TWS true wireless earphones - $25 to $50
4.5 STARS - The OnePlus Buds V is OnePlus’ newest and cheapest addition to its lineup of wireless earbuds. It barely has enough features for its 25 to 35 dollars asking price in 2024 - but it sounds great.
OnePlus Buds V specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC codec
IP55 waterproof (rain and sweat proof)
8 hours playtime on a single charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Has: app support
Doesn't have: ANC, Transparency mode, multipoint connection
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
Between $25 and $40 - See price on AliExpress
In and underneath this OnePlus Buds V review, you will find comparisons of the OnePlus Buds V vs OnePlus Nord Buds, SoundPEATS Clear, and Moondrop Space Travel.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The OnePlus Buds V follows the design of the OnePlus Nord Buds that were released two years ago, but everything looks and feels a bit rounder. It's also available in more colours: white/grey, black, or blue.
The charging case is still quite big for a pair of earphones under 50 dollars, but its round enough to carry comfortably in a jeans pocket now.
OnePlus Nord Buds on the left, the OnePlus Buds V right
The earbuds are rounder too, with rounded oval stems that don't stick out of your ears too much. The oval earpiece is a proven recipe for a comfortable fit, but OnePlus mounts thin rubber ear tips. I almost always carry the default medium size ear tip in my reviews, but now I needed the largest size that comes in the packaging. It feels a bit big in my ear and decreases comfort - I always felt the need to take the earbuds out of my ears every 15 minutes or so.
The earbuds do sit snugly, and thanks to the IP55 splash- and sweat proof rating you can take them for a run or workout easily. Battery life is also great, with playtime up to 8 hours on a single charge.
And the blue colour? It's a bit tricky perhaps. The case scratches easily in the colour and looks worn after just one week of taking it with me. It also gives off a bit of a toyish vibe. A bit My first earbuds if you will. It does set them apart from the hundreds of competitors though, which is at least one plus.
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App support, Controls and connectivity
The OnePlus Buds V doesn't have a whole lot of features. It lacks Active Noise Cancelling and a Transparency mode, and it also doesn't have a multipoint connection. You can only connect these earbuds to one device at a time, which feels outdated in 2024 - even at this price point.
Now, the OnePlus Buds V tries to compensate for this with a control option you can setup from the HeyMelody app. By holding the touch panel, it can enter a ‘Switch devices’ mode and jump back to another device you've previously connected. It doesn't come close to the ease of full multipoint connectivity - like the fluent device switching of the OnePlus Buds 3.
The standard Bluetooth connection is good, thankfully, and holds a solid signal up to around ten meters from your device.
The touch panels on top of the stems respond well to your input, always affirming your action with a subtle quick ‘click’.
You can play/ pause and change tracks, and with the app, it's possible to add (de)activating the gaming mode and voice assistant as well, but it's not possible to change volume from the earbuds. Music also doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out.
At the time of writing, only the HeyMelody app on Android supports the Buds V. I suspect the iPhone app will follow later as the brands track record is good here.
The free HeyMelody app has some more options than changing the controls: it can help you find your earbuds, lets you update firmware, and there are three sound presets and a custom equalizing feature - more on those in the sound part.
No volume controls, no auto-pausing when taking an earbud out, and no multipoint connectivity: the OnePlus Buds V feels barebones for a new earbuds release in 2024.
Phone and video calls
Unlike the previously released OnePlus Nord Buds, the OnePlus Buds V is not great for phone and video calls.
It's safe to take a call in a quiet area, as your voice is loud, clear enough and has a nice natural fullness to it too.
However, when there's some noise around you, your voice immediately sounds darker and less articulated, and things become worse when there's also a bit of wind. Your voice is not drowned by surroundings or wind - but it just isn't clear enough anymore.
Video and games playback
The OnePlus Buds V has a gaming mode you can (de)activate from the app or from the earbuds, once you've setup the control for it in the app. It synchronizes the audio greatly with the action on your screen. In a challenging game like Call of Duty mobile, reloading and shooting only has a minor delay in the sound.
As you may expect from any new earphone, playing videos is a flawless experience on both iPhone and Android phones in YouTube and other streaming apps.
Also read: The best earbuds under $25
Sound quality of OnePlus Buds V
Just like the OnePlus Nord Buds and OnePlus Buds 3, the sound of the OnePlus Buds V excels in clarity.
There's a lot of treble on the OnePlus Buds V - but it's the good kind of treble. It doesn't overstretch the highest frequencies. It doesn't threat you with piercing high vocal outbursts or overly sharp instrumental peaks. It doesn’t make cymbals splash in your ears. It puts its effort on the lower treble instead.
