In the past, OPPO has managed to impress even with its mid-range buds. The OPPO Enco X2 that I reviewed last year was one such device. A couple of weeks ago, I opened a delivery package to find the cute lil’ pastel green OPPO Enco Air3 Pro, and here’s whether it sang its way into my heart.
Design
I’d be hardpressed to find a pair of budget buds that looks more appealing than this one. Not only is it in a really pleasant-looking pastel green, but also sports a wonderful 3D-like design on the lid. The buds are lightweight at 4.5 grams each and the fit is super comfortable, although that can be fairly subjective. With Google’s Fast Pairing, the process was quick and easy.
Audio
The sound quality is pleasing enough, however. I couldn’t shake off the need of a better bass profile. And I’m not really someone who’s constantly looking for bass-boosted devices! With Agust D’s Daechwita I felt the urge to switch to the bass boost mode on the equaliser available on the Hey Melody app. There are only three pre-sets to choose from - original sound, bass boost and natural inspiration. According to OPPO, there’s a unique bamboo-fibre diaphragm dome designed to deliver detailed high-frequency listening experience, with minimal distortion. While there’s no distortion at higher volumes, the sound does start getting a little too “sharp” for my liking.
I had no issues with call quality on the earphones. At most times, working from a relatively quiet newsroom, the caller was crystal clear from my end, and I also didn’t get any feedback indicating my voice wasn’t coming through clearly. Interestingly, despite stems, the earbuds haven’t integrated pinch/ squeeze controls. I have to tap lightly on top of the stem to activate any of the customisable functions that include skipping tracks and toggle through active noise cancellation.
Noise cancellation
The quality of noise cancellation is excellent on these buds, especially considering the price. The OPPO Enco Air3 Pro promises around 49 dB of noise cancellation, which means it successfully drowns out the clattering of keyboards and the hum of chatter at the office for me. At times, when I really need to focus and get some work done, I’d have ANC on, stream some music and no doorbell could disturb me.
Battery life
The Air3 Pro can go on for up to 30 hours of playtime, according to the company. The charging case comes with a 440mAh battery that you can charge through USB-C, and also wirelessly. Each nifty earbud packs in a 43 mAh battery. My usage was fairly mixed, but on average I was on voice calls for about 30 minutes, watching video content for an hour or so, and an hour or so of streaming music and the earbuds went on for almost a couple of weeks with Noise Control set to Max.
Verdict
With its aesthetics, it looks and feels more premium than it is. However, in terms of acoustics, it’s very much a pair of budget buds, which have the added advantage of active noise cancellation. The OPPO Enco Air3 Pro is for you if you’re looking for something that offers better acoustics than the cheapest set of buds on the market, and if ANC is something you’re actively looking for in your next pair, but don’t want to shell out more than 5k for.
Price: Rs 4,999
Pros: Beautiful case design, effective noise cancellation, long battery life
Cons: Audio quality could have been more well-rounded