I feel like I’ve spent the last two years desperately trying to understand OnePlus’ go-to-market accessory strategy. From the colorful but disappointing OnePlus Buds to the dreadful OnePlus Watch to the cheap and cheerful OnePlus Buds Z to the compensating OnePlus Buds Pro, the company’s accessories strategy has, like much of its phone releases, been hit or miss. Mostly absent.
So my expectations were less than low for the OnePlus Buds Z2, which iterate on the company’s previous budget earbuds in interesting and impressive ways. And while I wouldn’t recommend them to everyone, especially music devotees, I do think the Z2 deserves a spot on our list of the best wireless earbuds — at least for some people.
OnePlus Buds Z2
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The $100 OnePlus Buds Z2s surprised me. Although it looks almost identical to its $50 predecessor, OnePlus has significantly improved the sound quality and added a very capable active noise cancellation feature. Although they look similar to the AirPods, the overall design has been tightened. With Fast Pair support on all Android devices and additional features, including Dolby Atmos, available when paired with a OnePlus phone, it’s very feature-rich. However, the sound is quite heavy and distorted, which makes listening to anything other than the deepest house music or EDM a bit stressful. Instead, I found myself drawn to the OnePlus Buds Z2 for mono listening, while walking around the house or town with an audiobook or podcast. The capacitive gesture controls are responsive and precise, and the case is small enough to fit in any pocket. OnePlus truly It needs to add a dedicated EQ for these people, but if you’re comfortable and don’t want to spend more than $100 to do that, this is a great option.
- Support quick pairing on Android system
- Dolby Atmos support on OnePlus phones
- AirPods-like design
- Good overall value
- Brand: OnePlus
- Battery life: 5 hours (ANC on), 7 hours (ANC off)
- Noise cancellation: Yes (up to 40 dB)
- Mono listening: Yes
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2
- Microphones: 3 microphones per earbud
- Intellectual property classification: IP55
- Supported codecs: SBC, AAC
- Weight (earbuds): 4.6 grams
- material: Plastic (black or white)
- shipping: Wired charging via USB-C
- Driver size: 11mm drivers
- Price (MSRP): US$99.99
- Comfortable fit
- Decent feature set for the price
- The ANC is strong if not amazing
- Good battery life
- Dolby Atmos support with OnePlus devices
- The sound quality is very heavy
- Poor background noise reduction during phone calls
- There is no custom equalizer
- No support for Qualcomm aptX
OnePlus Buds Z2: hardware and design
You’d be forgiven if you mistook the Z2’s earbud case with its predecessor, which itself looks like a knock-off of the AirPods arrayed horizontally in a pillbox coffin. The Z2 makes some small but noticeable improvements over the original formula: the case itself is slightly narrower and therefore easier to pocket, while a darker OnePlus logo appears confidently on the glossy white plastic.
OnePlus Buds Z (left) vs. OnePlus Buds Z2 (right)
The buds themselves also get a modest redesign, trimming a few millimeters from the stem while enlarging the tip housing to accommodate larger drivers and more technology.
While the year-over-year improvements are appreciated, it still feels very cheap; The shiny plastics and sloppy seams betray its $50 origins, and I don’t feel particularly confident that it’ll last more than a few drops on hard pavement.
OnePlus Buds Z2: audio and ANC
The OnePlus Buds Z2 use the same 11mm drivers found in the Buds Pro released in late summer 2021. But they’re not set in the same way, which is an important distinction. The default sound profile, a deep, bass-heavy curve, attempts to appease what I think OnePlus believes is the target audience for the $100 earbuds: young people who are accustomed to songs being mastered in a sharp curve, prioritizing deep lows and exaggerated highs. This is a mistake, especially when we heard how good these drivers sound with the more neutral profile of the OnePlus Buds Pro; More so because there is no way to adjust the EQ.
As a result, I don’t like using the OnePlus Buds Z2 for what they’re largely designed for: listening to music. Which is a shame, because he’s good at many other things. In single-ear mono mode, the Buds Z2 work well with podcasts or audiobooks, allowing you to enable the natural-sounding Transparency mode if necessary. The earbuds support automatic pausing when removed from the ear, and active noise cancellation with both buds in use is very effective, although not as good as the more expensive OnePlus Buds Pro.
OnePlus Buds Pro (Black) vs. OnePlus Buds Z2 (White)
Android users get Fast Pair support, which is important — if you haven’t experienced the convenience of opening the lid of your wireless earbuds case and seeing the connection prompt on your phone as if by magic, you haven’t lived. To get the most out of the speakers on a non-OnePlus device, you have to download HeyMelody, a bad app with an even worse name developed by Opp, the OP’s virtual partner in crime.
Inside HeyMelody, you can adjust the ANC strength (23dB or 40dB, depending on your needs), along with independent earbud controls and firmware updates. OnePlus users get native support for all of these features in the Bluetooth menu – without having to waste an APK file – along with spatial audio toggle via Dolby Atmos, although in testing – even after a firmware upgrade – I did not see a toggle to enable it.
OnePlus claims that microphone quality has been improved on the Buds Z2 compared to their predecessors, though I got mixed results. In a quiet room, friends and family told me my voice was clear, though a bit distant, as if I were speaking into a speaker phone from a distance. I confirmed this through a recording connected to my computer. Friends and family also told me that the OnePlus Buds Z2 picked up every little background noise — opening drawers, turning the kitchen faucet on and off, writing on a piece of paper — while I was going about my business downstairs. I confirmed it too, all of which made my voice inaudible.
But introduce a predictable, repetitive sound — a swirling fan, or the consistent drone of street traffic — and the Buds Z2 do a great job of eliminating those specific frequencies. The algorithm usually takes a few seconds to start and normalize, but it does a very efficient job.
OnePlus Buds Z2: Battery life and miscellaneous
OnePlus claims up to five hours of battery life with ANC on and seven hours with ANC off, which is a larger delta than many of its competitors claim these days, likely due to a less power-efficient microcontroller. I’m not happy with these numbers, but they’re in line with similarly priced competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 and Nothing Ear (1). Plus, USB C-based charging is fast enough to dispel any real worry.
The box provides about four additional refills, too, so during my three-week testing period, I rarely cared about the longevity of the buds. Likewise, I’ve practiced with the IP55-rated earbuds a few times as well, and they’re no worse to wear. With many sub-$100 earbuds getting an IPX4 rating – that only means sometimes splash of water, and not a hard drop, like the IP55 offers – I’m more than content with taking these things into the great outdoors once the weather warms up.
OnePlus Buds Z2: Should you buy them?
probably. I really like the OnePlus Buds Z2, much more than I expected given their predecessor’s spotty debut. Given OnePlus’ penchant for bundles and discounts, buying it at $100 MSRP would be a mistake — wait for that inevitable sale — but you could do a lot worse, even if you don’t have a OnePlus device (actually, own a OnePlus device) OnePlus phone It does not confer any real advantage.)
If you’re a Samsung user, I’d still recommend the Galaxy Buds2 because they sound better and provide clearer sound. Overall, I think the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro offers much more value for the same price, but if you don’t mind the AirPods-like aesthetic, this is an easy recommendation.
Buy if:
- You like the look of AirPods without the Apple prices
- You enjoy the exaggerated bass and treble
- You want a comfortable, compact pair of waterproof earbuds
Do not buy if:
- You care about audio accuracy
- You can’t afford another pair of AirPod lookalikes
