I just picked up the 12R last week because my old pixel died and man this screen is amazing but I am struggling with the audio setup big time. I have a 14 hour flight to Japan coming up on Friday and I really need to get my audio situation sorted before I head to the airport. I'm basically torn between a few different options:
I just cant decide if staying in the ecosystem is actually worth it for the 12R specifically. The Sony ones are on sale right now near me for like $240 which is a bit over my $200 budget but I could stretch it if the noise canceling is that much better, but then I keep hearing that the LHDC support on the OnePlus buds makes a huge difference for high res audio if you use a OnePlus phone. Then there is the Buds 3 which are way cheaper and some people say they are almost as good as the Pros? I need to buy them like today or tomorrow at the latest so its getting kind of stressful. Does the spatial audio and fast pair actually work better with the branded buds or is it just marketing fluff? I really want the best noise canceling since I'll be stuck on a plane forever but I also want that seamless connection. Which of these is actually going to give me the best experience with this specific phone?
Just caught this thread today and wanted to share what worked for me. Honestly i am a bit of a simple user and i just wanted something that works without a headache. I ended up going with the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Velvet Black and i have been super satisfied with them. They were only about 100 bucks so well under your budget and the noise canceling is actually insane for that price point... i used them on a train recently and it was basically dead silent. They pair up with my 12R instantly every single time which was my biggest worry. I dont think you need to spend 240 on the Sonys when these do such a good job for way less. Save that extra cash for your trip because Tokyo is expensive lol. tl;dr: stick to your budget and try the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Wireless Noise Cancelling. Great battery life for that long flight and they just work.
Honestly, the whole ecosystem thing is mostly marketing fluff and it let me down. I was pretty disappointed with the <a href=" https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw= OnePlus+Buds+Pro+2+with+Dual+Drivers+and+LHDC&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p4624852.m570.l1311&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5337998953&customid=22&toolid=10001&mkevt=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">OnePlus Buds Pro 2 with Dual Drivers and LHDC because the spatial audio sounds like youre in a tin can sometimes... definitely not as good as expected for the price. If youre heading on a 14-hour flight, here is the breakdown:
Same here!
Quick reply while I have a sec. I once took a long flight with expensive buds and my ears were screaming after 5 hours... fit is everything. Be careful with the Sony WF-1000XM5 Industry Leading Noise Canceling Buds foam tips, they can get itchy. You might want to consider: