OnePlus has renewed the earphones which were to date the most economical of the brand. With the arrival of the Buds Z2 generation, the company is adding the much requested True Wireless active noise cancellation feature at the lowest price.
However, all the news that we will see below means that the price compared to the previous OnePlus Buds Z has increased slightly. Will they continue to be the most competitive headphones on the market? Keep reading.
Design and build quality
The main noticia en ésta área es que encontrarás pocos cambios estéticos con respecto al diseño de los Buds Z original, manteniendo el gran parecido a los AirPods de Apple, y con las típicas puntas o almohadillas de silicona que ofrecen el interior de los Buds Zoriginal hearing.
The earbud shank or shank is 15% shorter, besides being made with a lighter structure according to OnePlus, which means it weighs only 4.5 grams each and just over 40.5 grams in the case of the charging base.
The use of silicone ear tips not only allows you to better accommodate your ears, based on the three measurements provided in the box, but also helps block out outside noise and enjoy all the novelty that active noise cancellation is. . 
For this reviewWe received the model with Pearl White finishes, but you can also buy them in Obsidian Black. The charging station is cylindrical like a pillbox with a flat base to rest on the table, with the headphones inside.
Other aspects such as the USB C charging connector, the LED status indicator, or the button to enter pairing mode, remain unchanged from the previous edition of Buds Z.
Although belonging to the range of low to mid-budget earphones, the fact that they are rated IP55 indicates that you can use them without problem while exercising. A hydrophobic coating is responsible for the resistance to water and sweat.
The case, meanwhile, retains the IPX4 rating which protects it from splashing water. As we will see below, the base does not allow wireless charging but it adopts a fast charging mode which is interesting.
Sound quality
The new OnePlus Buds Z2 use a dynamic driver which has been increased to 11mm from 10mm in the previous generation. By size, they are the same as used in OnePlus Buds Pro which have also passed through our hands.
As is evident, the quality of the new Z2 Buds has improved to the point that the sensitivity of the controller is very close to the professional range, handling 98dB ± 3dB @ 1KHz with a frequency response of 20Hz to 20Hz. . KHz.
If we land all this technical data, we see that the sound quality has improved compared to the previous generation, handling EQs that adapt well to any type of music, even Dance or Hip Hop, where the Buds Z originals have lost in sound quality. .
The interesting thing here is to note that the new Buds Z2 move away from the typical flaws that result in headphones considered cheap, where it is difficult to strike a balance between strong bass tones and mid tones that stay in the spectrum.
The processed audio profiles are quite precise, which is quite a plus. During the time that I was handling them, I was able to verify that there is no need at any time to change the equalization according to the type of music you are listening to in order to have the best quality.
Perhaps classical, rock and instrumental music offers crisp highs and clear mids which for the most part provide good tuning, completely filling the frequency spectrum.
We also put the Buds Z2 to the test in a gaming environment, something smartphone users are starting to prioritize among their options due to the amount of time they spend with their devices playing.
OnePlus claims to have introduced very low latency of just 94ms as a novelty if you decide to set them up in ‘Mobile Gaming’ mode to enjoy your games. As the mobile configuration shows, we have 3 modes of use: Cinematic Movie, Immersive Music and Mobile Gaming.
The improvements in audio quality, in these situations, are considerable, although I cannot tell you for sure whether they are due to this fact, or simply having now the active noise cancellation which is enhanced by the Dolby Atmos support.
Another aspect that is sometimes overlooked when analyzing headphones is the quality of the audio in calls and video calls. OnePlus points out that the Z2 Buds have 3 MEMS microphones in each earbud to work together and filter out external noise.
Along with canceling ANC, transparency mode comes in handy when using the headset in call mode, as it helps you hear your own voice when you are in noisy environments and prevents you from ending up yelling at your listener. .
Frankly with those who have tried the calling section they have informed me that it can be heard quite well with no distortions or mic cuts in the voice which I have verified happens with some headsets of this type.
In terms of user experience, it is clear that if you associate them with a OnePlus brand mobile, the recognition is instantaneous with widgets and pop-up windows informing of the charging of the headphones. On iOS, you won’t find these benefits.
Despite the above, our experience using them with an iPhone has not been bad at all, with no connection loss or false recognition. With some other headsets of this type, it’s common to open the case cover to use them and the iPhone won’t recognize them on the first try.
Autonomy and charge
There are substantial advances related to this category. The battery of the charging station (520 mAh) now allows us to listen to music for 38 hours, with an autonomy of the headphones which offers an estimate of 5 hours with ANC activated and 7 hours in Off mode.
The base is still not compatible with wireless charging, which the OnePlus Buds Pro does support, but it’s something you won’t miss when you discover the fast wired charging mode called Flash Charge.
With only 10 minutes connected to the electric current, it is possible to achieve 5 hours of music listening, or up to 2 hours of use in game mode. If you want a full charge of the case with the headphones at the indoors, the process takes up to an hour and a half.
Price
The new OnePlus Buds Z2, with white finishes, goes on sale for a suggested price of $ 99, available from December 20 at OnePlus.com and in Amazon.
If you like the Obsidian Black finish more, you will have them from December 20 at Amazon, while the in-store availability of OnePlus.com It will not be effective until next January.
In front of OnePlus Buds Z The originals, which went on sale for $ 59 ($ 68.99 in the case of the Steven Harrington Edition model), represent an increase of $ 40. While it’s obvious they’re dropping the entry-level price tag, there are plenty of benefits you get in return.
Verdict
In short, OnePlus is clearly committed to maintaining the marketing of quality products. Once we know the audio that the cheapest headphones can offer us, the company is committed to bringing ANC noise cancellation technology to the broad masses.
The new Buds Z2 have more sound power, increase the audio quality compared to the previous generation, in addition to improving the autonomy so that we can now cope with a whole day of use without any problems.
We especially see potential within the ecosystem of headphones for Android mobiles, since in the Apple world, the user experience is not the same, which does not mean that all those who do not want to spend the 199 $ from AirPods (3rd generation) can find a good alternative here.
The 40dB ANC active noise cancellation, along with longer battery life and the option of low latency for gaming are convincing aspects that make these headphones even bigger, sounding really good for the price range. in which they operate in this competitive market.
Characteristics
- Wireless headsets
- 11mm pilots
- 98 dB sensitivity
- Frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 KHz
- 40 dB ANC active cancellation
- 3 integrated microphones
- Touch controls
- Active ANC noise cancellation
- 94 ms latency in game mode
- Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity
- 10 meter coverage range
- Charging case with USB-C connector
- Headphones: 40 mAh / Charging case: 520 mAh
- Weight of 4.5 grams per earpiece
- Charging base weight: 40.5 grams
- Acabados in Pearl White or Obsidian Black
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