Who would have thought that there would be quality earbuds at a modest price point
The Oppo Enco series… Oppo’s series of high-quality TWS earbuds, with several subseries like the Air series. What we have here is the Air2 Pro. These earbuds were launched alongside the Reno8 series here in the Philippines, and media partners are gifted one if they came to the event.
And yes, just judging from the box, the presentation feels professional. Oppo’s audio offerings are always top-notch and just within the budget. The earbuds we have comes in white but there’s also a grey colour option.
UNBOXING:
When it comes to styling and design, Oppo is a definite winner. This is one of the company’s key strengths. It heavily emphasizes on such attractive designs, even on boxes, and the box of the Enco Air2 Pro is masterfully designed. Simple, yet elegant.
What’s inside it are the earbuds, additional silicone tips of two different sizes, some paperwork, and a USB-C cable.
DESIGN:
The case itself is pill-shaped and so it cannot stand on its own on a desk, but we like the feel. It’s plastic, but is not glossy. The case is also pretty comfortable to hold and is made with durable quality materials. It is protected with a transparent hard plastic which may not be obvious at first glance.
The case also features a small LED light at the front to indicate charging status of the buds. Its magnets are strong and will almost always correct the alignment of the buds in case you forgot.
As for the earbuds, we love how the left and right ear markings are obvious but also stylish, so they actually complement the buds instead of making them a distraction. Silicone earbuds are my get-go, because, in my experience, they are comfortable, and the Enco Air2 Pro is an example of comfortable.
These are 12.4mm titanium diaphragms. Pretty large I must say, and this impacts the quality and loudness of the sound, including bass. The controls are located on the top lag of each bud and they respond instantaneously. We also like the positoning of these controls because they are less prone to accidental touches.
CONNECTIVITY:
These earbuds connect instantly to almost any device through Bluetooth 5.2. Even in far distances, the latency remains low and the audio does not chip when in its maximum range. Oppo mentioned an IP54 rating so if you’re out on a jog or a walk in the park, don’t fret on the sweat!
Oppo constantly advertised that these earbuds are low latency, and we tested that by playing a game of Mobile Legends, a chaotic MOBA game. The earbuds managed to sync well with every bit of sound in the game and I was even able to hear sound effects that I couldn’t with my phone’s default speakers. Talk about detail!
BATTERY LIFE:
In its Shopee listing, Oppo mentioned a 28-hour listening time with the case included, and 7 hours with just the buds. The case has a USB-C port underneath it. Does the case charge fast? Well, with the given USB-C cable, it does charge rapidly. Also, the case does a good job of charging the buds, as, after a few minutes, the buds are back from 50% to 100% when reconnecting.
And for the usage? The buds did last for around 6 hours for me before it notified me that its juice is depleted, so not 7 hours, but still decent. It will fluctuate and change depending on how you use them.
CONTROLS:
As mentioned earlier, the controls are located on the top lag of each earbud. With an Oppo phone, you can customize the controls the way you want it without downloading another app but by default the controls are as follows:
- Single tap (on either buds): pause/play
- Double tap (on either buds): next song
- Squeeze and Hold (on either buds): Activate or deactivate ANC
If you’re not using an Oppo phone, the box provides a QR code which redirects you to an app called HeyMelody in Google Play. It provides the same functionality as with Oppo devices, including firmware updates, control customization, an equalizer, and battery information for each bud. Though it does not provide information for the case’s battery life.
We actually tweaked the controls slightly so that it includes volume controls. Each earbud can be customized separately so you can play with them as you wish. By default, volume controls are disabled. In our case, we customized the controls so that when you long tap the right earbud and hold it for a few seconds, the volume increases. Vice versa for the left earbud.
When you take off the earbuds and not place them back in the case, it automatically pauses the music for you until you place them back to your ears again. Placing the earbuds back in their case deactivates them immediately.
