Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro Review: A Solid Upgrade, But Not a Revolution
Oppo’s Enco lineup of true wireless earphones has been a quiet success story, consistently delivering good value for the price. While the premium Enco X2 headphones are a standout performer under Rs. 10,000, the Enco Air series has been a mixed bag. However, the "Pro" variants have consistently impressed with their feature set and performance. The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro, the successor to the highly-regarded Enco Air 2 Pro, aims to change the game by offering an even better sound experience, advanced codec support, and bamboo-fiber diaphragms for its drivers. All this at a price of Rs. 4,999, a significant jump from its predecessor. But does it deliver on its promises and justify the price hike? Let’s find out.
Design and Features: Familiar but Refined
Oppo hasn’t opted for a radical redesign with the Enco Air 3 Pro. It bears a strong resemblance to the Enco Air 2 Pro, with subtle refinements that make it slightly more distinct. The most noticeable change is the new green color option which the Enco Air 2 Pro lacked.
The earphones still sport a stem design with rounded sides and distinct "L" and "R" indicators on the earpieces for easy identification. The in-canal fit remains, offering superior noise isolation compared to the basic Enco Air earphones. The earphones are light and comfortable, and come with a charging cable and three pairs of silicone ear tips in the box.
The touch controls continue to be a strong point, featuring customizable gestures for playback, noise cancellation, voice assistant, and volume control. However, the small touch area can lead to occasional mishaps. While you can customize these gestures, the small size might encourage users to keep it simple to mitigate erroneous triggers.
The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro boasts an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, making them suitable for workouts and light rain. The charging case features the Oppo logo, an indicator light, a USB Type-C port for charging, and no pairing button. Pairing is initiated via a long-press gesture on both earpieces.
Further enhancing the user experience are features like Google Fast Pair for rapid pairing, Oppo Alive Audio (virtualized spatial surround sound), and Golden Sound (personalized frequency compensation based on individual hearing characteristics). These features, accessible via the companion app, further elevate the overall user experience.
App and Specifications: Seamless Integration and Advanced Features
The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro leverages an app-based approach to control and tweak various settings. Depending on the device being used, the app can be accessed directly through the Bluetooth settings menu on compatible OnePlus and Oppo smartphones. For other devices, the HeyMelody app (available for both iOS and Android) provides access to all available features.
The app enables extensive customization, including equaliser presets, ANC level adjustment, multi-point connectivity, "Find My Earbuds" functionality, and a fit test tool. You can also enable or disable Oppo Alive Audio and Golden Sound according to your preferences.
The multi-point connectivity function seamlessly connects the earbuds with two devices simultaneously, a welcome feature for those who multitask. Moreover, the earbuds support the LDAC Bluetooth codec, unlike similar headsets that often limit the codec to AAC while connected to two devices. This allows for significantly improved sound quality on Android devices.
Under the hood, the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro features unique bamboo fiber diaphragms for its 12.4mm dynamic drivers, a departure from the traditional metal diaphragms seen in other earphones. The frequency response range spans from 20Hz to 40,000Hz, and the sensitivity rating is 107dB. Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs.
Performance and Battery Life: A Sound Transformation
The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro takes a significant leap forward in its sound performance, particularly when paired with an Android device leveraging the LDAC Bluetooth codec. While the sound isn’t bad with AAC, the LDAC codec significantly elevates the overall listening experience, especially for Android users.
The bamboo fiber diaphragms contribute to the improved sound quality, but the real game-changer is the combination of the LDAC codec and the Golden Sound personalized sound profile. While many budget earphones rely on basic tuning, Oppo’s approach delivers a more detailed and balanced sound, setting it apart from the competition.
The LDAC codec’s superior bandwidth handling capabilities combined with a surprisingly good soundstage provide a spatial virtualisation effect that enhances the overall listening experience. Listening to tracks like Dua Lipa’s "Dance the Night" with the LDAC codec activated reveals a spacious and enjoyable soundscape that is detailed and engaging. The lows never feel overpowering, maintaining a balance between drive and comfort. This track showcases the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro’s ability to strike a balance between detail and musicality.
The Golden Sound feature completes the transformation, offering a luxurious and open sound experience that further improves the overall audio quality. It creates a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience through personalized frequency compensation.
Switching to a more hard-hitting track like "Am I Dreaming" by Metro Boomin’ from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack, the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro delivers more rumble while highlighting its U-shaped sonic signature. The mid-range is slightly less prominent compared to the lows and highs.
The Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro emphasizes the highs a bit too much, especially at higher volumes. This can result in some perceived harshness, depending on the track being played. Tracks with a brighter signature like "Dance the Night" reveal this more prominently compared to tracks with a warmer sonic balance like "Am I Dreaming".
The active noise cancellation on the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro is reasonably effective for indoor use, canceling out basic household noises and making listening more comfortable. The in-canal fit contributes to noise isolation, and the customizable ANC modes help optimize the performance for different environments. The "Mild" mode proves to be the most effective for indoor use, while the other modes fall short in noisy outdoor situations.
Call quality is decent indoors and satisfactory outdoors, but the voice and microphone quality aren’t ideal for extended calls or online meetings.
Battery life is acceptable for this price segment. With ANC and the LDAC codec activated at around 50-60 percent volume, the earbuds offer around 4 hours of playback time. The charging case provides a little over three additional charges, resulting in a total playback time of around 17-18 hours per charge cycle. While not exceptional, it’s still a decent battery life for the budget segment.
Verdict: A Top Performer in a Competitive Segment
Oppo has consistently delivered excellent value in the budget true wireless segment, and the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro further solidifies that reputation. However, at Rs. 4,999, it’s a significant step up in price, bordering on the high end of the budget category.
While the performance and features justify the price tag, it’s not a revolutionary product that completely outshines the competition. However, it certainly earns its place as a top performer in the budget true wireless category, offering a significantly enhanced listening experience compared to its competitors.
Considering its performance, feature set, and price point, the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro is recommended for anyone looking for a high-quality true wireless earbud under Rs. 5,000. However, for those seeking even better value, options like the Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro and OnePlus Nord Buds 2 offer a slightly more compelling price-to-performance ratio.
