OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro review: easy TWS earbuds to recommend under Rs 5,000

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro’s features are just as much of a mouthful as its name. You get up to 55db active noise cancellation (ANC), 3D Spatial Audio support, Bluetooth v6, LHDC 5.0 codec, up to 54 hours of playback time, and more – all at a competitive pricing of Rs 3,999. Here’s my take on the TWS earphones, which are positioned just below the flagship OnePlus Buds 4 in the company’s audio lineup.

Table of Contents

Striking design and good fit

I appreciate the packaging of the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro. We received the Raven Black colour variant for review, and it instantly stood out with its clean, smooth matte finish. I was afraid the case might pick up a few scratches during regular use, but it held up quite well. In fact, even after almost a month of usage, the review unit remained scratch-free. The matte finish also keeps fingerprints and smudges at bay on the case, leaving you with a clean look.

The case and buds design is reminiscent of the OnePlus Buds 4. You get a pebble-shaped case with flat edges, which makes it easy to hold. The edges are also rounded rather than squared, making it easier to pull out and slide back into tight pockets, such as those of your jeans. Other highlights include OnePlus branding subtly etched on the front, a Type-C port for charging at the bottom edge, along with a pairing button, and a small LED light discreetly hidden in the body.

The lid opens horizontally to reveal the stem-shaped earbuds, which also feature a matte finish, and it snaps shut with a reassuring clasp. As for the buds themselves, they come with silicone tips that can be swapped out for different sizes included in the box, ensuring a better fit. Each earbud houses three microphones and features a subtle indent on the outer shell for touch controls. At the bottom of each stem, you’ll find a pair of silver-coloured charging contacts, adding a neat visual accent to the overall design.

I put in the earbuds with their default medium-sized tips, and they fit my ear almost perfectly. I won’t call them the most secure, but for their intended use case, the buds offer a decent grip. The Buds 4 Pro are also lightweight, weighing just 4.4 grams per bud, ensuring comfortable listening for hours.

Touch controls and app connectivity

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro sports a touch-control surface on the outer shell of both earbuds. The indent makes the surface easily recognisable, and the controls work seamlessly to adjust volume, play/ pause audio, change tracks, answer calls, switch between ANC and ambient modes, and more. The controls are not limited to OnePlus smartphones. In fact, they are compatible with iPhones and MacBooks as well.

The controls are customisable for a more intuitive experience via the HeyMelody app, available for download on both iPhone and Android. I was on version 2.24.0 of the app on my iPhone, which offers a pretty straightforward experience with battery details right up top, followed by the ‘Noise control’ option. You can also monitor the paired devices within the app. The Nord Buds 4 Pro can connect to 2 devices simultaneously over Bluetooth v6, with a range of up to 300m.

Additionally, the app lets you tweak EQ – even customise it, enable ‘Game Mode’ for reduced latency, adjust spatial audio, locate misplaced earbuds, and more. The entire process is pretty seamless and intuitive, making the HeyMolody app a melodious.

Drivers, ANC db, and other features

Before we get to how the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro sound, here’s a quick look at its driver details and features:

Audio and call quality

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro aims to deliver an all-around experience, whether you’re a gamer, a music enthusiast, or someone who enjoys watching movies. While I’m not a heavy gamer and can’t offer a definitive take on latency, I did try a few casual sessions with Tomb Raider. Even with Game Mode turned off, the audio remained in sync, with no noticeable lag during gameplay.

In other respects, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro performed as expected.

Music experience

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro is clearly tuned with the masses in mind. Like most TWS earbuds in this segment, the default sound leans towards a bass-heavy profile, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you enjoy a punchy, engaging listen. Those who prefer a cleaner, more balanced output can switch to the Serenade mode or tweak the EQ within the companion app.

Serenade, in particular, dials back the low-end just enough to let vocals and higher frequencies come through more distinctly. It ended up being my go-to setting, as it noticeably opened up the soundstage. Tracks like Die With A Smile, Left and Right, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Chaiya Chaiya sounded more spacious and detailed, while still retaining that satisfying low-end thump that keeps the listening experience lively.

Despite the already bass-forward tuning, the buds also include a dedicated Bass mode and a BassWave feature that further enhances the low end, making the sound feel richer and more immersive, especially with bass-heavy tracks. That said, BassWave didn’t noticeably add much beyond what the standard Bass mode already delivers.

