The new OnePlus 11 5G flagship phone turned heads with its powerful performance and Hasselblad camera lenses, but attention should also be paid to the wireless earbuds that were launched alongside it – the OnePlus Buds Pro 2.
I was given a pair to test out and was thoroughly impressed by how well it works together with the phone. However, it also supports the Google Fast pair service, and can also be paired with other Android devices, should you choose to do so.
The design is simple but clean, with the controls located in the stems that protrude from the earbuds. In the beginning, I had a bit of difficulty locating the spot on the stems where I needed to press in order to make them work, but once that was done, I had no issues finding them again.
When in use, the buds sat snugly in my ear, an almost perfect fit. Aside from letting you play and pause audio, you can also switch to ANC (active noise control). This feature is above average, but sadly does not completely block out all outside noises. It should be adequate for a regular office or study room setting, however.
I had no issues while wearing the buds for short listening sessions, but on the two occasions when I kept them in my ears throughout the workday, I did notice a bit of soreness, so it might be a good idea to take them out every few hours to let your ears ‘rest’.
What sets these buds apart from others in the market is that OnePlus partnered with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer to create “cinematic audio” and take full advantage of the 360-degree Spatial Audio supported by the OnePlus 11 5G phone. Referred to as Hans Zimmer Soundscape Tuning, this results in a richer, more nuanced sound that immerses you in the listening experience.
In practice, I did notice that while listening to my favourite songs on Spotify and YouTube, the tone was more refined, with some higher notes coming through that I had not been aware of before.
The listening experience was quite impressive, and a distinct change from the standard earbuds I use with my personal phone.
There were, however, no major audio differences when listening to the spoken word, such as podcasts or during phone calls, but I wouldn’t consider that to be a dealbreaker for most people.
Overall, I feel these wireless earbuds are an excellent companion to your OnePlus 11 5G phone. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 comes in Obsidian Black and Arbor Green, and retails for RM869 on its own or as an add-on to the OnePlus 11 5G.
