They offer more texture and sonic resolution than even an Apple AirPods 4, though they can stray into brightness at times, pushing the higher frequencies forward. The AirPods, by comparison, sound more neutral and airy. On the Buds 4, the instrument separation can get a bit crowded, but there’s a button for that. Sort of.
Enter OnePlus 3D Audio. For music, I’d suggest you leave it off; it can make rock tracks like Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog sound a bit shrill. For movies, however, it’s a different story. Flick it on, and the soundstage widens up nicely. During the chaotic race in Ready Player One, you can pinpoint the exact location of a rampaging King Kong. It’s also a champ with dialogue. The verbal sparring between Dream and Lucifer in Netflix’s The Sandman is rendered with exquisite detail, capturing every ounce of snark and gravitas in the performances.
Now for a weird quirk. Despite being perfectly in sync with an iPhone 16 Pro, there was a noticeable half-second audio lag when watching Netflix on a OnePlus Nord 5. Ironically, the fix is a low-latency 'Game Mode' that was available in the iOS app but mysteriously absent on its own OnePlus handset.