One week with the OnePlus Buds 4 satisfied me they’re nearly all you want

Ever because the launch of Apple AirPods in 2016, the wi-fi earbuds market has been flooded with quite a lot of choices. Go to any retailer within the US — Walmart, Amazon, or Greatest Purchase — and you will find hundreds of earbuds underneath $150. However they don’t seem to be essentially the perfect you may get.

Fortunately, manufacturers like OnePlus and even Beats supply some nice inexpensive wi-fi earbud choices. OnePlus lately launched the OnePlus Buds 4, and after testing them for over every week, I am already satisfied they provide the whole lot you want from a pair of wi-fi earbuds, with out having to splurge on flagship fashions.

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Every part the OnePlus Buds 4 get proper out of the field

Stable audio, nice ANC, and spectacular battery life total

I have been a fan of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 since they launched final yr, so I had comparable expectations for the OnePlus Buds 4. Whereas the OnePlus Buds 4 sit a tier beneath the Buds Professional 3 when it comes to value, each earbuds ship with a really comparable {hardware} setup.

Each earbuds include a dual-driver system containing an 11mm woofer and a 6mm tweeter. And though OnePlus hasn’t explicitly confirmed the {hardware} is equivalent on the earbuds, I used to be pleasantly stunned by how comparable the Buds 4 sound in comparison with the Buds Professional 3.

The Buds 4 additionally help Twin DAC and the identical audio codecs because the Buds Professional 3 (LHDC 5.0, SBC, AAC). Total, the sound high quality is great — whereas not equivalent to the Professional 3, it is most likely 85% of the best way there.

The lows aren’t overpowering, so the bass would not dominate the combo, and the mids and highs are well-balanced. The bass is certainly current — as you’d anticipate from any OnePlus earbuds — however not so boosted that it overwhelms the remainder of the audio. And as all the time, you’ll be able to tweak the EQ to your liking utilizing the HeyMelody companion app.

After which there’s the noise cancellation on these earbuds. The OnePlus Buds 4 supply a surprisingly robust ANC — actually, a few of the greatest noise cancellation I’ve skilled in earbuds across the $100 mark.

You get three ANC modes: low, reasonable, and excessive, plus an adaptive mode that adjusts primarily based in your environment. I largely persist with the excessive setting, and in that mode, the efficiency is tough to beat. They’re splendid for commuting, flights, gymnasium periods, and even strolling by way of busy streets.

One other facet of the OnePlus Buds 4 that basically impressed me is the battery life. OnePlus claims as much as 11 hours of playback with ANC turned off and 6 hours with ANC on — and I can really vouch for that. Over the previous few days, I’ve completed my greatest to empty these earbuds in a single session, however I’ve by no means managed to totally kill them earlier than needing to pop them again into the case.

My utilization included a mixture of listening with ANC each on and off. The charging case makes use of the USB-C port for charging, and simply 10 minutes within the case will get you round three hours of playback. Nonetheless, it is price noting that there isn’t any wi-fi charging help right here, which is one thing anticipated from the pair of earbuds at this value.

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The place the OnePlus Buds 4 nonetheless fall brief for me

Not deal-breakers, however sufficient to note after a full week

The OnePlus Buds 4 observe the identical design language as earlier OnePlus earbuds, that includes a stem-style design. Whereas I haven’t got main complaints with this method — it is one thing that’s utilized by each Apple and Samsung for his or her flagship earbuds — I did discover the Buds 4 to be barely on the chunkier facet.

I have been utilizing the Pixel Buds Pro 2 as my day by day driver over the previous yr with my Pixel 9 Pro, and people have a snugly match with no stem and supply a decent lock-in really feel. In distinction, I may really feel the load and presence of the Buds 4 in my ears throughout use. Lengthy listening periods precipitated slight fatigue and discomfort in my ears, which hasn’t been the case with most earbuds I’ve examined this yr.

This bulkiness additionally impacts the contact controls. The OnePlus Buds 4 are among the many least responsive earbuds I’ve used shortly. I am undecided what modified right here, however the contact sensors did not register enter on both earbud on a number of events. Plus, there isn’t any play/pause gesture enabled by default, and you may must set it manually within the companion app. Why, OnePlus?

The identical story continues with the charging case. The OnePlus Buds 4 are available in a reasonably cumbersome case that undoubtedly makes its presence felt when carried in a pocket. For comparability, the Pixel Buds Professional 2 — even with the case — are compact and lightweight. However the Buds 4’s case felt like a clumpy stone in my denims pocket.

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The OnePlus Buds 4 might be the sleeper hit of 2025

All that mentioned, the OnePlus Buds 4 supply quite a bit for the value. They’re obtainable for $100 within the US (€99 in Europe / ₹5,999 in India), and at this value, they nail the fundamentals that matter — sound high quality, ANC, and battery life. Certain, the match is not excellent, and I’d have most well-liked a barely much less chunky design, even at the price of some battery life. However total, the OnePlus Buds 4 really feel like one of many hardest-to-beat merchandise this yr.

The upcoming Google Pixel Buds 2a may change my opinion within the coming days, however in case you’re in search of earbuds that will not drill a gap in your pocket and nonetheless supply flagship-level options, the OnePlus Buds 4 may simply find yourself being your favourite pair this yr.

Battery Life

11 hours / as much as 45 hours with case (ANC off)

Microphones

Three

Supported codecs

LHDC 5.0 / AAC / SBC

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.4

IP Ranking

IP55

OnePlus Buds 4 supply a light-weight match and efficient noise cancellation for day by day use. With as much as 11 hours of battery per cost and a compact charging case, these earbuds are nice for lengthy listening periods. They help Bluetooth 5.4 out of the field and are priced at $130.