Oppo Enco X2 Review: Arguably the best TWS earbuds under Rs 15,000 currently- Technology News, Firstpost

Ameya DalviAug 22, 2022 16:58:11 IST

Pros:
– Excellent sound quality
– Support for multiple codecs 
– Sturdy build, comfortable in-ear fit
– IP54 dust and moisture resistance
– Configurable controls and sound profiles
– Volume control on the buds
– Good call quality
– Support for fast charging and wireless charging

Cons:
– ANC could have been better
– Average battery backup with ANC on

Price: Rs 10,990

Rating: 4.3/5

Right at the start of 2021, we got our hands on the Oppo Enco X and it was mighty impressive. It was so far ahead of the competition then, and even today it remains arguably the best pair of TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000. With the competition hardly managing to put a dent in its armour, Oppo took some extra time to release its successor. The Enco X set some really high standards, and to surpass those at a similar price point would be quite a task for its successor. Can the Oppo Enco X2 meet such lofty expectations? Let’s figure it out.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Design and Comfort (8.5/10)
The design continues to draw inspiration from the Apple Airpods Pro; maybe even more so now. The body is glossy white and the grey/silver grilles on the sides have now been replaced by distinct black spots with left and right markings that also serve as mic vents and probably host the wear detection sensors too. Don’t worry, those black spots are on the inner side, and not visible once you wear the buds. The build quality remains solid while the buds continue to weigh under 5 grams each despite a larger battery. 

The in-ear fit has improved further as compared to the Enco X, and the X2 buds are extremely comfortable to wear for long hours. The fit is more snug too, and the buds stay in place even during jogs or workouts. The silicone tips go into the ear canals offering decent noise isolation. The preinstalled medium-sized tips worked best for me and you get two more pairs (small and large) in case medium isn’t the right fit for you. It is always advisable to spend a couple of minutes choosing the right ear tips, as that goes a long way in achieving better noise cancellation.

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The charging case is quite compact and pocketable, but slightly heavier than that of the Enco X probably because of the higher capacity battery. Despite its glossy exterior, it looks quite elegant and has a slight ceramic-like feel about it. Actually, the black variant is meant to look more like ceramic. The Oppo Enco X2 case is all white and I missed the brushed metal band running across the periphery, which I quite liked in its predecessor. The pairing/reset button is a lot more subtle now and almost hidden.

The Dynaudio logo at the back retains its spot, and incidentally, the Oppo branding is more subtle on the lid of the case. It has a USB-C charging port at the bottom, and a USB-A to Type-C cable is bundled in the package. The case also supports wireless charging. The case has two tiny LEDs, one next to the USB port that turns on during charging and the other inside the case between the two buds to indicate the level of charge. Long story short, the build and finish give the X2 a premium feel.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Features and Specifications (9.5/10)
The Oppo Enco X earbuds were loaded to the brim with features, and the Enco X2 does not take a backward step on that front. These too have a coaxial dual-driver setup with a combination of a 6 mm planar diaphragm driver and an 11 mm dynamic driver for a more refined sound reproduction. Each bud also has three microphones for active noise cancellation (ANC) and calling, and now with bone conduction sensors for better voice pickup. Wear detection sensors are also present to pause the audio automatically when you remove a bud from the ear and resume when you put it back in.

The Oppo Enco X2 is IP54-rated dust and moisture-resistant. It still uses Bluetooth 5.2 standard, but support for codecs has now improved. Beyond SBC and AAC, it is also compliant with the newer LHDC 4.0 audio codec, which very few phones support as of now. But the best part is you also have support for Sony’s LDAC codecs that has high throughput and much broader compatibility. Strangely, there is no mention of this on Oppo’s product page. Last but not the least, these earbuds are Hi-Res Wireless certified.

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The controls on these earbuds are touch and pressure sensitive. You need to gently squeeze the stems once or twice for playback or call functions, which rules out any undesired outcomes due to accidental touch. The touch-enabled areas are on the side of the stems, and sliding your finger along the edge lets you increase or decrease the volume or jump to the previous or next track. We generally liked this combination better than the just touch. If anything, I would have preferred the slide zones at the back of the stems instead of on the sides as they tend to shift or dislodge the bud from the ear when using the slide gesture.

You can reconfigure the controls from the HeyMelody app. If you have Oppo, OnePlus or Realme phones, you do not need HeyMelody, as all the configuration options are built into the Bluetooth settings. This is a big improvement over their older earbuds. You get to assign functions for play/pause, track navigation, ANC modes toggle, voice assistant and more. Thus you get total control and saves you the trouble of going to the source device frequently. 

