OPPO Enco Free Headphone Review: Another AirPods Clone or More?

Among smartphone manufacturers, it has become fashionable to release wireless headphones suspiciously reminiscent of AirPods. Now OPPO has jumped into this carriage with the Enco Free model. Will the novelty become another semblance of Apple headphones or will it be able to stay on foot? Let's figure it out.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Appearance and equipment
• Connection and communication
• Control
• Sound
• Autonomy
• Outcome

Specifications

Appearance and equipment

At first glance, OPPO Enco Free is made in the traditional in-ear form factor. However, this is more a hybrid of AirPods and in-ear headphones: the cases have removable silicone noses that are attached to short sound guides.

In theory, this improves sound insulation while maintaining a comfortable fit. Indeed, the earbuds feel just like the rest of the earbuds, while blocking extraneous sounds well.

The only thing that bothers you is the flattened sound guides, for which it is almost impossible to find third-party nozzles. So you have to get by with three pairs from the kit and, if possible, not lose them.

In addition to the earbuds, a USB Type-C cable and a charging case are provided with the headphones. The latter is equipped with a magnetic cover and can be easily opened with one hand. The dimensions are also pleasing: the cover fits easily into a jeans pocket. The pairing button is located on the side, the LED indicator is placed on the front side.

The case and headphones are made of matte plastic, and glossy polycarbonate is used on the outside of the legs. There are black and white versions of the device to choose from.

The model has received protection from splashes and sweat, which is useful for sports.

Connection and communication

The OPPO Enco Free pairing process is smartphone dependent. With OPPO models, just open the lid and a pop-up menu for connection will appear on the screen. With devices from other brands, you must hold down the button on the charging case until the LED flashes. However, all subsequent pairings occur when the case is opened.

The headphones keep the connection up to 10 m away from smartphone. You can go to the next room from the Bluetooth source, and the connection will still be stable. On the street, there is also no interference. There are no problems with the synchronization of the left and right channels - both devices work in parallel and independently of each other.

Each earpiece is equipped with two microphones, and a built-in processor suppresses background noise so that the voice can be heard more clearly. The latter do not complain about the transmission quality even in noisy places.

Control

Along the legs of the OPPO Enco Free are touchpads. Long press on any of the headphones launches the voice assistant, and double tap is responsible for starting / pause and receiving / ending a call. You can also stop playback by removing one earbud from your ear. In addition, the model supports swipes. On the left side, they can adjust the volume, on the right - switch tracks.

This is the most convenient implementation of touch controls that we have come across. Unlike Samsung Galaxy Buds +, there were no false clicks here, in comparison with Honor Magic EarBuds wider functionality, and after Realme buds air I don't want to complain about the small area of ​​the touch panels.

Sound

The headphones are equipped with 13.4 mm dynamic drivers with a composite diaphragm. OPPO also boasts a sound positioning system (FPC) and dual magnets, but we are interested in the result itself.

Enco Free delivers impressive bass for this form factor. Low frequencies are deep, they are well heard even at low volumes. At the same time, they do not hum too much, keeping the tempo in energetic melodies.

The vocal range also sounds good, although the headphones cope better with male vocals than with female vocals. Affected by a slight emphasis in the lower middle and a slightly squeezed feed in the upper midrange.

The high frequencies are also slightly muted, but for wireless headphone it is rather a plus: you can listen to music for hours without getting tired of gross distortion. This is also true for maximum volume, but it should not be overused for the sake of preserving hearing.

In general, the novelty will delight not only bass lovers, but also music lovers, in whose audio library different genres coexist.

Autonomy

The manufacturer promises that the rechargeable batteries built into the headphones will provide 5 hours of playback, and the case will last for four more recharges. During testing, Enco Free lasted four days of active use at 50% volume. The result for such a compact device is impressive. It takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the case and headphones.

Outcome

OPPO Enco Free pleases with good sound, comfortable touch controls and long battery life. However, the price of 11 thousand rubles puts the novelty in an uncomfortable position: for this money you can already take AirPods. What is the point of expensive Chinese headphones that are so similar to the Apple model? The question remains open.

Buy

The author thanks OPPO for the device provided for testing. The company had no way to influence the test result.