OPPO Enco Buds2 Review: Decent Sound For Very Little Money
August 31, 2022Type: Wireless
Driver: 10 mm dynamic driver
Functionally: Bluetooth BT 5.2
Colour: Moonlight & Midnight
Battery Capacity: 40 mAh (earbuds) / 460 mAh (charging case)
Battery Life: 7h Playtime 28h
Water & Dust Resistance: IPX4
Earbuds Weight: 4.0g (single)
Case Weight: 38g
Rating: 9/10
Price: RM129
Music is best enjoyed when played on well-calibrated drivers. Said hardware will be able to accurately deliver the effects as intended by the respective artists. That’s why a good pair of headphones or earphones can cost three or four times that of regular ones. This has been the case for many years.
OPPO, a relative newcomer to the wireless audio space, is trying to buck that trend. It has launched a number of offerings that not only aim to undercut the competition, but cement its presence as a worthy alternative to the heavy hitters. The Enco Air2 is a prime example of this notion. The drivers offer decent clarity and a good helping of bass for just RM279.
Now, what I have in my hands, trumps that as well. It’s the Enco Buds2. A pair of wireless earbuds from a reputable manufacturer that costs just RM129. That’s incredible value considering what you’re getting for your money. Instead of the usual oblong design, OPPO chose to give these earbuds a circular case that could be mistaken for a compact powder case.
What Are they Like?
It has a chic and elegant look to it, which is very refreshing when placed side by side with all the “generic” competition. It weighs only 38g, which makes it incredibly light to carry on your person. The appearance will definitely be appealing to the ladies, which is probably its target demographic.
The absence of third company branding means that everything from the choice of materials to the construction of the drivers, OPPO went at it alone. This is probably why the earbuds have taken on a moon-like shape. Fittingly, the device was launched during the recent Mooncake festival, which leads me to believe that all this may have been intentional.
They are touch sensitive, so you can double-tap, touch and hold or trouble tap on either earbud to accomplish tasks. You can also alter what each action does within the Hey Melody (non OPPO smartphone users) or within OPPO’s settings for its smartphones. The sensors pick up your inputs easily, even accidental ones caused when resetting the earbuds.
They can also be used as your smartphone camera’s shutter button. It’s a little gimmicky, I know, but it can prove useful when you’re hellbent on capturing a spur-of-the-moment selfie. That said, most people won’t find much use for it.
Each earbud houses a 10mm titanized driver and microphones that are able to successfully isolate your voice during calls from the ambient sounds around you. Unfortunately, there’s no active noise-canceling hardware for music here. But that is to be expected or else the Enco Buds2 wouldn’t be priced this reasonably low.
This is also why each earbud weighs just 4g, which is feather-light in comparison to the others. When in your ears, they don’t seem burdensome or intruding. Instead, you barely feel that they are there. And because of the way the earbuds are shaped, they cling to the ears very well. Even if you were to jostle about, especially during a workout session, they don’t fall out.
Speaking of working out, these earbuds are rated for IPX4 water resistance. That means that sweat or light drizzles won’t be much of a bother for the wearer. This makes the Enco Buds2 an “all weather’ device that you can take just about anywhere. Though they are resistant to water splashes, the rating doesn’t promise protection from more serious contact with water.
How do they sound?
Circling back to the 10mm drivers, they are good, really good. I’m pleasantly surprised by how effective they are at propagating sound waves this well. Vocals and instruments sound almost crystal clear. This means that Kenny G’s saxophone solos can be enjoyed with great satisfaction. The same is true for other genres of music, which include Latin dance.
There’s decent bass delivery as well. It’s punchy, which tends to elevate the overall effects of a certain track. And it doesn’t feel artificially boosted either, which some manufacturers tend to do to hide other imperfections. Instead, it adds to the depth to create a richer experience.
It’s due in part to specially designed sound chambers that when combined with the high-flux magnetic circuit, offer deeper and punchier bass than regular earphones. It’s quite intriguing how OPPO was able to pull this off, whilst maintaining such a compact package and at such a low price point.
The sound effect is evident throughout the frequency range. It’s only when you crank up the volume to the maximum setting do you get some distortion or noise. But this is to be expected of any earbuds that cost south of RM800. However, it’s impressive for something that costs RM129 to deliver a similar experience to devices that are about twice or thrice its asking price.
OPPO leaves you the ability to tune the drivers via the Hey Melody app to one of three sound effects presets: original sound, bass boost and clear vocals. In my opinion, bass boost provides the most neutral and well-represented setting. It’s fitting for most music genres without showing bias for any particular one.
The original sound feels like a watered-down effect of the bass boost setting. It’s not helpful nor does it do any favors for your music. You’d only choose it over the latter if the bass seems a little too overwhelming. Clear vocals, as the name suggests,gives priority to vocals of a track over the instruments and everything else. It’s only useful for a limited number of songs.
I left mine on bass boost for most of the time, because there’s little reason for me to choose the other two. It’s a similar story for the other OPPO branded earbuds. This is the only setting that makes them sound their best. The more expensive buds have built-in sound enhancement features that improve the overall experience. But the Enco Buds2 does just fine without it.
These earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2, so they connect easily and maintain a strong connection with your smartphone for about 10 meters, less if there are walls or other obstacles in the way. Moving between rooms but staying within a 5–7-meter radius won’t affect the connection. But as you gradually move further away, distortions and cutouts become more frequent.
OPPO has given the earbuds decent battery life, so on a single charge, you can expect about 7 hours of playback time. When used with the carrying case, you can expect close to 28 hours of listening time. And since there’s fast charging tech built into the case, on a 10-minute charge, listeners can expect about an hour of playback time.
Should You Buy It?
There are very few negative things to say for the Enco Buds2. They sound good and deliver a decent level of bass even when compared to devices that cost significantly more than them. Granted, they don’t offer anything near the experience of audiophile-level earphones. But for a fraction of the price, you get a pretty good experience.
If you are looking for a decent pair of wireless earbuds that are relatively cheap, look no further. These are well-balanced earphones that are easy to live with and are even easier to carry with you. The shape of the case might make them more appealing to women than men.
You are getting a lot for your money. What the earbuds lack in feel they make up for in powerful and rich music delivery. It’s astonishing at what OPPO has managed to accomplish for RM129. Now, everyone can enjoy a good music listening experience, which was something that used to be reserved for the uber-rich crowd.
