Five hours of listening with noise cancellation, stretched to seven without it.
In the ongoing democratization of premium audio technology, OnePlus has extended active noise cancellation into the budget tier with the Nord Buds 2 — a quiet but meaningful gesture toward the idea that quality listening need not be a luxury. Priced at £69 and arriving in the UK later this month, these earbuds represent the steady migration of once-exclusive features — spatial audio, fast pairing, voice clarity — into the hands of the everyday listener. It is a small but telling marker of where consumer technology is heading: deeper capability at shallower cost.
- The original Nord Buds left a gap — no noise cancellation — and the Nord Buds 2 arrive specifically to close it, bringing -25dB ANC to a price point where such features have rarely lived.
- The mid-range wireless earbud market is crowded and unforgiving, with competitors constantly raising the floor on what budget buyers can expect.
- OnePlus responds with a dense feature stack — Dolby Atmos, Dirac Audio Tuner, Google Fast Pair in 0.3 seconds, IP55 resistance — attempting to make the £69 price feel like an undercharge.
- Battery life is positioned as a quiet differentiator: 36 hours total without ANC, and a 10-minute charge that buys five more hours for the listener caught off guard.
- UK availability through OnePlus.com and Amazon.co.uk later this month puts these earbuds within easy reach of budget-conscious consumers ready to make the switch.
OnePlus has unveiled the Nord Buds 2, the follow-up to its original Nord Buds, arriving alongside the newly announced Nord CE 3 Lite smartphone. The most significant upgrade is active noise cancellation — absent from the first generation — capable of reducing ambient sound by -25dB. Larger 12.4mm drivers power what OnePlus describes as enhanced bass response, while Dolby Atmos spatial audio and a Dirac Audio Tuner shape the listening experience across music, podcasts, and calls. An Advanced Clear Call feature further refines voice quality during conversations.
Battery performance is a central selling point. With ANC on, each earbud lasts five hours; without it, seven. The charging case pushes total listening time to 27 hours with ANC or 36 hours without. A quick-charge feature delivers five additional hours from just ten minutes on a USB-C cable — a practical lifeline for the unprepared listener.
The earbuds are compact at 4.7 grams each, with the case weighing 37.5 grams. Both carry an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance. Android pairing via Google Fast Pair takes just 0.3 seconds, and the HeyMelody app offers equalizer controls for those who want to fine-tune their sound.
At £69, the Nord Buds 2 land firmly in the budget-conscious segment, available in Lightning White and Thunder Grey. OnePlus plans to sell them through its own website and Amazon.co.uk later this month, targeting UK listeners who want active noise cancellation and strong battery life without a premium price tag.
OnePlus has introduced the Nord Buds 2, a pair of true wireless earbuds that arrives as a successor to the original Nord Buds and shares the stage with the newly announced Nord CE 3 Lite smartphone. The second-generation earbuds bring active noise cancellation to the lineup—a feature absent from their predecessor—along with what OnePlus calls BassWave enhancements designed to deepen the bass response through 12.4mm drivers that promise, in the company's phrasing, "bolder beats."
The noise cancellation capability reaches -25dB, a meaningful reduction for blocking out ambient sound. Beyond that, the earbuds incorporate Dolby Atmos spatial audio and a Dirac Audio Tuner to shape the listening experience across different content types, whether someone is listening to a podcast or a music album. An Advanced Clear Call function is meant to clean up voice quality during phone conversations.
Battery life forms a central part of the pitch. With active noise cancellation running, each earbud delivers five hours of listening time. Turn off ANC and that stretches to seven hours. The charging case extends the total to 27 hours with ANC engaged or 36 hours without it. A quick-charge feature means ten minutes of USB-C charging adds another five hours of playback—useful for someone who realizes mid-morning that their earbuds are nearly dead.
The physical design is compact. Each earbud weighs 4.7 grams; the case itself tips the scale at 37.5 grams. Both the earbuds and case carry an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, meaning they can handle sweat, light rain, and dust without issue. Pairing with an Android device happens almost instantly through Google Fast Pair, taking just 0.3 seconds. For deeper customization, OnePlus offers the HeyMelody app, which provides access to an equalizer and other controls.
Pricing sits at £69 in the United Kingdom, positioning the Nord Buds 2 squarely in the budget-conscious segment of the wireless earbud market. They arrive in two colorways—Lightning White and Thunder Grey. OnePlus plans to begin selling them later this month through its own website and Amazon.co.uk, making them accessible to UK consumers looking for a mid-range option with active noise cancellation and solid battery performance.
Notable Quotes
OnePlus describes the audio enhancements as providing 'bolder beats' through 12.4mm drivers and BassWave technology.— OnePlus
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does OnePlus need a second generation of these earbuds? What was missing from the first one?
The original Nord Buds were solid, but they didn't have active noise cancellation. That's become table stakes in this market. Adding -25dB of noise reduction changes the use case entirely—now you can actually block out a commute or an office.
The battery numbers seem strong. Five hours with ANC on—is that competitive?
It's respectable for the price point. You're getting a full workday out of the case, and that quick-charge feature matters. Ten minutes for five hours is genuinely useful if you forget to charge overnight.
What's the significance of the Google Fast Pair integration?
It means Android users don't have to hunt through Bluetooth settings. You open the case near your phone and it just connects. That frictionless pairing is becoming expected, not optional.
The IP55 rating—does that mean these are truly durable?
They'll survive sweat and light rain, which covers most real-world scenarios. You're not going to swim with them, but you don't need to baby them either.
At £69, who is this product really for?
Someone who wants ANC and decent sound without spending £150 or more. It's the person who uses earbuds daily but isn't an audiophile. The HeyMelody app gives them some control over the sound, which adds value.