Pros:
Loud and punchy sound output after tweaks
Lightweight and comfortable to use for long hours
IP55 rated dust and splash resistance
Very good battery backup, super-fast charging
Good call quality
Magnetic On/Off switch
Cons:
Default sound is extremely bass-heavy
Fewer sound tweaks than usual
No dual-pairing support
Very few changes as compared to its predecessor
Price: Rs 1,699
Rating: 3.7/5
Many wonder if wireless neckband earphones still need to exist with quality TWS earbuds selling under Rs 2,000. I would answer in the affirmative. While TWS earbuds are a lot cooler and offer freedom from cables, the neckband form factor still has its merits. Many fear losing TWS buds in transit or at home and prefer to have their earphones securely fastened to themselves (almost). Neckband batteries last longer too (not just battery backup) as they have to endure fewer charging cycles. TWS buds start charging everytime you place them in their case.
That justifies the existence of the wireless neckband segment, but can OnePlus justify the launch of the Bullets Wireless Z3 neckband? It has been over three years since the launch of its predecessor, the Bullets Wireless Z2, and OnePlus even released its
ANC (active noise cancellation) variant in 2023. The company had ample time to add a lot more to the Z3 than a few extra hours of battery backup and upgraded Bluetooth version. Let’s find out if they did.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Design and Comfort (7/10)
OnePlus hasn’t changed their neckband design in years, and the Z3 looks pretty much like its predecessors. It is a standard looking OnePlus neckband with a smooth matte finish and a bit of gloss at the back of the earbuds. The OnePlus branding is subtly present on the battery module. The other module hosts the inline controls that include a volume rocker and a multi-functional button, in addition to a USB-C charging port.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 comes in two colour options – Mambo Midnight (black) Samba Sunset (red). This neckband is quite light, weighing just 26 grams, and you can barely feel the presence of the skin-friendly silicone band around your neck. The earbuds sit nicely into the ears without any discomfort. The fit is quite snug with the right sized ear-tips. This neckband is IP55 rated dust and sweat resistant and can be worn during workouts.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Features and Specifications (6/10)
The Z3 feels like a downgrade as compared to the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC – the last neckband the company released almost two years ago. But then, the Z3 is meant to succeed the Z2 and not the Z2 ANC, so the absence of ANC can be overlooked. What is hard to overlook is the lack of dual pairing support even after all these years, something that’s available even in certain TWS earbuds around Rs 2,000, including the OnePlus Nord Buds 3. You do get Google Fast Pair here, though it’s not the same.
Each earbud is fitted with a 12.4 mm dynamic driver, and the back of the buds have magnetic tips that act as an On/Off switch for this device (Off when stuck together and On when separated), something common to all OnePlus neckbands. The reconnection is pretty quick and generally done by the time you put the earbuds back in your ear. The Bluetooth version has been upgraded to 5.4 but the codec support remains limited to SBC and AAC.
The companion app gives you access to certain features of this neckband but fewer than what you get on the Z2 ANC. If you use OnePlus or Oppo phones, you get the option in the phone’s Bluetooth settings itself, and for all other smartphones, you need to install the HeyMelody app. Though there’s an Earbud Controls option, you cannot alter any controls of this wireless neckband (not Earbud) from there. You can simply check which gesture does what in that list. You can tweak the sound output though, but again, the options are fewer than usual. More on that in a bit.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Performance (7/10)
These earphones are quite loud and perfectly audible at 50% loudness when indoors, and you may need to push the volume just a notch higher in noisy areas. The passive noise isolation is average at best, and ANC is missed in places like public transport. But once the audio starts playing loud enough, it tends to drown the ambient noise sufficiently. The wireless range is as advertised with a strong connection up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight.
Moving on to the audio quality, the default sound signature on the ‘Balanced’ preset is distinctly bass-heavy; typical of OnePlus. But in the case of the Z3, it feels excessive. Yes, a sizable target audience for this product prefers a bit more bass, but the excess bass here severely suppresses the midrange frequencies. It makes the sound soft, fatiguing at times and impacts the vocals too. Even the highs don’t sound sharp enough to balance the extra bass in this mode.
This product lacks the multi-band equaliser present on most OnePlus earphones including the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC, but you do get the BassWave slider that can also be used to reduce the Bass. One can play around with that to regain some balance and sharpness or simply switch to the Bold preset that is way more balanced than anything available for this neckband, and makes it sound way better.
In that mode, the mids have a reasonable presence, vocals sound sharp, the highs find a bit of sparkle too, and all this without sounding bass-deficient at all. The soundstage here is decently broad, but the detail in audio is average at best. There are two more audio presets of which Serenade is largely suited for voice-heavy content like podcasts rather than music. And then there’s the Bass preset! I am not sure for whom, but my guess would be for those in need of an ENT specialist.
Jokes apart, I missed the 6-band equaliser, not just to tweak the sound more granularly but to create custom sound profiles too. I feel it would have brought a bit more out of the Bullets Wireless Z3. Probably OnePlus wanted to keep things a bit too simple for the target audience of this product, which is understandable. You do get OnePlus 3D Audio to indulge in, something that can always be disabled if it doesn’t appeal to you. There were no latency issues when streaming videos, with no perceptible lag between the video and audio.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Call quality (8/10)
The call quality is quite good on this wireless neckband. Those on the line were clearly audible to each other. The voices sounded clean at either end and hardly anybody could guess I was using wireless earphones during the calls. Ambient noise is kept in check reasonably well, and though not eliminated completely, it barely impacts the conversation or the voice clarity even in the middle of a busy street. Yes, the sound of horns does go through, which is the case with pretty much all wireless earphones.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Battery life (8.5/10)
The Bullets Wireless Z2 were already pretty good in this department, and the Z3 bumps up the overall battery backup by 20%, now taking it to 36 hours. The fast charging figures see even more improvement, wherein a 10 minutes charge promising 27 hours of playback as opposed to 20 hours before. More importantly, the actual battery backup figures during our testing were pretty close to these claims.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 could manage close to 35 hours of audio playback on a full charge at 50% loudness for most parts, which is very good. The fast charging figure is on the money too with the neckband going on for 25 hours after changing it for exactly 10 minutes; that’s even more impressive! If you indulge in a lot of calling, the battery does deplete relatively faster and will last a few hours less. But in most cases, if you use the neckband for a couple of hours daily, you may need to charge it only twice a month.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3: Price and verdict
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z3 is priced at Rs 1,699 with a one year warranty. That is a very reasonable price tag for what it offers. In addition to wearing comfort, you get a loud and punchy sound output in Bold mode, impressive call quality and battery backup and super-fast charging. If you look at it in isolation, it is pretty much worth its asking price. The only real concern for this product is competition and that too in-house.
For starters, its predecessor, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 sells for Rs 300 less, and you would only miss out on a few extra hours of battery backup if you opt for that. I believe it will be phased out soon and should stop being a concern for the Z3. However, the Bullets Wireless Z2 ANC sells for just Rs 250 more, and for that small premium, you get active noise cancellation, better sound and more tweaks through the app, making it a much better value proposition.
The Z3 is not a bad product but it is certainly a missed opportunity for OnePlus given the amount of time they had to create something remarkable in this segment again.
