Oppo Enco X TWS Noise Cancelling Earphones Review: Best Sub-10K TWS?

 

Oppo Enco X Design

The Enco X ships inside a sleek and lightweight (44g) pebble-shaped case. The neatly designed charging case is made out of good quality plastic but since it has a glossy finish, it is extremely prone to scratches. Our testing unit's white color case has already gathered scratches within the first few days of usage. The Enco X is also available in black and green color options which look quite vibrant.

Moving on, a silver color metallic band runs around the sides of the curved case which gives it a very distinct dual-tone appearance. We are testing the white color variant of the Enco X but the right side of the case has a physical button for quick pairing. And, the Type-C charging port has been positioned at the bottom of the case. The front of the Qi-enabled wireless charging case has an LED that glows green when you open the lid. The robust hinge system is one of the best we have seen on a TWS earbuds case. It offers a satisfying snap experience when you open and closes the lid. Further, the strong magnetic force ensures that the buds stay intact inside the case even when the case is held upside down with an open lid.

Overall, we are once again quite impressed with the built quality of the Oppo's new TWS earbuds. They look good and will last longer than the competition.

Oppo Enco X Wearing Experience

The Enco X buds' design is inspired by the Apple AirPods Pro. The glossy white finish and short stem confused some folks that easily mistook them for Apple's flagship TWS earbuds. Each bud has three microphones to counter noise for a clear voice calls experience, something we will talk about later in the review. Moving on, each bud weighs around 5 grams and feels very light on the ears. The in-canal fit of the Enco X is decently comfortable but I have used TWS earphones which offer better comfort for long listening sessions. In fact, Oppo's very own Enco W51 is somewhat more comfortable than the Enco X for an extended duration.

However, the in-ear fit and comfort varies from person to person and you should try using these audio gears first before buying them. To make things easy, Oppo offers two extra silicone ear tips in the box to help you find the right fit. Last but not the least; the buds are IP54 certified which means you can wear them in the gym or during outdoor workout sessions. But you must know that the case is not certified to resist water and dust damage.

Oppo Enco X Connectivity And Audio Codecs Support

The Enco X uses Bluetooth 5.2 to connect to smart devices and support AAC, SBC, and even LHDC audio codecs; however, you would need a smartphone that supports LHDC to utilize LHDC transmission. If you have any recent Oppo device running on ColorOS 7.1 A.49 and above, you can experience LHDC transmission on the Enco X. The true wireless earphones also support 'Quick pairing' but similar to most brands, the feature only works with the latest Oppo smartphones running ColorOS 7.0 and above, such as the Find X2, Reno 10x Zoom, Reno4 Pro, Reno5 Pro, etc.

Moving on, the Enco X also supports Dolby Atmos but once again only on selected Oppo Reno-series smartphones. We got to test the Dolby Audio performance of the Enco X as we are currently using the earphones with the latest Reno5 Pro handset. Some other Oppo devices that support OPPO Dolby Atmos include the Find X2, Reno 4 Pro, Reno 3 Pro, Reno2, Reno2 Z, and the K3.

All things considered, the restricted ecosystem is becoming a big issue in the TWS earphones market. Audio manufacturers should seriously start considering offering cross-brand functionality of such features to enhance the overall user-experience of end-users.

Oppo Enco X Touch Controls

The Enco X offers some intuitive touch controls which offer limited customization options with a double-tap and triple-tap. You can double-tap either earpiece to skip to the next song or answer/end a call. You can also set one earbud to play/pause the music with double tap and others to change tracks or answer/end a call. Sadly, you cannot have the three most used functions (next track, previous track, and play/pause) at the same time.

A triple-tap on either of the earbud can only invoke the voice assistant, which also could have been used better. You can slide up or down on either side of the earphones to control the volume, which comes extremely handy and is a feature mostly limited to premium true wireless earphones.

Further, you can only switch between two selected noise reduction modes out of four by pressing and holding either side of the earphones for 1 second. This again is a very limited use of the touch functionality. You should set this touch function to transparency and max noise cancellation for a better user experience.

Oppo has also coded a companion app for the Enco X- Hey Melody. It allows you to customize buds' touch controls, update the firmware and check earbuds' fit. The app lacks an equalizer and is not available for iOS users, which is a bummer.

Oppo Enco X Audio Performance

What matters most for an audio product is the sound delivery and the Enco X shines in the audio department. The sound produced by these earbuds is clean and engaging. The wide soundstage, great volume along with decent noise cancellation results in an immersive listening experience. The credit goes to the DBEE 3.0 Acoustic sound system which comprises of coaxial dual-driver setup. It efficiently improves audio across different frequencies. The 6mm membrane driver takes care of high frequencies whereas an 11mm composite dynamic driver handles middle and lows. Both the drivers are doing an excellent job as we could experience crisp highs, decent mids, and punchy lows.

The earphones' sound signature is slightly inclined towards highs and even lows to some extent. You will get to experience well-defined bass and sparkly highs, perfect for instrument and bass-heavy tracks. The sub-10K also earbuds perform an excellent job with instrument separation. Even some of the most complex tracks like Sail by AWOLNATION and its various versions (Unlimited Gravity and Phoenix Anstieg cover) were handled beautifully. The dual-driver setup effectively managed to handle the amalgamation of different genres. The constant synth and bass in the background and the driving drum all came together clean. The constant lows in Cut Off by Escuro sounded punchy. The treble gets too bright in some instances though.

I tuned in on AAC and enabled Dolby Atmos on the Reno5 Pro with Tidal. The spacious soundstage and almost balanced sonic stage made for an excellent listening experience. The sound delivery takes a slight dip on music streaming apps but the impact is not overly profound. If you have a device with LHDC codec support, you will get to experience immersive sound with impressive details across the frequencies.

Moving on, the earphones sounded equally pleasant with non-Oppo handsets but the lack of detailing can be easily felt. As far as ANC is concerned, it's not as effective as some of the premium true wireless earphones from Apple and Sony but it is certainly the best in the sub-10K price bracket.

Oppo Enco X Voice Call Performance

As far as voice call performance is concerned, the Enco X once again impresses with the clarity and the overall sound delivery. I have been testing several true wireless earphones lately and the voice calling experience on the Enco X seemed to be slightly better than the competition. In fact, the Enco X even beats some of the most premium true wireless earphones in overall voice clarity.

Oppo Enco X Battery Life

The battery life on the Enco X is nothing extraordinary. The earphones can last up to 3.5 hours on a single charge if ANC is switched on and is enabled at max levels and music is being streamed at 75 to 80% volume. Some true wireless earphones last much longer than the Enco X with similar usage. The Enco X earbuds can be recharged to 100% in less than 90 minutes but the case takes around 2 hours to be refueled from flat to 100%. Oppo should have offered fast-charging support with the Enco X since it is a well-known player in the fast-charge technology space.

Verdict

Oppo has once again managed to deliver a premium audio experience with the new entry. The new Enco X is easily our top recommendation in the sub-10Kprice bracket despite some shortcomings. While the true wireless earphones deliver on audio and also gets the ANC right, Oppo should work on improving the touch controls and the companion app's user experience. The battery life is decent but could have been better. Overall, if you care mostly about quality sound, the Enco X will not disappoint you.