OnePlus Buds 4 review: bangers
OnePlus' latest earbuds may look like the same old story, but they don't disappoint
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
OnePlus has recently released the OnePlus Buds 4 — coming soon to a market near you — and it brings small but welcome improvements to the formula. Now, if you don't follow this particular category, OnePlus Buds launches can be somewhat confusing. They release a "regular" model earlier in the year, and a "Pro" half a year later. For example, we saw OnePlus Buds 3 early in 2024, and OnePlus Buds 3 Pro towards the tailend of the same year.
So, now there's OnePlus Buds 4, no Pro, and they come in for $130. They inherit some of the Pro-ness of the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro — like the larger bass driver and in-ear detection. Not a bad price, but should you jump on them right now or wait for the inevitable Pros further down the line?
Well, if I was in the market for a fresh set of earbuds, these would definitely be on my radar, and I wouldn't necessarily sit around waiting for their "upgraded" version unless I was after specific premium features.
But there are things to consider — design and fit, extra features and controls, and of course, sound.
Huawei FreeBuds 6 in a nutshell:
- New leg stem design
- Dual driver: 11 mm + 6 mm
- Dual DACs per earbud
- Tap and swipe controls
- Basic EQ and in-app controls
- Bluetooth multipoint for dual device connectivity
- Two color options
- IP55 protection on buds
Huawei FreeBuds 6 specs
| Color options | Zen Green, Storm Gray |
|---|---|
| Audio | SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 |
| Noise cancelation | Up to -55 dB |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.4, Multipoint, Google Fast Pair |
| Battery life | Noise Recuction On: 6 hours from buds, +18 hours from case Noise Reduction Off: 11 hours from buds, +34 hours from case Battery life can be extended when high quality audio option off |
| Ingress protection | IP55 on buds No rating on case |
Solid selection of audio codecs. AAC ensures they will work with an Apple iDevice, LHDC will deliver high quality audio for the Android users. Multipoint allows for up to two devices at a time. And IP55 is fairly high for earbuds — it means protection against dust and jets of water, whereas most of the competition is protected from water splashes (IP54).
The OnePlus Buds 4 are mostly an iteration on last year's design, with a slight variation on the stems — they simply stick out a bit on top, instead of ending at the bud, or "leg stem design". However, the main features that made the old OnePlus Buds 3 great to wear are still here. These fit snug and feel very light.
OnePlus Buds 4 design
Some ears may have a problem with that — the bud itself does press against the inside of my ear to ensure a secure fit, which is great. But it also hurts a bit when I wear them for a while and suddenly smile. Thankfully, I only smile once a week. But to the point, these will not fall easily from picky ears, but may feel fatiguing.
There are two extra tip sizes in the box, but I found the default medium ones to be just fine. You can use a tip insulation test within the app if you need to be sure you are getting the best possible sound. Oh, the app is called HeyMelody, don't look for "OnePlus Buds app".
The stems offer touch controls via these elongated flat pads that are quite discrete, but you do feel them with your fingers. You can customize the actions for a single, double-, and triple-tap for each earbud. Tap and hold is ANC on / Transparency on by default. Swiping up and down controls volume. The location of the touchpad and the shape of the leg stems feel pretty good and I haven't gotten many accidental touches, like I have on Samsung Galaxy Buds or Google Pixel Buds. And that's great.
What's not great is that the touch controls are kind of slow to respond. Especially when toggling ANC. You press and you hold, you hear one beep (confirmation that gesture was accepted), then you wait a beat more to hear another beep that lets you know ANC has been toggled.
But OK, that's fine, and I can live with it if the sound of these is good.
OnePlus Buds 4 sound quality
And, good news here, the sound of these is good. They seem to have inherited the drivers of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 — an 11 mm woofer and 6 mm tweeter, both with their own DAC. I typically don't like bassy earphones that muddy up the picture. Well, the OnePlus Buds 4 are bassy, yet they feel punchy and clear. They are quite fun to listen to and I do not mind the bass at all.
By default, their BassWave feature is on and set to a balanced 0 (or, you can view that as 5, because the slider goes from -5 to +5). It's fun and energetic and gives you a nice, pleasing thump. However, the lower mids are very well sculpted to make sure there's no rumble or cardboard kicking sounds. The custom EQ of the app is a bit limited, but good enough for quick tune-ups to taste.
