OnePlus Buds Pro 3 Review: Impressive Design Meets Top-notch Performance

The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is the latest addition to the brand's expanding lineup of true wireless earbuds. Known for delivering premium features at competitive prices, OnePlus takes it up a notch with this new release. The Buds Pro 3 boasts a refreshed design and promises notable enhancements in sound quality and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). However, it faces stiff competition in a market filled with strong rivals like the OPPO Enco X2, Nothing Ear (2024), and Moto Buds+.

The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are designed to appeal to both audiophiles and everyday users, offering a blend of high-fidelity sound, smart features, and long battery life. While OnePlus has consistently delivered quality hardware, the real question is whether they've successfully enhanced the audio experience alongside the design upgrade. In this review, we’ll dive into the Buds Pro 3’s build, features, performance, and more to help you determine if these earbuds are worth your investment.

1. Battery life is a standout feature of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. According to OnePlus, the earbuds can offer up to 10 hours of playtime on a single charge with ANC off and the AAC codec active. The charging case adds an extra 33 hours, bringing the total playback time to an impressive 43 hours. With ANC enabled, the earbuds' battery life drops to 6 hours, and the total with the case becomes 25.5 hours.

2. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 excels in call quality as well. Each earbud is equipped with three microphones, a Bone Conducting Voice Pickup Sensor, and an AI algorithm to ensure clear, crisp audio even in noisy surroundings. Whether you're in a busy café or on the move, your voice is transmitted loud and clear, making these earbuds an excellent option for those seeking reliable call performance.

3. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 not only sports a design refresh but also features a significant internal hardware upgrade. Like its predecessor, the Buds Pro 3 is tuned by Dynaudio and equipped with dual drivers—an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter in each earbud. This time, OnePlus has improved the drivers and added dual Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs) in each earbud. This setup allows for better instrument separation, with one DAC dedicated to the tweeter and the other to the woofer, delivering a more balanced and dynamic audio experience.

4. One of the standout features of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is its impressive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), especially for its price. OnePlus has significantly upgraded the ANC quality compared to previous models, even surpassing competitors like the Nothing Ear (2024) and OPPO Enco X2. It effectively blocks out human voices and ambient noise, making these earbuds perfect for noisy environments. Users can manually adjust the ANC settings or enable Adaptive ANC, which automatically fine-tunes the noise cancellation based on surrounding conditions.

5. Another key feature is the 6-band equaliser, allowing users to customise the sound profile to their preferences. Additionally, the BassWave slider enhances the bass, though turning it up too much can cause some muddiness. OnePlus also incorporates Google’s Spatial Audio technology, offering a wide soundstage for an immersive experience. While the Head Tracking mode can introduce some distortion, the Fixed setting provides a clear, expansive audio experience without such issues.

6. The Buds Pro 3 also come packed with modern features like Multipoint or Dual Connection, enabling the earbuds to connect to two devices simultaneously. The Earbud Fit Test ensures an optimal fit for the best sound quality. Other features include Google Fast Pair, wireless charging, and on-ear detection, making the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 one of the most feature-rich true wireless earbuds available today.

With effective ANC, extensive app-based customisations, and impressive battery life, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 stands out as a strong contender in the TWS market. While minor drawbacks, like the case's weight and occasional distortion with Spatial Audio head-tracking, exist, they don't significantly impact the overall experience. These earbuds easily earn the Digit seal of approval. If you're looking for feature-rich earbuds with excellent sound quality, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is definitely worth considering.