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What’s a smartphone release in 2023 without a complementary set of color-matched earbuds? It’d be a mistake, that’s what – and it’s one OnePlus won’t be making with the release of its new OnePlus 11 smartphone, unveiled today (January 4, though the official launch event won’t be until February 7, as mentioned before).
OnePlus tells us it’s on a “mission to deliver high-quality audio through its flagship wireless earbuds,” and we applaud the Chinese company for that. The product? Why, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, which make their debut alongside the new smartphone. So far we’ve only seen unofficial renderings; now we have the real thing…
How do these earbuds stand out and try to become some of the best earbuds out there? They are equipped with sound tailored to their users, thanks to a unique partnership with Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Dynaudio.
“Dynaudio has years of experience producing exceptional sound quality,” said Kinder Liu, President of OnePlus, adding, “We are delighted to be co-creating with Dynaudio, and this partnership helps us achieve our goal of creating a … immersive audio experience to our users.”
And OnePlus is confident that the Buds Pro 2 is the key to unlocking pure harmony. Built into the earbuds is a new MelodyBoost dual driver system, an “advanced technology derived from premium speakers and co-developed with Dynaudio”.
The 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeter promise front-row sound using a dual-driver coaxial setup (meaning the drivers share a common, though not exactly the same axis point – something we loved in the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, although it should be noted that these ideas are similar to, rather than identical to, the OnePlus solution).
The woofer dome in the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 features a crystal polymer diaphragm and a separate dome and edge design, which promises to improve the connection between the low to mid frequencies and the high frequencies. Meanwhile, a silicone rim has been incorporated into the woofer to improve low-frequency flexibility and texture.
OnePlus also tells us that the Buds Pro 2 now features one default equalizer (EQ) and three custom EQs: Bold, Serenade, and Bass. All four of these EQ profiles are tuned with Dynaudio.
Analysis: a promising design, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating…
Too soon after the holidays to talk about pudding? Excuses. What we mean is: until we hear the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 we’ll have to reserve judgment, but on paper it looks very good indeed.
More details on the earbuds will be revealed at the OnePlus Cloud 11 event on 7 February, but given how well the June 2022 OnePlus Nord Buds performed under intensive review, you’re right to be interested – we’re sure.
And let’s not forget the excellent OnePlus Buds Pro (announced alongside the OnePlus Nord 2 in July 2021), which we called one of our favorite options for under $150 / £140 (around AU$200).
The asking price for the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 hasn’t been revealed yet – nor have their battery life, noise canceling benefits, color options or wireless charging benefits been revealed – but given the news that Apple is reportedly working on cheaper ‘AirPods Lite’ earbuds, we’re willing to bet that the list price of mid-range buds in 2023 can only go one way.
Given their Pro suffix status, we think they’re unlikely to drop below $100, so they’re unlikely to make it into our best budget earbud roundup anytime soon – but that’s okay, because our best noise-canceling guide earbuds is ripe for a new contender!
How good will they be? Check out this space…