My previous review of the OPPO TWS earphones, the Enco X3i model, was relatively predictable. It was an excellent model—expensive, well-crafted, with a mountain of advantages, and honestly, I don’t remember any flaws. So why am I now, given the opportunity, sitting and listening to music with the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro?
Specifications
- Driver: 12.4 mm dynamic driver
- Driver sensitivity: 112 ± 3 dB @ 1 kHz
- Frequency response range: 20~20 KHz
- Microphone sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa
- Bluetooth codec: LHDC 5.0/AAC/SBC
- Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.4
- Bluetooth range: 10m
- Battery type: lithium-ion
- Battery capacity: 58 mAh (headphones) / 440 mAh (charging case)
- Music playback time (AAC, standard setting, volume 50%): maximum noise reduction: 5.5 hours (headphones), 20 hours (headphones + charging case), noise reduction is disabled: 12 h (headphones), 44 h (headphones + charging case)
- Charging time: 60 min (headphones) / 80 min (headphones + charging case)
- Charging input (charging case): 5 V ⎓ 1 A
- Charging output (headphone charging case): 5 V ⎓ 0.4 A
- Charging port: USB Type-C
- Moisture protection (headphones): IP55
- Weight (headphone): 4.4 g
- Weight (headphones + charging case): 47 g ± 0.2 g
- Size (earbud): 29.90×20.30×23.87 mm
- Size (charging case): 66.60×51.24×24.83 mm
Package contents
In the box, along with the headset itself, there’s the traditional set: warranty, manual, USB cable, and a pair of larger and smaller silicone ear tips. The case is wrapped in paper that indicates the location of the touch area on the stem.
Market positioning and price
The cost of the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro is almost exactly $100 or €93. Direct competitors in this price range are the Anker SoundCore Liberty 4 NC and the Philips TAT5506. Additionally, I would mention the Moto Buds+, which we have already reviewed on our site, and the OPPO Enco Air3 Pro.
Design, build, materials
I personally have not handled the predecessor, the Enco Air3 Pro model. However, just a few photos are enough to understand that the fourth model in the series has not strayed far from the third.
The case design is similar—a rounded oval shape, though with noticeable sharper corners and flat top and bottom.
The design of the earphones is very similar—they are made in the style of AirPods Pro. I should note that my Air4 Pro in Moonlight Black is made of matte plastic. There’s also a white version, Moonlight White, which appears glossy in photos, just like the review model Air3. Besides the gloss, there are differences in the Air4 Pro. And honestly, they are not in favor of the new model. The thing is, the Air3 Pro had a unique “three-dimensional” design for the top cover, which was semi-transparent.
The OPPO Enco Air4 Pro has an opaque, dark gray (almost black) body with a “starry” texture. It seems like a great way to differentiate from its predecessors. However, firstly, the texture attracts fingerprints more than gloss—which shouldn’t be possible, but it is.
Secondly, the shimmering “stars” are done very subtly and are much less striking than I expected.
In fact, this is even visible in the photos. I don’t know how OPPO managed to do this, but I am surprised. Fortunately, this is the first, but not the only time, the headset has surprised me.
The earphones themselves are much more aesthetically pleasing. They have a glossy base but a matte stem. I also notice the unusual design of the noise-canceling microphone. In any case, I suspect it’s a noise-canceling microphone because it’s located where microphones are typically placed.
However, it is combined with a “left-right” indicator that is cut into the plastic. This was also the case with the Air3 Pro, and in my opinion, transferring this design feature to the new model was a very right idea. Moving on to the differences: the shape of the lid on the new model is not rounded at the bottom and no longer smiles, it’s just straight. The shape of the earphone stems is also different. They are noticeably thicker at the bottom, so you won’t confuse them with the predecessor in this regard.
All other design elements are similar. The touch control area is also at the top, although flat rather than recessed. At the bottom, there are charging contacts. Unlike the case, the earphones also feature IP55 water resistance.
The case has a LED indicator at the bottom, a mirrored logo in the center, and also features Type-C charging. With the Air4 Pro, there’s also a multifunction button at the bottom—a feature that, if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t present at all in its predecessor. I’ll note that resetting the settings on the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro takes longer than on the Enco X3i—you need to hold it for about 15 seconds instead of 10.
The build quality is above average. There are no complaints about the earphones; everything is flawlessly assembled. The case lid has just a tiny bit of play. However, I’m not fond of the material used in my specific version. I think it will be much better with the white version.
Comfort of use
I’ll only speak positively about comfort because I haven’t noticed any negatives. The OPPO Enco Air4 Pro passes the AirPods test with flying colors, showing exactly where you should lift the earphones with your fingers.
