The Indian TWS earphones market is flooded with a multitude of choices in the affordable price segment. A number of brands offer products loaded with different features. The real challenge, however, is in the premium earbuds market which is a difficult arena to conquer. We say this because several high-end earbuds are part of the larger tech ecosystem, like Apple AirPods or Samsung Galaxy Buds, and command a premium price point.While customers are willing to pay for quality, it comes with a big list of expectations – sound quality, noise cancellation, battery life, and build quality. Striking this balance between price point and features offered can be both crucial and challenging.
Enters OnePlus, which introduced its first premium wireless earbuds – OnePlus Buds Pro – in 2021. The premium pair of earphones were succeeded by OnePlus Buds Pro 2 in 2023. The company has now launched its third premium audio device – OnePlus Buds Pro 3 priced at Rs 11,999. We have been using the earbuds as our daily companion for some time now and here is our review.
Design
OnePlus Buds Pro 3 TWS earphones are offered in two colour variants – Lunar Radiance and Midnight Opus. We got the Lunar Radiance one for our review. The earbuds come with a stem-style design featuring a dual-tone finish. The stem of the earbuds is glossy, while the remaining has 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 leathery texture on the front and back, with the sides having metallic finish. We must mention here that the case appearance could be deceptive. While it looks like leather, you will realise it is plastic the moment you hold it in your hand.
On the right side of the case is the pairing button, while the USB Type-C port for charging is placed at the bottom with a LED indicating light. There is Dynaudio branding on the case as well. The LED light inside the case indicates the pairing status and we found the hinge of the charging case well-built.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 earphones come with three extra pairs of silicone eartips. The fit is secure and we did not face any issue there. You can also do an earbud fit test in the HeyMelody app to find your perfect fit. All-in-all, wearing the earbuds for long hours does not feel uncomfortable.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3 comes with IP55 rating which means they are resistant to dust and splashes. The overall build quality of the earbuds feel good.
Performance
Let’s start with the HeyMelody app and what it can do for you. It is available for both Android and iOS devices. As we mentioned above, you can do an ear fit test with the app. But that is just one of many things it can do for you. It can help you find your misplaced earbuds, update the firmware version, customise earbuds’ controls and more for each bud.
For the review, we opted to maintain the default control settings. The stem has pressure-sensitive touch controls. You can squeeze either of the earbuds to play or pause music. A double squeeze will play the next song, while the triple squeeze on the stem will play the previous song. To control volume, you can slide up on either of the earbuds. Everytime you perform these gestures, a sound plays which acts as a cue that the earbuds have registered the command.
Next is the noise cancellation control that you can perform via the app. You can enable/ disable ANC via the HeyMelody app or opt for Transparency mode. OnePlus Buds Pro 3 earphones come with adaptive noise cancellation which means it can automatically adjust as per your surroundings. We found the noise cancellation to be one of the best we have reviewed. ANC efficiently blocks surrounding noises; when the noise cancellation is turned off, the ambient sound becomes partially audible, though it remains somewhat muffled.
The transparency mode significantly enhances the environmental awareness, enabling clear perception of surroundings sound.
Now onto the audio quality, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 boasts of a 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter. The earbuds support SBC, AAC and LHDC 5.0 audio formats. The LDAC support is still missing from the device. Like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are tuned by Dynaudio. While the Sound Master EQ is set to Balanced as default settings, you have four other presets to choose from. We specially tested the Dynaudio featured which is claimed to offer balanced bass, mids and treble.
We listened to songs like Somewhere, Somebody by Jennifer Warnes in this Dynaudio featured mode and really enjoyed the output. The vocals come out to be rich, crisp with balanced instrumental sounds. Next was the Bass preset. To test it, we listened to a couple of songs like Bad Guy by Billie Eliish, Manali Trance by Yo Yo Honey Singh and enjoyed them on OnePlus Buds 3 Pro.
Then there is Serenade mode to elevate vocals and Bold mode for symphonies on the earbuds. We listened and really enjoyed instrumental songs like Mere Khyalon Ki Malika by Abhijeet Bhattachary and Enna Sona by Arijit Singh on the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro.
The Spatial Sound feature on the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is another great addition. The output is truly immersive with surround coming from multiple directions. With head tracking enabled, the sound feels more realistic. You can control it from the HeyMelody app. The earbuds also boast of a dedicated gaming mode which will appeal to gaming enthusiasts.
Another feature worth mentioning is the Dual Connection that allows users to connect two devices with the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. The earbuds are easy and quick to pair, thanks to the Google Fast Pair. The calling experience is equally good and we did not face any issue during calls because of the earbuds. Microphones on the earbuds do a good job too.
Battery
Coming to the battery life of OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the device is a reliable choice. OnePlus says that the earbuds can last up to 43 hours with the case. During our testing, we found that the earbuds can last 7-8 hours on a single charge with a mix of ANC ON/OFF. The charging case can be used to charge the device easily five times which is reasonably good.
Like its predecessor, OnePlus Buds Pro 3 comes with wireless charging support as well as reverse wireless charging. There is Fast Charging as well.
Verdict
OnePlus Buds Pro 3 TWS earphones are priced at Rs 11,999 – same as the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. The earbuds deliver an impressive mix of design, features, performance and battery life. Its premium aesthetics, comfortable fit and sturdy build quality are other standouts of the earbuds. It retains the best of the features of its predecessor and takes them a notch above with advanced features. But all this comes without any price hike. If you are among those looking for a premium audio quality with reasonably good ANC and battery life, then the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is a good choice.
