OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 Bluetooth Headphones | Spark Spotter
In terms of personal audio, true wireless earphones might be all the rage right now, but the traditional neckband form factor is still widely used. With its legendary Bullets Wireless collection of earbuds having dominated the industry just as Bluetooth was reaching a degree of affordability and practicality, OnePlus is without a doubt one of the most significant brands in this market. It's interesting to note that OnePlus recently introduced the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC in India and remains one of the few big proponents of the neckband form factor.
Features of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC design
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC, as the name suggests, is just the Bullets Wireless Z2 with the addition of active noise cancellation. Hence, the majority of the neckband-style wireless headset's design hasn't changed, and if you purchase the black color option, it will be difficult to tell this is different from the earlier OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2. It's interesting to note that the ANC variant offers a green color option that the non-ANC variant does not.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC has a flexible neckband, small cords attaching to the earpieces, and controls on the neckband itself, just like the majority of neckband wireless earphones available today. The magnetic switch on the earpieces manages power; separating them turns on the headset, while connecting them shuts it off. Due to how simple it is to separate the earpieces, this is once again prone to unintentional switches, with the headset frequently going on unexpectedly.
The buttons on the neckband, which are all on the left module, are used to easily switch between two paired devices, control playback, switch between ANC and transparency modes, and control volume. The charging USB Type-C port is located on the left module's underside, while the right side is otherwise empty aside from the OnePlus logo. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC is IP55-rated for dust and water resistance, just like its predecessor.
As previously stated, the addition of active noise cancellation, which is supposed to provide up to 45 dB of noise reduction, is the only significant modification to the feature list of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC. Additional features that are back include automatic low-latency mode activation, rapid device switching between two linked source devices, and support for Google Quick Pair on supported devices.
Specifications and the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC app
It's uncommon, but not unheard of, to find app support on neckband earphones, and the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC does. The HeyMelody app for Android supports the headset, and when the headset is paired and connected, these settings are accessible through the system Bluetooth settings on a compatible OnePlus or Oppo smartphone.
Although the actual controls and customizations are reasonably simple, they nonetheless provide access to the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC's essential features. The approximate battery level, transparency and active noise cancellation modes, rudimentary customization of the two customizable buttons, and equalizer settings are all included. Four equalizer presets are available for quick access, but skilled users can design their own equalizer modes to suit their listening preferences.
The main features of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC remain largely the same; the headset has 12.4mm dynamic speakers with a frequency response range of 20–20,000 Hz and a sensitivity rating of 112 dB. The headset supports the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs and uses Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity (an upgrade from Bluetooth 5 on the non-ANC model).
The battery life and performance of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC and its non-ANC predecessor share more than just identical design and technical details; the sound is also very comparable. Using the natural, flat equalizer setting, you get a definite bass-heavy audio tuning, though you can adjust the EQ if you'd like.
I used a OnePlus 9 Pro and an Apple iPhone 13 Pro in conjunction with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC for my review. The headset used the AAC codec on both smartphones because advanced Bluetooth codecs are not available, and there was no audible difference between the two source devices. The sole difference between the two platforms was that app settings could only be accessed on the OnePlus smartphone.
Like previously, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC can provide volume levels that considerably exceed those of the majority of other wireless headphones with neckbands. You can still reach loud enough listening levels at even the 50% volume barrier, even if you're unlikely to ever push it to high levels for the benefit of your own hearing. In exceptionally noisy circumstances, you might need to increase it to about 70 percent, but anything higher than that is unnecessary and dangerous.
The audibly powerful bass can either be a good thing or a bad one, depending on the types of music you usually listen to. For instance, the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC did a fantastic job of faithfully recreating the auditory signature and big subwoofer-style vibe of an EDM concert with Croatia Squad's quick beats and swift attack across most of their tunes.
On the other side, when I listened to Dua Lipa's song Dance the Night, the snappy bass seemed to slightly dominate the song's vocals and melodies. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC has a certain amount of intensity to its sound profile that I found difficult to move away from, at least while listening to the correct kind of music for the purpose. Of course, you can adjust the equalizer settings to turn things down a notch if you want. Over time, it would get a little tiresome to listen to, but oddly enough, it was part of the fun for me.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC has active noise cancellation, which functions admirably for a headset with a suggested retail price of about Rs. 2,000. Most low-pitched background noises, both inside and outside, were effectively muffled, leaving just a faint hum for some sounds, including the spinning of a ceiling fan and the sporadic sound of a light breeze.
Overall, it's a usable level of ANC, which is useful wherever you are when taking calls and listening to music. I typically steer clear of transparency mode because it sounds a little too fake and exaggerated. The majority of the time, call quality is also acceptable.
Given that ANC has been introduced as a feature, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC's battery life is exceptional for a neckband-style wireless headset. With ANC enabled and the volume at medium levels, I was able to use the earbuds for about 18 hours on a single charge. Fast charging makes it possible to fully recharge the 220mAh battery in as little as 15 minutes, which is still a feature that the competition hasn't been able to catch up to OnePlus on.
Verdict
The neckband wireless earbud market is no longer what it once was, and it is now primarily confined to a more affordable price range. Nonetheless, there are still worthwhile solutions available, and in exchange for giving up the ease of genuine wireless networking, you do get superior performance in terms of good hardware and features. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC isn't in any way drastically different from or groundbreaking in comparison to other products, but it accomplishes enough to be useful for the price.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC does an excellent job with most things, including effective active noise cancellation, but the strong bass is hit or miss depending on the type of music you listen to, and the magnetic power switch is particularly prone to being accidentally turned on. You do have the choice to purchase the non-ANC variant for a little less, but in my opinion, it's worthwhile to pay a little more money and obtain the ANC variant.
REVIEW
Good
Easily accessible controls
Support for apps and equalizer controls
Good battery life
Effective ANC
Punchy music fits some genres nicely.
Bad
A magnetic power switch is accident-prone
Strong bass can get tiring and may not suit certain kinds of music
Comments
Post a Comment