OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison
With OnePlus Buds which cost 4990, OnePlus is finally entering the truly wireless earphones market. This comparison post is mainly for those people who already own a OnePlus device and want to buy their earphones now.
Although, I still request you to watch this video because Wireless Z is a value for money device. So, in this video, we will be comparing the Wireless 2, Wireless Z and OnePlus Buds to see which device you should consider.
Design
Talking about their design, in 2019 OnePlus introduced a seashell-inspired design. Which is very different from the 1st Gen and this has been implemented in the Wireless Z and OnePlus Buds. Wireless Z can literally be called a copy of the Wireless 2 but its neckband is slightly thicker and its body is built from plastic.
Wireless 2, on the other hand, are built from Stainless Steel and Plastic. The OnePlus Buds like the Z are built from plastic. Each of these features a USB C port and according to me, in 2020 this is a must-have feature. Wireless Z and 2 feature a remote control on the left side and a power button on the neck band. The OnePlus buds have a capacitive button on each earbud. OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison
Water Resistance
Talking about Water Resistance. The Wireless 2 feature no such rating but the Wireless Z features IP55 and OnePlus Buds feature the IPX4. This means the Wireless Z are protected against dirt and water whereas the Buds are only protected against water.
Fit
Now talking about their fit, Wireless Z and 2 both have an in-ear design with rubber tips. This means they sit deeper inside your ear and provide passive noise isolation. And the additional ear tips inside the box can help customise the fit further.
Buds
Talking about the Buds, if Apple's Earpods fit in your ears with ease, you should not have an issue with using these but if hard plastic earphones are a pain for you, I'd recommend considering other truly wireless options.
Sound Quality
When buying earphones their sound quality is on everyone's mind. Among these three devices I have only used the Wireless 2, these offer a balanced audio experience which means neither do they have overpowering bass nor are other audio features out of proportion and because of this balanced soundstage you customise your listening experience according to your taste via equaliser settings. OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison
Personally, I am a fan of this so amongst these three the Wireless 2 are bound to my pick. but this does not mean that the other earphones sound bad. With the Wireless Z, Oneplus dropped a lot of audio drivers but a lot of reviews still spoke positively of them indicating that there is not much of a difference from the Wireless 2. The only difference that you are likely to notice is one due to instrumentals in a song.
The additional drivers in the Wireless 2 allow for better instrument separation. From all the reviews that I have seen for the OnePlus Buds from those I can tell you, the audio experience once again is barely going to be distinguishable. but because they have a hard plastic design, you lose passive noise isolation and this can hamper your listening experience and in these cases the Wireless Z and Wireless 2 are a lot better. In terms of Audio Codecs only the Wireless 2 support aptX HD, the other two support SBC and AAC.
So basically, if you are buying these devices for their audio experience it is going to be extremely similar, but according to me the Wireless Z or 2 will sound slightly better because of the passive noise isolation.
Battery
A headline feature with each OnePlus audio device is "10 minutes for 10 hours" This means with a 10 minute charge you get 10 hours worth of listening time. With the Wireless Z and Wireless 2 this is accurate but with the Buds it is not exactly how it sounds. The Buds marketing materials says "Charge your earphones for 10 minutes for 10 hours of listening time" But this is not an accurate representation. With 10 minutes of charging you get 10 hours of battery life in your case but the Buds will only have 100 minutes of charge. OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison
Compared against other truly wireless earphones this is not bad at all, 2 hours in 10 minutes is great but compared to the Wireless Z and Wireless 2 this is a clear disadvantage. So talking about the total battery life, a single charge with the Wireless 2 will get you 14 hours of listening time -- on my device there are certain days when I have used them for 15-16 hours too. Wireless Z will give you 20 hours and OnePlus Buds will give you 7 hours of listening on a single charge with an additional 23 in the case.
Device Controls
Now we will talk about Device Controls, in this comparison according to me this is the most important segment. and for those who are planning to buy the Buds, pay attention to this segment because the OnePlus Buds currently lack a lot of features. As of now, if you look at music controls, the OnePlus Buds only allow you to double tap to skip or long press to switch devices.
If you take the earphones out of your ear it will pause audio playback. A future update will allow the OnePlus 6 and the devices that came after that to customise the double tap function but if you have a different Android device you are stuck with the aforementioned three features.
So, to round it all up, with the OnePlus Buds you can answer, end or reject calls and music skip and switch devices. To pause audio you can take your earphones out. With the Wireless 2 and Wireless Z you get the remote control which allows you to increase the volume, decrease the volume, trigger the assistant, next, previous, pause, answer, end or reject calls. OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison
Which Should You Buy?
If you need a value for money device, the Wireless Z is the way to go because the 20 hours of battery life and the IP 55 rating and its listening experience is not bad at all and features such as Quick Switch and Magnetic Play/Pause make the experience smooth. If you have decided that you want Truly Wireless Earphones you can also consider options like the Galaxy Buds +, these are on the expensive side but their audio experience is a lot better.
Samsung also has a new set of earphones coming soon, known as the Galaxy Buds Live. These will feature active noise cancellation and are rumoured to launch at the August 4th event. and I will be covering this event. And if you want a balanced listening experience,
The Wireless 2 is the way to go and currently on the OnePlus' store the black version is available for 4490, this is 500 less than the OnePlus Buds and 2500 more than the Wireless Z. But for the better build quality and balanced soundstage this can be an option worth considering if allowed by your budget. OnePlus Buds, OnePlus Wireless Z and OnePlus Wireless 2 Comparison