So it’s easy to forgive the underwhelming quality. But these are $60 earbuds, and outside of standouts like the EarFun Air Pro 3, active noise cancellation is still in the process of becoming a staple feature in budget earbuds.

There’s a single toggle to turn it on or off so you can’t adjust its strength, and certain sounds like wind gusts and higher-pitched voices and sirens are perfectly capable of breaking through.Ĭompared to other earbuds like the second-generation AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and even the new Nothing Ear (2), the Nord Buds 2 are far behind in their ANC capabilities. Now, look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you it’s the best ANC you can get. Luckily, with version 2, OnePlus has finally brought ANC to the headphones. The old Nord Buds didn’t come with any sort of active noise cancellation (ANC), which resulted in loud, muffled versions of the sounds around you while you try to enjoy your favorite music or a podcast. I got the Lightning White model, which I’m a pretty big fan of.Īctive noise cancellation is a really nice perk Oh, and there are two colors this time instead of one: Lightning White and Thunder Gray. It still has an LED indicator on the front, and there’s a USB-C port on the back for charging. I wasn’t a big fan of how blocky the original Nord Buds’ case felt, so I was delighted to see the Nord Buds 2 get a more premium, curved carrying case that feels a tad smaller in size. I’d also like to mention the improved carrying case. The original Nord Buds had this too, and it’s nice to see it brought over to the second generation. OnePlus equipped the Nord Buds 2 with an IP55 rating, which gives them protection against splashes of water, raindrops, sweat and small debris. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account

Lossless cut review