OnePlus Nord Buds 3r review

The Nord series represents affordability for OnePlus, and the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r are the most affordable in the lineup right now. However, that doesn’t immediately show - the Nord Buds 3r look decent, helped along by nice colour options and straightforward textures. This isn’t exceptional and you’ll definitely see a difference between this headset and the more expensive options from OnePlus, but the differences aren’t vast. The earpieces are IP55 rated for dust and water resistance, so they can handle a few splashes of water and a bit of rough use.

The block-like charging case can stand upright if you like, and is nice and minimalist in terms of features and design elements. The earphones are single-mould with a touch interface for controls, stems, and a proper in-canal fit with ear tips - one pair pre-installed and two more in the box. The fit is decent enough, and offers decent noise isolation. There’s no charging cable included - even at this price, that’s a bummer.

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The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r have 12.4mm dynamic drivers, and a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz, with two microphones on each side to handle voice capabilities. There’s Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. You also get Google Fast Pair support, dual-device connectivity, and a low-latency mode for use while gaming.

This is an uncomplicated pair of earphones, and as such you don’t really need an app to do much, but there is one in case you do. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r headset is compatible with the HeyMelody app, although I couldn’t get it to connect during my review - this could likely be resolved soon after the official launch.

OnePlus largely delivers when it comes to performance, and the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r are surprisingly capable when it comes to performance. This isn’t a feature-rich headset - there is no active noise cancellation and the core features are barebones - so the focus is rightly turned onto the sound quality.

Now, it’s important to note that the Nord Buds 3r cost under Rs. 2,000, so don’t expect the moon and you’ll be particularly happy with what you get. Sound quality isn’t about the detail or definition; instead, it’s about hitting the right volumes and achieving a state of tuning where the sound is straightforward and workable with most genres, which it is. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r can get fairly loud, delivering strong results even at the 60-70 percent volume level. 

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Listening to Nokia by Drake, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r captured the essence of this Pop-style hip-hop track, with punchy bass that never felt excessive or muddy. While the highs seemed a bit subdued, the mid-range was reasonably well handled by the earphones, and the sound felt just about right for the price. 

 

 

 

 

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Switching to faster beats, Drop The Pressure by Mylo was exciting and on point with the pace, but did reveal the obvious shortcomings of a budget headset such as this in terms of clarity and attack. It does occasionally feel like too much is happening, but again, this is something largely forgivable at this price point. 

The sheer loudness of the earphones can overcome just about any setting including public transport or noisy public places, and turning the volume down doesn’t change the character of the sound too much. It’s a good pair of earphones to have, delivering the right amount of punch and drive for the price.

ALSO SEE: OnePlus Nord CE5 review

Battery life on the OnePlus Nord Buds 3r is a big selling point, with 58mAh batteries on the earpieces and 560mAh extra on the case. The lack of complicated hardware and features helps achieve a realistic run time of 10 hours per charge on the earpieces, and an extra four full charges from the earpieces, for a total run time of about 50 hours as per my testing. Fast charging helps you get about one full charge on the earphones in just about 10 minutes when plugged in.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 3r are affordable, practical, and straightforward - everything you need if you’re shopping on a budget. There’s nothing complicated here - you’re getting decent sound for the price, solid build quality, and very good battery life. It’s exactly what you’d expect, and that goes a long way for every-day use with functionality that buyers in this segment actually need.