OPPO Enco Air2
RM249
Alongside the Reno7 Series 5G, OPPO has also released the second generation of the Enco Air TWS earbuds. The new Enco Air2 now comes with two new stereo sound effects - Bass Boost and Clear Vocals.
Design
Despite its budget price, the Enco Air2 comes in clean and nice packaging that doesn't feel cheap at all. Like their predecessor, the earbuds are tucked nicely into place in a charging case with a semi-translucent "jelly" lid. The semi-transparent design is actually clever as you can see if the earbuds are in the case directly from the outside.
I like how the earbuds can easily be clicked into their dedicated slots, thanks to the magnets inside. You don't have to worry if the earbuds are in place but not charged like some cheap ones.
Overall, the earbuds are really lightweight, weighing only 3.5g each. The opaque casing is also light and can be easily kept in pockets. The Enco Air2 is available in blue and white, and the unit we received is the latter variant.
Setup and Controls
The earbuds support any type of smartphone and can be easily paired via Bluetooth 5.2. When the lid is open, a quick connection prompt will appear on your phone. If the earbuds are outside the case, you can press and hold the touch area of both earbuds for 4 seconds to enter pairing mode. If you put them on, you'll hear four simultaneous beeps, indicating that you can pair them with a new device.
Touch controls have been improved in the new Enco Air2, including:
Double-tap: Skip a track, answer or hang up a call, and take photos
Triple-tap: Activate Game Mode or voice assistant
Press and hold the left earbud to lower the volume and the right earbud to increase the volume
Controls can be customized via the HeyMelody app, where you can also check the battery status of both the buds and the case as well as download firmware updates.
User Experience
In terms of specs, the Enco Air2 is equipped with a 13.4mm composite titanized diaphragm driver, which OPPO claims can push more air when outputting bass, and thus, deliver more powerful bass. Meanwhile, the domes of the earbuds are 19um PET titanium-plated to produce bright and clear treble.
Like the Enco Air, this one still doesn't support ANC but includes AI deep call noise cancellation, which can identify the human voice from the background during calls through AI deep learning.
Battery life is overwhelming as it boasts up to 24-hour battery life with the charging case. Without the case, the earbuds can last for 4 hours of playtime. A full charge via its USB-C charging port takes 1.5 hours.
While I had no problem getting used to the controls, I feel that it's a waste that OPPO didn't add a single tap control to play or pause music. Also, enabling the Bass Boost mode obviously makes bass stronger and tracks become punchier, a better improvement from the Enco Air. Through the HeyMelody app, the Clear Vocals mode can also be activated when you listen to songs and you'll notice clearer vocals and treble.
When gaming, it's advisable that you enable the Game Mode, which is said to be able to reduce audio latency as low as 80ms. In this mode, you'll be able to hear audio syncing as close to the visual as possible, and in my experience, footsteps and gunshots in FPS games are now more quickly conveyed.
Buy or no buy
The new OPPO Enco Air2 is a decent and affordable choice if you're looking for a much cheaper version of AirPods. Audio quality has been improved with two new sound effects as well as the better performing Game Mode. Despite its low price, it still features an IPX4 rating so you don't have to worry about them getting wet when you're sweating crazily during exercise or when there's a sudden shower.
