Let me start off by telling you I work in the radio industry and over the past 30+ years in the business, I have learned intimately what the difference is between decent, good & truly great audio sounds like. I wouldn't consider myself an "audiophile" mostly because in my experience, that term carries a certain amount of arrogance, and where exactly do you go to get the certification anyway? 𝘼𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 can call themselves an audiophile. Does it mean they know audio better than I do?
Here's what I'll tell you from my extensive experience within the broadcast industry...are the OnePlus Z2's as good as you can get? Nope. You can find a pair of Sony WF-1000XM4's that will deliver absolutely incredible audio...but, the dirty little secret is you'll pay for that great sound thru the nose. You can literally buy 3 pairs of Z2's for less than a single pair of Sony's. Along with Sony you can find a small group of other similar earbuds that will deliver quite a fantastic experience...but just like the Sony's, that audio comes at a price - literally.
For $50, you would be hard pressed to find a pair of earbuds that can deliver what the Z2's can. Honestly, for the money, i don't think I have ever heard earbuds that truly gave me such clear audio, with crisp highs, really good mid's and an impressive amount of bass for anywhere near this price. To give you an example, I love great bass - but not the kind that'll give your brain a hemorrhage. I've owned a pair of Sony extra bass headphones which, even when the extra bass was turned off, I felt like I was bruising my brain from all the thumping...with it turned on...? I really think it could do damage. I've also purchased several pairs of mid-tier level earbuds which claimed to have incredible bass or something like life-changing bass - and I was endlessly disappointed at how truly little it delivered. Embarrassingly little. Keep in mind that audio quality is astonishingly subjective at the very least. One person's Huge Bass is another's disappointment. I love coming to amazon and doing my due diligence and reading many of the 5 star reviews as well as the most critical ones so I get a well rounded understanding before I purchase...only to be upset when I discover that what I view great audio to be and what a dozen other reviewers thought not only differed, but absurdly so.
I feel like I'm trying to tell you not to trust my opinion - but that isn't the case. Of course I feel my opinion is right (just like everyone else), but I feel that my 30+ years of experience in the radio business, the one where I wear professional headphones for HOURS every single day may actually be worth something.
I don't want to bore you with the audiophile description of the frequency this, and the low that and whatnot. You don't care (at least I certainly don't). OnePlus has been a little hit or miss over the last 5-6 years on a lot of products they have manufactured. But the most common thread among them is the fact that for the money, they generally deliver pretty great stuff. They won't be perfect for everyone, but then again, nothing ever is, right? What the Z2's genuinely deliver here is pretty damn great audio with crisp highs, good mid's and surprisingly fantastic bass (especially for how small they are) and they do it for under $50 and that is nothing short of remarkable.
Many are huge fans of multi-point connection...to be perfectly honest, I don't really use this feature and probably never will so it isn't on my list of "needs" or even wants for that matter. Battery life is fairly standard for wireless earbuds. They charge pretty fast, too. I would've loved to have seen wireless charging, but remember how inexpensive they are and this is entirely forgivable. If I spent $100 I would 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 it. I have never tried using them for more than 2 hours straight, so I can't really comment on how long a full charge will get you.
Call quality is one area where I think the Z2's could improve. They work and aren't horrible, but are not anywhere as good as Sony's, Bose or apple's airpods...but they do a reasonably decent job.
ANC...I don't expect much when it comes to this area - especially with earbuds. I had a pair of Sony WF-1000XM3 noise canceling earbuds and they claim they had "class leading noise cancellation" and ummm, well that isn't exactly true. In fact, it was difficult to tell the difference when ANC was on or off...and when you consider how having it on drained your battery something like 35% faster, it was literally a waste to turn them on. I really was not expecting these to sound even THAT good to be totally honest, but I was quite honestly surprised when I tried it. Are they as good as what you can find out there today? Hail no. But does it work pretty good? I have to say I was impressed. Again - for $50 I was downright shocked. Again, if you buy these expecting the same ANC you can find with airpods pro you're going to be disappointed. But are they better than a lot of other earbuds which make the same claim? I'm going to say yes they do. Again, this is a very subjective area, but I'm more after audio quality than I am ANC. Also, if you want something to wear for a flight you plan to go on, I wouldn't get ANY earbuds for that. I'd get a good pair of headphones which have a reputable history of great ANC (like Sony's, Bose or even the apple headphones are great)...the best ANC comes with a significant price increase, so keep that in mind.
All in all, I am very impressed with the Z2's and will not hesitate to buy another pair of earbuds by OnePlus. I totally recommend these without question.
