The TWS Earbuds market in India is currently in a messy state. The race to flood the market with low-cost and mid-range true wireless earbuds has left no room for innovation in the segment. However, the Enco X2 begs to differ. Launched alongside the Reno8-series smartphones, it is Oppo's second product in the mid-range TWS earbuds segment and locks horns with OnePlus and Samsung's sub-15K true wireless earbuds.
The new Enco X2 has also been designed in collaboration with the Danish speaker maker Dynaudio and comes with a promise of quality noise cancellation and best-in-class audio. The list of features includes a 2nd-generation dual-driver system (11mm), an improved ANC, Dolby Atmos Binaural recording, claimed battery life of 40 hrs (buds + case), and much more.
But are these upgrades worth the asking price of Rs. 10,999? Let's find out.
Oppo Enco X2 Key Specs
Oppo Enco X2 Case Design- Rounder And Sturdier Oppo has made minor cosmetic changes to the charging case and the buds'design. The Enco X2's charging case is now rounder and 4.5g heavier than its precursor. It ditches the silver-colored metallic band that made the original Enco X TWS earbuds stand out. Oppo could have retained it to keep the distinct appearance intact. Moreover, it would have been nice to see Oppo trying out more finishes to refresh its premium TWS earbuds line-up. The Enco X2 still has the same glossy finish, making it a smudge magnet. The Enco X2 comes in white and black color schemes and the former has a ceramic-like texture, giving a more premium design feel. On the bright side, the build quality feels pretty solid and durable now. The lid shuts with a firm snap and feels extremely sturdy. The bottom has a Type-C charging port and an indicator for battery charging. If you are too lazy to plug itinto the socket, the charging case also supports wireless charging. Oppo Enco X2 Buds Design & Wearing Experience While the design of the buds hasn't changed, they feel more premium than their predecessor and resemble Apple's AirPods even more. These in-ear buds snugly fit inside the ear cavity and feel very comfortable (Single earbud weight- 4.7g) for long music/calling sessions. The in-ear fit and comfort of TWS earbuds vary from person to person, so it is recommended that you try them before making the purchase. Oppo offers two extra silicone ear tips in the box to help you find the right fit. The earbuds claim to have an anti-bacterial design with earwax prevention. The silicone tips have wax guard layers to prevent earwax from blocking the speaker outlets. Lastly, the buds are IP54-certified, which means they can be worn in the gym and during outdoor workouts. But it's imperative to note that the case is not certified to resist water and dust damage. Oppo Enco X2 Features & Smartphone App With three microphones aboard each bud, the Enco X2 brings an effective ANC, which can be customized (mild, moderate, and max) from the companion app- HeyMelody. The active noise cancellation is good for the price and you won't hear those low humming noises (45dB) if you keep the volume anywhere from 20% to max. There's even an AI-enabled Smart Adaptive ANC that makes adjustments to offer the best possible noise isolation. The app also lets you customize the touch controls on the buds, which work pretty well. The Enco X2 impressed us with its seamless voice calling performance. They feature bone conduction sensors typically found on high-end wireless audio devices. In theory, the sensors analyze your sound vibrations for better voice pickup in noisy surroundings. It does work as not a single caller complained about irritating background noises while making calls in busier surroundings. Overall, the Enco X2 offers comparatively better voice calling performance than the competition. Oppo Enco X2 Sound Quality The first difference I noticed between the new TWS earbuds and its predecessor is the overall sound tuning. The new TWS earbuds sound richer and the music now feels more engaging than before even with busier tracks. The credit goes to the second-generation dual-driver system with a quad-magnet planar tweeter. These buds work on LHCD 4.0 technology (Codec support) that has a claimed wireless audio transmission rate of up to 900kbps (24 bits). Oppo Enco X2 Supports LHDC, LDAC & AAC I tested the earbuds with a range of devices supporting different codecs (LHDC, LDAC, and AAC) and experienced immersive sound across the types. The Enco X2 earbuds defaulted to LDAC on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and LHDC on Oppo's Reno8 Pro and the