OnePlus Buds Pro 3 review: All pros, few cons

It has been a big year for earbuds, with big players launching major updates to their product lines, while others bow out completely — the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 steps into this crowded arena with a lot to prove. They come in at a surprising price point, particularly given their “Pro” moniker; this implies a high level of audio performance which must be proven. To start, the Buds Pro 3 feature a dual driver design to deliver the crisp, yet punchy tones high-end headphones need to stand out.

But with attractive new budget-oriented buds and superb high-end offerings vying for your attention, can the latest true-wireless in-ear headphones from OnePlus compete? They follow in the footsteps of the Oneplus Buds Pro 2, which were well thought of when they launched last year. So, if the Buds Pro 3 improve upon that legacy, it stands to reason that they may well move to the front of the pack.

Price, availability, and specs

The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are available from the OnePlus online store for an MSRP of $180, though as of this writing, they are discounted to $150.

What’s good about the OnePlus Buds Pro 3?

Typically, it’s necessary to tweak the EQ settings when testing out a new pair of earbuds. However, I liked the sound of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 so much I didn’t feel the need to bother with anything for most of my time with them. They have one of the best out-of-the-box sound profiles I’ve ever experienced, which might include the tuning by Dynaudio (a company known for precision studio monitors). I tend to boost the highs and bass with my preferred EQ pattern, so that should give you an idea of the Buds Pro 3’s base sound profile. However, this can be tweaked extensively if you so desire.

Listening to the Dune Rats’ new album If It Sucks, Turn it Up, I appreciated the punchy, well-defined tones the Buds Pro 3 pumped out. They produce a huge thumping bass without drowning out vocals and crisp mids and highs, which was particularly apparent when playing Rich Kid Rehab from the aforementioned album. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by A Perfect Circle also sounded glorious, as did Dumpster Fire by Thesaurus Rex.

The hyper-dramatic cross-genre album Popular Monster was really cool to listen to on the Oneplus Buds Pro 3, and I also enjoyed the melodic metal of Rhapsody of Fire’s Challenge the Wind. 2Cellos’ cover of Thunderstruck confirmed the earbuds’ audio performance; it’s the song I use to compare performance between audio devices. The Buds Pro 3 delivered a particularly stirring rendition of this tune which I’ve heard so many, many times. The buds have impressive clarity, which is likely the result of the 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter, as opposed to earbuds using a single driver.

Call quality is generally good, and I had no problem making myself understood. The earbuds do a decent job of reducing distracting ambient noise.

Noise cancellation performance is certainly acceptable; while writing this review I used them to shut out the noise of my neighbor’s loud generator, and the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 managed to completely erase the droning rumble. In general, the active noise cancellation in these earbuds gets the job done, and passive noise cancellation is decent, too. Many different sizes of ear tips are also included, so you get the right fit. The companion app includes a fit test to ensure you’re using the right ones and that they’re inserted properly. For me, the default ear tips were perfect.

In terms of comfort, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are among the best in-ear headphones I’ve tested recently. They’re very lightweight and fit securely in my ears without feeling intrusive and irritating. I was able to wear them for hours without discomfort. They seem solidly constructed and are IP55 water and dust-resistant. The charging case is constructed well and features a textured, leather-inspired exterior finish so it’s easy to grip and less likely to fall off surfaces.

If you don’t use a OnePlus phone, you’ll need to download the Hey Melody companion app to access some of the earbuds’ more advanced features. These include EQ customization, additional noise-cancellation customization, and more. Golden Sound allows the earbuds to be tuned to each ear, while spatial audio makes sound feel more immersive. While Golden Sound only offered a small improvement for me, it’s a feature that might really help people with hearing issues. And Spacial Audio makes sound feel much more natural, though I prefer the fixed option to head tracking.

There’s also a game mode (syncs audio and video to reduce lag when playing games), dual connection (allows two devices to connect simultaneously), and an earbud fit test. Finally, there’s the obligatory (and necessary) find my earbuds feature, earbud control customization, and the capability to update the firmware through the app.

Each earbud has ten hours of battery life and, combined with the battery in the charging case, a total of 43 hours worth of listening. Over a week of testing, it was only on the final day when I was typing up this review that I needed to recharge the earbuds. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C.

The control system is another OnePlus Buds Pro 3 highlight. Pausing, playing, and skipping tracks, as well as answering, and rejecting calls are activated by pinching the stem of the earbuds 1 to 3 times. Swipe up or down on the earbud to raise or lower the volume. While Samsung recently used a basically identical system in their most recent earbuds, it’s much better implemented in the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. Here, it’s precise with no real learning curve, and I never experienced accidental pauses or sound adjustments.

What’s bad about the OnePlus Buds Pro 3?

I struggled to find even the slightest downside to the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, but they seem to just get everything right. It could be said that the design is a little too obviously inspired by Airpods, and I did occasionally fumble to get them correctly oriented when replacing them in the charging case. They didn’t do the greatest job of suppressing ambient noise on phone calls compared to some other earbuds I’ve used, and in general, I think noise cancellation is not their strongest suit.

Also, while the price is very good, they are still $80 more expensive than the Nothing Ear (a) if bought at MSRP, so the Nothing Ear (a) does offer a compelling budget-friendly alternative. One other small difficulty I had was finding the correct companion app (Hey Melody) on the Google Play Store, as it’s not obviously OnePlus branded, though, if you use a OnePlus phone, no extra app is needed.

The thing is, all these little quibbles are so minor that I would feel uncomfortable listing any of them as significant cons. None of the previously mentioned issues reduced how much I enjoyed using these earbuds. I will, however, say that they are still in-ear headphones, which some people find uncomfortable, so while I find them practically perfect, the Shokz Openfit might be an attractive alternative for some at a similar price point.

Should you buy them?

The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 offer everything you could ask for from true wireless earbuds at an attractive price point and without any real downsides. They deliver a truly excellent listening experience with great sound quality, comfort, and battery life. In general, they manage to be no worse than “very good” in any particular aspect of their performance.

Compared to other earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 stacks up quite nicely. They are beaten by the significantly more expensive Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in terms of sound quality and comfort, but the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 have a better charging case and a much better control scheme. The Nothing Ear (a) are, as previously mentioned, a less expensive option, and I prefer the design of their charging case (though after several months it turns out to be a magnet for dirt and scratches). However, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 deliver far superior audio quality.

The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are much more durable and waterproof than the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 but don’t deliver as good sound quality, while the comparably priced open-ear Shokz Openfit sound better and are more comfortable. But since they are open-ear, the buds do come with the caveat of sound leakage and no noise cancellation.

Overall, while competition is exceptionally fierce this year, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are nevertheless among the best earbuds I’ve tested so far. They are worth buying and I highly recommend them.