharp with a natural tone. It does not seem amped up on bass, though it packs a punch when needed. Listening to Kinaare by Tanmaya Bhatnagar, I could enjoy both very teeny sounding vocals as well the bassy beats. The Master Buds don’t offer the kind of rich sound signature I am used to with Bose earphones, but it gets close as I could feel with Lil Jon’s Get Low. At some point it feels like the 12.4mm PEEK + Titanium drivers are pulling some punches and not going all out. 

The Noise Master Buds companion app offers seamless connectivity, customizable touch controls, and noise cancellation settings for a personalised audio experience. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

But it is the sense of space these buds offer that take them to the next level at this price point. I would not recommend this for those who like their music loud and oomphy. But for those who love to enjoy their playlists in a relaxed environment, soaking in Ali Fazal’s Gulon Main Rang or Strange Ways by Imagine Dragons, then the Master Buds are perfect. A lazy Saturday afternoon listening to Arijit Singh and Jonita Gandhi’s balmy Silsila is what these earbuds are made for.

The Noise Master Buds offer about 44 hours of total playtime on a full charge. The app gives you the status of the battery as well as each earbud like with the AirPods. The voice quality on calls is really good too and helps you switch work easily given that you can pair multiple devices too. I expect a few more updates till Noise gets the app right. 

At Rs 7,999, the Noise Master Buds is now a good option for those looking for well-tuned audio and decent noise cancellation. It is good to see an Indian brand rise up to the aspirations of the country when it comes to their audio needs. Let’s pray this is just a start.