OnePlus has launched many great devices at the Summer Launch Event held in Milan, including the OnePlus Nord 4 smartphone, OnePlus Pad 2, OnePlus Watch 2R and OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro. All these devices are power-packed and are also priced quite well. In fact, this is the first time OnePlus has launched a Pro earbud in the Nord series. And these earbuds are exactly like the Pro, as you would expect. It gives good quality audio performance and great active noise cancellation (ANC) at a price of Rs 3,299. I have been using the Nord Buds 3 Pro earbuds for about a week and I am very happy with the experience.

They are quite the pros, bro

Before you get confused, no, there has been no Nord Buds 3 launched before, and neither has the company launched any non-Pro variant at this event. These seem to be named Buds 3 Pro. But, as I said, if you look at the specifications of the earbuds, you will understand why they are calling it Pro.

The Nord Buds 3 Pro are true wireless earbuds that prioritise noise cancelling capabilities. It offers up to 49dB of noise reduction and an effective range of up to 4,000Hz. Equipped with 12.4mm titanised dynamic drivers, the Nord Buds 3 Pro use Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity with support for SBC and AAC codecs. The updated Basswave 2.0 feature allows low-end adjustments, and there is also a manual EQ for personalised sound settings.

The earbuds also feature a customisable Sound Master equaliser that you can access via your phone, allowing for precise control over the EQ. With the Nord 4, you can access most of these controls only via the Settings app, with everything else via the HeyMelody app. There are three preset modes: Balanced, Serenade and Bass. The default Balanced mode offers equal focus on bass and treble. If you love vocals, whether it’s soulful R&B, hard rock or baroque opera, the Serenade mode is for you. And the Bass mode is for, well, bass.

The Nord Buds 3 Pro offer effective noise cancellation for their budget-friendly price. While travelling to Milan, Italy for the OnePlus summer launch event, I was using the earbuds on an 11-hour long flight and I noticed that the Buds 3 Pro significantly reduced low-end rumble. It also reduced the lows and low-mids from plane noise. However, higher frequencies weren’t blocked as effectively. Transparency mode also works well, presenting the environment around you clearly and allowing for easy conversations without removing the earbuds. One drawback is that the earbuds don’t automatically detect when you take them off. If you remove them while listening to music, playback continues in the background.

Look and feel

Nord Buds 3 Pro Available in two colour variants, Starry Black and Soft Jade, the earbuds have a two-tone finish: a speckled, matte lower half and a glossy upper half. They have a compact teardrop design and are IP55-rated for dust and water resistance. The casing of the earbuds is compact and easily fits into a jacket pocket or pant pocket.

The design of the earbuds has also been refreshed to look more like the OnePlus Buds Pro series. The earbuds are lightweight and compact. I wore them for several hours and the earbuds stayed snug in my ear and remained comfortable. I even went for a run and to the gym wearing the earbuds and the fit was still comfortable. While the medium-sized eartips were perfect for me, there are also small and large-sized eartips in the box.

Good battery life

The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro offers great battery performance. With the ANC mode on, the earbuds easily last 3-4 days of battery depending on usage. The charging case extends the battery life by another 2 days. So, with moderate usage, the earbuds can easily last a week or more on a single charge. The earbuds also come with fast charging support. In a little over half an hour, you can fully charge the battery, but if you are in a hurry, charging it for 10-15 minutes will easily give you enough battery to last a day.

Are the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro worth the price?

The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro is a great value proposition. If you are looking for earbuds priced around Rs 3,000, then these earbuds are a great option for you. At Rs 3,299, the Nord Buds 3 Pro look premium, sound great and offer great ANC.