“OnePlus Bullets (V2) could be the best earphones south of Rs 2,000”

Finding a pair of good budget earphones is an eternal struggle. Most of the times, you encounter such poorly tuned sound in budget earphones that after using them it can cause you to question your faith in, and love for, music. Furthermore, most budget earphones use cables that break even if you sneeze inadvertently. That said, I’ve been reviewing budget earphones for a while now and there are some genuinely good options out there: like the Cowon EM1, Brainwavz Delta, and the SoundMagic ES18. However, a pair of budget earphones that came to our labs recently completely  took me by surprise with its incredibly detailed sound signature; making me genuinely believe that these were the best earphones – south of Rs 2,000 – I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.

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Yes, I am talking about the OnePlus Bullets (V2), which are priced at Rs 1,199.

The new variant of the Bullets uses two 9mm dynamic drivers… nothing too fancy. However, OnePlus has roped in German audio experts LOFO to create a special diaphragm using their trademark material ARYPHAN. ARYPHAN is made using polyarylate – a high-performance plastic known for its light weight and high vibration frequency. What all this essentially means for the sound is that you get a rounded, fuller sound signature, which is otherwise not possible using such small drivers. OnePlus has decided to go with thin flat cables, which don’t tangle very easily, and a straight 3.5mm plug instead of an L-plug, which is a letdown. The drivers are enclosed inside a sturdy metal housing weighing 2 grams each. I have spent hours and hours listening to all my favourite songs with no discomfort whatsoever. But, that has a lot to do with the tuning of sound as well.

 

Talking about the sound signature, I was blown away by the soundstage produced by these tiny in-ears the moment I unboxed them and plugged them in my ears. OnePlus also claims that the Bullets (V2) has gone through rigorous quality tests to ensure they sound accurate – as the manufacturer intended – from the moment you take it out of the box. In my experience, that is quite true because the Bullets (V2) really don’t need any burn in. For reference, I tested the Bullets (V2) on an iPhone 7 Plus (with the lighting-to-3.5mm dongle, of course), and a FiiO X1 2nd Gen.

Coming back to the soundstaging, the Bullets (V2) creates an immense sense of space in your head and sounds particularly impressive in atmospheric tracks like Sigur Rós’ Hoppipola or Zariya from A.R. Rahman’s Coke Studio performance. In Zariya especially, the chorus sounded ethereal and when Farah Siraj’s silky exquisite singing takes over I was immediately transported to the set.

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However, Sivamani’s exceptionally good percussion play sounded slightly subdued on the earphones, taking a backseat in the entire song. The mellowness created by the diaphragm actually affects the mids slightly relegating it to the background in music laden with multiple instruments. But, if you like acoustic music with an added emphasis on vocals, you will love the performance of the Bullets (V2).

Apart from the exceptional soundstaging, the imaging needs a special mention as the Bullets (V2) excels here as well. In the fast-paced Someone in the crowd from the movie La La Land, there are a variety of instruments that kick in all at once and I could hear each one distinctly. The bass, however, is not as attacking as the Brainwavz Delta’s, which came to the fore when I tested the earphones with the current rage Don’t let Me Down by The Chainsmokers. The low end sounds slightly boomy, which is my only niggle in the otherwise great sound signature. I also need to especially highlight the exemplary stereo separation that will surprise you and make you wonder if you are actually listening to a more expensive pair of earphones.

As far as the in-line remote with microphone is concerned, they are absolutely functional. The plastic buttons on the remote offer a pretty good tactile feedback and look like they can last longer than other cheap pairs we’ve used in the past. The microphone performance is above average too.
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While the OnePlus Bullets v2 is an incredible sounding pair of earphones, especially for its asking price, I shall refrain from stating that these are the absolute best until I get my hands on a pair of the Xiaomi In-ear Pro. Xiaomi’s earphone comes with dual drivers: one dynamic for a deeper bass response and another balanced armature driver for detailed highs. Quite honestly, a dual driver setup is unheard of in this price range and I am quite eager to test them out.

Until that happens though, the OnePlus Bullets (V2) is by far my favourite pair of earphones under Rs 2,000, apart from being my favourite OnePlus product of course. The sound signature of the Bullets (V2) feels like it is tuned by music lovers for music lovers. And, as someone who has been reviewing budget earphones for some time now, I have to tell you that I haven’t had more fun listening to music from a pair of budget earphones in such a long time.

Allow me to excuse myself, while I rock out to the familiar-yet-insane guitar riffs in Metallica’s new album Hardwired…To Self-Destruct.