OPPO Enco series earphones – Buds, Air, Free2, and X – too good to ignore (AV review)
OPPO makes great phones – among the best across all price points. In fact, its OPPO FindX3 Pro is CyberShack’s best phone of 2021. OPPO’s heritage is sound, and the OPPO Enco series earphones reflect some serious design work for great sound and value.
We are combining this review covering the Buds, Air, Free2 and X. It is clear that this is a good, better, best scenario, and the Enco X takes that a step further to ‘bester’.
These are all Qualcomm True Wireless (TWS means each bud works independently for single mono and stereo) with the additional feature set that provides. Setup is so easy – use Bluetooth or download the OPPO HeyMelody app for more features. All tests were on an OPPO FindX3 Pro.
CyberShack view – OPPO Enco series earphones are the hidden gems of the bud world
We spend two days each with the buds. Battery life is an extrapolation of that. We can’t measure absolute volume and frequency response – only tell you if it sounds good with our test tracks. Cybershack then uses a consistent comparative chart approach (same for all buds tested) from 2022 onwards that allows you to compare different buds on an ‘apples for apples’ basis.
Bottom line – It is a shame that retailers don’t allow tests because you have to hear these to believe them. Go to the OPPO online store now.
Sound signature: We test using a range of music. Read our guide and play the sample tracks How to tell if you have good music (sound signature is the key).
Comfort: Assume that these are all comfortable to wear unless noted.
Overall, if you buy an OPPO Phone (and it is the #2 Android phone brand in Australia), grab a set of OPPO buds, and don’t forget the $329/$400 OPPO Watch using Google Wear. I use that every day.
OPPO Enco series earphones
OPPO Enco Buds $99
We did not review these but included them because they are entry-level $99 in-ear-canal buds and don’t use the mini-stalk design. Their specs are below in the table. Other reviews tend to rate about 8/10 and point out the inexpensive cost (especially for BT 5.2, AI hands-free, 80ms game mode latency, IP54, real TWS and excellent sound. Having reviewed the rest I concur.
OPPO Enco Air ($149)
It competes squarely with the Apple AirPods – both via its design and adding several more features. It has a good punchy sound signature, fast charging, and class-average battery life. No ANC, but you don’t get that at this price.
I hate AirPods with their dorky stalk, so it was a relief to see OPPO has about 60% of that protrusion. I like the Pod style that does not have in-ear tips, but that means no passive noise isolation. Just on that point, if you wear in-ear-canal hearing aids, you can use these buds.
Review comments
They are comfortable but, like all POD styles, are pretty easy to knock out, so strenuous exercise may be an issue even though they have an IP54 rating.
Touch controls are sensitive – perhaps overly – but overall, they work. You can assign different controls to each stalk.
Battery life claim of 4 hours (at 50% volume), and we found closer to 75% was better and achieved 3hrs and 33 minutes. The rapid charge is terrific – a few minutes in the case, and you are all go for a few more hours.
Hands-free is good with dual mics on each stalk. The lower ones beamform to cut out extraneous noise near you, and the top ones reduce environmental noise via OPPOs AI noise reduction.
Sound-wise it depends on your ear fit. I experienced terrific punchy bass (mid-bass) and crystal-clear highs. But my partner had a different experience because PODs don’t suit her tiny ears. I needed to occasionally reposition them to get that excellent sound back.
Sound stage – about equal to your ears (which all PODs do). But it aced the Dolby Atmos test with excellent 360° 3D spatial sound appearing to come from outside your head. I could listen to these all day (and did for two days).
CyberShack view – no fuss, great AirPod knock off without the Apple walled garden ecosystem. It is a $149 class leader in every way.
OPPO Enco Free2 ($199)
ANC is all about ear fit. The App has a test that enables you to select the right sized tip. That accounts for about half the noise isolation, and the other is the ANC circuitry that removes up to 42dB noise.
Hands-free uses three mics on each bud. One is beamformed to your voice, another hears ambient noise, and the internal mic reprocesses sound to remove that noise for crystal clear voice and no wind or environmental noise.
Sound-wise it depends on your ear tip fit and whether your use the personalised hearing test. Great mid-high bass (50-200Hz so you get the punch), solid mid (for clear voice) and decent low-mid treble for ‘atmosphere’. Crystal clear sound if you tune them to your ears via the App.
