- You get top-tier bass without touching EQ settings.
- Comfortable fit
- The sound quality improves with the golden hearing profile.
- Minor drawback: the translator only works on OnePlus phones.
- Desirable support for the LHDC 5.0 codec
- On devices with MediaTek chips, the sound is worse than on Snapdragon.
OnePlus Buds 4 long-awaited review. My expectations were through the roof. The review turned out interesting so read it through to the end. We will of course compare the new Buds 4 with Realme Buds Air 7 Pro ($66), the previous version OnePlus Buds 3 ($57), OnePlus Buds Pro 3 ($120), and HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 ($170). And of course I will compare them with their twin brother OPPO Enco Free 4 ($68). I will briefly compare them with Technics EAH-AZ100 ($403). And we will find out whether OnePlus Buds 4 is the new wireless earbuds king or Realme held their ground.
OnePlus Buds 4 are wireless in-ear wireless earbuds from 2025 for $73. The company focused on improved sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), a translator, and low audio latency in games. So let us test all of this.
The most interesting thing about OnePlus Buds 4, according to the manufacturer:
Thank you friends for 1000+ likes on the short + video news. Thank you for your comments and questions in the first look, as well as under the news piece. This is a huge motivation to release reviews, and I know you need them. And the promised bonus, friends.
Sound – OnePlus Buds 4
Out of the box, OnePlus Buds 4 have a heavy low-end sound.
If you switch to AAC, performance drops by about 15%, making the sound slightly worse than on the regular OnePlus Buds 3. That makes LHDC 5.0 support essential. Below is my evaluation and description of the sound using LHDC 5.0. On an iPhone or Android device without LHDC, you can safely subtract 1.5 points out of 10 for sound quality.
Important! OnePlus Buds 4 do not support older versions of the LHDC codec, working only with LHDC 5. Furthermore, the codec operates stably on OnePlus phones, which I tested on the 9R and 11. On devices from other brands, support is hit-or-miss. This became clear after testing on other phones and reviewing feedback from owners in our Telegram group.
You can enable the LHDC codec inside the HeyMelody companion app for Android. Look for the setting called “High-Resolution Mode”. This option might not show up until you enable the codec in your Bluetooth settings first.
On certain models, you will find this toggle inside the Android developer options.
Step 1. Connect the wireless earbuds to your phone.
Open your Bluetooth settings, then navigate to your wireless earbuds settings.
Turn on the LHDC codec by flipping the switch to the active position.
Step 2. Open the HeyMelody app.
Turn on the codec through the “High-Resolution Mode” setting.
I suggest turning on high-resolution audio in the app settings. The “serenade” EQ preset degrades the sound if you attempt to boost the vocals, so you are better off sticking with the default preset. I do recommend setting up the Golden Sound profile, as testing shows it genuinely improves the audio here, adding a positive bump of 0.2-0.3 points out of 10. However, this varies depending on your personal hearing.
The sound nozzle on the Buds 4 matches the size of the Buds 3, as several people asked in the comments. Your old ear tips will fit just fine.
Headroom is plentiful; I tested at 70% volume. If you run into volume issues, check out the guide on how to fix them.
Frequency balance: This refers to how sound energy is distributed across the entire audible range, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It’s not just about covering the full spectrum, but about achieving the right proportions so that the lows, mids, and highs work together harmoniously, without clashing or obscuring important details.
The ideal balance means the bass provides a solid foundation, the mids deliver clear and present vocals, and the highs add sparkle and detail. Frequency balance skew occurs when one or two of these main ranges are either overemphasized or noticeably lacking compared to the others.
. 8.83 It leans towards bass and treble, presenting a classic V-shaped sound signature.Low frequencies, or bass (20 Hz – 250 Hz), form the foundation of music, giving sound depth, weight, and a rhythmic basis.
The ideal balance results in clear, powerful, and well-rounded sound. An **excess** of low frequencies, however, makes music sound muddy and boomy, masks vocals, and quickly fatigues the listener, leading to indistinct overall sound. Conversely, a **shortage** makes music sound thin, weak, and empty, robbing it of warmth and rhythmic foundation, which in turn causes harshness in the mids and highs.
