OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC

Still the same mould as five years ago, the design hasn’t evolved beyond the magnetic clasping of the two earbuds in resting position. Elsewhere, there is the control panel pod on one side and the battery pod on the other. Basic controls like volume up/down and track change, apart from the function key are all you get. ANC can be toggled on/off by long pressing the centre button, but the layout could’ve been better and you tend to hunt around with your fingertips trying to hit the right control more often than not.

IP55 certification ensures that sweat and light splashes won’t put it out of service and the quick charge feature will give you about 20 hours of charge in 10 minutes! Another advantage of the neckband variety of earbuds is the long battery life and the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC promise 20 hours with ANC and 28 hours without, making them solid value for money. 

Google Fast Pair is available if you use a OnePlus device but even with an iOS device, it’s quick and painless, but device switching always works better with Android devices. Since it supports Bluetooth 5.2, low-latency gaming is possible too, with a claimed 94ms response time.

Using 3 mics in a feedforward and feedback design, the ANC levels are acceptable but don’t drown out all sorts of noises. High-frequency sounds still creep through and the mid-band is where you get the most amount of noise cancellation. Can’t complain at this price though.

Its 12.4mm drivers are par for the course and the sound is punchy, if a bit thick around the mid-bass. This actually makes for an entertaining listening experience for most kinds of pop music, but if you pile on some well-recorded jazz or classical, you realise that it lacks the separation and dynamic contrast of more expensive designs. But that literally is the point of these wireless buds, the fact that they can sound this good for only Rs. 2300 is astonishing and a feat that would be unimaginable even five years ago. Play Daft Punk’s GLBTM and the obvious trait is the bass weight that really gets your head bobbing in no time but also sounds exaggerated for the instant “wow” factor. Vocals and the upper registers are kept in check, without sibilance or brightness, but the heavy-handed bass does affect overall balance. But step out into the noisy world and these qualities can become a boon, giving you an added dose of bass whack while crossing a construction site or standing at the bus stop, so it really depends on where you use and what music you listen to.

With effective ANC at this price point and a sound that is instantly likeable, if not accurate, the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC are like most OnePlus products, great value for money. They get the job done without breaking the bank and for most casual uses, work quiet effectively. Pun intended.