Oppo Enco Air 3 Buds Review: Affordable TWS with balanced sound quality

Oppo Enco Air 3 TWS Review Summary:

Editor’s Rating- 3.5/5

OPPO Enco truly wireless earphones has been doing well for the brand with a positive customer satisfaction score. Now, OPPO added Enco Air 3 Buds to its portfolio offering it for  Rs 2,999.

The Enco Air 3 Buds claims to offer better sound and battery life and better protection. Although a price of Rs. 2999 is affordable for many, some consumers will still wonder if they should upgrade to Enco Air 3, or wait for another TWS with better features at this price point. So, is Oppo Enco Air 3 worth considering or not? Let’s find out.

Oppo Enco Buds Air 3 Unboxing

The Oppo Enco Air 3 Buds box includes-

• The buds
• Charging case

User manual

Oppo Enco Buds Air 3: Design & Fit

The Oppo Enco Air 3 has a minimalistic design wherein the buds are visible even without opening the case as the lid is transparent. The pebbled-shaped design is similar to its predecessor with slight changes. The case looks like an egg and was confused about one by a toddler at my home. Also last time, the buds had an IPX4 rating whereas this time Enco Air 3 has an IP54 rating.

 The charging case is oval in shape and as mentioned, it has a see-through cap through which buds are clearly visible at all times. The lid has a frosted finish so scratches won’t be visible on it very clearly and the case itself is very compact and can be carried in one’s pocket easily (weighing 37.5 grams). There is only a single Glazed white color option available, so you can buy these only if you like white TWS buds. The egg-shaped charging case doesn’t have any physical pairing button, which means the setup has to be performed with buds. There is an LED on the case that shows the pairing status and at the bottom is the USB Type-C charging port.

The buds also have a transparent design language as the part facing outside has a transparent shell and Oppo has called it- a dewdrop stem inspired by jewels. Turning over the buds to the side that will face the ears will remind you of Apple’s AirPods. There are no silicone tips so the buds might feel uncomfortable in the ears but they never feel bulky as each bud weighs 3.75 grams. If the absence of silicone tips doesn’t affect you, then you can wear these buds for long durations without any issues. The fitting is also decent as they seal the ear canal well. I like the feel of silicone tips, so these were not good for my ears, but this depends on person to person. The buds have touch-sensitive controls on the edges, the use of which will be discussed further in this review.

Oppo Enco Buds Air 3: Connectivity, Controls & Features

The Oppo Enco Buds 3 can be managed using the Hey Melody App. The app is available on Android and iPhones and it is simple to use. The app allows you to check battery levels, tweak touch controls, choose between 2 pre-set EQs, and more. The touch support is disabled by default, so users will have to use the app to enable them when they first use the buds. You can also use Google Assistant with taps which is helpful if you are at work in a gym or anywhere else.

The Enco Air 3 allows dual connectivity so you can connect the buds with 2 devices simultaneously. There is support for Bluetooth 5.3 and the pairing process is pretty simple as well. You just have to pop open the case and you will se buds being detected on your list of Available Bluetooth devices on the phone. Click on pair and you get connected. Connection mostly remained stable in the 10m range.

Some basic gestures are also supported by the buds. A single tap plays and pauses the music or answers a phone call, double tap on the left and right respectively helps one move forward or backward in a playlist. A long tap can access the voice assistant. The only issue is that gesture control doesn’t allow controlling volume. Also, there is no support for high-tech codecs, so we get only AAC and SBC. 

ALSO READ: Best 5G phones under Rs 30,000 in India

Oppo Enco Buds Air 3 Review: Sound Quality & Call Quality

The Oppo Enco Air 3 features large 13.4mm drivers which claim to give a strong bass. The sound produced is loud and crystal clear and the bass is decent, but not strong enough to make audiophiles swoon. The audio is best when heard at about 75% volume, higher than that is slightly distorted and might pinch the eardrums. The audio at the sweet spot of 75% allows you to listen to instruments and vocals in a song separately. The beats in the latest songs of Pathaan (Besharam Rang and Jhoome Jo Pathaan) sound good, but the bass could have been paunchier. The vocals are crisp, but the sound appears flat in some portions of the track. This gives a feeling of slight dissatisfaction.

There are no high-end features like ANC, Spatial audio, and wireless charging, but then that can’t be expected out of an under 3k TWS. The buds work well with most of the smartphones from Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung, and Motorola, so no complaints there. However, there are no dedicated modes for gaming or cinema so the latency is delayed and the music and action tend to mix sometimes.

One of the most important reasons for some people to buy a TWS is calling and in this area, Oppo Enco Buds 3 has some distance to cover. The calls I took sounded as if the voice was away from the source and the weather was too windy. The ambient noises were not filtered out which again is not ideal if I am taking a meeting from a crowded place.

Oppo Enco Buds Air 3 TWS Review: Battery

The Oppo Enco Buds 3 case packs a 300mAh battery while the buds have a 27mAh battery each. The buds give a playback time of around 5 hours on a single charge while with the case they can go on for 20+ hours depending on the type of usage. The buds when placed inside the case take over 1 hour to get charged, and when they are charged kept inside the case, both take 2 hours to get charged. The battery and charging speed both are decent. The USB Type-C charging cable is not provided inside the box, so you can use your existing cable or buy it if you don’t have one.

Review Verdict: Should you buy Oppo Enco Buds Air 3?

The Oppo Enco Air 3 comes with slight updates over its predecessor and though the price is hiked by 500 rupees, it might not be a very big downer looking at how the cost of components has increased overall. A good TWS for a price of Rs. 2999 is difficult to find these days, and thus Enco Air 3 might find its own market.

 The Buds have clear audio, but the bass levels are slightly low, so you might not want to go for it if you are a fan of bass. Moreover, the buds are lightweight, easy to carry, and have good battery life and IP54 rating, but the calling experience is not that satisfactory. If you feel, the improvements are enough for you to spend a little more, then Enco Air 3 could be your choice, otherwise, you might still want to go for Oppo Enco Air 2 Buds as they retail for under 2k on several occasions.