. 9 The bass is punchy, soft, and pleasant, showing a noticeable improvement over the previous generation. There’s a slight bass excess, less than what you’d find in Nothing or Soundcore Liberty earbuds, but you can dial it back with the EQ if needed.Learn more.
The midrange (250 Hz to 4 kHz) is where most musical elements live, and it’s crucial for hearing main melodies, vocals, and instruments.
Too many mids, especially in the upper range, make sound harsh, intrusive, and fatiguing fast. The mix can sound shouty or “boxy.” Conversely, a shortage of mids results in a hollow, recessed sound where vocals and main instruments lose their presence and seem distant, draining the music of energy and overall clarity.
. 8.5 Vocals are presented intimately and pleasantly, though they sound slightly more distant compared to the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro.Learn more.
Highs, or treble (4 kHz – 20 kHz) – these frequencies are responsible for brightness, sparkle, detail, and that sense of ‘air’ in a music mix. This range helps you pick out the finest details, like string overtones, cymbal shimmer, and sibilant sounds in vocals.
An optimal balance makes music sound lively, clean, and open. Too much, however, leads to unnecessary harshness, causes sibilance (overly loud ‘s’ sounds), and makes cymbals sound unpleasantly ‘grainy’ or metallic, quickly fatiguing your ears. Too little, and the entire mix sounds dull, muffled, and ‘closed-in’ (veiled). The sound loses its detail and openness, feeling like you’re listening through a thick filter that robs the music of clarity.
. 9 The highs sound great – detailed, natural, and moderately bright.Learn more.
Detail retrieval – this describes how clearly and distinctly you can hear the tiniest sounds in a mix, like reverb, overtones, quiet instruments, texture, and subtle percussion sounds (such as light hi-hat taps).
Ideal detail retrieval – all subtle sounds are audible, just as they would be at a live performance.Lack: The sound is dull, muted, and veiled, as if you’re listening through a layer of fabric. The musical picture lacks depth, instruments sound flat, and subtle nuances get lost.Excess: The sound becomes unnaturally sharp, aggressive, and glassy. This can manifest as an overemphasis on sibilant sounds and background noise. This kind of sound quickly becomes fatiguing, often due to too much treble above 6 kHz.
. 8.5 Main and secondary parts are heard well; you need to listen closely for micro-details. The mids and highs are processed better than the lows.Learn more.
Soundstage, or stage, refers to the perceived three-dimensional space where instruments and vocals in a musical piece are placed. It’s a virtual soundscape that sound engineers craft during mixing. The stage encompasses width (left-to-right placement), depth (a sense of distance), and height (the feeling of instruments being above or below the horizontal plane).
The best soundstage makes music feel immersive and realistic, letting you pinpoint each element in space—whether it’s to your left or right, closer or further away, or above or below your head. A lack of it results in a monolithic sound, as if everything is coming from a single point, making it difficult to discern the position of each instrument. An excess of it, on the other hand, can make instruments and vocals sound overly distant, causing the musical composition to lose its coherence.
. 8.5 The soundstage is wider than your head with excellent instrument positioning, though the bass does fill it out a bit too much.Learn more.
Naturalness— how authentic and realistic the sound is. It indicates how accurately the sound of voices and musical instruments is reproduced.
Best naturalness – the sound is clean, warm, and lively, without artificial coloration or extraneous noises.
Excess – an excessive amount of distracting sounds like sighs, mechanical noises, rustles, etc.
Lack – the sound feels artificial, colored, or plastic. You lose timbre recognition (instruments don’t sound like they do in real life), and the sound becomes flat and fatiguing due to incorrect equalization or excessive compression.
Learn more.
Sound verdict
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.58 The sound emphasizes pleasant bass and treble, offering a naturally balanced, top-tier experience without artificiality or grain. You’ll find enough detail to pick out instrument textures, even in complex, dynamic tracks. The soundstage is spacious with good separation between vocals and instruments. However, the abundant bass can sometimes fill the stage too much, reducing mid-range transparency and slightly diminishing detail and texture.So which one is better to buy in the end?
