Cutting the cord without breaking the bank, the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds ensure you’re always entertained.
There was a time when Bluetooth wireless earbuds seemed like an unnecessary luxury, back when every smartphone featured an old-school headphone jack and came with cheap wired earbuds in the box.
Paying good money just to avoid untangling cables seemed like an indulgence but, to be fair, once you make the leap to wireless earbuds you’ll never look back. It’s not simply about the convenience of no longer needing to untangle cables, it’s about setting yourself free from your smartphone.
When you’re riding the bus, wireless earbuds ensure your phone can stay in your pocket or bag. When you’re getting things done around the house, they ensure there’s no risk of snagging the cable. And when you’re working at your desk, they ensure your phone can sit untethered alongside your computer as a secondary screen.
Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro review
Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro first impressions
Considering that top-shelf earbuds cost hundreds of dollars, you’re naturally going to lower your expectations considering the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro’s $99 price tag.
Aesthetically, they don’t make a great first impression. The USB-C charge case feels like cheap plastic and looks a little bulky. The shape makes it more awkward to fit in your pocket than some like the sleek Apple AirPods charge cases.
Likewise, when you open the case, the earbuds themselves don’t have a premium look and feel compared to the likes of some earbuds with slender stalks.
If you can look past this, the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro actually has a lot to offer.
For starters, that bulky case features a generous battery which offers an extra 38 hours of music playback. Combine that with the fact the earbuds can hold 8 hours of charge and you’ve got nearly two days of solid playback – realistically, enough to last most people a week. You can halve those figures when it comes to making calls, rather than listening to music, but you’re still unlikely to be left in the lurch.
The earbuds also feature customisable touch controls courtesy of the grey dots on the back. You can play/pause, skip forwards/back and answer/end calls. The long touch and hold for switching devices is handy if you’re taking advantage of Bluetooth multipoint, but the inability to adjust the volume is disappointing.
You’ve got a choice of three ear tips to ensure you get a good fit in your ear, which both help improve the sound quality and reduce the likelihood of them falling out of your ears.
Thankfully, the earbuds have an IP55 rating, ensuring they’re both dust and water-resistant so there’s no problem with sweat when you’re working out.
Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro specifications
| Drivers | 12.4 mm Sensitivity: 111±3dB @1kHz Frequency response range: 20Hz – 20000Hz |
| Microphones | Dual Mics and AI Clear Call Algorithm Microphone sensitivity: -38dBV/Pa |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Battery | 8/38H Long Battery Life 36mAh (earbuds)/480mAh (charging case) |
| Talktime | 50% volume): 8H (single charge)/38H (with charging case) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 AAC/SBC codes |
| Ruggedness | IP55 Water and Sweat Resistance |
| Dimensions | Earbud: 28.5 x 20.2 x 23 mm Charging case: 68.9 x 36.6x 28.2 mm |
| Weight | Earbud: 4.3 gm Earbuds + charging case: 46.7 gm |
| Price | $99 RRP |
| Colours | Granite White |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Official website | Oppo Australia |
Features
When it comes to sound quality, the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro support the standard Bluetooth SBC codec and AAC – with Bluetooth 5.3 offering the added benefit of low latency.
That’s not bad for budget earbuds, with many Android devices supporting AAC, including Oppo’s handsets like the new Oppo A18 and Oppo A79 5G.
Keep in mind you’re forgoing the improved sound quality of the various flavours of aptX which are common with many Android handsets. To be fair, if you care about such things you’re probably prepared to spend more.
Configuring the earbuds’ advanced settings is much easier if you have an Oppo smartphone, with the menus built into Oppo’s ColorOS Android skin. Accessed via the Bluetooth menus, you can configure the touch settings and switch between three preset EQ profiles: Balanced, Bass and Bold.
You also get Dolby Atmos support and access to the Dirac Audio Tuner to further customise your listening experience, if your Oppo handset supports these high-end features.
Thankfully, if you’re using another brand of Android handset you can configure the earbuds using the HeyMelody app in the Google Play store.
Of course, as to be expected, you’re missing out on a few key features compared to high-end earbuds.
The big one is active noise cancellation, which you might appreciate while commuting or working in a noisy environment. The lack of ANC also means that you miss out on features like adaptive audio – which tailors the sound to your environment – along with transparency mode and conversation mode for engaging with the outside world.
You also miss out on ear detection, meaning the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro doesn’t automatically pause the music when you remove one earbud.
It’s worth mentioning that Oppo does offer a range of earbuds, including some with ANC.
Quality
The Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro are obviously never going to compete with the likes of the expensive Apple AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM5 but, considering the low $99 price tag, Oppo’s earbuds hold their own.
The default Balanced sound is a little thin and underwhelming, but switching to Bass certainly helps deliver a more rich and full-bodied sound. Even then, they’re not going to satisfy those chasing thumping bass lines.
They’re not bad as all-rounders although, if you have an ear for detail, you might find them a tad murky and flat.
When it comes to call quality, Oppo’s “AI Clear Call Algorithm” is designed to maximise voice clarity and remove unwanted background noise. While you do sound clear to people on the other end, you also sound a little harsh.
Who is the Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro for?
The Oppo Enco Buds 2 Pro is best suited to Android smartphone owners looking for basic all-rounders that won’t break the bank. They can hold their own for day-to-day tasks, but music lovers with an ear for quality might prefer to save their pennies for earbuds with better sound quality. Especially if you’re looking for low-end grunt or would appreciate the benefits of active noise cancelling.
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