JOIN USOppo Enco Air2 review: Value-for-money budget earphones
Besides the long list of smartphones, Oppo also has a good set of earphones with wide-ranging budgets in its collection.
The Enco Air2 is one of the latest affordable TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds to join Oppo's product portfolio. I used Enco Air2 for a little over a week and here are my thoughts.
Design and build quality
The Enco Air2 is really similar to Apple AirPods but comes with minor tweaks.
Initially, I was a bit skeptical about the unisize design of earbuds, as just one size cannot fit all types of ear canals of people. Most prefer earbuds with soft silicone ear tips. But, I am very impressed with the Enco Air 2, as the earbuds' conical plastic ear tips are a little slim at the end, and was able to fit my ear comfortably and have less scope of slipping away from the ears while jogging.
I even tried doing a short burst of running for 50 metres and I have to note that, it managed to hang in there.
However, I had the anxiety of losing them on the bus during rush hours while I manage to hold on to the handle grip of the bus's ceiling. As you can see from the cover photos throughout this article, I still have those two Enco Air2 earbuds, which I will be to returning them back to Oppo soon.
The earphones come with an IPX4 rating, meaning the device can sustain accidental water spillage and also a mild rain shower. I did not test this aspect, but if you, the buyer, ever face this situation, always wipe the earbuds clean with a dry cloth before putting them back in the case.
User-experience and performance
Setting up and pairing the earbuds with the phone is really simple. Just have to open the lid and with the Bluetooth 5.2 tech, the Enco Air2 name pops up instantly in the Bluetooth devices list.
Also, there is the HeyMelody app that offers value-added features such as a battery life indicator and also equaliser to enhance the listening experience.
Also, the touch sensors on the back of the earbuds are really good. Long touch on the left side reduces the volume and doing the same thing on the other side, increases the volume.
Double-tap on either of the earbuds will take you next track. Also, if you are operating a camera, you can take photos with a double-click gesture.
If you want to enable the triple tap feature to trigger game mode, but is off by default has to be switched on via MyMelody app settings.
It boasts binaural synchronous transmission technology, which promises audio on the earphone is in sync with the video played on the phone.
Also, it houses 13.4 mm dynamic driver and promises to deliver really good bass and vocals.
Like, all the earphone reviews I have done over the years, I tried testing its audio quality, by listening to music tracks of different genres of music including hip hop, rock, blues, and even Carnatic. Enco Air2 delivers a really good sound output, way better than any of its peers in the sub-Rs 5,000 price range.
Though it does not offer an Active Noise Cancellation feature, it has the watered-down feature of AI-noise canceling only for voice calls. The unisize design with no air-lock feature, the device works with its audio driver, microphone's sensitivity, and Oppo's algorithm to reduce the outside environment's noise, but only to an extent. For instance, if you are in an office, it works great. But, outdoors stuck in heavy traffic with horns blaring all around, the earphones do manage to deliver decent audio of the speaker on the other side, better than rival brands.
Also, it supports a 10-meter wireless range, for clear audio delivery from the phone. As far as the battery life is concerned, it can offer up to 4 hours straight. Each earbud comes with a 27mAh battery and the case come with a 440mAh capacity cell. Together, they can deliver for up to 24 hours.
I never faced any issues with battery life, as I never went beyond three and half hours even while listening to the music while commuting (my average travel time between house to the office, vice-versa is two and half hours) and attending a maximum of one hour for pre-launch product briefing. The rest of the time, it gets charged through the case, and with the HeyMelody app, you can see the battery level and ensure, the case is fully charged.
It takes a maximum of two hours to fully charge the earphones with the case from zero to 100 per cent capacity.
Final thoughts
Oppo's earbuds punch above their weight to deliver such a pleasant listening experience and also offer decent battery life. The Enco Air2 now comes at top of my list of recommendations for the best among budget earphones.
Oppo Enco Air2 costs Rs 2,499 (MPR), but it is available for as low as Rs 1,999 on Flipkart.
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