OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro review: Good sound, solid ANC

OnePlus has launched the Nord Buds 4 Pro in India. The new TWS buds succeed the Nord Buds 3 Pro we saw last year. The Nord label promises to deliver value-for-money (VFM) products, and the case is no different for the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, which are priced at Rs 3,999 in India.

But the price may put the Nord Buds 4 Pro in a tough spot. Nowadays, devices like the Oppo Enco Buds 3 Pro Plus deliver a decent experience at almost half the price. As a result, OnePlus must give you an experience that justifies its price tag. And, on the surface, the Nord Buds 4 Pro may have everything you want at this price, when it comes to active noise cancellation (ANC), or long battery life.

But how does it hold up in the real world? Let’s delve into our full review here at India Today Tech.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro design and build

The Nord Buds 4 Pro takes a different approach to design when compared to its predecessor. You no longer get an elliptical case, rather, the buds come in sort of squircle-like design. It appears that OnePlus has gone for a middle ground between the elliptical case of the Nord Buds 3 Pro and the squarish design of the Nord Buds 3r’s case.

And this design works well. It looks fresh, without resulting in any ergonomic compromise. The case gets a matte finish, which looks premium. Though it can feel a little slippery at times. During my time with the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, the case did not get any scratches despite some rough use, such as keeping it in my pocket with keys.

You get OnePlus branding on the front with a LED light below it. The pairing button is placed beside the USB Type C port at the bottom.

While the case feels good, it is plastic, and the use of metal could’ve given it a better feel.

Coming to the earbuds themselves, they look quite similar to last year, with long stems. And you get eartips of different sizes in the box. I used the medium-sized eartips.

Now, this design is what we have seen for some time now, but that’s not a bad thing. The earbuds are quite light at 4.4 grams each. The earbuds are quite comfortable to wear, even for long durations. They also remain in place, even if you shake your head aggressively.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro comes with an IP55 rating for dust and splash resistance. This was quite handy during the occasional rain showers in Delhi NCR recently, as I was able to use them carefree.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro music and sound

The Nord Buds 4 Pro pack titanium-coated 12 mm drivers. For some context, the Nord Buds 3 Pro came with 12.4mm drivers.

I found that the Nord Buds 4 Pro can get quite loud. Usually, around 50 per cent volume was enough while listening to songs. However, at max volume, the audio does get a bit distorted.

Now, coming to the audio experience, I found the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro to deliver a balanced experience. While listening to songs like Reborn by Miley Cyrus, you get a good blend of bass and vocals, with the highs not getting suppressed. Halsey’s Gasoline felt quite good, and you don’t feel like a needless push towards bass.

The Nord Buds 4 Pro come with a variety of sound modes, including balanced, bass, and serenade – one that focuses on treble. All of this can be managed via the HeyMelody app, but more on that later.

While there is a bump in bass in the bass mode, I found that it still had a good mix of treble and mids, something which many earbuds often sacrifice in favour of a bass-heavy experience. The serenade mode brings down the bass to an extent, but the change felt quite subtle.

For audiophiles who want more control over their experience, you get a custom EQ. You can also save custom presets. And the EQ does make a real difference, so if you can have some fun tinkering with it.

There is also a spatial audio mode, which works well when paired with supported music or content. Though sometimes I felt that it would somewhat amplify the audio.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro ANC

The Nord Buds 4 Pro come with up to 55db ANC. And this translates to a good experience. The noise cancellation mode almost cocoons you, even in busy places like an office. For the most part, you don’t really hear conversations or external noise. Often, I could not hear people who were calling me, while sitting nearby.

And this bubble does extend, even outdoors. Even on somewhat busy roads, you can listen to music carefree, without hearing much noise. While visiting malls or shops, you can basically walk around in your own world, something which can be a good experience for many.

Of course, you will hear loud noises, such as a car horn, but that is to be expected.

And in case you want to stay aware of your surroundings, you get a transparency mode. I found it quite useful, particularly when trying to have conversations. You don’t really need to take off the earbuds and can talk normally, something that comes in quite handy.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro features and connectivity

The Nord Buds 4 Pro work with the HeyMelody app. Though if you have a OnePlus or Oppo device, you can control the earbuds via the Bluetooth menu itself, thanks to the ecosystem.

You can customise the shortcut gestures, such as double tap to change the track. I found that the earbuds had decent sensitivity and accidental touches rarely happened. There’s in-ear detection too which works fine.

There is also a game mode that reduces latency, and it works well. I found it quite useful while playing Call of Duty Mobile. The HeyMelody app also comes with sound space that comes with a bunch of preloaded sounds that can be quite calming, such as “summer seaside.” So, in case you are ever bored, you may want to try some of those.

For pairing, you do get Google Fastpair, and dual connection. You can manage the paired devices via the app.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro battery life

Throughout my time with the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, one thing never really came to my mind, and that was battery life. OnePlus promises up to 13 hours of battery life for the earbuds and 54 hours with the case.

For the most part, I never really bothered myself regarding the battery life of the Nord Buds 4 Pro, simply because it never became an issue. I could listen to music or stream shows for hours, and the earbuds would still have enough juice for the next day – and with the case – for the next week.

If you are someone who has a long commute to work or school, the Nord Buds 4 Pro can easily last you a whole day even without the case. And with the case, you may manage to go through a whole week on a single charge.

And when the earbuds do run out of juice, you can charge them via USB Type-C. Charging speeds are what you would expect. The earbuds take roughly an hour, while with the case, you need around 90 minutes.

But even when I was in a hurry, I found that charging for around 10 minutes could get me a few hours of use.

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro review: Should you buy?

So where does the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro stand? You get a decent sound experience, and the ANC is quite impressive too. While the design does feel a little boring, the Nord Buds 4 Pro do what they promise, deliver a solid package without costing a premium.

For the asking price of Rs 3,999, the Nord Buds 4 Pro come with almost everything you may want at least at this price. While there are some cheaper alternatives that can deliver a similar experience, the OnePlus earbuds give you a reliable package that you may want to consider if you are looking for a new pair of TWS.