I chucked my AirPods for OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and here’s how they worked with the iPhone 14

How do they look?

The Buds Pro 2 themselves look a bit different. They don’t look like my first-generation AirPods, which came with an open-back design. Quite frankly, I had started to get bored of the AirPods due to poor noise isolation and their tendency to slip out of my ears.

The Buds Pro 2’s design is very reminiscent of the AirPods Pro but there are subtle differences. They have shorter stems, with a metallic finish on the stem portion. Like the AirPods Pro, the Buds Pro 2 have touch identical controls on either side. A quick squeeze on a stem can play and pause your music, a double squeeze controls the playlist and you hold to switch between ANC and transparency modes.

Although squeezing on the stem to control the inputs works just fine, it requires quite some pressure each time. The squeezing button is programmable, though. By default, it is set to allow you to change between active noise cancelling and transparency modes.

The Buds Pro 2 have shorter stems, with a metallic finish on the stem portion. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Are they comfortable to wear?

The Buds Pro 2 have been a great fit for me. If I were to compare them to the original AirPods which I had used for four years, then compared to them, the Buds Pro 2 are significantly more comfortable. Unlike the AirPods, these truly wireless earbuds come with three different sizes of tips and since the Buds Pro 2 are inner ear wireless buds, they don’t fall off the ears.

For me, comfort is important when wearing a pair of truly wireless earbuds. So it’s important to choose the correct size tips to get the best results since this technology relies on a tight seal within the ear canal. They are super airy, fit nicely and one can wear them for running or brisk walking.

The buds are also comfortable for extended listening. But are they waterproof? Well, yes and no. They do feature IPX4 certification, which means the Buds Pro 2 can withstand some form of exposure to liquids, but are not waterproof exactly.

The case can wirelessly charge the Buds Pro 2, just like the AirPods Pro 2’s case. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

What about the case?

The case is flat and horizontal – nothing special. It can wirelessly charge the Buds Pro 2, which is a great feature to have since I have three Qi-certified charging pads in my house. You can still use the USB-Cable to charge your earbuds as well. The case offers a robust level of water resistance (IPX5 rated) as the earbuds themselves.

When used with the charging case, you will get up to 25 hours of listening time with ANC or 39 hours of talk time without ANC. Plus, a 10-minute quick charge in the case will give the earbuds an additional three hours of listening time.

The Buds Pro 2 work perfectly fine with my iPhone 14. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Can I use the Buds Pro 2 with my iPhone?

I was apprehensive at first whether the Buds Pro 2 work exactly the same as they do with a OnePlus 11. I used the Buds Pro 2 with both the OnePlus 11 and iPhone 14, though frankly, I spent more time listening to music on my iPhone. Setting up the Buds Pro 2 with the iPhone is slightly different.

Unlike the OnePlus 11 where the new earbuds automatically pair with the phone as soon as you remove them from their case for the first time, I had to download the HeyMelody app from the Apple App Store on the iPhone 14.  After pairing the Buds Pro 2 to an iPhone, the app does a great job of seamless integration between the two devices.

You can personalise the listening experience through the app, take a quick Ear Tip Fit test to ensure you are wearing the correct size silicone tips for the earbuds, enable a Zen Mode Air menu, which plays ambient sounds for relaxation or even customize EQ settings as per your needs.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 compete with Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

How do they sound?

I am not an expert, but the Buds Pro 2 sounds pretty good. I listened to a variety of genres from pop to hip-hop via Apple Music. The Buds Pro 2 produced clear vocals, especially when listening to Sam Smith’s “Lose You.” The mids are quite clear and the highs are crisp, without being too aggressive. The music sounds very accurate and crisp, though less bassy. The new 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeters do help in improving the sound quality of these buds.

The default audio settings on the Buds Pro 2 are impressive, but once you change the settings, I did notice a slight improvement when listening to music. The earbuds come with four custom-tuned equaliser presets, by Dynaudio alongside the default’ EQ settings.

But I have to say the Buds Pro 2 are not made for audiophiles; they are general-purpose true wireless earbuds targeting average users who want to use them for listening to music, podcasts, TV shows and movies and attending phone calls.

The Buds Pro 2 are premium true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation. (Image credit Dinkar Sasi/Indian Express)

How effective is active noise cancellation?

Active noise cancellation (ANC) proved particularly useful when I was attending a work call while taking a stroll on my office premises. I clearly wasn’t able to attend virtual briefings when I had my AirPods on due to a lack of built-in noise isolation capability. I won’t say ANC is a necessary feature to have on TWS but if you are in my profession where taking calls is a necessity,

I would like to go for a pair of earbuds that offer some form of noise cancellation. It just feels handy for those moments when you want to cut off from the outside world.

The earbuds did a nice job greatly reducing (if not totally eliminating) loud ambient noises—like horns and trucks passing by. Frankly, when I am out and about to enter the metro station or a market, I turn on the active noise cancellation feature. Otherwise, I simply disable it and instead enable the transparency mode. If I am listening to music while working, I turn on the transparency mode. I can still hear what others are saying. This is good for allowing you to be aware while still listening to music. Microphone performance was surprisingly good for taking voice calls.

Do I think the Buds Pro 2 are worth it?

I would have to say yes. Coming from the AirPods to the Buds Pro 2 was an altogether different experience. I know that OnePlus is pushing for creating an Apple-like ecosystem with its products but even if you are from the Apple camp, I had no issues using the Buds Pro 2 as my go-to TWS. They are priced within my budget, offer better sound quality and noise cancellation and long battery life that I missed with my now-retired AirPods.

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are best for:

# Listening to music and watching Podcasts
#Attending hands-free phone calls
#If you want a pair of wireless earbuds with solid active noise cancellation and a wireless charging case

Skip it:
#If you want to experience spatial audio on the iPhone. That feature is limited to the OnePlus 11
#You don’t want to spend upwards of Rs 10,000 on wireless earbuds