Male and female vocals, higher and lower, sound really very clear. They have the most prominent position in the music, and definitely have enough body not to be considered light or thin - but some vocals may sound a bit higher than on your average radio. Even the bass-kissing voice of Leonard Cohen has a strong clear lining.
Guitar and piano play also sound a tad clearer than average too, or they play a background role in between the highs and lows. Other than that, detail is good, with great left-right separation.
The treble emphasis doesn't mean the OnePlus Buds V doesn't do lows. Lower-mids are there to support the treble and make music weighty, warm and full enough - as said, the OnePlus Buds V doesn't sound too light.
Moving even lower, the sub-bass (the darkest bass tones you can feel as much as hear) is never too far out of the picture, and easily reveals itself which great depth. Its fullness can stand in the way of precision, however - the lowest areas could be more textured. The mid-bass is slimmer and delivers more of a slam than a fierce punch.
If you want to increase punchiness, the HeyMelody app offers two alternative sound presets. Of those, the Bass setting immediately increases the punchiness of the mid-bass, while it also takes away a bit of the treble emphasis. Alternatively, you can create your own equalizer to - for instance - tone down treble further.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
OnePlus Buds V comparisons
OnePlus Buds V vs OnePlus Nord Buds
The OnePlus Buds V sounds a lot like the two year old OnePlus Nord Buds, but there are some minor tweaks. The Nord Buds have more air in the sound, but realise this by making the highs a little bit sharper. The Buds V eases them down a little, which makes for more comfortable listening in the long run. The other difference is that the Buds V have a bit more lower-mids and bass fullness, giving it a bit more presence and immersion in the lows. The differences are small though, and as both earbuds have different sound presets and custom equalizing from the HeyMelody app, these can sound more or less the same. Which is good news - as both sound great.
In fact: these earbuds are more or less the same. The Buds V has a more pocketable charging case and rounder stems, but the ear tips of the Nord Buds are more comfortable. Battery life is comparable, the earbuds both lack ANC, Transparency and multipoint, and both have an IP55 waterproof rating. The biggest difference, surprisingly, is that the Nord Buds have clearer calls in easy conditions. It makes your voice clearer, it a little more unstable with surrounding noises and wind at the same time. You decide if that's worth 10 to 25 dollars more.
$40 - $50 on Amazon US, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
OnePlus Buds V vs Moondrop Space Travel
Priced between 25 and 35 dollars, the OnePlus Buds V is a direct competitor to the Moondrop Space Travel. These both sound outstanding for the price. Both earbuds control the highs really well and make the lower treble pop, with enough bass power and lower-mid weight to make music energetic and balanced as well. The sub-bass of the Buds V dives deeper, and the OnePlus has more ‘air’ in the sound as well, while the Moondrop sounds more coherent. It fills the mid- frequencies up more and better than the OnePlus.
Feature wise, the OnePlus outperforms the Moondrop with 4 hours more battery life per charge, more polished app support and a usable waterproof rating. The Moondrop counters with (okay) Active Noise Cancelling. Both limit phone calls to indoor situations.
$25 - $35 on Amazon US, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
OnePlus Buds V vs SoundPEATS Clear
The SoundPEATS Clear is another great sounding wireless earphone on a budget and can withstand the competition of the OnePlus Buds V. Like the Space Travel, it has a tuning that ‘fills’ the mid-tones up more than the Buds V, and sounds fuller and more easygoing because of it. The Clear also has a stronger mid-bass, while the Buds V has a deeper sub-bass that shows itself easier. The Buds V has more air in the highs AND controls its treble better, as the Clear can have (minimal) peakiness and metalness on higher volumes.
Both earbuds have comparable battery life (7 vs 8 hours), comfort and call quality, while the OnePlus has a higher waterproof rating (IP55 vs IPX4). The SoundPEATS’ design does make it more special than the OnePlus.
No full SoundPEATS Clear full review (yet)
$25 - $35 on Amazon US, or other Amazon countries
Verdict: OnePlus Buds V
The OnePlus Buds V doesn't add much to OnePlus’ lineup of earbuds. The Buds V is more pocketable than the two year old Nord Buds, but it doesn't offer anything more in terms of features. Still no ANC, no Transparency, no multipoint connection and no auto-pause music. The Buds V feels barebones for 2024's standards.
But that doesn't takeaway anything from the fact that this is a great sounding earphone for the price.
4.5 STARS - Great
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