NOISE CANCELLATION:
The earbuds have two ANC modes: transparency and noise cancellation on. Transparency mode removes any noise cancellation within your environment and so when it is active, you could hear loud sirens blaring, trains passing by, and people talking nearby, unlike turning it off, which, frankly, actually still provides a level of noise cancellation. It can be confusing at first, but thankfully this option is not available by default and when you squeeze the earbuds, you get ANC on and transparency modes only, for your peace of mind.
As for the performance? For a pair of affordable earbuds, the noise cancellation does a great job of filtering noise around me. These earbuds were able to filter out conversations while in a bus ride, loud engines, and basically almost any noise you can think of in a busy highway. Though, it does not filter all the noise as sometimes I can still hear the jeepney’s engine I am in and I can overhear some conversations, it’s pretty decent on what it can do and no level of shouting can make you pay your attention. Not a recommend on suspicious sidewalks or while crossing a street.
COMFORTABILITY:
Even if it’s not Oppo earphones, I always prefer silicone-tipped earbuds as they are more comfortable for me, and the Oppo Enco Air2 Pro sits comfortably well on my ears, though they can be itchy if you use them for a long period of time. They do not fall off but there are times I need to adjust it because it does feel somewhat loose, but that’s probably due to the medium-sized tips the buds have.
SOUND QUALITY:
Small disclaimer: My music tracks are tested through Poweramp, so there may be additional tweaks that have occurred as the app does that automatically to almost all of my tracks.
These things, you can really feel the 12.4mm diaphragms. They are loud and I was immersed! I love every bit of it and these things almost made me completely ditch cheap wired earphones (almost, because wired earphones still sound better than Bluetooth in general). They are a great daily driver and the noise cancellation adds to the immersion, as if it’s spatial audio.
Every bit of instrumentation is detailed, no matter the choice of music. I also like the strong bass that gives that “ooomph” feel. Vocals are crystal clear and complement well with the instruments. Treble is also another strong suit, as even the highest vocals are crispy. In louder volumes though, the earbuds start to distort slightly but they still sound immersive.
CALL QUALITY:
The call quality of these earphones is not the best, but they are passable. The sound is comprehensible on the receiver’s end but without noise cancellation, these earbuds would struggle. Thankfully these buds do have noise cancellation and they work great, so nothing gets between you and your caller.
CONCLUSION:
The Oppo Enco Air2 Pro really puts “Pro” for the budget market. Not only you get a pair of attractive earbuds that are comfortable to wear, but you also get noise cancellation, flexible customization through an app, and a great and immersive sound experience. These are definitely worth getting and we’re thankful that Oppo is letting us keep these.
If there are any problems I had with it, there are a handful. First off, when you pause your music for a few seconds, it takes the earbuds a bit of time before syncing back to the track. Also, you have to reconnect these earbuds each time you want to use them, so that is a little inconvenient (pairing is only done once though). The case does not have water resistance either, just the buds. But I don’t think that’s a disadvantage, given the price.
PROS:
- Everything about the Enco Air2 Pro is attractive, including the box
- Earbuds are comfortable to wear
- Great sound quality with powerful bass, clear vocals, and a high level of immersion
- Low latency makes gaming enjoyable and immersive
- IP54 rating makes it resistant to sweat
- Flexible and customizable controls through the HeyMelody App or through any Oppo phone’s settings
- Controls are placed just right and are responsive
- Noise cancellation does an excellent job of filtering almost all loud noises
- Decent battery life
- Affordable pricing, given their features
CONS:
- Mild distortion on higher volumes
- Does not reconnect automatically
- Case is prone to scratching
- It takes a few seconds for the earbuds to resync back to music if paused
- Mediocre call quality, but comprehensible enough for both ends.
AVAILABILITY:
The Oppo Enco Air2 Pro is available through Oppo’s official channels like Lazada and Shopee. It is also available in TikTok Shop. It comes in Grey or White and is priced at Php 4,999 but is currently discounted to just Php 3,499. We recommend purchasing them before the price reverts.
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