It is simple: OnePlus Buds 4 are made for listeners who prefer a boosted bass response alongside a softer, more enveloping sound. Think dance tracks like Daft Punk, Hip-Hop by Eminem, or electronic music from The Weeknd. For that type of sound signature, I specifically recommend the OnePlus Buds 4. That kind of powerful bass works really well here, and Realme simply cannot match it. Musical engagement sits at a 10/10. With the OnePlus Buds 4, you just want to dance and vibe to the music without overanalyzing it, enjoying yourself while walking down the street.
Realme Buds Air 7 Pro are geared toward anyone who values timbre accuracy, intimate vocals, and emotional delivery. They lean less on the low end while offering greater detail and a more analytical presentation. There is enough resolution here to pick apart individual instrument tracks. You will want to dance with the Realme pair as well, but to calmer genres; they push you to lean back and immerse yourself in the music, savoring every detail, instrument track, and nuance.
Physically:
Software-wise:
🎮 Sound in games 7.5/10 – comfortable sound with comfortable latency:
Testing parameters:
- Device — OnePlus 11 on Android.
- Audio codec — LHDC.
- Games — PUBG MOBILE, Lineage2M, NFS No Limits.
This covers reference tracks, test tracks, and links alongside our testing standards. Standards include source, codec, streaming platform, and volume levels.
Tests are performed with a OnePlus 11 phone (Android) and iPhone 14 Pro (iOS), via streaming Deezer HiFi (about this subscription) in FLAC (1411 кбит/c) format.
My playlist – for testing earbuds:
- Michael Jackson – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). Pop-funk.
✅ Checking low-end and natural timbre – the timbre of the main bass synth should sound natural and be audible. The bass here is powerful, but shouldn’t overpower other frequency ranges.
✅ Checking detail retrieval and soundstage width – background vocals and percussion in the right channel should be clearly audible.
✅ Checking highs and natural treble timbre – the cymbals in this track should sound soft and natural, without grain. The drums in this song are recorded and mixed simply wonderfully (Jonathan Moffett – drum virtuoso). - Oasis – Don’t Go Away. Alternative rock, Brit Pop.
✅ Natural timbre check – the acoustic guitar sound should be natural.
✅ Low-end check – the kick drum, toms, and snare are quite recessed in this track, and with poor bass, drum fills will simply be inaudible.
✅ Mids check – Liam’s voice should sound open and not get congested; this track has a lot of live instruments that can easily overpower the mids and vocals, adding muddiness or a closed-in feel to the voice.
✅ Highs and natural timbre check – at the end of the song, there’s my favorite instrumental break with acoustic guitar and tambourine; they should be distinct from each other and sound natural, without grain or artificial timbre. - Twenty One Pilots – Backslide. Hip-Hop, Alternative Pop.
✅ Detail retrieval check. In this track, Tyler (as always) did a lot of background vocals with and without effects; they should be clearly separated from each other and audible.
✅ Soundstage width check – The shaker that appears and disappears, flowing from channel to channel, perfectly demonstrates the soundstage width. Same for the background vocals, which are well-separated across the channels. - Adele – Rolling in the Deep. Pop, Soul, Blues.
✅ Mids and vocal check – Adele’s voice here should be distinct, with a sense of presence, without veiled sound or muddiness. - Eagles – Hotel California (Live on MTV, 1994). Rock, country-rock. God bless whoever recorded and mixed this live performance.
✅ Soundstage width check – crowd sounds, background effects, instrument placement.
✅ Highs check – 2 shakers in the left and right channels should be clearly audible and not sound artificial.
More tracks I use for testing:
- Modern Talking – You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul. Europop.
Vocals shouldn’t be masked by the bassline, and the shaker should sound natural, without grain. - Eminem – Ass Like That. Hip-hop and Rap.
The heavy bassline shouldn’t overpower the vocals. Secondary ethnic instruments and backing vocals should be audible. - Bob Marley – Could You Be Loved. Reggae.
Cymbals shouldn’t have grain, vocals and backing vocals shouldn’t be masked by the lows, and the bassline should be clearly distinguishable. - Disturbed – Stricken. Alternative Metal and Heavy Metal.
The distorted guitar shouldn’t overpower the drums and vocals.
