Oppo Enco X2 Review
A true wireless sequel with promise, but can it beat the original?
Verdict
A true wireless from Oppo with decent noise-cancellation, good set of features (for Android users) and impressive call quality. They’re not quite as good as the competition whether it’s usability or their wireless performance, nor do they sound as balanced as the original model.
Pros
- Rich, warm audio
- Comfortable to wear
- Strong IP rating
- Top tier call quality performance
Cons
- Doesn’t sound as balanced as predecessor
- Not the most thorough noise-cancelling
- Patchy wireless performance in busy areas
- Fiddly force sensor controls
Key Features
- Noise-cancelling45dB of noise suppression to cancel out sounds
- Call qualityUse bone conduction for voice pickup
- Binaural recordingFirst earbuds to support Dolby Audio Binaural recording
Introduction
Though Apple didn’t make the first true wireless, they pushed it along with the AirPods and popularised the act of mobile phone brands making their own wireless earbuds to go together with their smartphones.
Oppo’s firmly in the Android camp and has produced solid efforts in the true wireless space with the Free2 and Enco X, both of which scored recommendations from this site.
And both those true wireless had assistance from Scandinavian hi-fi brand Dynaudio on the audio front. With the Enco X2 on the scene and the promise of even better performance, has Oppo made strides forward into the upper echelon of the market or has its progress stalled?
Design
- Slightly better fit than previous model
- Good water/sweat resistance
- Force sensor for operation
In terms of design, there’s not much that’s changed from the Enco X to the sequel. It’s the same svelte shape as before though the finish for both the buds and case is not as glossy. That doesn’t make much of a difference to me, but the added gloss of the original was nice from a visual standpoint.
The fit still feels a little loose but not as much as before, which is probably the result of swapping for a matte finish. The biggest change is to the touch controls as Oppo has used a force sensor, and I find it to be a less-than-satisfactory change. It’s a problem (at least for me) because the stem is so small that every time I operate the buds, I end up shifting how they’re seated, which then affects the noise-cancelling.
The force sensor is also fiddly to use and not as responsive as its cousin in the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. I don’t understand why Oppo felt the need to change to a force sensor, but, even so, it could have been implemented better.
The Enco X2 is rated to an IP54 rating, which offers good protection against sprays of water and dust. If you wanted to, you could use these for the gym. They’re also supplied with ear-tips (small to large), that include antibacterial tips to reduce the growth of bacteria and make them easier to clean.
The Babybell-shaped case is pretty much the same size as the Enco X’s, but in another curious change, the LED battery indicator has been moved inside, so you have to open the case to judge the current charge. There’s also one located next to the USB-C port but that only lights up when charging. It’s another change that doesn’t feel altogether necessary. Colour options are a choice of black or white finishes.
Features
- Solid, if not the most thorough, noise-cancelling
- Excellent call quality
- Patchy signal in busy areas
The noise-cancelling performance can be up and down. At times it’s effective, but conversely it never really feels comprehensive in the way it suppresses sounds.
Using the buds on a train, they can suppress voices well enough but the noise outside the train leaks through, and it’s a similar case wherever I use the Oppo. They deal with persistent noises satisfactorily and for the most part they keep sounds at bay but they’re also not quite as thorough as, say, the Sony LinkBuds S.
They’re not affected by wind noise like the similarly priced 1More Evo and AXS Audio Earbuds, and the transparency mode is fine, filtering through sounds and increasing awareness although it does reduce volume of music in the process.
Bluetooth support equates to version 5.2, covering SBC, AAC, LHDC and LDAC streaming codecs. LHDC and LDAC offer the highest quality, though the definition of these two being ‘hi-res’ is shaky for some considering lossless audio over Bluetooth is exceptionally rare to find.
Bluetooth multipoint is supported so the Oppo can be used with two devices at the same time. An update has added support for dual connection when LDAC is in use.
The wireless connection isn’t the strongest in busy areas, as I found it to be very in and out while wearing the headphones in train stations. Changing the codec from LDAC to AAC (to use up less bandwidth) didn’t make a difference either. The signal can drop in less busy areas too, and it is frequent enough to make me think it’s the Enco X2 rather than the audio stream from the smartphone.
The Enco X2 is designed to work best with Oppo’s ColorOS phones, which are highly customised versions of Android. With, say, the Oppo Find X5 Pro, it integrates with the phone on a system level.
