The wireless earphone market is extremely competitive as many tech and telephony manufacturers fight for a slice of the TWS pie. OPPO Enco X is entering a deep pool of quality buds, not least efforts from Huawei, Samsung and Google as well as the world of audio upstarts offering amazing wireless earphones while aggressively undercutting the more established names, Jabra and Ausounds for example.
Enco X isn’t being sent out unarmed though. OPPO boast of incredible audio fidelity in a palm-sized package, proffering proof in its partnership with Dynaudio. The set also boasts some impressive specs and an innovation or two.
Design Impression
Our white review set is quite minimal without taking it too bare. The glossy cool white is chilled further with a frosted aluminium band running around the outside of the case.
This textured metal is a lovely touch to break up the white and offer a lovely aluminium pairing button.
The band also gives the perfect spot for a confidently small ‘OPPO’ logo left unfrosted at the very top of the case.
The case is gorgeous but also functional. The buds are very easily extracted from their case. That beautiful aluminium pairing button sticks out ever so slightly so it’s easy to find. The button is also firm enough that it resists being pressed in the pocket.
The flattened oval shape slips in and out of pockets easily. At 66.3mm wide, 49mm high and just under 22mm deep.
Each bud weighs less than five grams while the case weighs 42g. The package, while light, feels solid.
Dynamic, Detailed Sound
OPPO Enco X offer a 11mm dynamic drivers in a co-axial dual driver arrangement. OPPO say system is normally the preserve of high-end audio.
Enco X also include support for LHDC which allows for much higher fidelity than SBC.
In practice, OPPO Enco X gives a bright, detailed sound that does justice to worthy audio files at wide dynamic ranges.
Enco X has eye-opening definition for a set of earbuds. Cymbals and snares (especially dry-mic’d 1970s drumkits) sound magnificent.
Piano, strings, basically anything you can play without an amp sounds alive.
Bongos or a delicate guitar arpeggio normally lost on anything you stick in your ear are delightfully restored.
In fact, that definition is so good that higher register sounds that give trouble to audio compression can sound a bit ‘128kpbs’. I could easily hear some of YouTube’s favourite artefacts, stuff I would not expect to hear so readily on earbuds.
That’s not the fault of OPPO Enco X obviously, but it did show me how transparent the set could be.
The lower-end isn’t quite to the same standard. But that’s almost to be expected from earbuds with such delicacy elsewhere.
While the set puts out a decent low-end, it doesn’t have the same definition as higher up and lacks the punch of some of its competitors.
It can feel a little boxed-in at at times, the buds don’t leave much room for audio to breathe. For louder, less dynamic music, it can be too intimate and punk or rock may make the listener do the unthinkable and turn it down a notch.
Noisy Cancellation
OPPO Enco X offers two levels of active noise cancellation. One is a moderate ANC for when the din isn’t overly distracting but a little distance is desired. The other one seems to turn ANC up to 11.
Max ANC, as OPPO call it, works very well as pairing back noise and allowing music to enjoyed (mostly) where music should not be enjoyed. This mode adds a little audible fizz and gives a rougher edge to audio output using this mode.
Of course, if you are using it where it’s intended to be used (hurricanes, warzones, timberyards), you probably won’t notice it.
The moderate, regular ANC does its job very well and will be the most used of the two modes for most people. It’s subtle, that noise that ANC is known for is barely a whisper. The signal-to-noise ratio is something that OPPO were keen to point out and it’s appreciable in real-life.
This mode seems to preserve a lot of the detail that OPPO went through so much trouble to incorporate into their Enco X.
Battery Living
OPPO Enco X’s earbuds are rated for four hours on the strong noise cancellation and it makes it most of the way there. Without ANC use, OPPO claim 5.5 hours and, again, it seemed to get close in practical use.
The case adds 16 or so if you are using the Max ANC and adds just under 20 with no ANC. 24-25 hours without ANC is about average while that 19-20 at Max ANC is a little behind the curve.
Smooth OPPO Rater
OPPO Enco X delivers impressive audio if you are after crispness, definition and clarity.
The Dynaudio partnership and impressive audio innovation give Enco X something to shout about while the buds themselves can cash those sound quality cheques that OPPO have been signing.
That design is gorgeous but practical. Enco X is pocketable and easy to handle while wearing a very contemporary look.
While battery life is about average overall, it’s still able to keep up with travel, commuting or exercising.
