Review Verdict: The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 offers solid value if you’re after audio quality and seamless integration especially if you’re a OnePlus, OPPO, or realme user. They are affordable for what they offer, though you might want to check out other options if ANC is your main priority. 

Pros

• Excellent audio tuning out of the box
• Touch controls are easy to use
• Great UI integration (with realme, OPPO, OnePlus phones)

Cons

• ANC quality could be better
• No in-ear detection

OnePlus has been enjoying a good comeback this year, with the Unbox team having praises for the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R. There’s little news with the Nord line, but we got our hands on the Nord Buds 3, which positions itself as OnePlus’ budget TWS offering. With a price of just under Php 2k, are they worth considering?

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Philippines: Design

The Nord Buds 3 has a familiar pebble-shaped charging case that reminds me of budget TWS earbuds from realme and OPPO, which I feel are a bit generic. There are three colors to choose from, and the one I have is the Melodic White colorway. Aside from the OnePlus branding and LED indicator, the bottom part of the charging case has a USB-C port and pairing button.

The earbuds have an unconventional stem design, with the bottom part being wider than the top part. You also get additional speaker grilles that are marked left and right, which is a nice touch for a pair of budget TWS earbuds. The stems have a debossed area for the touch controls.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Philippines: User Interface and Fit

While you’ll need to install the HeyMelody app to tweak the Nord Buds 3’s settings, you get seamless UI integration if you’re using a OnePlus, OPPO, or realme phone. I’ve used the Nord Buds 3 on both the OnePlus 13R and realme 13 Pro+, and I like how the settings are seamlessly integrated into the UI, saving me the need to install any additional apps. This is one of the reasons why Apple users love using AirPods on iOS devices, and the Nord Buds 3 offer the same set of perks for OPPO, realme, and OnePlus users at a much lower price tag.

Aside from noise control and equalizer settings, you can tweak the Nord Buds 3’s touch controls to also include volume controls and camera functions, which is nice to have for a pair of budget TWS earbuds. The equalizer settings are interesting: aside from the BassWave toggle and three presets, you can create your own EQ settings with a 6-band slider. That’s a feature I rarely see on budget TWS earbuds, and that proves that OnePlus’ focuses more on audio quality with the Nord Buds 3.

The fit of the Nord Buds 3 is decent, though I had to make a few adjustments to how the stems are positioned for better interaction with the touch controls. Other than the need to make a few adjustments, the Nord Buds 3 are comfortable to wear for long sessions.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Philippines: Audio Quality and Battery Life

A characteristic I hate with budget TWS earbuds in general is that they tend to be always bass-heavy out of the box, compromising on mids and highs. The Nord Buds 3 is bass-heavy, but I found it on the more modest side as compared to other budget TWS earbuds. While the audio quality is decent out of the box, I had to tinker through the 6-band equalizer to get my desired sound profile.

After some tweaking, I managed to tone down the bass and improve the Nord Buds 3’s handling of highs, making me appreciate tracks like Yeji’s 258 and Seulgi’s Baby Not Baby, both KPop tracks giving good focus on vocals. I usually manage my expectations with budget TWS earbuds when it comes to audio quality, but the Nord Buds 3 is one of the better ones I’ve tried so far.

While the audio quality on the Nord Buds 3 is decent, I can’t say the same for ANC performance. Granted that it is a budget pair, I’ve tried other TWS earbuds that offer better ANC performance than the Nord Buds 3–though they usually compromise with either dodgy touch controls or bass-drowning sound profiles. Compromises had to be made, and OnePlus chose to focus more on audio quality over ANC performance.

One thing I do miss on the Nord Buds 3 is the lack of in-ear detection, which means I need to manually pause the music before taking it off my ear to not drain the battery accidentally. Speaking of battery life, I’ve used the Nord Buds 3 for 2 weeks with an average use of around an hour a day, and I have yet to charge the case as of writing this review.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Philippines: Wrap-up and Conclusions

Budget-conscious users who prioritize audio quality over ANC performance should consider the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 as it is one of the better budget TWS earbuds that are not too bass-heavy and has a usable equalizer control to fine-tune audio quality. OnePlus, OPPO, and realme users will appreciate these pair of budget TWS earbuds with its seamless UI integration.

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Review Philippines: Price

The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 is priced at Php 1,790 and is available at Digital Walker stores nationwide.