Sound stage – about the width of your head. But Dolby Atmos is superb, giving it a wide 360° spatial sound stage with sound appearing to be up to a metre away. (Dolby Atmos capable phone required).
CyberShack view – these punch well above their weight, competing with earphones up to the $300 mark. The personalised hearing profile (hearing test) is fabulous, making these ideal for any hearing-impaired person.
OPPO Enco X Dynaudio ($349)
Dynaudio is a Danish Hi-Fi company with a strong sound tuning pedigree and a penchant for authentic and natural sounds. The result is DBEE 3.0 (Dynamic Bass enhancement engine). I can attest that it gives clearer audio, deeper bass, and superb clarity. LHDC (Low latency and High-Definition audio codec – the phone must support this codec) means minimal lag. To my ears, every sound was clearer and every tone more distinct.
Review comments
ANC is in three levels – Max, Standard, transparent and off. Max will block aircraft noise, but as with all ANC, this means sounds are slightly compressed. I prefer standard for just that little extra music sparkle. It has the ear fit test as well – don’t worry if you only get an average score.
Hands-free is very similar to Free2 but with even more external noise reduction.
Sound-wise it depends on your ear tip fit. Dynaudio tuning and the EQ come to the fore here. The Warm and Sweet setting is superb for most genre controlling that sometimes harsh upper-level treble – it is smooth. Lots of bass, solid mids and controlled treble make this a listening pleasure.
It’s a tough call between the Free2 and this. The former tailors its sound to your hearing and reinforces frequencies you can’t hear. This is almost the opposite – it focuses on audio perfection, and well – it is superb.
The sound stage is still within your head – about as wide as the gap between your ears. But left/right (2D) separation is among the best I have seen. Dolby Atmos tests are spectacular given sounds appearing to come from up to a meter away (Dolby Atmos capable phone required).
CyberShack view – Enco X Dynaudio competes strongly against Sennheiser Momentum, Bose Quiet Comfort, Sony WF-1000XM4. Without re-reviewing the competition, it is hard to say if it is better or worse in certain areas. I think OPPO designed the Enco X to knock them all off and probably succeeded.
Earphone comparison chart – OPPO Enco series earphones
| Earphone comparison chart | Buds | Air | Free2 | X Dynaudio |
| ET181 | ET161 | ET171 | ET151 | |
| STYLE | ||||
| POD (not in-ear canal) | No | Yes | Mini-stalk | Mini stalk |
| Buds | In-ear canal | No | in-ear canal | In-ear canal |
| Sports (with wing) | No | No | No | No |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP54 | IP54 | IP54 |
| Ear tip type | Small, medium and large silicon tips | POD style | Small, medium and large silicon tips | Small, medium and large silicon tips |
| Colour | White | Mist White or Misty Black | White | Black, White, Mint Green |
| Class | Entry-level | Mid-range | Upper mid-range | Premium |
| CONNECTION | ||||
| Cabled | No | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Codecs | SBC and AAC | SBC and AAC | SBC and AAC | SBC, AAC, LDHC |
| A2DP, AVRCP, HFP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| True Wireless (Qualcomm) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Fast Pair | Rapid Pair | Rapid pair | Rapid Pair | Rapid Pair |
| Windows Swift pair | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Multipoint | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |
| SIZE | ||||
| Weight each grams | 4 | Approx 3g | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Dimensions W x H x D mm | 22x 19.6 x 22.7 | 35.8 x 18.9 x 17.7 |
Specs continued
| CONTROLS | Buds | Air | Free2 | X |
| Type | Touch volume, track, voice assistants | Same | Touch volume, track, voice assistants, ANC | Same |
| Autopause | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| NOISE | ||||
| ANC | No | No | On/off/tranparent 42dB | Max Noise Cancellation /Noise Cancellation/Transparency/Noise Cancellation Off |
| Ambient passthrough | N/A | N/A | Transparent | Noise Cancellation mode |
