We like the OnePlus Buds Z, which deliver bass-forward audio in a true wireless design for just $49.99. For an additional $50, the new OnePlus Buds Z2 ($99) add active noise cancellation (ANC) to the mix, along with support for Dolby Atmos. Like the original model, these earphones work best when used with OnePlus phones—Dolby Atmos, for instance, is available only when you’re connected to a OnePlus handset. Otherwise the Buds Z2 deliver powerful audio and decent noise cancellation for the price. No matter what phone you use, however, our Editors’ Choice award in this price range still belongs to Anker’s $79.99 Soundcore Life P3 earphones, which deliver powerful sonic performance and surprisingly good ANC for well under $100.
A Familiar Look
Available in glossy black or white, the Buds Z2 look quite a bit like their predecessors, which, in turn, resemble Apple’s AirPods. The Buds Z2 sport a similar stem-style design, but with slightly shorter stems than the originals. The earphones ship with three pairs of silicone eartips in small, medium, and large; they fit quite comfortably and feel relatively secure in the ear, but we can imagine them getting loose during a rigorous workout. Internally, 11mm drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz.
You control the earphones via touch-sensitive, circular outer panels. A single tap on either earpiece handles playback, a double tap skips forward a track, and a triple tap takes you to the previous track. A double tap also answers and ends calls, while a three-second press-and-hold rejects an incoming call. To enable ANC or Transparency mode, press and hold either earpiece for two seconds.
With a OnePlus phone, you have the option to assign voice assistant controls to either a single or double tap and swap the playback and track navigation controls. However, you still can’t control volume directly from the earbuds, which is something we’d like to see. Either way, the touch-sensitive panels are easy to operate, and we like the audio prompts that correspond to the taps.
An IP55 rating (the same as the previous model) means the earphones are partially protected from dust ingress and are resistant to splashes from any direction. You can’t dunk or submerge them, however, and they probably won’t survive faucet-level water pressure. One improvement in this department is that the case now carries an IPX4 water-resistant rating, but keep in mind that this is only for the exterior, so don’t place wet earpieces in the charging docks.
Speaking of the charging case, it looks very similar to the previous model’s. The pill-shaped box uses a flip-top lid and houses a USB-C charging port on the back for the included red-and-white charging cable. A button for resetting and pairing the earphones also sits on the back.
OnePlus estimates that the Buds Z2 can last roughly 5 hours on battery with ANC enabled, or 7 hours without it. The case holds an additional 22 hours of battery with ANC, or 31 hours without it—your results will also vary based on your volume levels. The Buds Z2 are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and support the AAC and SBC codecs, but not AptX.
You specifically need to use a OnePlus phone to enable Dolby Atmos support. For Android users in general, the Buds Z2 work with Google Fast Pair for quick and easy pairing. All non-OnePlus users need to download the HeyMelody (available for Android and iOS) app to do things like switch between intense and moderate ANC levels, as well as select another audio mode. Basically, the entire user experience is much more intuitive if you have a OnePlus device.
Solid Noise Cancellation for the Price
The Buds Z2 deliver relatively effective noise cancellation. They default to heavy ANC, but you can select a less intense setting via the app.
The ANC works well against deep low-frequency rumble like you hear on an airplane. Mids and highs give the circuitry a little more trouble—the Buds tamped down the lows and mids from a recording of a loud restaurant we played at high volume through near-field monitors, but we noticed an audible high-frequency hiss. This is a common problem with affordable ANC, but the hiss here is particularly loud and accentuates those high frequencies rather than dialing them back. As with most competing models in this price range, you can still hear some hiss even if you aren’t playing anything.
So while the Buds Z2 are decent in this arena, you can find pairs with more impressive and user-friendly ANC for around the same price. The aforementioned Anker Soundcore Life P3, along with the $129 Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, are both better alternatives if you’re looking for affordable noise cancellation.
A Bass-Forward Mix
You can choose between three audio modes: Cinematic Movie, Immersive Music, and Mobile Gaming. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Buds Z2 deliver a powerful low-frequency thump. At top, unwise listening levels, they don’t distort, and at more moderate levels, the lows still sound deep and robust. The earphones dial up the highs a bit here, which adds some balance.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Buds Z2’s sound signature. The drums have an ideal amount of bass presence; they get some boosting that helps them retain a heavier, rounder place in the mix, but not so much that they sound unnatural. Callahan’s vocals have plenty of low-mid richness, while the presence of high-mids is sufficient enough to keep things clear and detailed. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits benefit from the boosted highs, as well. This bright, bass-forward mix won’t appeal to purists, but if you enjoy sound that emphasizes the lows, it should appeal to you.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punch, but we hear just as much higher-frequency hiss and crackle from the vinyl in the background, which moves forward a bit in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with a serious depth that will appeal to bass lovers looking for some extra (but not an overwhelming amount of) thunder. The vocals on this track sound clear in the high-mids and highs, along with a smidge of additional sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, such as the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, exhibit an elevated bass presence that, although a little heavy, doesn’t weigh the mix down to a fault. The lower-register instrumentation sounds more robust as a result, but the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals still take the spotlight, with a crisp, bright delivery.
The three-MEMS-mic array offers solid intelligibility, and we had no trouble understanding every word we recorded in testing via the Voice Memos app on an iPhone. Bluetooth audio artifacts are minimally present and, on a clear mobile connection, callers should have no issues understanding you.
Good on Their Own, Best With a OnePlus Phone
The OnePlus Buds Z2 are a solid value for $100, with powerful audio and decent noise cancellation. But to get the most out of them, including Dolby Atmos audio and a more seamless user experience, you need to pair them with a OnePlus phone. Otherwise, these earphones don’t particularly stand out in a crowded field of competitors. OnePlus users may want to consider the Buds Z2, but everyone else should check out the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, the Anker Soundcore Life P3, and the $79 Jabra Elite 3, all of which work have their own strengths, and all of which work equally well regardless of your phone’s manufacturer.
