The state-of-the-art OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are here with 'utterly epic' sound and a reasonable price
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Unfazed by accusations of flooding the wireless earbuds market with too many similar options that can create confusion in the minds of prospective buyers, OnePlus is officially throwing yet another AirPods alternative in the global ring today with what looks like a sufficiently competitive price point to stand out from the crowd.
As their name suggests, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are designed to improve on last year's $179.99 OnePlus Buds Pro 2 while towering above this year's "standard" $99.99 OnePlus Buds 3 and the surprisingly well-equipped $79.99 Nord Buds 3 Pro in terms of capabilities.
These are the key selling points and features of the hot new OnePlus Buds Pro 3
- Dual-driver Dynaudio technology with 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeter;
- Hi-Resolution Audio with LHDC 5.0 and 1Mbps bit rate;
- Adaptive active noise cancellation up to 50dB;
- Twin tailored Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs);
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking;
- Up to 43 hours of battery life with charging case factored in (25 hours max with ANC enabled);
- Up to 10 hours of uninterrupted listening time before taking the charging case into consideration (6 hours with ANC);
- Fast charging support;
- Bluetooth 5.4;
- Google Fast Pair;
- IP55 water and dust resistance.
Impressed yet? If not, allow us to put some of those numbers, big words, and odd-sounding acronyms into context. For instance, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 can only go up to 48 decibels of active noise cancellation. Jumping from 48 to 50dB may not seem like a huge improvement, but the company claims (among other bold promises) that the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 come with double the voice suppression skills of their forerunner for "unparalleled clarity."
If you remember our in-depth OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review last year, you might recall that the noise-cancelling tech left us a little underwhelmed, so we're definitely excited to try out the new generation and see how the brand's upgrades in this crucial department translate out in the real world.
The same goes for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3's very promising-sounding improvements in the audio performance field, which include two DACs for the first time on the company's earbuds and significantly larger and more powerful drivers "master-tuned" by the same Dynaudio industry veteran.
The total battery life rating is also neatly enhanced from 39 to 43 hours, and last but not necessarily least, the external appearance of the best OnePlus earbuds around is revised for extra comfort and a better fit... presumably. Oh, and the wireless charging case is redesigned as well to feature a "premium vegan leather aesthetic" and add a final touch of uniqueness and style to a relatively affordable package.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3 pricing, launch deals, and competition
Technically priced at the same $179.99 as their predecessor, the swanky new OnePlus Buds Pro 3 are actually available for $149.99 at launch in "Midnight Opus" and "Lunar Radiance" color options. That $30 introductory discount is said to last until September 20, and curiously enough, Amazon availability in the US is only scheduled to follow today's exclusive oneplus.com release in "late September/early October."
That means you should probably hurry up and order the AirPods Pro 2-rivaling OnePlus Buds Pro 3 directly from their manufacturer as soon as possible, especially if you want to qualify for an additional 15 percent student discount and/or an "exclusive" $20 off coupon in the OnePlus Store app.
Discover the #OnePlusBudsPro3, our premium flagship earbuds with superior audio and ANC. Upgrade your sound experience now and enjoy an instant $30 OFF!
— OnePlus_USA (@OnePlus_USA) August 20, 2024
At the end of the day, you can get these bad boys at an almost unbelievably low price compared to the aforementioned AirPods Pro 2, which are rarely available for less than $180 a pair, or Samsung's $250 Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which continue to look like a pretty big gamble from a quality standpoint.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can be an amazing alternative at their latest discounts, but although we obviously haven't reviewed the just-announced OnePlus Buds Pro 3 yet, something tells us their real-life audio prowess and noise cancellation will be at a different level.
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