If you’re looking for TWS Bluetooth earbuds under Rs 5,000, you’re likely to be overwhelmed trying to choose from the wide range of options available. Bluetooth earbuds are omnipresent and are now bare essentials. It’s also a category with short product life cycles, prompting repeat purchases every 12 to 18 months, especially for heavy users. Consumer purchase drivers are the same whether you’re buying a budget or premium set of earbuds – sound quality, call quality, battery life and form factor. How does OPPO’s new Enco Air 2 Pro, that was launched alongside the OPPO F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G, fare on these fronts?
Shiny, translucent appeal
The slightly shiny, translucent case made a big first impression. The Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro comes in grey and white (we checked this one out). Thankfully, the glossy case doesn’t have an affinity for fingerprints. We also dig the flat, pebble shape; you can slip in into skinny jeans and slim portfolio bags without sticking out. The buds are designed to sit comfortably in your ears; they passed my workout test without falling off, and you can swap the silicon tips in the box for the perfect fit and ear seal. You can’t miss the big L and R (left and right) signs on the buds, handy for the directionally challenged.
Nice and easy
Most smartphone manufacturers refuse to dial down their clunky custom UI, despite consumers seeking clutter-free, intuitive user experiences. This is more so in the case of TWS earbuds where simplicity really helps. The Enco Air 2 Pro scores here. Pairing was instant – I tried this on an iPhone, a Samsung device and an OPPO smartphone. The touch controls are easy to use and equally easy to configure on the Hey Melody app with an improved user interface.
Sound performance
OPPO has kitted these buds with 12.4 mm drivers. Sound quality is impressive – these buds handled a bunch of tracks from Mozart to Imagine Dragons with equal ease. They didn’t jar even at the 70-80 percent volume levels. The OPPO Enco Air 2 Pro are certainly among the best in class on the sound quality front at this price point. I got to test the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) on a relatively quiet coach (a rarity) on a Shatabdi express train and it did a decent job of shutting out external sounds even at 40 percent volume. Call quality was acceptable too. My callers could hear me even when I was in an external environment.
Bang for the buck?
At Rs 3,499, these buds deliver good value. OPPO pegs the battery life at 7 hours for the buds and 28 hours for the case. While we weren’t able to validate the battery performance of the case, the buds managed a little over 4-5 hours with ANC on. You can stretch that further without ANC. It’s still par for the course, as you’re likely to stay plugged in with music or in virtual meetings for over 5 hours at a stretch. You also have the convenience of 2 hours of music playback with a 10-minute charge. It all adds up. The OPPO Enco Air 2 Pro delivers an all-round performance.
The OPPO Enco Air 2 Pro comes in Grey and White colors, and is available for Rs 3,499.