OnePlus flagships. The Enco X2 are High-Res Audio certified and can also work on traditional AAC and SBC codecs with devices that do not support LHDC. For AAC, we paired these buds with an iPhone 13. Despite these codec differences, the Enco X2 sounds excellent across the devices; however, the LDHC output stole the show. With the right device, these TWS earbuds can match the audio response of some of the best TWS earbuds from Sony and Sennheiser that cost considerably higher. You will get to hear well-balanced mids, sparkly highs, and tighter bass, which doesn't leak into other frequencies. And most importantly, streaming audio at a high volume doesn't produce any distortion. Oppo Enco X2 Sound Profile Customiation Although the default sound signature can be described as balanced, the buds let you adjust them as per your tastes. There are four EQ settings to tweak the audio profile. The Dynaudio Real sounded best overall to my ears. Overall, the Enco X2 improves on the basics and delivers an enjoyable music listening experience. Oppo Enco X2 Battery Life & Connectivity The Oppo Enco X2 earbuds (57mAh) alone can last for up to four and a half hours on a single charge with ANC enabled and volume levels fluctuating between 60-75%. Switching off the ANC increases the battery life by up to 80 minutes. The charging case (566mAh) easily offers four to five charge cycles, which means one full charge of the buds and the case is good enough to deliver a listening time of up to 40 hrs with ANC off and up to a day with ANC enabled, which is pretty impressive. Speaking of the charging tech, the Enco X2 supports 10W wired charging, which seems sluggish in 2022. You would need at least 90-minutes for a full refuel of the charging case and c60 minutes to recharge the buds. Oppo should apply some fast-charging tech solution to its premium TWS earbuds range since it's a leader in the space. I didn't notice any connection drops during my testing with the range of devices we used to test the TWS earbuds including Apple, Android, and Windows PCs. The TWS earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2 for binaural low-latency Bluetooth transmission (Android and iOS) and have a 10-meter range for wireless connection. The TWS earbuds maintained a solid connection with smartphones, laptops, and even Android TVs. Verdict The Enco X2 is packed to the brim with features that audiophiles seek from a high-end TWS earbud. Oppo has further fine-tuned the overall music listening experience. The Enco X2 sounds richer and the music feels livelier than before. These buds also offer good active noise cancellation, ample customization modes, and a long-lasting battery backup. At Rs. 10,999, the Enco X2 is for people looking for a pair of TWS earbuds that deliver a balanced sound signature and good battery life. Bass heads can still go with the OnePlus Buds Pro. The OnePlus Buds also sound a bit louder than the Oppo Enco X2 but the difference isn't groundbreaking.
Oppo has made minor cosmetic changes to the charging case and the buds'design. The Enco X2's charging case is now rounder and 4.5g heavier than its precursor. It ditches the silver-colored metallic band that made the original Enco X TWS earbuds stand out. Oppo could have retained it to keep the distinct appearance intact.
Moreover, it would have been nice to see Oppo trying out more finishes to refresh its premium TWS earbuds line-up. The Enco X2 still has the same glossy finish, making it a smudge magnet. The Enco X2 comes in white and black color schemes and the former has a ceramic-like texture, giving a more premium design feel.
On the bright side, the build quality feels pretty solid and durable now. The lid shuts with a firm snap and feels extremely sturdy. The bottom has a Type-C charging port and an indicator for battery charging. If you are too lazy to plug itinto the socket, the charging case also supports wireless charging.
While the design of the buds hasn't changed, they feel more premium than their predecessor and resemble Apple's AirPods even more. These in-ear buds snugly fit inside the ear cavity and feel very comfortable (Single earbud weight- 4.7g) for long music/calling sessions. The in-ear fit and comfort of TWS earbuds vary from person to person, so it is recommended that you try them before making the purchase.
Oppo offers two extra silicone ear tips in the box to help you find the right fit. The earbuds claim to have an anti-bacterial design with earwax prevention. The silicone tips have wax guard layers to prevent earwax from blocking the speaker outlets.
