OnePlus Buds Z2 boast Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth 5.2 and 38-hour battery life

(Image credit: OnePlus)

We'll get straight to the good part: the new Z2 true wireless earbuds from OnePlus boast a spec sheet worth reading at a very palatable price point – perhaps even AirPods alternatives worthy.

These in-ears sport the same 11mm bass-tuned dynamic drivers found in the firm's pricier OnePlus Buds Pro. They also boast active noise cancellation that promises to block 40dB of extraneous noise, a transparency mode, a 38-hour total battery life with flash-charging (a ten-minute charge should yield five hours of playback), a three-mic setup calibrated for noise and wind reduction during calls, Dolby Atmos for immersive, true-to-life sound using industry-leading spatial audio, an IP55 water and sweat resistance earbuds rating (the case carries a splash-proof IPX4 rating), Bluetooth 5.2 with 94ms ultra-low latency for slick gaming, Google Fast Pair, on-ear controls and HeyMelody app support.

All of this, and the OnePlus Buds Z2 are only £99 ($99, roughly AU$139), which is quite a bit less than the August-launch OnePlus Buds Pro's asking fee of £139 ($149, about AU$259).

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds.