It is raining affordable true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, and OPPO has come to the party with the launch of the new true wireless stereo earbuds called the Enco Buds from the Enco line of audio peripherals. The latest TWS is essentially an upgrade of the Enco W11 earbuds that the company launched last year.

1 6 OPPO Enco Buds Review: Why We Think It’s One of the Best TWS of 2021

Here’s what we think of the OPPO Enco Buds and why they are perfect for music lovers and busy bees who are always on call and on the go.

OPPO’s approach in terms of design for these earbuds is very different from what other OEMs are doing. OPPO has gone with a pill-shaped carrying case which also doubles up as a charging case. The earbuds have a somewhat bean-shaped design that not only looks good but also fits well in the ear canal. The earbuds can go deep into the ears without getting uncomfortable. The entire unit is made with a glossy finish. Even the top cover of the charging case is finely crafted and the opening mechanism runs smoothly as well. OPPO has added the IP57 dust and water resistance feature as well. The carrying case has a tiny LED indicator that indicates the different charging states of the earbuds. Overall, the unit is small and compact that it easily fits inside the coin pocket of your jeans.

3 3 OPPO Enco Buds Review: Why We Think It’s One of the Best TWS of 2021

The Oppo Enco Buds is an all-rounder and is well-tuned as well. It is one of the few handful TWS available in Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and simultaneous transmission, which means the connection will be established to both earbuds at the same time. The stable connection allows you to be 10 meters away from your phone when you’re on a phone call. Connecting the earbuds to any Bluetooth device for the first time is pretty straightforward. Simply take the earbuds out of the box and turn on the Bluetooth of your device and just select and click on ‘Oppo Enco Buds.’ There is no quick-switch button, gesture, or hardware button on the case to enter the pairing mode.

2 4 OPPO Enco Buds Review: Why We Think It’s One of the Best TWS of 2021

Listening to different music genres, we’re surprised to hear the distinct stereo separation from the left and right channels. In terms of latency, there are no delays or lag of sound from the action while watching movies or playing mobile games. The call quality from the two microphones located on the top of the earbuds is good and most callers say they can hear the sound from the other end of the phone call to be loud and clear. Thanks to the intelligent DNN model-based noise cancellation, which uses a smart algorithm to distinguish human voices from background noises when you’re on a call. The sound is audible and clear for the most part and is mostly suited for listening to various media formats.

The defining word is ample for its right amount of bass and treble. The 8mm driver does a good job at producing a decent amount of bass output. The sound is well-pronounced and hardly any distortion even at the loudest volume. Vocals are crisp and clear as well. A tap on it is good enough to pause or resume playing music, the whole double-tapping on either earbud lets you take or reject calls. As for the standard gestures to operate the earbuds, here are the nice touches. A long press (just keep your finger on it) on the right earbud increases volume, a long press on the left decreases volume, and a double-tap on the right goes to the next track while a similar tap on the left goes to the previous one. And if you want some voice assistant, simply triple tap.

In terms of battery and charging, the Oppo Enco Buds come with a 40mAh unit on both buds and the case is packed with a 400mAh battery, said to deliver six hours of battery life on a single charge and a total of 24 hours with the charging case. It takes about two hours to charge the earbuds and two and a half hours to charge the earbuds along with the case, via USB Type-C port.

All in all, the OPPO Enco Buds is a very good option for anyone looking for their first truly wireless stereo earphones on a limited budget. It a little pricey compared to the others, but it definitely brings more to the table. There’s more to it than just being wireless, ample bass, and a low price tag—and that makes it a bit of a shark in a sea of TWS mediocrity.

5 5 OPPO Enco Buds Review: Why We Think It’s One of the Best TWS of 2021

The Oppo Enco Buds come in white and blue, priced at P1,699. Available at all OPPO Experience stores and OPPO’s official flagship stores via Shopee and Lazada. To know more, follow @oppophilippines on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or visit http://www.oppo.com/ph/