Lastly, the buds are IP54-certified, which means they can be worn in the gym and during outdoor workouts. But it's imperative to note that the case is not certified to resist water and dust damage.
With three microphones aboard each bud, the Enco X2 brings an effective ANC, which can be customized (mild, moderate, and max) from the companion app- HeyMelody. The active noise cancellation is good for the price and you won't hear those low humming noises (45dB) if you keep the volume anywhere from 20% to max. There's even an AI-enabled Smart Adaptive ANC that makes adjustments to offer the best possible noise isolation.
The app also lets you customize the touch controls on the buds, which work pretty well. The Enco X2 impressed us with its seamless voice calling performance. They feature bone conduction sensors typically found on high-end wireless audio devices. In theory, the sensors analyze your sound vibrations for better voice pickup in noisy surroundings. It does work as not a single caller complained about irritating background noises while making calls in busier surroundings.
Overall, the Enco X2 offers comparatively better voice calling performance than the competition.
The first difference I noticed between the new TWS earbuds and its predecessor is the overall sound tuning. The new TWS earbuds sound richer and the music now feels more engaging than before even with busier tracks. The credit goes to the second-generation dual-driver system with a quad-magnet planar tweeter. These buds work on LHCD 4.0 technology (Codec support) that has a claimed wireless audio transmission rate of up to 900kbps (24 bits).
I tested the earbuds with a range of devices supporting different codecs (LHDC, LDAC, and AAC) and experienced immersive sound across the types. The Enco X2 earbuds defaulted to LDAC on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and LHDC on Oppo's Reno8 Pro and the OnePlus flagships. The Enco X2 are High-Res Audio certified and can also work on traditional AAC and SBC codecs with devices that do not support LHDC. For AAC, we paired these buds with an iPhone 13.
Despite these codec differences, the Enco X2 sounds excellent across the devices; however, the LDHC output stole the show. With the right device, these TWS earbuds can match the audio response of some of the best TWS earbuds from Sony and Sennheiser that cost considerably higher. You will get to hear well-balanced mids, sparkly highs, and tighter bass, which doesn't leak into other frequencies. And most importantly, streaming audio at a high volume doesn't produce any distortion.
Although the default sound signature can be described as balanced, the buds let you adjust them as per your tastes. There are four EQ settings to tweak the audio profile. The Dynaudio Real sounded best overall to my ears. Overall, the Enco X2 improves on the basics and delivers an enjoyable music listening experience.
The Oppo Enco X2 earbuds (57mAh) alone can last for up to four and a half hours on a single charge with ANC enabled and volume levels fluctuating between 60-75%. Switching off the ANC increases the battery life by up to 80 minutes. The charging case (566mAh) easily offers four to five charge cycles, which means one full charge of the buds and the case is good enough to deliver a listening time of up to 40 hrs with ANC off and up to a day with ANC enabled, which is pretty impressive.
Speaking of the charging tech, the Enco X2 supports 10W wired charging, which seems sluggish in 2022. You would need at least 90-minutes for a full refuel of the charging case and c60 minutes to recharge the buds. Oppo should apply some fast-charging tech solution to its premium TWS earbuds range since it's a leader in the space.
I didn't notice any connection drops during my testing with the range of devices we used to test the TWS earbuds including Apple, Android, and Windows PCs. The TWS earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2 for binaural low-latency Bluetooth transmission (Android and iOS) and have a 10-meter range for wireless connection. The TWS earbuds maintained a solid connection with smartphones, laptops, and even Android TVs.
The Enco X2 is packed to the brim with features that audiophiles seek from a high-end TWS earbud. Oppo has further fine-tuned the overall music listening experience. The Enco X2 sounds richer and the music feels livelier than before. These buds also offer good active noise cancellation, ample customization modes, and a long-lasting battery backup.
At Rs. 10,999, the Enco X2 is for people looking for a pair of TWS earbuds that deliver a balanced sound signature and good battery life. Bass heads can still go with the OnePlus Buds Pro. The OnePlus Buds also sound a bit louder than the Oppo Enco X2 but the difference isn't groundbreaking.