Moto Buds Plus review: Impressive, but only works best with Motorola phones
Motorola recently launched the Moto Buds Plus in India, which offers a blend of advanced audio technology and leverages its partnership with premium audio brand Bose. Priced at Rs 9,999, these wireless earbuds come with features like Dolby head tracking, support for premium audio codecs including LHDC, adaptive active noise cancellation mode, and seamless integration with Motorola smartphones. With promises of rich audio quality, impressive battery life, and an easy-to-use companion app, the Moto Buds Plus seem like an attractive option in the crowded wireless earbud market.
Design and fit
The Moto Buds Plus wireless earbuds come in a standard boxy case with the Motorola “M” logo embedded on the top cover next to the “Sound by Bose” branding, highlighting the partnership between the two companies. The case has a compact, lightweight design with a matte texture that effectively repels fingerprints.
Upon opening the case you are greeted by earbuds reminiscent of the AirPods Pro design. Featuring a dual-texture design, the earbuds feature the same matte finish as the housing, complemented by a glossy ring around the earcups. The earbuds are lightweight and feel comfortable in the ear, especially if you find the snug-fitting earbuds from the three available sizes included in the box. The combination of their lightweight construction and non-slip texture makes the Moto Buds Plus ideal for long-term use, providing comfort and stability during extended listening sessions.
Connectivity
The Moto Buds Plus offers Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and features premium codecs such as Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC) for lossless audio streaming with minimal latency. This is in addition to the Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) and Low Complexity Communication Code (LC3).
During my tests, I paired the Moto Buds Plus with several smartphones from different brands. For iPhone users, it’s important to note that Motorola does not support the Moto Buds companion app, which prevents codec switching. Consequently, the earbuds can only stream via the AAC codec when paired with an iPhone.
On Android, the Moto Buds app is available, but the availability of the lossless audio codec varies depending on the smartphone. I tested the earbuds with smartphones from Motorola, Xiaomi and Samsung. The Hi-Res Audio option via the LHDC 5.0 codec was available on Motorola and Xiaomi devices, but the Samsung smartphone only allowed switching between AAC and LC3 codecs.
Additionally, the Moto Buds Plus support multi-point connectivity, allowing the earbuds to connect to up to two devices simultaneously. This functionality worked seamlessly during my testing, allowing smooth transitions between playing music on a laptop and answering phone calls on a smartphone.
Audio and calling
The audio quality is undoubtedly a highlight of the Moto Buds Plus wireless earbuds. The sound is rich and textured, maintaining clarity at all volume levels, even when the earbuds reach their impressively high maximum volume. Equipped with dual audio drivers, an 11mm dynamic and 6mm tweeter, the Moto Buds Plus deliver a well-balanced audio output that leans slightly towards a bass-heavy sound. Despite the emphasis on bass, the low-frequency punch doesn’t overpower other elements like treble and vocals during music playback. Even in bass boost equalizer mode, the earbuds maintain clarity, distinguish each sound profile and produce sufficient bass.
However, it is crucial to pay attention to the equalizer settings as some devices are preset to Bass Boost mode, which can adversely affect the listening experience on certain songs. Users can easily switch back to the default ‘Flat’ preset and then choose between other modes or customize their own settings based on personal preferences and the type of music. Personally, I found myself alternating between the ‘Flat’ and ‘Bass Boost’ presets, with the former more suitable for instrumental tracks and the latter for hip-hop, pop and similar genres.
On select Motorola smartphones, such as the recently launched Edge 50 Fusion, users get access to additional features such as Spatial Audio Mode. This mode, which uses Dolby Head Tracking and Dolby Atmos surround sound, makes audio from compatible media feel more immersive. During testing, I found that this feature made a noticeable difference, as it enhanced the sense of proximity and made individual sound profiles more distinguishable and directional. However, this feature only works with selected audio tracks. For example, if you enable the Spatial Audio option on Apple Music for every song, only certain songs will adapt accurately to the mode, while those that don’t may lose quality.
Another exclusive feature for Motorola smartphones is the Smart Audio option, which identifies the content playing on the device and adjusts the audio accordingly. When testing this mode with the game Genshin Impact, the difference from the default setting was negligible.
During phone and video calls, the sound remains crisp and clear. The microphone is somewhat disappointing, however, as it struggles to capture the user’s voice effectively, even in a closed environment. Users may need to speak slightly louder than normal for optimal results during calls.
Soundproofing
Motorola offers four different Active Noise Canceling (ANC) modes: ANC on, ANC off, transparency and adaptive. When ANC is enabled, the Moto Buds Plus can remove noise up to 46 dB.
In ANC mode, the Moto Buds Plus impressively blocks out unwanted noise, making it suitable for listening while traveling in the car or on the subway. Transparency mode is equally impressive, offering a natural listening experience that makes it feel like you’re not even wearing the earbuds. However, Adaptive mode can be hit and miss. It occasionally misjudges the environment and blocks sounds from any of the buttons for no apparent reason, which can degrade the overall experience. As a result, I preferred to switch between the other three modes to manually adjust the noise cancellation level.
Battery
During my use, mainly with ANC and Hi-Res mode activated, the Moto Buds Plus consistently offered around seven hours of playback time. With moderate to heavy use and regular charging with the case, the Moto Buds Plus lasted almost two and a half days without needing to be recharged. When charging was needed, the case’s fast charging support proved invaluable. A quick 10-minute charge gave the earbuds about 2.5 hours of playback time.
Companion app
In addition to the equalizer modes, noise cancellation modes, and exclusive features for Motorola smartphones that we discussed earlier, the Moto Buds companion app is quite basic.
On the homepage, it offers sound control options, a button that leads to sound mode and equalizer settings, and access to the gesture control page. There’s also a switch for enabling or disabling multipoint connectivity and a ‘more’ button that leads to additional options. These include a switch to enable the in-ear detection feature, firmware update options, Find My Earbuds functionality, and an Ear Fit test.
Disappointingly, on the gesture controls page, the app only allows enabling or disabling preset gestures, which only include three options: double-tap to play and pause songs, triple-tap to skip to the previous song, and tap and hold for switch between noise control modes. It’s not even possible to switch between these three presets for different settings, limiting customization.
Pronunciation
The Moto Buds Plus makes a compelling case for itself as a premium-sounding pair of earbuds under Rs 10,000. However, the limited support for the companion app and lossless audio codecs, along with sub-par microphone performance, hold this back somewhat. If you prioritize premium audio quality, the Moto Buds Plus are a solid option in its price segment.