They fit perfectly, and I didn’t feel the need to replace the ear tips with any others. The quality of the ear tips is also excellent—they don’t crackle during movement or sleep. I also enjoyed sleeping with the headset.
I really liked the controls. Simply because there’s no pause on a single press. I know it’s odd to praise this, but the X3i had a pause, and it annoyed me because I couldn’t take out the earphones without accidentally triggering it.
Control
We’ll smoothly transition to the controls. Double and triple taps on the touch area correspond to next and previous tracks, respectively. Long presses switch the noise-canceling mode.
I’ll note that unlike the OPPO Enco X3i, the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro’s manual includes instructions for control during calls. However, like the Enco X3i, you can’t disable the mode where music pauses when you remove the earphone from your ear.
HeyMelody software
I was actually surprised by how fewer options there are for customization on the Air4 Pro. Specifically, in the HeyMelody app, which is available on both Android and iOS. There, you can adjust the equalizer, noise-canceling strength (three levels plus automatic), and a gaming mode with reduced latency. There are also settings for dual connection.
The Air4 Pro doesn’t have flagship features like Golden Sound, but it does have something that the X3i lacks—personalized noise cancellation. The noise cancellation here is truly luxurious. This leads us to the next point—the sound quality.
Sound of OPPO Enco Air4 Pro
The sound quality here is probably the best I’ve heard in a TWS headset in my life. I don’t know how it happened, but I can’t tear myself away from listening to music right now. The sound is high-quality, lively, and unexpectedly detailed. In some “test” songs, I started hearing instruments that I hadn’t noticed before.
The soundstage width is very unusual. It reminds me, if anyone can understand this analogy at all, of the artificial space created by virtual reality glasses. Inside it feels like another world, but you have clear and distinct boundaries beyond which there is nothing at all.
At first, it feels like artificial confinement, but once you get used to it, you start to really enjoy what’s happening inside. And since the sound on the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro is very lively, with frequency reproduction absolutely solid across the spectrum, the overall audio resolution is flawless—immersing yourself in favorite songs becomes effortless.
Microphones and headset feature
The headset has three microphones. Voice quality is excellent; my conversation partner could hear me perfectly. Again, I’ll note that I didn’t have to guess how to control the headset on the go.
Connections and delays
Great news! The OPPO Enco Air4 Pro supports Bluetooth 5.4, so I confidently connected the earphones to my PC and tried editing video with them. I’m ALMOST satisfied. The audio latency during editing was just one step away from being unnoticeable. And it can be unnoticeable—I’m currently editing directly with Bluetooth headphones, also on Bluetooth 5.4.
However, one of my previous headsets, which had Bluetooth 5.0, also allowed for nearly latency-free editing—but it was the exception. And it wasn’t TWS, like my current wireless headset. The OPPO Enco Air4 Pro is a TWS model that was supposed to benefit from the latest Bluetooth version. And it ALMOST did the trick.
Regarding dual connection, similar to the X3i, audio sources are NOT automatically switched. To change the audio source, you need to pause the current active one. After 3-4 seconds, the new active source will automatically take over. Additionally, during a call, the switching happens automatically.
Battery life
The case of the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro has a capacity of 440 mAh, while each earphone has a capacity of 58 mAh. According to the manufacturer, this should provide up to 12 hours of continuous playback without noise cancellation at 50% volume using the AAC codec, or 5.5 hours with noise cancellation enabled. The case provides an additional 44 hours without noise cancellation or 20 hours with noise cancellation accordingly.
So potentially, these could be the most autonomous TWS models in my career. However, I have to emphasize that I almost never used the headphones without noise cancellation. I must say, the noise cancellation is luxurious. But I note that charging is fast. The manufacturer promises 4 hours of playback after 10 minutes of charging the headphones in the case, but again, this is for use without noise cancellation. However, in 20 minutes, the headphones charge more than enough.
Also, obviously, wireless charging is absent in the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro – just like in the previous model.
Conclusions
In the review of the Air3 Pro model, there was an opinion that it’s an affordable headset with an emphasis on great sound. And in the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro, this trend remains unchanged. Only the sound has become even better, and the autonomy has improved significantly. For this, we have to accept what, in my opinion, is a worse design.
But since I personally don’t look at headphones, but use them for listening to music and more, I consider the OPPO Enco Air4 Pro to be almost the best TWS model on the market. Highly recommended!
Read also:
- Oppo Enco X3i TWS Headphones Review
- Honor Earbuds X6 TWS Headphones Review: Good Sound for $35
- Realme Buds Air 5 TWS Headphones Review