Moto Buds+ review: bose’d it!

Published On: June 18, 2024

Motorola has ventured into the audio segment with style. The company has partnered with the renowned audio brand Bose for its first-ever TWS earphones, called Moto Buds+. However, the buds don’t come cheap, and the asking price of Rs 9,999 doesn’t make them an easy buy for everyone. But if they are within your budget, the Moto Buds+ could be among the best earbuds for their bass-heavy audio profile. The pair also impresses with its features, active noise cancellation (ANC), and battery life.

Read on to discover all the pros and cons of the buds in this Moto Buds+ review.

Table of Contents

Design and fit

Motorola doesn’t seem to have put much effort into the design of the Buds+. Inspired by the OnePlus Buds Pro, these stem-shaped TWS earphones come in a rectangular case sporting a matte finish. Both the case and the earbuds are made of plastic. While this isn’t a bad design choice per se, more was expected from Motorola, a company renowned for producing some of the most stylish smartphones.

Be that as it may, you will appreciate the compact form factor of the Moto Buds+. The case measures 59.87 x 48.97 x 24.84 mm and weighs just 43 grams. Additionally, it’s easy to pocket, owing to its curved edges. The iconic ‘Moto’ dimple is on the lid, and just below it, text that reads ‘sound by Bose’ is etched, generating considerable hype. However, it is to be noted that the Bose partnership with Motorola only extends to certification for the earbuds; the tuning and drivers remain Motorola’s choice.

The case features a Type-C port on the bottom edge for charging. There is also support for wireless charging. The front edge flaunts an LED light for charging, pairing, and battery status, as well as a small slit for easy access to the buds inside. The lid opens almost 90 degrees; however, doing so single-handedly is not as convenient as the Apple AirPods. The buds lay horizontally inside the case. While magnets keep them firmly in place, they can easily be pulled out when needed using your fingers.

The Moto earbuds complement the matte surface of the case. On the outer side of the stem, there is a small mesh and a shiny ring, which looks quite subtle on the black colour variant I received for review. The inner shell of the buds features another mesh and a couple of charging pins. These in-ear buds come with silicone tips in different sizes. The medium size is pre-installed, with small and large sizes included in the box to ensure the Buds+ fit most ears comfortably.

The buds provide a decent fit and don’t fall off easily, even when you deliberately shake your head. However, you might want to consider other options if you need earbuds for workouts. Despite being IPX4 sweat-resistant, the silicone tips lose their grip when they get wet. However, for regular use, the Moto Buds+ perform well. Their lightweight design makes them comfortable for prolonged use.

App support and features

The Moto Buds+ supports Bluetooth v5.3 for effortless pairing with any device, be it an Android mobile phone or an iPhone. Additionally, it boasts multi-device connectivity, enabling simultaneous pairing with multiple devices. This can be done using a pairing button on the case itself. However, managing the buds requires an Android device, as the companion Moto Buds app is not currently available on the Apple App Store.

The app enables you to tailor the buds to your liking by adjusting the EQ settings, tweaking touch controls/gestures, managing wear detection, minimising latency, playing audio in high resolution, and selecting from various noise control presets. It boasts the most comprehensive customisable options I have encountered in a companion app for earphones. Additionally, the app is easy to navigate thanks to its user-friendly interface. The Buds+ supports both adaptive and Active Noise cancellation (ANC) – more on this later. Other features include Dolby Atmos support, Dolby Head tracking, Hi-res certification, and Google’s Fast Pair.

Sound quality and ANC

Coming to the sound quality, the Moto Buds+ does reasonably well with its 11mm dynamic divers and 6mm micro planar. These have been tuned by Bose to deliver thumpy bass, without overshadowing any of the mids or highs. Additionally, the buds offer support for premium audio codecs, including LHDC 5.0 and AAC. The latter was the go-to codec on my Pixel 8, which also provides you the option to enable Spatial Audio and Head Tracking for an immersive and more natural audio experience.

I listened to my usual playlist through the earbuds, ranging from Eminem’s latest Houdini to some of the classics such as Chaiyya Chaiyya, Hey Jude, Left and Right, Hotel California, Demons, and more. While the soundstage of the Buds+ isn’t as wide as that of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, the former offer impressive performance for their price point. The buds captured all the intrinsic beats of the song Chaiyya Chaiyya so well that the music composed by A.R. Rahman, the multiple instruments were mostly discernible.

The vocals didn’t sound as clear as I wanted out of the box, but a simple tweak in the EQ settings made the buds sound match my preference. However, if you enjoy a richer musical experience like that in “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, then the default settings should suffice. There’s also an option to boost the bass via the companion app. Furthermore, the Buds+ gets decently loud and supports lossless audio, which does make a difference.

Moving on, the Moto Buds+ boasts up to 46db of noise cancellation. While it may not be ground-breaking, it assists in effectively blocking out moderately loud background noises such as that of traffic and the metro. The transparency mode works as advertised; however, if you prefer less distraction, you can switch to adaptive mode, which lets you focus on the music while remaining aware of your surroundings.

Battery life and call quality

The Moto Buds+ deliver standard battery life. The earbuds promise to provide up to 38 hours of playback with the case. They offer up to 7 hours of battery life with ANC between charges, which matches my testing. I didn’t need to look for a charger for at least 10 days, with roughly two hours of daily usage on average. The buds support quick charging, providing at least 3 hours of playback time with just 10 minutes of charging. A full charge can be achieved within a couple of hours. Additionally, the Moto Buds+ supports wireless charging via any Qi-compatible wireless charging pad or smartphone with reverse wireless charging capabilites.

The buds perform respectably well in terms of call quality. Each bud is equipped with three microphones, enhanced by CrystalTalk AI, which includes an advanced anti-wind noise algorithm to improve voice clarity. While the AI doesn’t make the audio perfectly clear, it handles moderately loud environments effectively, although you may need to repeat yourself occasionally. Additionally, the vacuum-like feeling on calls might irritate some.

Verdict

The Moto Buds+ seems to be justifying its asking price. The collaboration with Bose is yielding some positive results, with Motorola earbuds providing commendable bass-forward sound quality. Furthermore, they offer an impressive array of features, including support for hi-res audio, head-tracking, and Dolby Atmos, as well as appealing ANC, multi-device connectivity, and a comprehensive app for customisation. The battery life of the buds seems on par with its competitors too.

While the Moto Buds+ may lack the visual flair of the Nothing Buds (review) or the feature-rich nature of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, they are still a noteworthy option to consider within their price range at least for Android users.