Cymbals shouldn’t get lost in the overall mix. - System of a Down – Radio/Video. Alternative Metal and Nu Metal.
The shaker should sound natural, without grain. The distorted guitar shouldn’t overpower the drums and Serj’s and Daron’s vocals.
The score is given according to our “Scores 3.0” methodology.
Sound — 50% of the score:
- Frequency balance in sound — how harmoniously the earbuds reproduce lows, mids, and highs.
- Soundstage — the ability of earbuds to create a sense of 3D volume and space in music.
- Detail retrieval or resolution — the ability of earbuds to convey the smallest nuances of sound with high precision.
- Naturalness or timbre balance — this is preserving the natural sound of instruments, sounds, and vocals.
Features and design — 50% of the score:
- Microphone quality.
- Active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode.
- Battery life, controls, app, and other features.
- Build quality: wear comfort, durability, and design + available colors.
- Learn more about how, how we test and rate earbuds.
OnePlus Buds 4 – Comparison with Competitors:
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs OPPO Enco Free 4 ($68)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The sound profile on both models is identical. The only meaningful difference is the Dynaudio tuning on the OPPO wireless earbuds, though a version without Dynaudio exists and is not recommended online.
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs OPPO Enco Free 4 ($68):
| Drivers | 11 mm driver + 6 mm planar tweeter, dual DAC | 11 mm driver + 6 mm planar tweeter, dual DAC, Dynaudio tuning (there is a version without Dynaudio) |
| Active noise cancellation | Up to 55 dB, frequency range 5.5 kHz, TÜV certification. | Up to 55 dB, 5.5 kHz, TÜV certification |
| Hi-Res codec | LHDC 5.0 (up to 192 kHz / 1 Mbps) | LHDC 5.0 (up to 192 kHz / 1 Mbps) |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, 47 ms game mode | 5.4, 54 ms low latency |
| Battery life (charging case + wireless earbuds, ANC off) | 11 h., 45 h. with charging case | 11 h., 45 h. with charging case |
| Protection | IP55 | IP55 |
| Features | Golden Sound, AI voice/face-to-face translation, AI call summary, adaptive ANC | Golden Sound, AI voice/face-to-face translation, AI call summary, adaptive ANC |
In practice:
- Inside the HeyMelody app settings, Oppo includes an extra Dynaudio EQ option that simply dumps in more bass. It is pretty useless, as it does not improve sound quality at all.
- Switching between noise cancellation and transparency modes on the OnePlus triggers a simple chime. On the Oppo, because I am using the Chinese version, it speaks out loud in Chinese.
- The translator feature inside the app operates identically.
- Design differences: the Oppo charging case is glossy, whereas the OnePlus case uses a matte finish.
- Oppo features a Dynaudio badge on the back of the charging case, while OnePlus leaves it off.
Otherwise there is practically no difference.
Verdict:
I recommend the OnePlus Buds 4 because they lack Chinese voice prompts, and the matte case looks nicer while feeling more durable. Oppo offers black and white finishes, while OnePlus comes in gray and green.
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs Realme Buds Air 7 Pro ($66)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
I have already compared the sound in detail above.
I preferred the build quality of the OnePlus; it feels slightly more comfortable and avoids glossy plastics.
My verdict between these two models: go with Realme for the sound, and OnePlus for the feature set and build. If the 4 Pro manages to match or exceed Realme’s sound quality, you can see where this is heading.
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs OnePlus Buds 3 ($57)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Sound quality has improved by 1 point out of 10. The mids are significantly better. Bass is tighter, and highs are cleaner, alongside improvements in soundstage, detail retrieval, and natural timbre.
MyChooz choice is definitely OnePlus Buds 4.
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs OnePlus Buds Pro 3 ($120)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The sound on version 4 outperforms the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 slightly. There is a bit less bass, but it sounds more natural. The mids are definitively superior—that is the standout improvement, bringing closer, higher-quality, and more emotional vocals. Highs remain roughly the same, while detail retrieval, natural timbre, and soundstage have all improved. My personal choice is definitely the OnePlus Buds 4 ($73).
I’ll talk about the features below.
MyChooz gives a slight edge to the OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) regarding sound. When it comes to features, the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 take the win.
OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 ($170)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Sound on version 4 is slightly better than on the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4. This shows up most clearly in high-frequency quality, with slightly more intimate mids and heavier bass on the OnePlus Buds 4, though they trade blows.
The HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 are the kings of features, offering the best microphone, fantastic noise cancellation, great transparency, and a flawless companion app.
MyChooz gives a slight edge to the OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) regarding sound. When it comes to features, the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4 take the win.
Comparison with Technics EAH-AZ100 ($403)OnePlus Buds 4 ($73) vs Technics EAH-AZ100 ($403)
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
I have not reached a final verdict on the Technics EAH-AZ100 yet. I will only say that the model impressed me, easily beating the 80s. There are specific aspects I will cover in the full review; I do not want to rush into an unformed opinion. Out of the box, the sound did not blow me away, but once I started tweaking the EQ, I realized there is much more to them and immense tuning potential here. The model deserves attention, and I expect it will comfortably land in the Top 5. The sound is great. I will keep testing since they are next in line for review, so do not miss it.
More comparisons in the main MyChooz.com rankings
Features
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.50 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 8 No changes compared to the OnePlus Buds 3, and identical to the Oppo Enco Free 4. I’ve added a third, wind-focused test as requested in the comments.Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.75 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 8.5Oppo Enco Free 4 microphone gets 8.5/10 – in quiet conditions – 9/10. In noisy conditions – 8/10
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.00 In quiet environments: 9 In noisy environments: 7Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.75 In quiet conditions: 9.5 In noisy conditions: 10
Active noise cancellation (ANC) lets headphones use microphones and signal processing to cut out external noise like traffic, street hum, or office chatter, so you can hear your music or calls better without cranking the volume. Good ANC significantly cuts low-frequency hum from things like engines or air conditioners, barely presses on your ears, and minimally distorts the sound. Weak ANC, on the other hand, only removes some of the noise or creates an unpleasant “vacuum” effect and artifacts.
. 7.5 Reduces low-frequency background noise. It manages the hum of PC and laptop fans most effectively. Outdoors, it calms the surroundings, primarily lows and some mids. There is no eardrum pressure, although a faint white noise is present when fan hum is significant. There are 4 adjustment levels, including an adaptive mode.Transparency mode uses the earbuds’ microphones to pipe in ambient sound, letting you hear announcements, conversations, or traffic without removing them. A good implementation sounds natural and clear, without adding noise or echo, whereas a poor one makes the outside world sound flat, metallic, or unnervingly quiet.
. 8 Surroundings are clearly audible, though your own voice sounds slightly plugged in your head. Conversations while wearing the earbuds are relatively comfortable.Battery life is the actual playback time you get from the earbuds and their charging case on a single charge during typical volume and usage scenarios (music, video, calls), not just the marketing numbers. Good battery life means you can easily get through a day or several without needing an outlet, and it doesn’t drop significantly with noise cancellation and high-quality codecs enabled. Poor battery life, on the other hand, requires frequent recharging and noticeably decreases when you crank up the volume.
. 7 Rated up to 11 hours for the earbuds and up to 45 hours with the charging case. In reality, the earbud battery life matches the claim, while the total time with the case is 10 to 11 hours longer than advertised. Fast charging and wireless charging are not available.Learn more.
Controls — how easily and reliably the headphones respond to your presses and gestures for pausing, adjusting volume, switching tracks, changing modes, and activating your voice assistant. Good controls feel intuitive, work without fail, and avoid accidental inputs; bad controls will miss commands, lag, or simply ignore your gestures.
. 8 Touch-based. A total of 5 actions for basic playback control, volume, and ambient modes. All actions can be reassigned or disabled in the app.Learn more.
The app, which is the proprietary software you use to tweak sound, controls, noise cancellation, firmware updates, and other features. A good app is stable, well-organized, and actually lets you customize things; a bad one glitches, lacks features, or feels like it’s just there for show.
. 9.5 You can download HeyMelody for Android and iOS. The app is user-friendly and not overloaded with features.Learn more.