In general, I've no complaints with the sound — in fact, I like it and would recommend those.
And yes, the do have Active Noise Cancelation.
OnePlus Buds 4 Active Noise Cancelation
OnePlus promises up to -55 dB of noise reduction — that's an upgrade from the -49 dB ANC of the OnePlus Buds 3. Do I feel an actual difference? Mostly not. Of course, these only reduce sounds up to specific frequencies, so chirps, squeeks, clicks and clacks will still somewhat come through if you aren't listening to music. Play a track at low volume and the outside world is basically drowned out.
The transparency mode also sounds quite good. It's not real-life crisp, but it's plenty clear with good stereo positioning of the sounds.
OnePlus Buds 4 connectivity
No issue to connect and pair to pretty much any Android device that has the Google framework on it. Google Fast Pair recognizes them as soon as I open the lid. For any other devices, pressing and holding the side button, and scanning for the Buds 4 in Bluetooth settings works as expected.
Multipoint allows you to stay connected to your laptop and phone, or tablet and phone. New sound sources get prioritized and the earbuds auto-switch. For example — if you are watching a YouTube video on the computer and then your phone rings.
OnePlus Buds 4 battery life
Depending on whether you choose AAC or LHDC codec, you will get slightly different results from the OnePlus Buds 4. LHDC is a bit of a bigger drain but depending on your device, may sound a little better than AAC. In general, the numbers are not a gamechanger, but they ensure that you will be fine with those buds as long as you remember to charge them every couple of days or so.
| OnePlus Buds 4 Battery Life | ANC On | ANC Off |
|---|---|---|
| AAC | 6 hours buds 24 hours total with case | 11 hours buds 45 hours total with case |
| LHDC | 5.5 hours buds 22 hours total with case | 9 hours buds 37 hours total with case |
OnePlus Buds vs Buds Pro — what is the difference?
As mentioned at the start, OnePlus launches a non-Pro model and follows it up with a Pro about 6 months later. So, what are the differences, and should you wait?
One, the Pro models have better controls — typically more responsive and accurate squeeze controls. Secondly, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 came with a slightly bigger bass driver — 11 mm over the 10.4 mm in the non-Pro model. If you've been following the numbers, it looks like the new OnePlus Buds 4 inherited that bigger driver, so maybe the next Pros will have another upgrade?
Third, the Pro buds get tuning in partnership with Dynaudio for a more spacious, present sound. And the Pro model does get slightly more premium finishes — duo-tone paintjobs as well as a faux-leather covering on the case was what we got last time.
On launch, the Pro models cost about $50 more than the regular ones. Right now, the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 have gotten a discount down to $150 — barely $20 more than the current OnePlus Buds 4.
To be fair, I can't say that one of these models sound worse than the other. They are slightly different. The OnePlus Buds 4 seems to have benefitted from the generational upgrade and sounds fantastic. The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 comes with that Dynaudio tuning, and do deliver more details in the mids, but it's not leaps and bounds better. The stem-pinch controls are appreciated, though.
OnePlus Buds 4, should you buy them?
The OnePlus Buds 4 offer pretty good quality at a very fair MSRP of $129.99. The only considerations you should have is their design — do you like the leg stems and the limited choice of colors? Also, the touch controls are not a favorite of many people, myself included, and the touch response on these is a bit laggy.
That aside, I am very happy with their sound, and they are going in my list of recommendations. And, if you are curious, that list currently also includes the Nothing Ear (my favorites are the old Ear (2), but the 3rd gen has a more balanced sound), and the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Of course, Google's earbuds will set you back an extra $100, so if we are comparing by budget — the Nothing Ear is a very decent alternative. They offer an AirPods Pro-like design, with transparent stems and the better squeeze controls.
Each one of these buds have their own sound signature. I'd say the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound the most "polite" — their tuning plays it safe and doesn't have any shouty, grating, or mushy frequencies. For that, they lack a bit of character, but they will always sound balanced. The Nothing Ear offer a very nice, sizzly presence and a soft bottom end with a bit of a mid scoop for a perception of "clarity". The OnePlus Buds 4's top end sounds a pinch more pronounced, icier maybe, but their bass is a satisfying, focused rumble with a lot of energy behind it.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: