OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Shines amid the sea of TWS

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds have become so accessible these days that they have become the first preference of many buyers. But there are people who, for some reason, don't want to cut the cord totally and go for a neckband. In order to fulfil the needs of such people, OnePlus has launched the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC neckband. As the name suggests, it is an updated or enhanced version of the Bullets Wireless Z2. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC is priced at Rs 2,299.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Design

In terms of design, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC looks like any standard neckband available in the market. The curved design of the neckband uses skin-friendly material and has elongated plastic pods connected at both ends. The left pod has all the controls. The placement of controls - volume rockers and play/pause button, which also work as answer/end calls button - looks neat. They are accompanied by a 'quick switch' which enables effortless dual-device quick switching. Below it, there is a USB Type-C charging port without and flap. Adding a flap would have been better as it protects the port from dust and splashes.

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These pods are connected to earbuds with a small and soft cable. The earbuds have magnetic backs that snap together well and make on/off functionality a breeze. The headset weighs just 29.2 grams and has an IP55 rating which makes it sweat and splash-resistant. Also, the design of earbuds is such that it fits well in the ears.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Connectivity and features

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC supports Bluetooth 5.2, not the latest version but good enough. Also, it only has AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) and SBC (Low Complexity Subband Coding) codecs and doesn't support  LDAC Hi-Res audio codec.

The neckband offers up to 10 meters of Bluetooth connection range and that is sufficient. It supports 'Google fast pair' and therefore pairing is quite quick. The neckband can be connected to two devices simultaneously and switching between them is very easy. All you need to do is to double-press the function button.

While volume rockers can be used to increase or decrease the volume, the middle button is multifunctional. You can press it once to play or pause and answer or end the call. Double press will play the next track and the triple press will play the previous track. You can decline the call by pressing it for two seconds. A long press will help you switch between noise controls. But here you will get only two options - either you can switch to noise cancellation or to transparency mode. This button will not let you choose the third option - 'noise control off'. This you can do only through the HeyMelody app.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Battery and charging

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC neckband comes with a 220mAh battery and the company claims it can provide 28 hours of battery life without ANC or Active Noise Cancellation. Also, it can last for up to 20 hours with ANC. During my usage, I got somewhat close to what the company claims but with around 40 per cent volume. I don't like listening to loud music and therefore those who are more into it cannot get the same battery life.

The company also claims that users can get 20 hours of playback without ANC in 10 just 10 minutes of charging. Also, it can take around 30 minutes to charge the neckband completely.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Sound and voice quality

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC comes with a 12.4mm dynamic driver. It uses anti-distortion audio technology which helps listen to music even at full volume without any distortion. Also, the neckband is loud enough to ensure that you listen to your favourite music in all kinds of environments.

In terms of audio quality, it offers good audio with a lot of bass. I personally liked the audio quality in the bass mode and the good thing is that it retains detail even at high volume. There are some other modes and Bold mode in the Sound Master EQ settings is for those who like more balanced audio. The company claims 92 milliseconds of low latency and you won't feel any lag.

The ANC works well and OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 offers clear voice during calls- thanks to the three-mic array. It offers 45dB ANC and this is quite good considering the fact generally neckbands come with up to 35dB ANC. Also, the transparency mode is quite useful and can be turned on directly from the neckband.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC Neckband Review: Verdict

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC is definitely a good option for those who prefer neckband over TWS. However, a dedicated low-latency mode would have made it a more value-for-money product.