For anyone that enjoys listening to music on a regular basis, in can be hard to find a decent pair of TWS earbuds that combine functionality with an affordable price tag. That’s mainly due to the many different brands and models of TWS earbuds that are available on today’s market. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to pick up a nice pair of TWS earbuds for yourself without breaking the bank, then we’d definitely recommend that you have a look at the OnePlus Buds Z2, which not only are feature-packed, but are also quite affordable.
The OnePlus Buds Z2 are 2nd-gen TWS earbuds that feature 11mm Dynamic Drivers for great sound quality, Active Noise Cancellation, Dolby Atmos support, built-in Touch Controls, Bluetooth 5.2 Connectivity, and up to 38 hours of battery life.
With these newly released TWS earbuds, you can dive straight into your favorite playlists with Google Fast Pair, which allows you to instantly pair the earbuds either with any OnePlus device, or alternatively, with non-OnePlus devices via the HeyMelody App.
Now, let’s have a more detailed look at the OnePlus Buds Z2 and check out everything that these second-generation TWS earbuds have to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with their size, the earbuds come at a fairly compact size, measuring just 1.21 inches long by 0.88 inches wide by 0.85 inches tall (33 x 22.4 x 21.8), and their also quite lightweight, with each earbud weighing just 0.16 oz. (4.6 g).
For their design, the earbuds feature a minimalist and ultra-modern, coming coated by one single solid color (in our case, we went with the Obsidian Black model), while also combining a glossy finish for a slightly more stylish look.
In terms of wearing the earbuds, the Buds Z2 feature an ergonomic design and also come together with three (x3) included pairs of Interchangeable Silicone Eartips, which come in different sizing options – (S)mall, (M)edium, and (L)arge.
Last but not least, the earbuds themselves are also rated to have a IP55 Water- and Sweat-Resistant Rating, with the earbuds’ design also featuring a Hydrophobic Nano-Coating for protection against corrosion. This not only keeps the earbuds protected from small water splashes and sweat, but also from dust.
In addition, the earbuds also come together with a dedicated Wireless Charging Case that can be used for storing them (when not in use) as well as for re-charging their battery power.
Their charging case is also quite compact, measuring just 2.87 inches long by 1.44 inches wide by 1.14 inches tall (73.15 x 36.8 x 29.1 mm), as well as lightweight, weighing just 1.48 oz. (42 g).
Similarly to the Buds Z2, their Wireless Charging Case also features a IPX4 Water-Resistance Rating that ultimately makes the case resistant to any potential water-splashes.
AUDIO SPECS & AUDIO QUALITY
We’ll now talk about the earbuds’ audio specifications and their overall audio quality. To create an immersive sound quality, these earbuds utilize 11mm Bass-tuned Dynamic Drivers (the same one’s from the company’s OnePlus Buds Pro), which are acoustically tuned to deliver a punchy bass (the lows) along with a razor-sharp treble (the highs).Moreover, the mid-range sounds (mids) are also quite well represented when playing music with these TWS earbuds.
Note that these true wireless earbuds feature a Sound Sensitivity of 98 dB (± 3 dB at 1 kHz), and a a Frequency Response that can vary between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
In addition, these TWS earbuds also feature support to Dolby Atmos, which ultimately allows them to deliver an immersive, true-to-life sound by using industry-leading spatial audio.
On top of that, users can also select between three (x3) different Sound Modes for playing their media: Cinematic Movie Mode, Immersive Music Mode, and Mobile Gaming Mode. (Note that Dolby Atmos is only supported on OnePlus 7/7 Pro/7T/7T Pro/8/8 Pro/8T/9/9 Pro/9 R/9 RT devices, so keep that in mind.).
It’s also worth noting that each earbud comes equipped with a ENC 3-MIC Setup (composed by a Feedback Mic, a Feedforward Mic, and a Beamforming Mic) that allows the OnePlus Buds Z2 to accurately detect any background noises within your surrounding environment.
These three internal microphones are used for the earbuds’ ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), which can be set to work in two different ANC Modes – Faint (offers you a smooth 25 dB noise reduction) and Extreme (offers you a more powerful 40 dB noise reduction).
Alternatively, users can also disable the earbuds’ ANC to have them work in their Transparency Mode, which allows you to hear the world outside with full clarity.
