For your situation, I'd actually be a bit cautious about overspending since OxygenOS can be a bit finicky with third-party LHDC support sometimes. If you want to stay under that $150 limit and still get a premium experience, I honestly think the OnePlus+Buds+3&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus Buds 3 are the smartest move right now. I've been super satisfied with them; they basically give you 90% of the Pro features like low latency for gaming and LHDC 5.0 support for way less money.

You can usually find them for around $80 to $90, which is a total steal compared to the Pro 2s. If you really want better noise cancellation though, you could look at the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC which are often on sale for about $70-100. They're great, but just be aware that the 'ecosystem' fast-pairing might not be as smooth as using native OnePlus+gear&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus gear. Personally, I'm happy sticking with the first-party stuff to avoid any connection headaches, you know? gl!

sooo i just saw your post and i gotta weigh in cuz i tend to be pretty cautious with third-party gear when high-quality codecs are involved. honestly, while the ecosystem stuff is cool, you gotta be careful with compatibility on the OnePlus+Nord+4&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus Nord 4 since oxygenos can sometimes be picky with non-oneplus+buds+for+low+latency&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">oneplus buds for low latency gaming.

if youre looking for an alternative to the usual picks, i would suggest checking out the Sony WF-1000XM5. they are technically incredible for noise cancellation, probably the best you can get, but i mean... they might be a bit over your $150 budget unless you find a solid sale. a safer, more budget-friendly bet for high-res audio would be the EarFun Air Pro 3. they actually support aptx adaptive which is great for the nord 4, and the latency is surprisingly low for gaming.

just make sure to check if the firmware is updated right away cuz i've seen some weird connection drops on older versions. also, if you go with the OnePlus+Buds+Pro+2&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus Buds Pro 2, you get that lhdc 5.0 support which is basically the gold standard for your specific phone... but the anc isnt quite as "dead silent" as the sony ones. i guess it just depends if you value the raw anc power or the seamless software integration more. anyway, hope that helps! gl with the new phone!! 👍

Can confirm

Ok so I've been using OnePlus phones for like five years now and tbh, the ecosystem synergy is actually legit. For your Nord 4, I'd 100% go with the OnePlus+Buds+Pro+2&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus Buds Pro 2. Since you mentioned LHDC support, these are basically built for that—you get that spatial audio and super low latency that makes gaming actually playable without that annoying lag. Plus, the Fast Pair on OxygenOS is sooo seamless, it's basically instant.

If you want the absolute best noise cancelling tho, Sony WF-1000XM5 is the king, but it might stretch your $150 budget unless you find a crazy sale. Another solid shout is the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC if you wanna save some cash; the ANC is surprisingly beefy for the price. But honestly, for the Nord 4? The integration with the Pro 2s is just too good to pass up imo. gl!

Honestly, I’m gonna disagree a bit with the idea that you HAVE to stay within the OnePlus ecosystem to get the best out of the Nord 4. If you’re a bit more of a technical user and don’t mind a little DIY tuning, you can actually get better audio fidelity elsewhere. I’ve found that manually diving into the 'Developer Options' on OxygenOS to force higher LHDC bitrates or specific aptX profiles makes a huge difference, regardless of the brand. Here are a couple of alternatives that give you SO much more control: * Nothing Ear (2024): These are basically an enthusiast's dream. They support LHDC 5.0 and the app has a 'Personal Sound Profile' and an Advanced EQ that lets you tweak the Q-factor and frequency response. It’s way more granular than the OnePlus Buds settings.
* EarFun Air Pro 4: Well actually, for a budget pick, these are insane. They support aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound, which the Nord 4 handles perfectly. The ecosystem synergy is nice for the pop-up window, but if you want to geek out on the actual soundstage, going third-party and using an app like Wavelet for system-wide EQ is the way to go.

Interested in this too