Connection stability — how well the headphones hold onto their Bluetooth signal without dropping out, lagging, or glitching in everyday situations like busy streets, public transport, or even at home with a Wi-Fi router nearby. Good stability means the audio won’t stutter when you turn your head or cut out in crowded areas. Poor stability, on the other hand, will show up as frequent dropouts, stuttering, audio-video sync issues, and problems reconnecting.
. 9.5 Within 10 meters, the signal remains uninterrupted using the LHDC codec with adaptive bitrate. Bluetooth version 5.4.Key features and sensors:
- Multipoint – yes.
- Auto-pause when taking off the earbuds – yes.
- Google Fast Pair support – yes, in the global version.
- Swift Pair support for Windows – yes, in the global version.
Functions verdict
Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.33 Active noise cancellation cuts background noise effectively, and transparency mode is usable for conversations. Battery life in our tests reached up to 11 hours and up to 56 hours with the charging case, depending on the codec. Touch controls support 5 actions per earphone, including swipes. The app is straightforward without unnecessary bloatware, and includes a translator for 22 languages on OnePlus phones.Translator 7/10. Includes simultaneous translation and face-to-face modes across 35 languages. Translation is not instantaneous, carrying a 2-5 second delay. It handles a single sentence well, but struggles when you try to translate multiple sentences back-to-back.
-3 points: not suitable for translating more than one sentence at a time.
Important! The translator currently functions exclusively on OnePlus phones. The translation menu does not appear when paired with phones from other manufacturers.
The translator functions well and offers 2 separate modes:
- Simultaneous translation. You speak, the translation shows up half a second later, and one second after your sentence finishes, it is automatically read aloud by a synthetic voice.
- Face-to-face translation mode. The screen splits into 2 sections representing your language and your partner’s language. You speak, and a second later the translation shows up as text on the opposing side of the screen, with an option to play it aloud.
The translator feels quite primitive right now, but it functions. Unlike the Realme, which only translated to or from Chinese on my OnePlus 11—though it worked fine on Sasha’s Motorola G72. All in all, for a casual chat with a stranger abroad, I wouldn’t call it convenient, but given the circumstances, it beats having nothing. It also outperforms the $350 iKKO Active Buds I tested that featured a built-in screen and translation. Let us see how this evolves; the technology clearly has a future.
Difference between the global and Chinese versions:
Everything is identical, except you should double-check that Google Fast Pair quick pairing is present on the global model, as the Chinese version omits it in favor of OnePlus’s proprietary standard.
Design
Comfort is how the earbuds feel during extended wear: ear pressure, fit, weight, and ventilation. A comfortable model doesn’t chafe, squeeze the ear canal or head, and doesn’t cause fatigue even after a couple of hours; an uncomfortable one quickly reminds you of itself through pain, heat, or a “plugged” feeling in the ears.
. 9 These earbuds are comfortable, and with the included ear tips, you’ll start to feel fatigue around the second or third hour of listening. The charging case is about the same size as the last generation’s, just with an oval shape instead of a rectangle.Durability — how well the earbuds and charging case hold up to daily use: This includes the quality of the plastic and hinge, water resistance, wear on the ear tips, and the reliability of connectors and buttons. High durability means nothing is loose, peeling, or cracking after a year or two. Conversely, low durability means you’ll see cracks, looseness, hinge noise, or connection issues after just a couple of months.
. 8.2 They’ve got IP55 dust and water resistance, meaning they’re protected against dust and water jets from any direction. The matte finish does a good job of hiding fingerprints, and after about six months of occasional use, I haven’t seen any scratches. If you’re after a glossy look, you might want to check out OPPO.Design – This covers how the earbuds look and how well-thought-out their shape is. I’m talking about how they appear in your ears, how versatile they are with different outfits, and whether they look cheap. A good design blends a neat appearance with a comfortable shape and practical touches, like non-marking plastic or a well-designed charging case. Conversely, a bad design will snag on your clothes, scratch easily, and just look out of place.