Finally, specifically for voice calls, the earbuds’ voice-recording function comes from the Beamforming Mic from their 3-MIC Setup, which boosts the earbud’s voice-pickup quality and cuts down on surrounding noises for a crystal-clear speech. This ultimately ensures that your voice is decently loud and easy-to-hear from the other end of your calls.
INTERFACE & BUILT-IN TOUCH CONTROLS
As said before, these TWS earbuds also boast built-in Touch Controls, which can be easily performed via their Quick-Touch Interface, which can be found at the sides of both earbuds.
That said, performing a Single tap will allow you to Play/Pause your music or Answer / End an incoming voice call.
Alternatively, a Double Tap allows you to Skip to the Next Track as well as to Reject an incoming call, while a Triple Tap allows you to Return to the Previous Track.
Finally, tapping and holding for a few seconds allows users to alternate between the earbuds’ 2 ANC Modes.
CONNECTIVITY
For establishing a wireless connectivity with your device (Smartphone, tablet, etc.), these TWS earbuds boast a Bluetooth 5.2 Connectivity, all while featuring support for both SBC and AAC Audio Formats.
For their wireless Bluetooth connectivity, these earbuds support a maximum wireless range of 32.80 ft. (10 m).
More noticeably, they can also have their latency reduced to as low as 94 ms when paired with select OnePlus phone devices, and consequently having that device’s Pro Gaming Mode turned On.
BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE
For their battery-power, each earbud integrates a 40mAh battery that gives the Buds Z2 a battery life of around 7 hours (with ANC Off) of continuous playback time per battery-charge (or around 5 hours with ANC On).
Then, for conveniently recharging the earbuds while you’re on-the-go, their dedicated Wireless Charging Case comes equipped with a larger and much more powerful 520mAh battery that, when used together with the Buds Z2, offers the earbuds a total battery life of up to 38 hours (with ANC Off), or around 27 hours (when having ANC On).
To recharge the earbuds and their Wireless Charging Case, all you have to do is to place the earbuds inside their case and then connect the included USB-C Charging Cable to the case’s dedicated charging port. Charging should only take a few hours.
Best of all, since both the earbuds and their charging case support Flash Charging (meaning USB-C Fast Charging capabilities), users can quickly charge the earbuds inside their case for just 10 minutes, which should provide them with around 2 hours of battery life for music listening.
Finally, charging the case for just 10 minutes of time will give it enough battery-power for a whopping 5 hours of listening.
OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES
Compatible with HeyMelody App & Google Fast Pair
As said before, the OnePlus Buds Z2 also feature compatibility with the HeyMelody App (available for iOS and Android devices).
Furthermore, they also feature support to Google Fast Pair, which allows you to instantly pair the Buds Z2 either with a OnePlus device, or alternatively, with non-OnePlus devices via the HeyMelody App.
Note that OnePlus Fast Pair is only supported on OnePlus 6 series devices and up that run on Android 11, so remember that too.
Find My Buds Support
Lastly, the OnePlus Buds Z2 also support the Find My Buds tracking functionality, which can help ensure that you never lose these earbuds.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Inside the package, users will find: their OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS Earbuds, the earbuds’ dedicated Wireless Charging Case and its USB-C Charging Cable, 3 pairs of Interchangeable Silicone Eartips in different sizes (S, M, and L), a User Manual, as well as a Safety Card and a Warranty Card.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The OnePlus Buds Z2 are 2nd-gen TWS earbuds that feature 11mm Dynamic Drivers for great sound quality, Active Noise Cancellation, Dolby Atmos support, built-in Touch Controls, Bluetooth 5.2 Connectivity, and up to 38 hours of battery life.
With these newly released TWS earbuds, you can dive straight into your favorite playlists with Google Fast Pair, which allows you to instantly pair the earbuds either with any OnePlus device, or alternatively, with non-OnePlus devices via the HeyMelody App.
You can find these TWS earbuds available in two different color models: Obsidian Black and Pearl White.
If you’re interested in buying them, each pair is currently going for just $99.99. You can order yours online right now, either directly from OnePlus’ official USA shopping page, or alternatively, you can get them from Amazon, if you prefer.