As for ANC, the app lets you choose one out of four ANC modes (Mild, Moderate, Max and Smart) in addition to ANC off and Transparency mode to toggle between directly from the buds. Smart ANC automatically opts for one of the other three ANC modes depending on ambient noise. These are literally the most comprehensive set of features I have come across in TWS buds, and cannot think of anything important that the company has missed out on. They even surpass the Enco X in that regard, and that is no mean feat.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Performance (9/10)
Pairing these earphones with the phone was a standard process. Just open the case, find them in the list of Bluetooth devices on the phone/tablet and connect. The connection stayed strong for over 10 metres with a clear line of sight, and more than half of that with a concrete wall in between. A word or two on ANC before we move on to the sound quality. It is probably the only department that hasn’t improved significantly since the Enco X. 

As I mentioned earlier, Oppo Enco X2 offers four noise cancellation modes to reduce the ambient sounds up to 45 dB. The mild mode can be used in places like home or office where you may not need aggressive ANC. The other two modes are better suited for noisy outdoors. But frankly, my ears simply could not differentiate between the Moderate and Max ANC performance, so one might as well leave it on Moderate and save some battery. 

The ANC here is perfectly functional but not category-defining like its sound quality. It is certainly not in the league of the Sony WF-1000XM4 that costs almost twice as much, but more like what you get with the OnePlus Buds Pro or Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro that sell for a thousand or two lower. Mind you, not many would complain about the ANC, but given that the X2 seemed on a mission to raise the bar in almost every department, we expected something special here too.

Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi

The Oppo Enco X2 isn’t the loudest around, but a little louder than its predecessor at 70% volume. You may need to go to 80% at times when outdoors; I don’t remember going beyond that. The sound quality on the Enco X was mighty impressive; it still is, and the X2 pushes the envelope further. It is easily the finest among all TWS earphones priced close to Rs 10,000. And dare I say, it is also comparable to that of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Not better than the Sony, but to be compared to something many (including yours truly) consider the best under 20K is mighty impressive.

The sound is detailed across various genres of music, and all three major frequency ranges are reproduced well. The dual driver setup as well as Dynaudio’s tuning continue to be a great team. The overall sound signature is slightly on the warmer side of neutral without overly boosting the lows. The bass is tight and punchy and does not overshadow the mids. The mids are reproduced quite well with good instrument separation and excellent clarity in the vocals. 

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The highs are lively with ample sparkle, and without sounding sibilant. The overall detail in sound is excellent and the imaging is on the money. There is an improvement in the soundstage too; it is noticeably broad in comparison to the Enco X and provides a good sense of space. The companion app provides you with four sound profiles, of which, Enco X Classic and Dynaudio’s Simple & Clear are by far the best options. You also have something called Golden Sound that creates a custom profile based on your ear canal structure and hearing capabilities. Worth exploring, but I preferred the above two profiles more.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Call quality (8.5/10)
The call quality on the Oppo Enco X2 is very good. The person on the line was clearly audible, and I was heard with good clarity by them indoors as well as outdoors. The wind noise detection algorithm and circuitry on the earbuds do a good job of cutting out a lot of ambient noise when outdoors, and retains focus on the voice. The microphones on the Enco X2 are pretty good for voice recording too and also support Dolby binaural recording feature for better stereo effect.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Battery life (7.5/10)
Each earbud is fitted with a 57 mAh battery, while the case hosts a 566 mAh battery. The battery life of the Enco X2 varies depending on the codec and the usage of ANC. The claimed figures are as follows. With LHDC codes at 50% loudness, the buds alone can last for 5 hours with Max ANC and 6.5 hours with ANC off. The figures jump to 5.5 hours and 9.5 hours when using AAC codecs. The case provides three additional recharges in each case. The battery status of each earbud as well as the charging case is visible on the phone and in the HeyMelody app.

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I used LDAC codec during the course of my testing, which is in the same league as LHDC. With Max ANC and loudness around 70%, the buds lasted a shade over 4 hours on a full charge, and just under 6 hours with ANC off. Along with the case, you get anything between 16 to 24 hours depending on the quantum of ANC used. The non-ANC figures would be higher when using AAC codecs but I wouldn’t bother with that if you have LDAC or LHDC options available. 

While I am fine with the overall figures, I wish the battery life was a touch higher with ANC on. As for charging times, the buds take about an hour to charge fully, while the case takes about 90 minutes. The buds support fast charging wherein 10 minutes of charge gives you close to 2 hours of playtime with ANC off. The Enco X2 also supports wireless charging with Qi-compatible wireless chargers and certain phones that support reverse wireless charging.

Oppo Enco X2 TWS Earphones: Price and verdict
The Oppo Enco X2 TWS earphones are priced at Rs 10,990 with a one-year warranty. The price may be a thousand Rupees higher than its predecessor’s, but there have been several enhancements to the product including sound quality. I would go to the extent of saying that these may be the best-sounding TWS earphones under Rs 15,000 currently. The warm and detailed sound is a treat to the ears and the feature list of this product is longer than any of its competitors in this price bracket.