OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Review – Bright Blue Budget Buds

Alongside the launch of the new OnePlus Nord 3 5G which we’ve just reviewed, they’ve also launched a pair of brilliantly blue hued budget wireless earbuds dubbed the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r.

We’ve taken them for a whirl for the past couple of weeks to see how they fare under field conditions. Here’s our OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review where we see if it’s worth your money.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review – Performance

Intended as a more affordable variant of the earlier OnePlus Nord Buds 2, our OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review sample has a similar form factor as its predecessor with a treasure chest shaped charging case done up in a natty shade of what they refer to as Triple Blue that’s relatively resistant to fingerprints and smudges. 

While the charging case isn’t water or dust resistant, the earbuds feature IP55 water and sweat resistance. We previously unboxed and had a firsthand look at its build and design. This time around, we’re going to get a closer look at what it has under the hood and how it performs.

On paper, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r, with the ‘r’ presumably referring to ‘Revised’ or ‘Revision’ has the same 12.4mm dynamic drivers as its predecessor with support for AAC and SBC codecs and features slightly smaller batteries with 36mAh cells in each earbud versus the 41mAh in in its predecessor though the charging case has the same 480mAh capacity. 

What has changed to keep the price down is the removal of active noise cancellation which makes the Nord Buds 2r primarily reliant on passive noise insulation from the silicone ear tips.

There is however ‘AI noise cancellation call’ tech for clearer voice calls. The earbuds also feature Dolby Atmos support and their Dirac Audio Tuner tech which potentially offers better bass, depth and volume though this only works with other OnePlus phones like the Nord 3 5G. 

Getting our OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review sample up and running was a relatively simple task. The earbuds were paired with the OnePlus Nord 3 5G and it recognised the connection in seconds. If paired with a non-OnePlus branded phone, the earbuds work straight out of the box as well with predefined controls and sound settings though you’ll need the HeyMelody app to tweak the controls somewhat and equaliser settings to taste.

By default, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r has a control scheme that consists of a series of single, double and triple taps that are mirrored across both earbuds.

By and large, these controls have a slight bit of customisability via the HeyMelody app from a preset array of options .A single tap lets you play or pause a track as well as take a call. A double tap lets you move on to the next track while a triple tap goes back to a previous track. 

The app also allows you to select from one of three preset sound settings which consist of Balanced, Bass and Bold presets though you can also tweak your own custom equaliser settings via a slider. Beyond these settings, there isn’t much else you can customise or modify on the Nord Buds 2r.

When tested with the OnePlus Nord 3 5G with the HeyMelody app installed, our OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review sample managed to acquit itself in a competent fashion. In the default Balanced setting, it offered a relatively balanced sound profile with a slight emphasis on the lows and mids.

Bass was fairly well represented without drowning out the rest of the mids and highs in tracks and there was a fair amount of left and right sound staging though there wasn’t much depth. On the bright side, vocals are clear on the 12.4mm drivers. It handles most genres well including pop, rock and the like though intricate tracks like classical music or something really bass heavy don’t seem to fare as well.

If used with other than a OnePlus phone, the overall sound seems a bit flatter with less depth and with less punchy bass on the same Balanced settings as Dolby Atmos support and Dirac Audio Tuner tech aren’t enabled. 

The lack of ANC precludes its use in outdoors environments noisier than a coffee shop as it’s highly reliant on users getting sufficiently well fitted silicone ear tips for proper passive sound insulation. Call quality was decent and clear calls are possible on the earbuds in a relatively bustling place like a train station or coffee shop without having to shout.

Assuming you get  proper fit with one of the three provided silicone ear tips, you’ll get a relatively comfortable experience using the Nord Buds 2r and I’ve managed to go through a 3 hours session using it without undue discomfort.

Even with an ostensibly smaller 37mAh battery than the older Nord Buds 2’s larger 41mAh battery, our OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review unit managed to enjoy slightly longer battery life. On paper, the Nord Buds 2r is officially rated for 8 hours of usage on a single charge which is about an hour longer than its predecessor.

The lack of ANC works in its favour, allowing it to rack up close to 7 hours and 35 minutes of usage playing back music along with a few minutes of video and voice calls before needing a recharge. This is more than sufficient for an average day’s worth of usage and the case itself has about three more full charges worth which is plenty.

Should you buy the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r?

The OnePlus Nord Buds 2r are an affordable pair of affordable earbuds for general use with long battery life and decent performance though it only reveals its full potential when used in conjunction with a OnePlus phone.

If you already own a OnePlus phone of recent vintage, this is worth a look if you’re on a tight budget though those who own phones from another brand will find better options.

OnePlus Nord Buds 2r Review – Specifications

Price RM299
Driver 12.4mm dynamic drivers
Driver sensitivity 111 dB +/- 3dB
Frequency response range 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity Bluetooth 5.3
Battery 8 hours quoted (earbuds), 36mAh + 38 hours quoted (with case), 480mAh
Size/Weight 28.5 x 20.2 x 23mm (earbuds), 68.9 x 36.6 x 28.2mm (charging case) / 4.3g (earbuds), 38.1g (charging case)OnePlus Nord Buds 2r review sample courtesy of OnePlus Malaysia. For more details please visit https://www.oneplus.com/my