Noise Master Buds. Photo: Noise, Sound By Bose
If you hadn’t heard of Noise before, you would likely recognize another logo in its vicinity – that of audio giant Bose. As it turns out, Noise’s new Master Buds true wireless earbuds come under the “Sound by Bose” product tag.
Bose has been a strategic investor in Noise, which makes audio products like the Master Buds the closest, most accessible offerings from the company usually known for high-end headphones and speakers. It’s not just association, though, because there’s something about the Noise Master Buds in terms of quality that certainly live up to the Bose reputation.
For starters, it’s so comfortably well-balanced in transparency mode that you may not even need noise cancelation if you’re already in a fairly quiet environment, like a work from home office. Either way, the active noise canceling promises cancelation up to 49 dB, which is pretty excellent across genres we tested out in settings ranging from cafes to flights to living rooms.
The sleek-looking Onyx (black) pair of Noise Master Buds are immediately noticeable for being super lightweight. The case is 40 grams and each earbud weighs 4.2 grams, which makes this easy to slip into your pockets or bags without a thought. Sure, the U-shaped design is a bit different, but they’ve got to do something to stand out. There’s a vinyl needle-inspired light bar on the case is a nice touch of future nostalgia and the earbuds themselves are simple and aimed at comfort wear. Google Fast Pair mostly takes care of connecting seamlessly when you’ve got Bluetooth on, but there is a pairing button on the back of the case, with a USB-C charging port on the bottom.
That’s really where people may have an issue with the Noise Master Buds – it seems to choose simplicity, functionality and delivering solid sound quality worthy of the Bose name over any kind of clutter-breaking design. In providing these easy-to-handle earbuds, Noise doesn’t really make them stand out (even the colors silver, onyx and titanium are playing it safe) in terms of looks, but once you pop them in your ears, you know you’ve got a winner on your hands.
There are three mics on each earbud, which certainly makes calls and voice recordings hassle-free. This might look like getting the basics right, but Noise Master Buds take a few steps ahead of the competition with their 12.4mm driver and battery that can give up to 44 hours of playback (with active noise cancelation off, using the earbuds and case fully charged). 10 minutes of charge apparently opens up usage for six hours, under the above combination. With active noise cancelation on, Noise Master Buds can go up to 34 hours, with case and earbuds fully charged.
Everything from metal to EDM to jazz and fusion can be EQ-ed into satisfaction with the Noise Master Buds on the Noise Audio app, although the app could use a few updates to keep settings and devices assuredly saved. What these earbuds do is become a sensible medium for genres, not opting for that usual bass-boosted sound. There’s clarity and that’s often all that matters to the listener, although others do expect that punchy sound every now and then, which is not what the Noise Master Buds are about.
If you want a sublime sound, then Noise Master Buds deliver on that front. Priced at ₹7,999, this is a great buy and can give some competition to the likes of the slightly fancier, higher-priced OnePlus Buds Pro 3. It can’t compete with anything the original Bose offers, but the Noise Master Buds still pack in a great sound.