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

Ever for the reason that launch of Apple AirPods in 2016, the wi-fi earbuds market has been flooded with a wide range of choices. Go to any retailer within the US — Walmart, Amazon, or Greatest Purchase — and you will find 1000’s of earbuds beneath $150. However they are not essentially one of the best you will get.

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

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All the things the OnePlus Buds 4 get proper out of the field

Strong audio, nice ANC, and spectacular battery life general

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 under the Buds Professional 3 by way of 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 regardless that 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 assist 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 in all probability 85% of the way in which there.

The lows aren’t overpowering, so the bass does not dominate the combination, 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 may 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 provide a surprisingly sturdy ANC — truthfully, a number 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 based mostly in your environment. I largely keep on with the excessive setting, and in that mode, the efficiency is difficult to beat. They’re excellent for commuting, flights, health club classes, and even strolling by busy streets.

One other facet of the OnePlus Buds 4 that actually 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 finished 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. Nevertheless, it is price noting that there is no wi-fi charging assist 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 strategy — 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 each day driver over the previous yr with my Pixel 9 Pro, and people have a snugly match with out a stem and provide a decent lock-in really feel. In distinction, I might really feel the burden and presence of the Buds 4 in my ears throughout use. Lengthy listening classes 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 didn’t register enter on both earbud on a number of events. Plus, there is no play/pause gesture enabled by default, and you may have to set it manually within the companion app. Why, OnePlus?

The identical story continues with the charging case. The OnePlus Buds 4 are available a reasonably cumbersome case that positively makes its presence felt when carried in a pocket. For comparability, the Pixel Buds Professional 2 — even with the case — are compact and light-weight. 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 stated, the OnePlus Buds 4 provide rather a lot for the worth. They’re out there 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 good, and I’d have most well-liked a barely much less chunky design, even at the price of some battery life. However general, 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 when you’re searching for earbuds that will not drill a gap in your pocket and nonetheless provide 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 provide a light-weight match and efficient noise cancellation for each day use. With as much as 11 hours of battery per cost and a compact charging case, these earbuds are nice for lengthy listening classes. They assist Bluetooth 5.4 out of the field and are priced at $130.