OPPO Enco Air2 review: Decent semi in-ear true wireless earbuds on budget

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is progressively expanding its portfolio in India. Fresh in its ecosystem products is the OPPO Enco Air2 wireless earbuds. These low-cost earbuds boast lightweight semi in-ear design, large audio drivers, supplementary app support, and low-latency Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. For true wireless earphones on budget, there are two things going for the OPPO Enco Air2 – design and on-battery time.

Starting with design, the buds come in a pebble-shaped case with a translucent lid. The case looks different and has a touch of novelty, but do not expect premium texture and finish. Made of plastic, the case feels cheap but sturdy. As for the buds, they are lightweight and covered with glossy finish. It is easy to pluck them out from the case but need both hands for comfortable and safe handling. Being a semi in-ear type, the earbuds’ fit and grip is nothing to write home about – they have loose fit and they tend to come off ears easily.

As for performance, the earbuds are loud, bass-heavy, and balanced. However, they lack the depth and quality audiophiles prefer. The buds connect right out of the box, and new pairing requires unpairing existing connections. A bit of a hassle that could have been addressed with a pairing button. Nevertheless, the performance is good for the price. As for the in-call experience, the earbuds are good. They work fine in indoor and outdoor environments. Though they lack any sort of noise cancellation, there is environmental noise cancellation for calls and it works well in most cases. The OPPO Enco Air2 picks up vocals even in noisy environments and filters out ambient noise, so you can answer calls clearly.

Compensating for modest performance is the supplementary app support – HeyMelody. Available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the app is simple and straightforward. There are not many options available in the app, yet it covers everything one needs to make the most out of the earbuds. For example, you can personalise audio based on personal preference or use pre-set for quick enhancements, change touch controls, update firmware, check battery status, etc.

One area where the Air2 fares strongly is its on-battery time. The earbuds keep going for about 20 hours non-stop (with case). It translates to about a week on-battery life, if used a couple of hours daily for listening to music and attending calls. Rounding up the package is IPX4 rating for water resistance. Not the best, but good given the price.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 1,999, the OPPO Enco Air2 are a decent semi in-ear type true wireless earbuds on budget. They lack any sort of noise cancellation, which some of its peers offer, but compensate for it through good app support, responsive touch controls, and impressive on-battery time. Moreover, there is ENC for calls and the performance during calls is impressive. That said, the OPPO Enco Air2 makes a strong case for why they should be considered over others.

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