OnePlus Nord Buds CE Review: Budget TWS With Seamless Connectivity

OnePlus released their second TWS earphones in India under the Nord series, and these earphones look way different than what the brand usually does in the audio department. The Nord Buds CE comes with big 13.5 mm drivers and an in-ear design for Rs 2,299. I tested these earphones for a few days, and here’s my full review of the Nord Buds CE by OnePlus.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE Review

The OnePlus Nord Buds CE comes in two colors- Misty Grey and Moonlight White. Here, we have the white unit, which resembles the original AirPods. Before we dive into the review, let’s see what you get with the Nord Buds CE retail packaging.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Box contents

The OnePlus Nord Buds CE comes with a fair amount of items inside the box.

Nord Buds CE
Red charging cable
Documents; user guide, warranty card
Red Cable Club card
Sticker

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Design and Build

OnePlus Nord Buds CE looks quite industrial with a half-in-ear design. The case flaunts a pebble design with a glossy finish, so you can slide them easily into any pocket. The buds too, have a glossy profile and come with a long stem to easily lock them in the ear cavity. The Moonlight White variant we have here comes with a light blue accent inside the case.

The buds are very lightweight at just 3 grams, and the smooth finish makes them an even better companion to the ears. But do note that they are quite slippery on the skin. And these earphones are not the best companion for workouts or running.

It has a small indent right at the back of the bud for touch controls, and it registers the taps perfectly and provides sound feedback as well.

Coming to the build, the case is made from polycarbonate all over (including the hinge) but feels solid and sturdy and can take a few drops without taking any damage. The buds come with IP X4 water and sweat resistance, so a little splash of water won’t damage them.

You can even bring these to a pool party. Furthermore, the case equips a USB Type C charging port which is convenient, and it supports quick charging as well.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Sound Quality

The OnePlus Nord Buds CE comes with 13.4 mm dynamic drivers, which didn’t go as loud as I expected in my testing. But when it comes to music, loudness isn’t everything, and that’s what’s great about these earphones.

OnePlus earphones get a very specific type of tuning for audio, and these buds are no different. It has a pretty crisp sound, and listening to rock or metal tracks is an amazing experience on these earphones. The call quality is also pretty good, it comes with an AI Noise Cancellation feature on the mic, and it works pretty great.

Both highs and mids are pretty crisp and distinguishable, even at maximum volume. The highs stay fine even when the bass kicks in, which is a really amazing part. Increasing volume doesn’t hamper the quality as such.

Since these are half-in-ear design earbuds, the lows are a bit weak and don’t feel much to the ears, even in bass-heavy tracks. The overall sound quality of the OnePlus Nord Buds CE is pretty recommendable, provided you are not a bass-head.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Comfort

The Nord Buds CE are pretty comfortable in the ears because of their less weight and glossy design. The only drawback to this half-in-ear design is that it cannot fit all ear sizes well. In my case, my ears started to hurt over an extended period of usage.

Also, there’s nothing on the buds to create a cushion between the ears and the plastic, which is not very common. So, if you are used to this earphone design, then you won’t find any issue in terms of comfort with these earphones from OnePlus.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Connectivity and App Experience

Connecting the Nord Buds CE is a no-brainer with OnePlus devices. You just have to pop open the case, and you will see a pop-up on the screen. Just tap on connect to confirm pairing, and you are good to go; you can customize the sound or even controls without installing any app.

But if you own any device other than the OnePlus, you need to install the HeyMelody app to customize the buds controls, and sound presets. The app experience is pretty great; it shows the battery for each earbud and the case at the same time. You can even connect to more than one TWS in the same app.

You can customize the sound quality and the controls the way you like, which is pretty convenient, and you get to enable or disable Game Mode from the app, too. Talking about game mode, it can be turned on by tap gesture or from the app, and honestly, it doesn’t feel any different than regular mode.

OnePlus Nord Buds CE: Battery

OnePlus Nord Buds CE comes with a 300 mAh battery on the case and 27 mAh on each of the buds. The earphones come with a quick charging feature with 81 minutes of playback with just 10 minutes of charge. In my testing, the battery lasted for a whole week with about 4 hours of usage per day. Your mileage may vary according to how long you use them daily.

Pros and Cons

Reasons to Buy

Stylish and compact design
Lightweight and comfortable
OnePlus device integration is great
Type-C quick charge
Large battery

Reasons Not to Buy

The glossy finish gets scratched up easily
No wear detection
Weak bass
A bit pricy

OnePlus Nord Buds CE Review: Final Verdict

OnePlus Nord Buds CE offers seamless connectivity with OnePlus phones, a good battery life, and is suitable for those who love the original AirPods design. However, the pricing is on the higher side; there are a bunch of options in the market that provide similar specifications at a much lower price. You can go for these TWS if you own a OnePlus smartphone for a seamless experience. Also, if you can extend your budget, we’d advise purchasing the regular Nord Buds.

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OnePlus Nord Buds CE Review: Budget TWS With Seamless Connectivity