OPPO has partnered with Danish company Dynaudio to create the Enco X, the earphones with a sophisticated feel to them. These are very good TWS buds with ANC. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised.
We must admit that mobile device manufacturers quickly proven to us that we won’t miss headphone jacks for long. A large number of wireless devices have recently appeared on the market, but despite the large selection, the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro still have almost no clear alternative when it comes to devices outside the iOS ecosystem. There have been many attempts, but something was always missing. And progress does not stand still. Many manufacturers are trying their hand at this segment and, admittedly, quite successfully. Among them is OPPO, which wants to consolidate its presence in this market.
Yes, Oppo is currently one of the largest mobile device manufacturers. In addition to interesting smartphone models, the manufacturer offers wonderful OPPO Watch, which you can read about in Olga Akukina’s review, and several pairs of earphones. The company already has several interesting models, including the Enco Q1, Enco W11 and W31 wireless earbuds.
By the way, I have not yet tested the wireless earphones that some of my colleagues have praised so much. Therefore, I gladly agreed to test the new OPPO Enco X. I was wondering if these TWS are really direct competitors to the Apple AirPods Pro as well as the Huawei FreeBuds Pro or Samsung Buds Pro. After all, the OPPO company itself positions them as flagship wireless earphones. Therefore, today I am pleased to invite you to test the OPPO Enco X earphones.
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When I receive a new device for testing, the first thing I pay attention to is the packaging of the product. If the manufacturer is careless about this box, it means there’s no real desire to impress the potential customer.
The box in which the OPPO Enco X arrived made a very good impression. Even the white box itself is attractive enough. And underneath is a stylish black box made of thick cardboard. It has a pretty interesting finish. Silver accents sparkle in the light to add even pizzazz.
There is also a bag with safety information and a user manual in 12 languages. Below are the earphones themselves in a case and two pairs of additional ear tips (sizes L and S) on a small stand. Below them there is a short USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable in a matching box. Stylish and modern. Perhaps someone will be unhappy with the rather short cable, but it can be easily replaced.
OPPO Enco X are flagship TWS earphones, which is reflected in the price, which for the sales start period, from April 27 to May 16, will amount to ~$160. The headphones were developed in collaboration with the renowned speaker manufacturer Dynaudio, which you are probably familiar with if you are also a car enthusiast. This company is responsible for the sound system in the Bugatti Veyron. OPPO celebrates the remarkable sonic capabilities of these buds with two dynamic converters, a DBEE 3.0 sound system and an LHDC codec. In addition, there is ANC, 25 hours battery life and inductive charging.
Here are the specifications of the OPPO Enco X:
First of all, it should be noted that some of the competitors may have support for additional, better-known codecs from Qualcomm (aptX). However, if your smartphone supports LHDC, there really is no need to worry at this stage.
Read also: OPPO Reno5 Lite review: stylish and modern mid-ranger
You already know that the OPPO Enco X is available in two colors – white and black. I received a white model for testing. I have to admit that I really liked the Enco X. Despite the fact that the earphones and case are made of plastic, they are of excellent quality and have attractive design.
Let’s start with what will most often be in our pocket or purse, the charging case itself. It has the traditional rounded “egg” shape with a flap on the side that fits easily into a small hand or pocket. In my white version, the case has a silver metal insert around the edges, which visually matches the cover of the hinge, reminding that the OPPO Enco X were developed in collaboration with Dynaudio.
The OPPO Enco X elements are supplemented with a USB Type-C charging port, an LED and a function button.
The body is made of a rather slippery glossy plastic. After opening (the mechanism works great, and you will hear a pleasant click when closing the lid) we will see two recesses with magnets, in which the charging contacts are located. The earbuds won’t fall out, but they are easy to take out.
Cons? Objectively, there are two of them. Firstly, the Enco X body itself, at least in the case of my version, had a slight issue with aligning one edge. Although the hinge appeared to be intact, there’s a gap of about one millimeter.
The second drawback is a little less annoying, but worth knowing about. While the Enco X is IP54 certified, the same cannot be said about the case. That means you should not take a shower or swim with it.
The headphones themselves are made of the same material as the case, so glossy plastic, which visually consist of three parts. A touch panel is located on the outside of the buds. Translucent silicone ear tips have a matte finish.
There are many elements in both ear phones, like the aforementioned touch panel, three microphones (one is responsible for transmitting your voice during calls, the other two are for ANC), a silver mesh for membranes and a sensor, also hidden behind a mesh (already dense). In addition, there are charging contacts in the case.
The OPPO Enco X looks elegant, although not particularly innovative. If you carefully examine the earbuds, you might notice that the edges of individual elements are noticeable at the joints. Perfectionists may not be entirely happy with this. I like the quality of the plastic, although I usually prefer a matte finish over a glossy one. Overall, the earphones look good.
Since I had the opportunity to test the Enco X together with the Reno5 Lite smartphone, I could check what the manufacturer offers to the owners of their smartphones. The main difference is that you don’t need to use a separate app. Its functionality was cloned directly in the Bluetooth settings section of the phone.
But if you are not the owner of an OPPO smartphone, then you can say goodbye to LHDC codec support and fast pairing. Perhaps the company will soon address this issue and release an update for the earphones. But so far everything looks rather strange. However, in other matters, such as quickly switching between two devices, you can count on the same, regardless of which smartphone brand you have. For devices from other manufacturers you should use the HeyMelody app, which is available in the Google Play store:
In the app, we can update the firmware of the buds, check their charge level and change the functions of the touch panels. But for some reason even a simple equalizer is missing. The app isn’t bad, but it does not seem to be quite finished. Perhaps the company will further refine it.
