Not all new smartphones come with headphones in the box, and only in the rarest situations are those in the package worth using. What about headphones from a manufacturer of smartphones, which you have to purchase separately? Are they worth buying, about a few made by a recognized audio brand? Apple has proven with the AirPods that people will respond to such a product – but that is Apple. OnePlus has released its own add-on earplugs in addition to the OnePlus 6 phone in the Bullets Wireless. A pair of headphones in neckband style, Bluetooth headphones, they are not made to work specifically with the OnePlus 6, but they share many of the aspects that make this phone so desirable; namely high performance, good looks, and a low price.

OnePlus charges $ 70 for the Bullets Wireless, about half of what you'll pay for a set of BeatsX or Shure's beautiful SE112 with which they can be compared. Cheap headphones usually sound good, cheap. OnePlus, however, has used some magic to make the Bullets Wireless sound better than you would expect and also incredibly comfortable to wear. Do not let yourself be stopped from a headset for once, because then you miss a bargain.

Slim buttons

The technology behind the Bullets Wireless is hidden in the two small pods that are connected by a thin band that falls around your neck, similar in design with the faulty Pixel buttons from Google. On the right pod there is a single power and Bluetooth synchronization button and a USB Type-C connector for charging. Only 10 minutes of charging yields five hours of use, which is a great benefit for the forgetful person who is about to leave the house. Fully charge for one hour and the headset should last at least eight hours. This applies to our limited early test.

The cable leading to each pod is chattering for your chin, but it is not long enough to hit anything. The earplugs are magnetically clamped together, which is also a smart way to manage the power because they are disconnected from your phone, playback is interrupted and goes on standby when you cut them together. Pull them apart, and they come back together quickly and a push on the in-line remote picks up the music where you left off.

This works very well if they hang around your neck, but not as well as they are deposited in a bag because they are easily released. This means that they are connected to your phone, turn on the power and stop your phone from playing audio through the speakers. Fortunately, OnePlus contains a funky, bright red silicone carrying bag with the Bullets Wireless, and if you pack them carefully, it is possible to prevent this problem.

There are three different earplugs in silicon – small, medium and large – plus a choice of three earlobe braces that hold the tips in your ear. Fortunately, these are all separate, so you do not have to use the support if you do not want to. We used the medium tips with the medium supports, so they came out of the box and they were perfect. The wing-like supports greatly increase stability, and kept the Bullets Wireless extremely safe during a gym session. The whole setup is very light, the tops do not slip and are not heavy, so they do not pull on your ears and even if you do not use them, they hang almost imperceptibly around your neck.

Sweet sounds

We have connected to the OnePlus 6, an iPhone X and an Apple Watch. The sound is excellent, full of character and depth, with a strong bass response from these surprisingly compact buds. The sound is well rounded, with a relatively flat mood that does not overly emphasize the vocal or bass line. It is a very pleasant listening experience and the volume produced is also impressive. Despite the comfort of the earplugs, however, they do not isolate you effectively from the noisy world around you.

Google Assistant is supported, but may not work fully with devices other than those made by OnePlus. It is also mentioned on the Bullets Wireless promotion page. The pause and resume display using the magnetic lock may only work with the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T or OnePlus 6; but it worked without problems with our iPhone X.

If there is a misstep, that is the lack of AptX HD. Yes, the Bullets Wireless use AptX; but the OnePlus 6 is one of the few AptX HD phones available today, and buyers of the phone are probably also the most important potential buyers of the Bullets Wireless. It is unfortunate that they will not enjoy the great benefits of AptX HD streaming if they do. Certainly, at this level the returns on better quality streaming may not be as important as some more expensive models, but we would have appreciated the shot.

Conclusion

So, should you buy the Bullets Wireless? Absolutely. The sound quality goes far beyond what we expect from $ 70 wireless headphones, and the level of comfort is high enough for hours of effortless wear. They also look cool and unlike most fully cordless headphones, you should not seem gross if they get stuck in your ears. There is minimal branding, the color is muted, so it fits everything, but the red flashes still give them style.

The OnePlus 6 of $ 530 offers almost identical performance as phones that cost several hundred dollars more and the company has pulled the same trick with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless $ 70 headphones. Buy them to enjoy a pleasant sound, decent bass and wearing comfort, all for a price that undermines rivals.