OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 – EISA Award-winning premium earphones – Review
OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2, a premium audio experience product from OnePlus, recently was judged the “Best Wireless In-Ear Headphone 2019-20” by Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA). The EISA panel of 62 judges from all over the world judge consumer electronic products and award them in their respective fields. It is a prestigious award to be won by OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2. I have been using it for over 2 months now and here is my judgment of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2.
The first-gen OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones were one of the best in its category when it was launched. I expected OnePlus to launch a truly wireless earphone this year. But they launched an improved version of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless. OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 is a neckband type of earphone. It offers convenience and secure comfort for anyone on the move. But it is 50% more expensive than the first-gen model. The first-gen OnePlus Bullets Wireless is still available for Rs 3990 and you can also grab the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 for Rs 5990. At Rs 5990, it is a premium product in India. But is it worth the price tag?
Compatibility
It works with any smartphone from Android or the iOS world. OnePlus mobiles recognize it faster and pair quicker though. Also with OnePlus mobile, it has the function of pause and resumes audio when the earbud magnets are separated. It still pauses music on other devices.
The pairing button on the left side of the neckband is not a multi-function button. It does not power on or off the earphone. The earbuds stick to each other by magnets and that is when they are off and they are on when separated. To pair the device, just press the pairing button until the while LED light blinks. Now select the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 on the device you want to pair, under Bluetooth settings, and you are done. You can also pair it with multiple devices following the same steps. Just press it once to switch between paired devices.
Design and Fit
OnePlus Bullets Wireless had ear hooks for enhanced fitting, but the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 depends on the design of the earbud and the flex of the ear tips to stay fit in-ears. It works for most people, but a few like me with oddly shaped pinna would find it falling off every now and then. OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 earbuds are made of premium metal and feels sturdy. The earbuds can take a bit of sweat or mild liquid sprays, but it is not completely waterproof. The media control unit is on the left side hanging out from the neck strap. The neck strap on the left has a button to pair and also to switch between multiple devices. It does not offer active noise canceling, but the passive noise isolation works well in blocking the ambient noise.
Sound Quality
Though the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 is compatible with any Bluetooth device, the sound quality is best with devices supporting BT 5.0 and aptX HD codec. I have tested its premium devices, as it makes sense to buy this premium product with premium devices. I tried it with a few mid-range budget devices and found the sound quality to be equally good, but who would buy a 6k product and use with a 10k mobile? But coming back to the sound quality, it offers a considerable improvement over the first-gen OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones. OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 offers a balanced frequency, with a more pronounced emphasis on bass.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 has two Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers and one 10mm dynamic driver in each earbud. The triple driver arrangement gives it clear audio dispersion over multiple frequencies. The vocals mids are crip while the treble and harmonious highs are sharp and distinct. The bass is not tight, but it offers deep detail on low frequencies. It has a decent sound staging and offers a wide spectrum of surround sound when listening to multiple channel audio.
Voice calls on OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2
The mic is located on the media control unit. It picks up your voice and transmits it clearly without any distortion. But as it does not have noise canceling, it also picks background noise. Voice clarity on phone calls is impeccable. I am so much used to this quality, that I always attend calls on the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 and prefer it over the mobile.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 Battery life
I generally get over 14 hours of playback with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 earphones. It takes about 2 hours to charge fully, but if you have a Dash charger from OnePlus mobile, it can charge it in 10 min to give you 10 hours of playback. This is not just a mere number claimed by OnePlus, but I have tested it multiple times and found it to be true.
Verdict
Wireless neckband earphones are available in the market for a price starting at just Rs 1500. You get single driver earphones with decent sound quality and good build quality for around Rs 2000 and can live happily ever after. But OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 is a premium product for those who seek a quality lifestyle product to go with their premium mobile devices. If you are particular about OnePlus brand, but not willing to shell 6k, you can go for the 4k first-gen OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones as well. But the sound quality and build quality on the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 justifies the 2k price difference. Throughout the review, you would have found me using 2 words repeatedly: Premium and Quality, and that is what the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 stands for. I would recommend OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 if you can are particular about quality across all dimensions.