| Conversation mode | N/A | N/A | Transparent | Transparent |
| Game mode | 80ms suitable for games (with suitable smartphone) | 80ms for games (with suitable smartphone) | Yes | Yes |
| AUDIO | ||||
| Speaker size mm | 8 | 12 | 12 | 11mm triple layer driver and a 6mm balanced membrane driver |
| Frequency response | 20Hz-20kHz | 20Hz-20kHz | 20Hz-20kHz | 20Hz-20KHz |
| Impedance | ? | ? | ? | |
| Driver sensitivity 1kHZ/1mw (dB) | 100.6 | 112 | 103 | 104 |
| BATTERY (unless cabled) | ||||
| mAh in each bud | 40 | 25 | 41 | 44 |
| mAh in case | 400 | 440 | 480 | 535 |
| Case charge type (USB or Qi) | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C and Qi |
| Case size/weight | 67 x 40.4 c 27.2 x 27/2g | 60 x 53.2 x 23.5mm x 22g | 40g | 41 |
| Charge voltage rating | 5V/.5A /2.5W | 5V/.5A /2.5W | 5V/.5A/2.5W | 5V/.5A/2.5W |
| Battery time excluding case ANC off | 6 | 4 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| Battery time excluding case ANC on | N/A | N/A | 4 | 4 |
| Additional battery time in case hours | 18 | 20 | 16/23.5 | 16/19.5 |
| Charge time case | 120-150 min | 1.5hrs and 10min for 8hrs use | 1.5 hrs | 80-110min |
Specs continued
| APP | Buds | Air | Free2 | X |
| Number on each bud | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Other | AI mic noise cancellation | AI mic noise cancellation | AI mic noise cancellation | AI mic noise cancellation |
| VOICE ASSISTANT | ||||
| Type | Google, Alexa and Siri | Google, Alexa and Siri | Google, Alexa and Siri | |
| APP | OPPO HeyMelody | same | same | same |
| Features | Earbud fit test (for ANC) | Earbud fit test (for ANC) | ||
| EQ | No | No | Default/Dynaudio simple and clear/Dynaudio warm and soft | |
| Find my buds | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other | ? | Has a Dolby Atmos link (possibly phone dependent) | Personalised ANC Personalised Sound boost | |
| Spatial | Dolby Atmos link | Dolby Atmos link | ||
| OS support | App for Android and iOS | same | Can use BT system settings or App | Can use BT system settings or App |
| SPECIAL FEATURES | ||||
| Hearing test and personalisation |
General, rating, Pro and Con
| GENERAL | Buds | Air | Free2 | X |
| Website | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Warranty | 12 months | same | same | same |
| Price | $99 | $149 | $199 | $349 |
| From | ||||
| Accessories included | Small, Medium, Large Buds and USB-A to USB-C charge cable | USB-A to USB-C charge cable | Small, Medium, Large Buds and USB-A to USB-C charge cable | Same |
| MISSING | ||||
| Qi | Qi | Qi | ||
| ANC | ANC | |||
| PRO 1 | Not reviewed | It’s a better AirPod | I love the ear test – it should be a feature of all apps | Same |
| 2 | Very comfortable | Hearing test personalisation makes it attractive to hearing impaired | MIA | |
| 3 | Good battery | Same | Same | |
| 4 | Excellent sound | Same | Better than excellent sound with the Dynaudio Tuning | |
| 5 | ||||
| CON 1 | None really | None really | ||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| RATING | ||||
| Features | 8 | 8.00 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| entry level with AI hands-free clarity | Same | One of the most fully-featured Apps with custom hearing profiles based on a hearing test | It has everything other flagships offer. I wish it had the Free2 hearing test, but that defeats the Dynaudio tuning | |
| Value | 9 | 9.00 | 10 | 10 |
| At $99 with IP54, they are a bargain | At $149, they are a class leader | At $179, I don’t know how OPPO do it – these are class leaders even in the <$300 bracket | Worth every cent even compared to Sony, Bose, Sennheiser | |
| Performance | Not tested | 9.00 | 9 | 9.5 |
| Excellent sound | Custom sound is perfect for hearing impaired | Superb Dynaudio warm and sweet setting | ||
| Ease of use | 9 | 9.00 | 9 | 9.5 |
| ? | Rapid Pair and great app | Same | Same | |
| Design | 9 | 8.00 | 8 | 8 |
| I am not an AirPod style lover | Same | Same | Stalks – OK, I could get used to them | |
| Score /10 | Not reviewed but assume 8 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 9.3 |
OPPO Enco series earphones
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