OnePlus Bullets Wireless review: exceeding expectations

I think I discovered OnePlus's never-before-reported success strategy: designing really good things and selling them at really reasonable prices. Each year, the OnePlus flagship phone is a champion in its price class, competing with hundreds of dollars more expensive devices. When OnePlus released the $ 20 Bullets v2 headset in 2016, I called them criminally undervalued, and when the company launched a $ 69 travel backpack in 2017, I called it a triumph.

In 2018, OnePlus adds a pair of wireless headphones to its portfolio and, of course, the $ 69 Bullets Wireless follows the OnePlus pedigree. These are not only the best handkerchiefs in their price, but they are also a respectable candidate to get the title of the best headphones of its kind, without further requirements. They are so good.

] The biggest The immediate comparison that people will make with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless is the $ 150 BeatsX collars pair from Apple, so first we got it out of the way. The BeatsX have a fatiguing sound, an unnecessarily long cable that gets in the way, and a price that is more than double the cost of Wireless Bullets. It's a great victory for OnePlus in the first few minutes of using and listening to its new headphones.

Your first impression of the Wireless Vignettes may not be as bright as my description, because your unpacking experience leaves something to be desired. They are well packed inside a cardboard box and glued with adhesive tape for added security. That's good for shipping safely, but bad for an enthusiastic buyer to work as quickly as possible. OnePlus also includes only a silicone case, while some of its more expensive competitors will provide a hard case for peace of mind.

The reason why I'm not obsessed with these trivia is because the headphones themselves are a display of two enormously impressive engineering feats: excellent fit and excellent sound.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless default adaptation includes silicone fins along with medium-sized silicone tips. Never in all the time that I have dedicated to the revision of hearing aids have I found these ingenious aletillas useful. In general, they occupy space without fulfilling the intended purpose of stabilizing the headphones. However, I diligently gave them an opportunity with Bullets Wireless, and, what you know, they are really amazing. Without them, Wireless Bullets are comfortable, but require an occasional reset to keep them in the correct position. With the tips for the ears, I insert these headphones once and then never touch them again. Not everyone will have the same size shell, of course, but OnePlus also groups large and small points and winglets. I can not imagine that anyone has trouble finding a comfortable fit with these headphones.

Readers often ask me what I think is the best headset for sports and exercise. My answer is usually that they do not really exist, and people should just enjoy active time away from technology for a while. Wireless bullets change that. With the help of those magical silicone fins, these pads stay in place no matter how vigorous the exercise or activity is. I have made exaggerated jump throws to try to dislodge them, go running, do push-ups, lift weights with sudden movements … nothing discourages them. The worst I could do was to bounce the cable that usually rests on the neck. OnePlus announces that the Bullets Wireless is resistant to splashes and splashes, and says "take it to run, but not to swim!"

. This consideration is highly valued for athletes, and in fact I would recommend the Bullets wireless system. as my main choice for sports headphones at this time. But what about those of us who just want a discreet pair of headphones? That's where OnePlus hesitates. The two thick modules for the battery and Bluetooth 4.1 sit on either side of my neck and push the cable forward, so it rests on a curve reminiscent of the old school hoop earrings. The remote control adds to the visual clutter, and the headphones themselves protrude from the ear with an outer edge with a marked red and accented edge. It is an elegant and prominent appearance for such a small piece of technology.

OnePlus claims to have up to eight hours of battery life with Bullets wireless technology, however, my experience does not match. I could never get more than six hours on a single charge, which is usually enough for most use scenarios, but it's not as flexible as truly wireless alternatives like Apple AirPods or Jabra Elite 65t that offer additional charges in the case Of transport. Also, given the thick fittings on each side of the bullet cable, I expected to see better battery performance. The Koss Porta Pros, for example, have a similar configuration but last up to 12 hours.

The OnePlus advantage over the vast majority of wireless headphones is that Wireless Bullets use USB-C to charge (and are compatible with the Extra Quick Dash charge from OnePlus). Carrying AirPods or Elite 65t with me on a trip forces me to carry an additional cable, while the Bullets can be completed with the charger of my Android phone.

In addition to being a bit monstrous near your jaw, the Bullets wireless remote control is easy to operate and provides enough tactile information so you can detect what you are doing just by touching it. In macOS, it controls the sound output of the system; in Android, it controls the volume of the headphones independently of the source device. OnePlus is also very proud of the automatic pause function that it has: you only need to remove the buttons and magnetically join their backs so that the music stops. It is a neat and logical little feature. OnePlus has a single status LED on the module on the same side as the remote control. That light indicates when the headphones are charging, charging or connecting, and flashes strangely and discreetly when the headphones are active.

With all practical concerns out of the way, I can return to the sound, which happens to I know the highlight of these headphones for me (as it should be with any headset). I did not like it on my first listen in the quiet surroundings of my home office, but once I got out into the intended use environment of a busy street, I was delighted. The parts of the sound that can feel a too direct and loud touch at home are overshadowed by the outside roar, which finally results in a sound that remains alive and kicking under the coercion of the outside world, trying to ruin my fun.

To get into the right mood for exercise, I've been hearing a lot of System of a Down with Bullets Wireless, and they offer an exciting presentation. The distorted and driving guitars, the alternations of Serj Tankian between screams, grunts and howls, the whole mixture of uncomfortable listening is there. These are really good headphones to scream in the world, and you can shoot them at very high volumes without filtering almost nothing of the sound to anyone around you.

But the sound of OnePlus Bullets Wireless is not just a pony of a genre. Listening to the Tadashi Tajima album of 1991 Shingetsu which is a series of solo performances in the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute, I get all the emotive power of the bamboo instrument and its tender notes. No, it's not a holographic sound landscape like the one you'd get from more expensive headphones, but Bullets offer a surprisingly large sound that allows music to surround you instead of clustering claustrophobically in the center of your head.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless is one of my happiest surprises of the year. OnePlus not only connected a Bluetooth cable to their existing headphones and increased the price. The company designed a completely new headset, exceeded and raised my expectations for a lasting fit and comfort, and fulfilled my demands for an attractive and exciting sound. At $ 69, all my complaints are mere subtleties. These are the new collars to beat.

Vox Media has affiliated associations. These do not influence the editorial content, although Vox Media can earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy .