OnePlus Buds Pro 2 offer spatial audio effect, ANC and dual-driver design
OnePlus has been making strides in the affordable earphones market in recent years, and – as well as launching its latest flagship phone – the company has lifted the lid on its next premium buds as part of its China launch.
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 bring the design from the first-gen model but upgrade the internals to offer better, more immersive sound and noise cancelling.
What’s interesting about this pair of buds is that – similar to Huawei’s recent Pro model – it has a dual driver system made up of a large 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter.
The larger driver is designed to deliver powerful, responsive bass without losing quality while the smaller tweeter is there to enhance the clarity in the higher frequencies and in the vocals.
OnePlus wasn’t alone in building this system. It collaborated with audio-specialist Dynaudio to develop this solution. If you haven’t heard that name before, it’s a company that regularly works with the likes of OnePlus and other manufacturers behind the scenes, helping develop various audio solutions and technologies inside smartphones and earphones.
OnePlus is also jumping aboard the Spatial Audio bandwagon, saying that it has “set a new standard” for the technology, at least, if you’re an Android phone user.
The Buds Pro 2 feature a dedicated algorithm to not only deliver Spatial Audio but also can “upmix” stereo audio mixes to take advantage of its wider sound, mimicking the effect from stereo sound sources.
This – combined with six head movement tracking sensors – means that however you turn your head, the direction of the audio will stay fixed with you at the centre.
There’s ANC too, helping cancel out up to 48dB of external ambient sounds, and this noise cancelling adapts to your own hearing using mics to detect any sound leakage to help ensure it does its job effectively regardless of your ear shape.
As for basic performance, there’s plenty on offer here. The new earphones have Bluetooth 5.3 LE audio and – with earphones and case battery combined – can deliver up to 39 hours of music playback.
We don’t have a price yet for outside of China, but – like the OnePlus 11 5G – the Buds Pro 2 will be unveiled for global markets at the event in New Delhi on 7 February.
