OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 Bluetooth in Ear Earphones with mic, Bombastic Bass – 12.4 mm Drivers, 10 Mins Charge – 20 Hrs Music, 30 Hrs Battery Life, IP55 Dust & Water Resistant (Magico Black)

Product Information

OnePlus seems at least partially aware of the flaws of its default tuning, which is why there are two presets dedicated to reducing the bass. The featured Bold preset turns down the bass a fair bit, which helps bring out the mid-range in the mix. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much to improve the highs, which are still too veiled. The Serenade turns the bass down even further, which then pushes the mids even further forward into the mix, causing the sound to have an inverted V-shape as the highs refuse to budge. The mid-range can be good when it is not being masked by the bass. Vocals have a good timbre, if slightly too warm and stuffy, and can be quite pleasant at times. The Bullets Wireless Z2 get sufficiently loud, with the maximum volume being uncomfortable to listen to on all but the quietest of recordings.

The larger 12.4mm drivers are a major differentiator between the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 and the Bullets Wireless Z, and this has made a positive difference to the sound quality. The sonic signature in particular sees some changes, with the Bullets Wireless Z2 sounding a bit more punchy and driven, while maintaining the reasonable level of detail and clarity that the original Bullets Wireless Z introduced to the budget audio category in 2020. Finally, connectivity performance was stable with the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC and there were no observed issues with connection quality or stability. Battery and charging That leaves audio quality and the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC is the latest victim of OnePlus' bad default audio tuning. Thankfully, it is easy to work around it and get a decent listening experience that is adequately good for the price.

Key Features

The Bullets Wireless Z2 is a comfortable headset. The ear tips are made out of soft rubber and have the oval design found on the OnePlus Buds Pro and Buds Z2. They fit the ears well and can stay there for hours without being uncomfortable.

To top it off, the treble performance is great as well. It shares some of the mellowness of the mid-range so there's no unwanted harshness or sibilance at the cost of some air and brilliance. However, it still comes across as detailed and articulate without being dark or muddy. OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 has a battery life of 30 hours on a single charge. Endurance test data is based on OnePlus laboratory tests conducted at 50% volume. Specific endurance performance will vary based on actual conditions and is affected by volume, output source, environmental interference, product features, software versions and usage habits. With a OnePlus 10 Pro, the phone would frequently lose sync between audio and video while watching YouTube videos, and it would take several seconds before the two synced again. The bass response on the Bullets Wireless Z2 is garish. It has an exaggerated upper and mid-bass response, which can be overbearing. The bass is tolerable when listening at lower volumes but becomes genuinely fatiguing at higher volumes, not to mention obnoxious and overpowering over the rest of the frequency response. The earphone is certificated for IP55 dust and water resistant. Please avoid using the headphones during strenuous exercise or while in humid environments. Water damage is not covered under warranty. Sweat resistance follows the same principle as water resistance because the headphones can help prevent liquid, including sweat, from entering inside. We also applied special processing to the innards in prep to enhance sweat resistance capability. However, sweat resistance capability will decrease with long-term use. Sweat damage is not covered under warranty.

Just a bit more bass on the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 than before

The headphones are certificated for IP55 dust and water resistant. Please avoid using the headphones during strenuous exercise or while in humid environments. Water damage is not covered under warranty. Sweat resistance follows the same principle as water resistance because the headphones can help prevent liquid, including sweat, from entering inside. We also applied special processing to the innards in prep to enhance sweat resistance capability. However, sweat resistance capability will decrease with long-term use. Sweat damage is not covered under warranty. The new ANC mode on the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC also worked reasonably well. It does its best with low-frequency sounds, so things like the sound of an aircraft or bus engine, while also being decent for household sounds such as air conditioners and fans. It doesn't do so well with mid and high-frequency sounds but that's generally the domain for bigger and more expensive headphones. In my testing, the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC lasted for 19 hours and 38 minutes with ANC enabled and 27 hours and 7 minutes with ANC disabled. After a 10-minute charge, the earbuds played for 14 hours and 36 minutes with ANC enabled and 20 hours and 21 minutes with ANC disabled. The ANC data comes from the OnePlus test laboratory. Actual performance will vary depending on user customization and environmental conditions.