None of the features would matter if it failed to stir up some emotions and it thankfully does. Dean Peer’s always excellent recordings make the Buds Pro 2 come to life with impressive transient attack and resolution. In the default EQ mode, the highs have a tendency to sound sharp depending on the recordings, but get into custom EQ mode and cut a shade from 4kHz for the most balanced overall presentation. Stevie Wonder’s Superstition in Hi-Res Lossless was handled with the appropriate pace and timbral textures that instantly make these buds feel a lot pricier than their asking price.
Experimenting with Spatial Audio can have mixed results, mostly sibilant. Android’s specifications state that it’s content agnostic, though in reality the results may…and do vary. Normal stereo recordings, when played back with Spatial Audio tended to sound thinner, louder and with a pronounced HF boost, making the overall experience less than pleasant. Sure, the soundstage did open up a fair bit and there was even a sense of height added to the music, but in the process, it lost all the richness and depth. YouTube videos fared better with Spatial Audio, especially when using the OnePlus 11 phone, the Buds Pro 2 flexed its head tracking feature and kept the sound anchored to the direction of the phone’s display, no matter where you looked.
Gamers should appreciate the reduction in latency to 54ms (down from 94ms), thanks to the latest Bluetooth 5.3LE standard adopted by the Buds Pro 2. Fast pairing and multipoint connections are supported with Android devices, as well as head and cervical spine health detection via posture analysis data, but that’s coming soon. What is available right now are handy pinch controls on the stalks that work well and even without any music source around, you can save several soothing sounds on the earbuds themselves. Dubbed the Zen Mode Air, it pipes white noise emulating sounds inspired by nature into your ears, supposedly helping you relax, sleep or just take a pretend vacation to Maldives. All this just by keeping the stalk pinched for 3 secs.