CHENNAI: It’s almost impossible to imagine getting through a day without a pair of reliable TWS Bluetooth earbuds. Whether you’re at the gym or riding the metro or jumping in and out of calls, you keep leaning on your wireless earbuds. The OnePlus Buds 4 is a follow up to the brand’s Buds 3 from 2024.

The first thing you will notice is the design similarity these buds share with the more premium OnePlus Buds Pro 3 that cost approximately twice as much as the Buds 4. OnePlus opts for an oval case for the new Buds 4 and thicker earbud stems. The buds also opt for rectangular design with rounded edges that make it easier to operate the touch controls. The buds weigh under 5 gm each and feel quite light in your ear while the case is ultra-slim with a heft of just under 50 gm.

The OnePlus Buds 4 aim to bridge the gap with the more premium Pro version with some key enhancements. The most visible upgrade is the sound stage. OnePlus is playing up the 11mm diaphragm woofer and the 6mm flat diaphragm tweeter. Sound quality is a big win, these buds deliver great mids and sound terrific at the 50-60% volume levels, the ultimate test for earbuds.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is another key win. These buds offer 55dB ANC (the Buds 3 offered 50 dB) and also include a clever Adaptive Mode that switches automatically from ANC to transparency mode depending on where you are. It works well most of the time with real-time mic inputs and algorithms. It’s one of the many useful features aside from the solid battery life (up to 45 hours without ANC) that makes the OnePlus Buds 4 one of the best TWS earbuds under Rs 6K. (Rs 5,999)