OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review: Turning Up the Bass, Tuning Out the Noise

I mostly use earbuds to listen to podcasts and music while jogging and during my work routines. I have always loved premium music experiences and slightly base-heavy music. After trying plenty of budget earphones back in 2020, none of the earbuds matched my music preference, and after extensive research, I opted for Apple Airpods Pro, even though they were way out of my budget.

However, fast-forward to 2024, and things have changed drastically. I recently used Realme Buds Air 6, which changed my perspective on budget earbuds. Two months later, OnePlus sent me their latest earbuds under the Nord series, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, another budget earbud that sounded so good.

I have been using these as my primary earbuds alongside the AirPods to test them extensively and for comparison. Honestly, the sound quality of these budget earbuds surprised me—they are very compatible with AirPods Pro in specific scenarios! I regret spending so much on the AirPods because of how good these budget earbuds sound. So, here is my review of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3.

The OnePlus Earbuds Story

OnePlus has been launching TWS earbuds for a long time. The company has launched several good earbuds (primarily the rebranded versions of the Oppo earbuds), which were exceptional. The recent launch of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (One of the best-sounding earbuds, as we mentioned in our review) is an example of how good the earbuds from OnePlus are.

Recently, OnePlus announced Nord Buds 3 Pro, another great budget earbud from OnePlus. OnePlus Nord Buds 3 is a stripped-down version of the Nord Buds 3 Pro. I initially thought Oneplus Nord Buds 3 was a rebranded version of the Realme Buds Air 6 by looking at the case, but they stand out differently. Before that, here is the unboxing of OnePlus Nord Buds 3 earbuds.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Box Contents

When you unbox OnePlus Nord Buds 3, you get the following:

• Earbuds charging case and buds in a Gray mete finish.
• The extra size of Slilcion Eartips  (Pre-applied M size and extra S and L-sized silicon tips)
• Type C charging Cable.
• A sticker.
• User Guide, Warranty Card.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Design

The Nord Buds 3 case design is very similar to other earbuds in this price range, especially the ones from BBK Electronics. You get an oval-shaped charging case. It comes in two color variants: grey metallic and Melodic white. I prefer the grey metallic option because it has a matte finish. It is less prone to fingerprints, has fewer visible scratches, and also less visible dust. The melodic white color comes with a glassy finish, which can be prone to scratches easily and also more visible dust and debris.

Opening the case, you will find the earbuds securely held inside by magnets; even if you shake them hard, they don’t fall off. The tight magnets hold them securely in the case. There is an LED indicator on the front that shows different functions, like charging, connecting, and more.

You get a physical button next to the USB Type C port on the bottom. However, there are some issues. The case, like many other earbuds, feels slightly delicate, so you need to be careful. If you place it with other metallic objects, it is also easily prone to scratches.  The case is small enough to fit in your jeans pocket easily.

The earbuds come in a dual-tone finish; the step has the same matte finish as the case, while the earbud head has a glossy finish. Speaking of comfort, The larger stem on the earbuds makes them fit perfectly in the ear. They are one of the most comfortable earbuds I have ever worn. They are lightweight and come with silicon tips, which I prefer over plastic ones. The large stem and the comfortable silicon tips make them secure and comfortable for longer hours. I also used them during workouts, and they didn’t fall off. They come with IP65 water resistance, protecting you from sweat resistance.

It supports touch controls like single tap, double tap, and triple tap. You can customize these controls in the Hey Melody app, which is available for Android and iPhone. If you are a OnePlus user, you get them by default.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Specs

Before speaking of the sound, Here are the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 specifications.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Sound Quality

After playing music on the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, I instantly noticed the heavy bass. If you love bass, this might be a great option for you. You can also boost the bass using the HeyMelody app, which takes the sound to the next level.

Even though the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 are budget earbuds, I thought of testing their sound extensively so you can get an idea of how they sound. I played different songs, from Hello by Adele to Clair de Lune by Debussy, to test different frequencies. One consistent thing across every song scenario is that the bass dominates.

While the mids (vocals) are still clear and loud, the bass overshadows the treble and instrument music when listening to the song, even in low bass settings, using the equalizer on the HeyMelody app. The bass isn’t punchy and has some distortion, but overall, considering the price and sound signature of the bass-heavy target user, these are the best-sounding earbuds for those who love an extra level of bass. Don’t get me wrong; you can also enjoy the mid-frequencies. I enjoyed listening to Adele’s track ‘Hello’, but the bass overshadows the instrumentals. The mids (vocals) are loud and clear.