If you enjoy artists like Karan Aujla or Diljit Dosanjh, or lean towards hip-hop, the Bass mode will likely be right up your alley. Listening to Dealer with Bass mode enabled (and ANC on) delivers a near subwoofer-like experience, with a strong, punchy thump that feels particularly energising, perfect for powering through gym sessions.

Note: Since the iPhones lack LHDC support, I could only test the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro with AAC codec.

Movies

While you can enjoy OnePlus 3D Spatial Sound with music, it’s best experienced with video content, such as movies. You can enable spatial audio in the app, and once active, it places you in the middle of the sound, creating a convincing 3D effect.

I found it particularly effective while streaming movies and TV shows, where it adds greater depth and direction, making scenes feel more lifelike and immersive. If you enjoy watching thrillers or cinematic titles like Harry Potter or Knives Out, the feature enhances subtle background details such as footsteps, ambient noise, and directional cues, making the overall experience more engaging.

ANC

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro does a commendable job of cutting down background noise with ANC. Its 55db ANC is an upgrade from its predecessor, Buds 3 Pro, which was capped at 49db. While the Buds 4 Pro still doesn’t quite match flagship-level performance, its noise cancellation is still impressive for the price.

Furthermore, you can tweak the ANC’s intensity in the HeyMelody app, though Auto mode feels more like a novelty than something genuinely useful. I mostly kept it set to ‘High’ during testing, where it struck a good balance, delivering effective noise reduction without creating that uncomfortable, pressurised “vacuum” sensation often found in some budget TWS earbuds when the audio is not playing.

Transparency mode

You can turn ANC off entirely, creating a passive noise cancellation, or switch to Transparency mode, which is the better option when you need to stay aware of your surroundings. It can be activated either by tapping the earbud’s outer shell or via the app. The mode does a fairly good job of letting ambient sound in naturally, though it’s not quite perfect and still leaves room for refinement. You can still feel the suction that comes from the silicone tips.

Calling

Similarly, the Buds 4 Pro delivers a fairly solid calling experience. It uses an AI-backed noise reduction algorithm alongside a triple-microphone ENC setup to suppress background noise. As a result, voice clarity remains reliable in moderately noisy environments. The quality may not match the consistency of a dedicated earpiece, but for hands-free calls, it gets the job done without much fuss.

Battery life

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro houses a 62mAh battery in the buds and a 530mAh battery in the case. Combined, they claimed to deliver up to 56 hours of playback time without ANC between charges. With the ANC and AAC codecs, the listening time drops to 26 hours, which is still impressive by its standards. The status can be checked via the LED light on the case. If the light blinks green, there is ample juice in the tank. Red light indicates that an immediate charge is required, while yellow light suggests you might run out of battery soon.

To get the exact battery percentage, you can check out the HeyMelody app. The buds’ battery life can also be quickly monitored in your device’s Bluetooth settings. Charging the earbuds and the case from nothing to 100 percent can take an hour and thirty minutes. The Nord Buds 4 Pro also supports fast charging, which can provide 13 hours of ANC playback with ANC off in just 10 minutes.

Battery life ultimately comes down to how you use them. In my case, with a couple of hours of daily listening and a mix of ANC on and off, the Buds 5 Pro comfortably stretched to around 10–12 days on a single charge cycle. That’s impressive, especially when many pricier, flagship TWS options struggle to last a full week under similar conditions.

Verdict

For its asking price, it’s genuinely hard to fault the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, unless you nitpick. The earbuds strike a well-rounded balance between features, performance, and affordability, making them easy to recommend to most users. I would have liked it if the buds managed the mids more effectively, making country- and vocal-heavy tracks sound more engaging. Nevertheless, the bass-leaning tuning works in their favour overall, making the sound signature more approachable and enjoyable for the wider audience.

Furthermore, the ANC performance, although not flagship-grade, is effective enough for daily commutes and indoor use. Add to that a comfortable fit, clean design, intuitive controls, spatial audio support, and genuinely impressive battery life, and you’ve got a pair of earbuds that tick most boxes for everyday use.

So if you’re looking for feature-packed, dependable TWS earbuds without stretching your budget, the Nord Buds 4 Pro makes a strong case for itself.

Editor’s rating: 8.5/10

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