***UPDATE***
I am changing my opinion regarding the call quality. I think my initial reaction was now from simply a bad connection that I blamed on the Z2's. Every single call I've had since has been crystal clear and the quality was on par with literally any other earbuds I have ever used.
As for the battery, I used them over this last Christmas holiday weekend while driving and wore them for 4+ hours straight and they worked flawlessly the entire time. I will say though, that when I turned them on at the beginning of my drive, the touch controls were a little wonky...I turned them off and repaired them and they worked exactly as they should. STILL quite impressed with the audio and bass for such tiny earbuds. It seems like the longer I use them the more impressed I become. OnePlus genuinely knocked this one out of the park with these.
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This Item  OnePlus Buds Z2 True Wireless Earbud Headphones-Touch Control with Charging Case,Active Noise Cancellation,IP55 Waterproof Stereo Earphones for Home,Sport, Pearl White |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $49.98 | $59.99 | -28% $129.99 List: $179.99 | -28% $129.99 List: $179.99 | -33% $39.99 List: $59.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Best Products Prime | OnePlus Official | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Worgo |
| connectivity tech | Wireless, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless |
| headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
| connector type | wireless | wireless | wireless | — | USB Type C | Wireless |
| noise control | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation |
| headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | — | — | 3.5 mm Jack | Bluetooth |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Charge |
| control type | control | control | Media Control | Media Control | control | Volume Control |
| water resistance | waterproof | waterproof | water resistant | — | — | waterproof |
From the manufacturer
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Dolby AtmosThe Buds Z2 are acoustically tuned for bigger bass and sharper beats. With 11mm Dynamic Drivers & Dolby Atmos support, you'll want to stay tuned in. |
Workout ReadyRated IP55 for Water & Sweat Resistance, the Buds Z2 are the perfect workout companion. Wether at the gym or outdoors, the Buds Z2 can handle it all. |
Crystal-Clear Call QualityWith AI-powered noise reduction algorithms & multiple noise cancelling microphones, your Buds Z2 will tune out the background and deliver a clear calling experience. |
Tune In FasterWith Fast Pair, connect to your devices with the blink of an eye. We don't want to keep your music waiting. |
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| OnePlus Buds Z2 | OnePlus Nord Buds 2 | OnePlus Buds Z | |
| Customer Reviews |
358
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239
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683
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| Price | $49.98 | $59.99 | $129.99 |
| Active Noise Cancellation | ✓ | Yes, 25 dB | Yes, 48db |
| Playtime (Buds) | 5h (7h with ANC off) | 5h (7h with ANC off) | 6H (9H with ANC off) |
| Playtime (Case) | 24h (38h with ANC off) | 27h (36h with ANC off) | 25H (39H with ANC off) |
| Water Resistance | IP55 | IP55 | IP55 |
| Fast Charging | Yes, 5 hours playtime with 10 minutes charge | Yes, 5 hours playtime with 10 minutes charge | Yes, 3 hours playtime with 10 minutes charge |
| Call Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Driver | 11mm | 12.4mm | 11mm |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codec | AAC / SBC | AAC / SBC | LHDC 4 / AAC / SBC / LC3 |
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Customer Review: Good noise cancellation and intuitive
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Reviews with images
It's all about that Bass!!!
No jack on my S20 ultra so I have to go wireless. (I've had every top of the line including The Best Under $50). These are unparalleled.Best bass, Noise reduction, Best Overall Sound AND great charging time. Also comes with a downloadable how-to guide for quick pairing etc. Best part: lose one and simply replace, pair and go. No more replacing both buds. Best under 100.00 I've ever spent. I recommend highly. Won't dissapoint!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022
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Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022
Right ear went out on these and one plus budz.
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022
The one plus budz (1st version) had the right ear volume drop so low wasn't worth using so I replaced them with these. These have exactly same problem after a few months the right ear volume drops so low not worth using. Now left ear is doing the same.. Very disappointing for a $100 product. I use it with a One Plus 8T 256gb phone. It was great @ fist but now sadly it's a paperweight that I'm stuck with. I'd advise going with another headphone for the price. Noise canceling was 8/10 but other headphones lower volume and turn on "hear thru or passive " mode when someone talks these dont.. sound quality is 7/10 pretty good maybe even very good at this price point. Battery life with Noise canceling is bad 4/10 but with it off 6/10 about 6 hours. The quick charge makes up for this however so I'll give them a 7/10 total for Battery life... If they didn't have the issues I listed above they would be worth the $$ however it's sad ro say I believe that one plus buds have a problem with longterm usage. If you plan on using them more than a few months there are plenty of good options besides these.
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022
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