. 8 The OnePlus Buds 4 come in Cosmic Gray and Green Pine. I think the matte design is more interesting than glossy options because it’s less common, but otherwise, the design is pretty standard. OnePlus didn’t introduce anything new here, so any initial visual excitement fades by the second week.Build verdict
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.40 You can wear these headphones for 2-3 hours straight without ear fatigue, thanks to the included ear tips. They feel solid and reliable, with a nice matte finish. But honestly, the design is uninspired, and that initial wow factor disappears after a couple of weeks.Verdict
OnePlus Buds 4 for $73, though the price will likely drop to $59, make this an absolute MyChooz pick. I would buy this model myself, which is exactly what I did. The OnePlus Buds 4 earned a final score of 8.6 out of 10, making it a gorgeous product. Compared to Realme, the sound leans heavier on the low end with minor sacrifices in detail retrieval, natural timbre, and soundstage during head-to-head listening. However, OnePlus wins on features, offering a slightly better microphone alongside superior noise cancellation and transparency modes. I also preferred the build of the OnePlus a bit more since it skips gloss and generally makes for a more convenient device.
So in the end, what should you buy: OnePlus Buds 4, 3, 3 Pro, Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, or HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4?
If you want heavy bass, go with the OnePlus Buds 4. If you want maximum sound quality driven by detail, an analytical presentation, and natural timbres, choose Realme. What would I pick? I would choose both the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro and the OnePlus Buds 4. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but both models deserve a spot in your collection, especially since neither costs a fortune. Use the OnePlus outdoors for walks, phone calls, ANC, and transparency mode, paired with bass-heavy music. Use the Realme at home under calmer conditions to sit back and savor the musical details, though they hold up outdoors too. Grab the HUAWEI if you need the absolute best microphone, top-tier ANC, convenient controls, and styling.
Bluetooth codec. The Realme Buds Air 7 Pro support older iterations of LHDC, allowing you to stream via LHDC 3, which enjoys broad support across most phones. On the OnePlus Buds 4, the LHDC 5 codec runs stably only on OnePlus handsets and behaves selectively with other brands.
Translator. On the Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, the translation feature operates across all phones and tablets via the companion app. On the OnePlus Buds 4, it is restricted to OnePlus phones.
Is it worth waiting for OnePlus Buds 4 Pro?
Yes, absolutely. Given what they achieved with the 3 and 3 Pro, I expect their sound to be even cooler. Honestly, I do not expect anyone else to drop anything groundbreaking regarding sound quality for the rest of the year. As for features, I am genuinely looking forward to the Apple AirPods Pro 3. We will see how that turns out.
To update the review, if you are strictly hunting for the best sound, look toward the Technics EAH-AZ100.
Be sure to leave your thoughts on the new OnePlus Buds 4 below, as I am looking forward to chatting with you in the comments. Wishing you great sound, see you on MyChooz, bye!
OnePlus Buds 4 – Specs:
- OnePlus Buds 4 release date – 27.05.25
- OnePlus Buds 4 launch price – $63.
- Design: in-ear
- Drivers: 11mm + 6mm dual dynamic driver
- Codecs: LHDC, AAC, SBC.
- Bluetooth: 5.4
- Active noise cancellation: yes
- Transparency mode: yes
- Controls: touch
- Battery life: claimed specs 11 h / 45 h with AAC, 9 h / 37 h with LHDC.
- Charging: wired
Charging time: 50 min. wireless earbuds, 80 min. charging case.
Port: USB-C
Fast charging: - App: yes
- Additional features: auto-pause, multipoint
- Protection: IP55.
- Materials: plastic, metal.
- Charging case dimensions: 65.4 mm x 52.4 mm x 25.3 mm.
- Earbud dimensions: 31 mm x 20.6 mm x 24.2 mm.
- Earbud weight:
wireless earbuds: ~4.9 g each,
charging case: ~39.5 g - Microphone: 3 in each wireless earbud.
What’s in the box?
- Wireless earbuds
- Charging case
- Ear tips (S, M, L)
- USB Type-C cable
- Manual
OnePlus Buds 4 – FAQ:
OnePlus Buds 4 – how to connect wireless earbuds?
1. Enter pairing mode: open the charging case, leave the wireless earbuds inside, and press and hold the button on the case until the status light blinks. 2. Open your Bluetooth settings and look at the device list; the OnePlus Buds 4 will show up at the very bottom. 3. Connect the wireless earbuds.
Do you still have a question about OnePlus Buds 4?
Drop your question in the comments and I’ll get back to you.
