The Indian TWS earphones market is flooded with several options in the affordably priced segment. Many brands offer products loaded with different features. However, the real challenge lies in the premium earbuds market, which is difficult to conquer. We are saying this because many high-end earbuds are part of a larger tech ecosystem, such as the Apple AirPods or Samsung Galaxy Buds, and are available at a premium price. While customers are willing to pay for quality, it also comes with a huge list of expectations – sound quality, noise cancellation, battery life, and build quality. Striking this balance between price and features offered can be both important and challenging.
OnePlus introduced its first premium wireless earbuds – the OnePlus Buds Pro – in 2021. The premium pair of earphones was succeeded by the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 in 2023. The company has now launched its third premium audio device – OnePlus Buds Pro 3 It is priced at Rs 11,999. We have been using this earbuds as our daily companion for quite some time now and here is our review.
design
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 TWS earphones are available in two colour variants – Lunar Radiance and Midnight Opus. We got the Lunar Radiance for our review. The earbuds come with a stem-style design that has a dual-tone finish. The stem of the earbuds is glossy, while the rest has a plastic build with a matte finish. They also carry the ‘co-created with Dynaudio’ branding. The stem supports gestures that are pressure-sensitive to control the music playing on the earbuds.
The new earphones have a major design change when it comes to the case. The case of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is now pebble-shaped and has a leather-like texture on the front and back, while the sides have a metallic finish. We have to mention here that the texture of the case can be deceptive. Although it looks like leather, when you hold it in your hand you will realize that it is plastic.
The pairing button is on the right side of the case, while the USB Type-C port for charging is placed at the bottom with an LED indicating light. There is also Dynaudio branding on the case. The LED light inside the case indicates pairing status and we also found the hinge of the charging case to be great.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 earphones come with three extra silicone eartips. The fit is secure and we didn’t face any issues. You can also do an earbud fit test in the HeyMelody app to find the perfect fit for you. Overall, the earbuds don’t feel uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 come with an IP55 rating which means they are protected against dust and splashes. The overall build quality of the earbuds feels good.
Display
Let’s start with the HeyMelody app and what it can do for you. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices. As we mentioned above, you can perform an ear fit test from the app. But that’s just one of the many things it can do for you. It can help you find your lost earbuds, update the firmware version, customize the earbud controls, and more for each bud.
For the review, we opted to retain the default control settings. The stem has pressure-sensitive touch controls. You can squeeze either earbud to play or pause music. Double squeeze will play the next song, while triple squeeze on the stem will play the previous song. To control the volume, you can slide on either of the earbuds. Every time you perform these gestures, a sound plays which acts as an indication that the earbud has registered the command.
Next is the noise cancellation control which you can do via the app. You can enable/disable ANC or opt for the transparency mode via the HeyMelody app. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 earphones come with adaptive noise cancellation which means it can automatically adjust to the environment around you. We found the noise cancellation to be one of the best we have reviewed. ANC efficiently blocks out surrounding noise; when noise cancellation is turned off, ambient sound is partially audible, although it is somewhat muffled.
Transparency mode significantly enhances environmental awareness, allowing for a clearer perception of surrounding sound.
Now talking about audio quality, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 has an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter. The earbuds support SBC, AAC, and LHDC 5.0 audio formats. LDAC support is still missing from the device. Like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is also tuned by Dynaudio. The Sound Master EQ is set to Balanced as the default setting, but you have four other presets to choose from. We specifically tested the Dynaudio feature which is claimed to deliver balanced bass, mids, and treble.
We listened to songs like Jennifer Warnes’ Somewhere, Somebody in this Dynaudio featured mode and thoroughly enjoyed the output. The vocals come out rich, crisp with balanced instrumental sound. Next up was the Bass preset. To test it out, we listened to a few songs like Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, Yo Yo Honey Singh’s Manali Trance and enjoyed them on the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro.
Apart from this, there is also a Serenade mode to enhance vocals on the earbuds and a Bold mode for symphonies. We listened to instrumental songs like Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s Mere Khayallon Ki Malika and Arijit Singh’s Enna Sona on the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The spatial sound feature is another great feature in the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. The output is really immersive with surround sound coming from multiple directions. With head tracking enabled, the sound feels more realistic. You can control it from the HeyMelody app. The earbuds also have a dedicated gaming mode that gaming enthusiasts will love.
Another notable feature is the dual connection that allows users to connect two devices with the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Pairing the earbuds is easy and fast, thanks to Google Fast Pair. The calling experience is equally good and we did not face any issues during calls due to the earbuds. The microphones on the earbuds also work well.
Battery
Talking about the battery life of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the device is a reliable option. OnePlus says that the earbuds can last up to 43 hours with the case. During our testing, we found that the earbuds can last up to 7-8 hours on a single charge with a mix of ANC ON/OFF. The charging case can be used to easily charge the device five times which is quite good.
Just like its predecessor, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 comes with wireless charging support as well as reverse wireless charging. Also, it has fast charging.
Decision
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 TWS earphones are priced at Rs 11,999 – the same as the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The earbuds offer a great mix of design, features, performance, and battery life. Its premium aesthetics, comfortable fit, and sturdy build quality are the other standouts of the earbuds. It retains the best features of its predecessor and takes them up a notch with advanced features. But all this comes without any price hike. If you are someone who is looking for premium audio quality with reasonably good ANC and battery life, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is a good option.
