It’s important to temper down your expectations based on the asking price of a gadget. Especially when the product in question is a pair of Bluetooth TWS earbuds that about Rs 3,000. OPPO’s new Enco Air 3 Buds take over from last year’s Enco Air 2. They cost slightly more but OPPO promises a better acoustic experience backed by a robust battery and a device that’s more stylish. Aside from these factors, the other key purchase driver at this price point is call quality. Does the OPPO Enco Air 3 score on all these fronts and deliver value for its asking price?
Futuristic design
At a time when brands have explored almost every conceivable design format for case design, OPPO still manages to break the clutter with a new design perspective. It’s almost space age design, the bubble type case features a translucent design while the buds come with cool, accentuated tips. There’s only colour option (Glazed White) though. The case does look flimsy but it stands out in a crowd. It’s light, slips easily into your pockets. The buds are quite weightless too. At under 4 gm, they are comfortable to wear for hours together. The design is quite similar to the first-gen AirPods and should work for most users. OPPO has added an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. That’s a step-up from its predecessor that only offered an IPX4 rating.
No fuss
Set up is easy. My iPhone autodetected these buds and didn’t require any companion app to get them fired up. You can use the Hey Melody companion app (on Android and iOS devices) for additional controls. You get a basic dashboard that allows you to choose pre-set EQs, check battery levels and also tweak touch controls. These buds offer three pre-sets: Clear Vocals, Original Sound and Bass Boost.
Daily routines
OPPO has kitted these buds with a new digital signal processor. OPPO claims that its Tensilica Cadence HiFi 5 architecture offers 25 times more processing power for a more accurate performance. These earbuds are powered by 13.4 mm polymer composite drivers that deliver delicate treble and full midrange. The other handy touch is 47ms ultra-low latency that gamers might appreciate. In terms of actual performance, these buds deliver decent quality sound for their asking price. Bass is good but don’t expect that extra thump even with ‘Bass Boost’ turned on. It’s the same for call quality that’s acceptable for this price point.
Wrap up
The OPPO Enco Air 3 don’t boast of any premium features like Active Noise Cancellation or wireless charging. No surprises here. Battery life is solid. OPPO claims 25 hours with the case and about 6 hours for the buds. That’s a fair estimate based on our usage patterns. A handy fast charge option gives you 2 hours of listening time with a quick 10-minute charge. It adds to the appeal of the OPPO Enco Air 3 as a compelling option in the affordable TWS earbuds segment.
The OPPO Enco Air 3 buds come in glazed white and cost Rs 2,999
