Oppo Enco X Review: The best TWS Earbuds under Rs 10,000?

Oppo has been shaking things up in India's TWS market with its Enco lineup. However, Oppo's lineup has always been lacking a flagship piece; until now. The Oppo Enco X is the most premium TWS earbuds in the company's portfolio. The Enco X is priced at Rs 9,990 in India, which may seem like a lot, but Oppo is going up against the big boys with the new Enco X, we're talking Galaxy Buds Pro and Apple's AirPods Pro. So, does the Oppo Enco X live up to its 'premium' branding; stick around and let's find out.

Design

Before looking at design and build quality, I want to start off by giving props where it is due. The unboxing experience is nothing short of premium; you've got to love this packaging. Oppo has also included a set of three silicone ear tips and a charging cable in the box. Now to the headphones, which feature an in-ear design with protruding stems, much like Apple's flagship AirPods Pro. Notably, Oppo is not the first company to take a page out of Apple's playbook, and it won't be the last. The stem of the buds also features a glossy glass-like finish.

The glossy finish looks attractive, and during my time of using the buds, I didn't notice a scratch on them. Each bud also fits comfortably into the ear and stays in, even while running or working out. At 4.8 grams per buds, they don't wear you down after prolonged use. The buds also feature an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance.

Moving on to the charging case, which has a pebble shape and feels pretty smooth and looks sharp. The case has the Dynaudio branding on the back, with a charging port on the bottom and a physical button on the right side. The hinge feels solid, while the LED indicator on the front displaying battery status. The case also has a metallic band that runs through the side with the Oppo branding on top. Oppo claims that the design of the case resembles that of the Oppo MP3 X3 music player of years past.

Performance 

In terms of audio quality, Oppo's collaboration with Dynaudio is evident. The buds also use the new DBEE 3.0 Acoustic System which aids in improving audio across frequencies. The Enco X also feature Oppo's proprietary DBEE 3.0 sound system which helps improve audio across frequencies. They pack some impressive specifications with dual drivers in each earpiece that comprises of an 11mm dynamic driver for mids and lows and a 6mm balanced membrane driver for high frequencies. The frequency response on the Enco X ranges from 20Hz to 20KHz, while they also support low latency to ensure audio and video is always in sync.

The earphones support Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity with LHDC, AAC, and SBC Bluetooth codecs. On the one hand, the LHDC codec is said to be on par with aptX and LDAC in terms of transfer rates and latency. On the other hand, the LHDC codec is supported on a few Oppo devices, including the Find X2 and Find X2 Pro. Some of the newer Xiaomi devices, including the Mi 10, Poco F1, Redmi K20 Pro, and Mi Note 10, among others, also support the format. Our Mi 10i review unit also supported the codec. However, most other phones will likely have to rely on the AAC Bluetooth codec.

Now, if you are worried about not having the LHDC codec support, don't worry too much. The audio quality on the Oppo Enco X is excellent, and when you factor in active noise cancellation (ANC), it only serves to further sweeten the deal. The sound stage was quite wide, while instrument separation was on point. The dual-driver setup ensures highs and lows are crisp and clear. Additionally, mids were well detailed, and sound quality stood up well to scrutiny. There's no thumping bass, so mids don't sound overpowered by the bass. In terms of overall audio quality, the Enco X deliver clean, balanced, and detailed representation of sound that is worthy of the 'premium' tag.

If you aren't sold on sound quality, it will be refreshing to hear that the Enco X also features two modes of active noise cancellation. The two levels include regular ANC and Max ANC the former is ideal for indoor use, while the latter works well to shut out ambient noise. We preferred Max ANC as the regular ANC just didn't cut it. The noise cancellation doesn't rise to the level of more premium brands like the AirPods Pro but is better than that on the Realme Buds Air Pro. Additionally, the transparency mode allows ambient noise to leak in without taking off the earphones. From my experience, the ANC level doesn't really rise to the level of premium, but then again, the Enco X aren't as expensive as the best on offer from Sony, Samsung, Apple, etc.

Battery Life 

The Oppo Enco X charging case packs a 535 mAh battery, while each bud has a 44mAh battery. With Max ANC turned on, the Enco X delivered little over three and a half hours of playback with the volume set to 70 percent. Additionally, the case delivers up to four charges taking the overall battery life to above 20 hours. With ANC turned off, the buds deliver about four and a half hours of battery life, which seems less. I felt battery life to be unimpressive. On the flip side, the Enco X charge up in 80 minutes, while the case takes little under two hours to reach a full charge, while you also get Qi wireless charging support.

Software

The Hey Melody app on Android allows you to take more control of the Oppo Enco X. The app also displays battery life, and the buds can receive firmware updates through it. You can also customise the touch controls on the stem of the buds with the Hey Melody app. You can use the app to set up gestures for a double tap, triple tap, slide control, touch, and hold. It is worth noting that the Hey Melody app isn't available for iOS and you will have to stick to default controls on an iOS device. Additionally, there are some limitations to the apps like triple-tap only being able to enable Google Assistant or the regular hold only being able to switch ANC modes.

Connectivity 

I also experienced a stable connection at a considerable distance from the device. Without an obstacle, the buds delivered uninterrupted music playback at a distance of up to 20 feet. And even in the case where an obstacle like a wall was in the middle, in this case, I was only six to seven feet away from the paired device, the audio didn't stop or hang. Voice calls on the Oppo Enco X were great for the most part, with clear audio on both ends of the calls. The dual-microphone setup on each bud ensures call quality was top-notch. Calls were fairly audible even in outdoor conditions.

Verdict

It would be unfair to call the Oppo Enco X TWS anything but premium, call it a ‘flagship killer’ of sorts. What you get with the Enco X are premium features, excellent sound, decent ANC, and a solid design and build. This makes the Enco X one of the best TWS earbuds in the sub-10K segment. The coaxial dual drivers co-created in partnership with Dynaudio make a significant impact on audio quality, making these buds worth the price tag. I’d be remiss to say that the Enco X buds are perfect, I had a few gripes with the niche codec support, inconsistent touch controls, and sub-par battery life. The LHDC codec definitely holds back the dual driver setup on devices that don’t support it. However, the ‘Pros’ overwhelmingly outweighed the ‘Cons’, earning the Oppo Enco X an easy recommendation.