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The Oppo Enco X has touchpads located on the outside of the earbuds. The big advantage here is the fact that in addition to the standard tap or hold gesture, we also have the ability to move up and down the panel, thus adjusting the volume. In the app, we can configure the touch action.
The first impressions are positive, the buds sit comfortably and you quickly forget about them, because each weighs less than 5g. Thanks to the design with elastic ear tips, you can be sure that thy securely sit in the ear canal. I used the standard M ear tips and they didn’t fall out of my ears at all, even during sports activities, although sometimes the sweat made the slippery plastic even more so, which was a little annoying.
In my opinion, the biggest advantage of the Enco X is the sound system itself. Inside the both earbuds a combination of two drivers (dynamic 11 mm and diaphragm 6 mm) is used, one of which is responsible for the high frequencies, and the other for the mid and low frequencies, providing us with the best sound quality possible. The developers named this technology DBEE 3.0. You can thank Dynaudio for it. Don’t forget about the support for Bluetooth 5.2 and the high quality LHDC codec.
Admittedly, Enco X pleasantly surprise from the very first track. The sound is distinguished, first of all, by the emphasis on high frequencies – the headphones make them a little clearer, but at the same time, it does not suppress other frequencies. I always wondered if earphones in this price segment could sound as good. Now I know for a fact that they can.
Technology is technology, but the end result is the most important. And when combined with the ANC system, it is more than satisfactory. The Oppo Enco X are small earbuds that offer truly superior sound quality. Music sounds clear, detailed in every tonal range. We get crisp high tones and dynamic, bright bass, and mids are also striking, and differ from competitors in their accuracy. Guitar, strings, vocals – these elements sound just perfect in the Enco X. Thanks to these buds, you can hear more detail and depth of sound.
I really enjoyed listening to Archive, Pink Floyd (in this case, the elliptical, narrowed music scene was a little annoying), and Manchester Orchestra, but the best effect was always achieved by songs where a high female voice dominated, as, for example, in the works of my beloved Richard Wagner. Hard rock and heavy metal, at least in my opinion, sound especially colorful. You feel like you are somewhere at a rock concert in Düsseldorf. Surprisingly, the audiobooks were also very enjoyable to listen to.
Read also: OPPO Reno4 Pro review: Stylish Design, Great Display, and Fast Charging
Due to its small size and light weight, the OPPO Enco X actually merge with the ears. These are very comfortable earphones, good for the whole day of use. Comfort is further enhanced by active noise control, which is possible thanks to the built-in microphones that help eliminate unwanted external sounds.
The Enco X has 3 ANC (Active Noise Control) modes: full, medium and ambient. The selection of the degree of noise reduction depends on the current situation. Full ANC is a great option when you work in a noisy office or on the road. Reducing external noise becomes redundant when we are in a quiet environment. You switch to Ambient mode, when, for example, you want to exchange a few words with someone without removing the buds, or hear external noises for the safety outdoors.
The ANC efficiency can be assessed as almost perfect, but there is a small drawback. With good passive isolation of the Enco X, they can eliminate loud sounds from the low frequency range (completely muffle the hum of a laptop or video card), but activating it quietly muffles the sound.
At this stage, it is also worth mentioning the quality of calls, because the buds also work as a headset. The device also performs very well in this capacity. A big advantage when making calls is microphones that monitor sounds from the environment, thanks to which the buds can constantly suppress unwanted noises, focusing on the interlocutor’s voice if necessary.
With noise canceling models, battery life is often an issue. However, the OPPO Enco X in this regard is somewhat different from competitors in a good way.
Each earbud is equipped with a 44mAh battery and a 535mAh charging case. The developers claim that this provides up to 5.5 hours of continuous operation without noise control, and 4 hours with ANC on. Thanks to the charging case, it is possible to extend the operating time up to 25 hours without ANC and up to 20 with ANC. That is, we can fully charge the headphones 4 times. But that’s in theory. In fact, using the Enco X with the noise reduction on and off (depending on the situation), I was able to get about 22-23 hours of work, which is a very good result, given the size of the buds themselves.
The Enco X can be charged in two ways – traditionally via the USB Type-C connector at the bottom of the case and wirelessly. The inductive charging capability is a big plus for OPPO. It takes about two hours to fully charge the case and buds.
Frankly, although I’m not a fan of AirPods-esque earbuds, I’m starting to look at them with some interest thanks to models like the Enco X.
OPPO did a good job. The Oppo Enco X are just sensational earbuds, although they are far from perfect. They are breath of fresh air in terms of sound quality.
Yes, they have two minor cons. The first concerns touch controls, which could be more convenient and understandable. Another problem is the lack of support for the LHDC codec on all smartphones. If your smartphone supports it, then there is no reason to complain, and if not, then you have to come to terms with a slightly worse, but still wonderful sound quality.
In my opinion, great sound is the most important feature of the Enco X. Add to that the efficiency of ANC, the general comfort of use, the ability to customize the controls, and a sufficiently large battery. Good battery life and wireless charging are guaranteed. An interesting, albeit imperfect, mobile app is also there. Considering all the advantages and not paying attention to minor disadvantages, then OPPO Enco X becomes one of the best deals in the TWS buds segment and a worthy alternative to Apple AirPods Pro.
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