OPPO Enco X review: Competitively priced near-perfect premium ANC earbuds

Priced at Rs 9,990, the OPPO Enco X seems to be a competitively priced pair of true wireless earbuds for those who seek a premium experience. But are they really good? Khalid Anzar finds out

As OPPO continues to expand its audio category, fresh in its line-up is a premium pair of wireless earbuds. Named the Enco X, these true wireless earbuds boast a premium design complemented by flagship features like active noise cancellation, touch controls, and wireless charging. Priced at Rs 9,990, the OPPO Enco X seems to be a competitively priced pair of true wireless earbuds for those who seek a premium experience. But are they really good? Let’s find out:

Design

It is good to see OPPO continuing its efforts to add finesse to its true wireless earbuds’ design language. Though the OPPO Enco X sports a familiar in-ear design with a stem protruding from the earbuds, it has a smaller form factor than OPPO’s previous wireless earbuds. Made of plastic, these earbuds have a glossy finish with a silver mesh on the speaker grille and microphone and silver-coloured charging connectors at the bottom end of the stems. The glossy profile makes it a bit difficult to pick the earbuds out from their charging-cum-storage case. Moreover, they are prone to accidental drops because of small and unstable footprints. As for quality, the earbuds seem to have a durable and sturdy build. They might withstand everyday abuse, but they do easily become dirty and require regular cleaning to stay in good condition. The Enco X is IP54-rated for water and dust resistance.

As for the charging-cum-storage case, it is a pebble-shaped unit with a glossy plastic finish on the front and back, and a silver metallic strip sandwiched in between. There is a pairing button on the right, and USB-C charging port at the bottom. On the front, there is a tiny LED battery indicator that doubles up as the pairing light indicator. The back, surprisingly, is not boring and features a ‘Co-created with Dynaudio’ engraving on the case’s lid hinge. Important to note that the Enco X charging case supports wireless charging – something some in the segment lack. Speaking of the hinge, it is made of metallic with a strong feedback. It is easy to open and close, and does not require much effort to operate.

Features and performance

The Oppo Enco X is powered by Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, but it is also backward compatible with other versions of Bluetooth. The earbuds support OPPO’s Binaural low-latency transmission, which allows you to use one earbud at a time. Compatible with both Android and iOS devices, these earbuds work with a range of smartphones, tablets, and other supported devices with Bluetooth connectivity. However, they are best suited to work with OPPO smartphones running on Android 11 operating system-based ColorOS 11 user interface. That is because OPPO’s customised user interface brings extra value-added features in Bluetooth settings to improve the earbuds’ performance.

As for other Android devices, there is a supplementary app named ‘Hey Melody’, which enables basic earbuds management, besides touch control customisation options. A good thing about the app is that it lets you test the earbuds so that you get the best experience. Besides, the app shows the case and earbuds’ battery and lets you upgrade the firmware, whenever available. The app support is appreciated, but the absence of basic functionalities like equalisers, sound profiles, etc, make the app wanting, especially for pro users. The app is currently limited to Android devices only and lacks support for Apple devices like iPhones and iPad.

The earbuds support LHDC (Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec) besides SBC and AAC. But then there are not many smartphones compatible with LHDC. Therefore, the OPPO Enco X mostly uses AAC as standard for audio transmission. The OPPO Enco X impresses nonetheless with a rich sound signature. These earbuds’ audio output is neither bass- nor treble-heavy; it is balanced. That said, the earbuds’ sound output is rich with crisp trebles, deep bass and clear vocals. It is one of the few earbuds that work well for most music genres. They also work well for calls. There are three microphones on each earbud, and each microphone has its own function. These functions together improve the voice call experience.

As for value-added features, there is active noise cancellation paired with the transparency mode. The active noise cancellation is effective but not as aggressive in isolating the external ambience noise as one would expect from a set of premium wireless earbuds. Similarly, the transparency mode is efficient but not intense. Therefore, you sometimes need to take off the earbuds to properly listen to people talking to you.

For ease of use, there are touch and gesture controls. The touch controls support limited customisation through the Hey Melody app. For example, double taps on the left and right earbuds can be configured to play/pause audio, move to the previous audio track, and move to the next audio track. Similarly, triple tap on either earbud can be configured to enable voice assistant. The touch-and-hold function is customizable, too, but it lets you select only two options from the four noise-cancelling features – noise cancellation off, noise cancellation on, max noise cancellation and transparency. As for gesture controls, they are limited to volume. Swipe up and down gesture on any earbud incrementally raises or lowers the volume.

Battery

The Oppo Enco X is powered by a 44 mAh battery on each earbud, and an additional 535 mAh battery in the charging case. On a single charge, the earbuds last about four hours on max ANC, and five hours on normal ANC with volume set at 50 per cent. At full volume, the battery life comes down to three hours on max ANC and less than four hours on ANC. With ANC disabled, the earbuds work for about seven hours at peak volume levels. The case is good enough to charge completely drained out earbuds fully at least twice. Charging the case and earphones takes about an hour and a half through wired charging and about three hours through a supported Qi wireless charger.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 9,990, the OPPO Enco X is a near-perfect pair of premium true wireless earbuds. It would have been perfect if it was supported by a feature-rich app compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Nevertheless, the earbuds are good for music and calls. They are the go-to entry-level premium earbuds with a distinct design, good audio, functional ANC, and a decent battery life. Among alternatives, you might like to try the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (review) if you can spend a little more. These earbuds are supported by a top-notch Galaxy Wearable app and tons of value-added feature.