Further testing: I have also tested the dynamic range, which is good. You can hear details at low and high volumes, and I also tested instrument separation. While the bass overshadows some elements, sound separation is still decent for the price, and there are no noticeable sound leaks at average volume.

Regarding rating, I would give the bass 8/10, mids 7/10, treble 6/10, and overall sound balance a 7/10. Noise isolation is around 7/10 for the price, instrument separation is 7/10, and dynamic range is 8/10. Here is the representation of my findings in the radar chart.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 ANC

The OnePlus Nords Buds 3 comes with Active Noise cancellation support, one of these earbuds’ main USPs. After listening to budget TWS earbuds with noise cancellation after two years, I appreciate how far they have come. The noise cancellation works, unlike on the budget TWS earbuds a few years ago, and it effectively cancels unwanted noise to some extent.

When you turn on the active noise cancellation, it can cancel up to 32 decibels of outside noise, which aligns with the sound produced by most home appliances, such as fan noise, air filters, refrigerators, and more. In my testing, even without media playback, it blocked out fan noise and unwanted household noise, such as the noise from the TV (in another room), Fan noise in the same room, AC, and general sounds. With the media playback volume around 70%, it easily blocks outside noise, even blocking my pet dog’s barking sound.

In some cases, the noise cancellation is comparable to my AirPods. These earbuds offer a transparency mode that uses the microphone to increase loud noise in your surroundings. Overall, the noise cancellation is really good for the price of 2,000. These might be a great choice if you’re looking for affordable earbuds with effective noise cancellation.

The microphone is good but picks up a lot of background noise. I also took calls; the other person hasn’t complained about a distorted voice or low volume. The only concern they mentioned was the background noise. Here is the same audio clip recorded from the OnePlus Nord Buds 3.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Battery Life

Speaking of battery life, there is nothing to worry about with the OnePlus Nord Buds 3. After unboxing, they had an 80% charge left, and even after extended use, I haven’t had to charge them yet. I use around 1 to 1.5 hours daily with and without ANC while listening to podcasts.

On average, you get about 8 to 9 hours of playback on a single charge, extending to 10 to 11 hours without ANC. If you use ANC, the battery might reduce to 7 or 8 hours. You can charge the earbuds fully in an hour using the Type-C cable. Battery life isn’t a concern with the OnePlus Nord Buds 3.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Connectivity

The HeyMelody app (Android | iOS) allows you to control all the necessary functions. If you use a OnePlus mobile, you get this option by default. It automatically detects your earbuds once they are connected to your device. You can control noise cancellation, set transparency mode, and access the dedicated equalizer to customize the sound experience.

It also comes with a dedicated bass boost function that further boosts the base on the earbuds. You can also adjust the tap and touch functions on earbuds and more. I also tried gaming. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 also features a low-latency mode; I haven’t faced any latency or audio-video sync issues.

OnePlus Nords Buds 3: Downsides

However, one major drawback of the OnePlus Buds Nords 3 is it doesn’t support in-ear detection. When you take the earbuds out, the media doesn’t automatically pause. You have to pause manually using your phone or the tap function. This can be annoying, especially when the tap controls sometimes don’t work as expected.

For instance, if someone tries to ask you something while listening to any song or playing media, you will find it frustrating that the media doesn’t pause automatically when you take out the earphones and try to listen to what they are saying.

While it is understandable that this feature may have been excluded due to budget considerations, it would have made the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 one of the best earbuds under ₹2,000. I might be asking for more at this price, but this feature should be the maximum feature that every earbud above ₹1,500 should adopt. This might not be a big issue if you don’t mind manually pausing or pulling out the earbuds when someone speaks to you.  Apart from this, I have no major issues with the OnePlus Nord Buds 3.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Verdict

Overall, Oneplus Nord Buds 3 is another of the best budget TWS earbuds that excels in sound for bass lovers. The earbuds are comfortable to wear for longer hours and are lightweight. The active noise cancellation effectively blocks general sounds, and the audio quality is more tuned toward bass lovers. They also offer excellent battery life and are good microphone quality for taking calls. Overall, for ₹2,299, the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 joins the list of great TWS earbuds under ₹3,000, alongside the Realme Buds T310 and CMF Buds.

Buy OnePlus Nord Buds 3