If you have a smartphone with a recent version of Android, the Enco X2 integrates on a system level too. Head to the Bluetooth settings and then ‘Earbud Functions’ and you’re basically presented with an app, and here you can customise audio, controls, carry out an ‘Earbud Fit Test’, as well as adjust the EQ and push through firmware updates. Another option is the Hey Melody app which has everything I’ve mentioned above.
The app Android-level integration offers plenty of customisation. If the earbuds get lost there’s a ‘Find my earbuds’ feature to locate them. The Golden Sound feature promises studio quality sound that’s tuned to the ears by analysing the structure of your ear canal and carrying out a hearing test. Does it make a difference? I found the adjustment to be slight but, of course, whatever improvements heard are based on your hearing ability.
There’s also a feature whereby you record audio in binaural form (i.e. 3D audio), though this is only with the Oppo Find X5 Pro and Oppo Find X5.
Call quality is excellent, which is a rare result for a true wireless. Walking through Borough food market, the person on the other end could hear me fine though they mentioned my voice was a little off (apparently not as deep). However, all the sounds of people milling about and the vendors cooking food were cleared away. Consider these to be a top-quality true wireless for calling.
In terms of battery, Oppo is claiming 5 hours per bud with the LHDC enabled (20 hours with the case) and 5.5 hours with AAC (22 hours from the case), both stats with noise-cancelling on. The battery drains I carried out with a Spotify playlist played for an hour proved to be on the money. An hour of LDAC streaming saw the earbuds drop quite quickly to 80% and then hold there, so 5 hours is possible. That’s also about par for midrange true wireless, similar to the LinkBuds S and an hour better than the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro.
Sound Quality
- Warm presentation
- Not as detailed or as balanced as original model
- Spacious sound
Oppo speaks of a studio quality sound but much like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 I reviewed earlier in 2023, what that translates to is a performance that’s warm and rich.
That’s all well and fine, but the rich bass and the smooth tone of the Enco X2 goes for skips the original’s balance, which offered more midrange clarity, and adopted a crisper tone. Of the two, I prefer how the Enco X sounds.
But that’s not to dismiss the Enco X2. Like the original, and indeed the OnePlus Buds, they’re assisted by esteemed Scandinavian brand Dynaudio, and the bass is served well by extra richness, weight, and depth afforded to it.
At default volume the low frequencies feel a little reined in (as does the soundstage at large) but turn up the volume on a track like Katy B’s Katy on a Mission and the Oppo describes the bass with a greater presence, more depth, and more vitality (or energy), and all without infringing on midrange clarity. As an A/B comparison with the same track, the Enco X’s bass performance sounds cleaner and a bit punchier but without the same level of depth
The soundstage is conveyed with plenty of width and space (moreso with the volume pushed up), and vocals, whether they be Christina Aguilera’s in Without You or Sam Smith’s in Unholy, have a pleasing smoothness and warmth, with plenty of space granted in the soundstage for voices to strut their stuff unobstructed. It is very similar to the Enco X aside from the warmth and added bass presence.
High frequencies are brightly expressed in Andreas Ihlebæk’s Come Summer, capturing the varying notes of the piano with good amounts of shine that bring out the twinkly quality of the notes played, but that warmth across the frequency range does rob the treble of some clarity and detail compared to the Enco X.
However, that Enco X sound isn’t that far away. Head into the settings to change the EQ to Enco X Classic, and while it doesn’t retrieve every bit of detail, clarity, or detail the Enco X can, it does sound a little less rich.
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Should you buy it?
If you’ve got an Oppo smartphone: The Enco X2 is designed to integrate best with a ColorOS smartphone, so the X2 should offer a seamless experience – though it works well with any Android smartphone.
You find force sensor controls too fiddly: Though they can be done well (see the OnePlus Buds Pro 2), the controls on the Oppo aren’t the most responsive and unsettle the earphones placement, which affects the noise-cancelling.
Final Thoughts
What you hope for in a sequel is a performance that builds on the foundations and improves further, but that’s not quite what the Enco X2 provides.
The noise-cancelling is good, if not quite the most thorough performance, and the changes to the touch controls don’t result in a better experience. The wireless performance can be a bit up and down in busy areas; and the move to a richer, bassier audio performance lacks the balance of the original.
This is still a solid offering but there’s plenty of competition. You may want to consider the (more expensive) OnePlus Buds Pro 2 which follows a similar path but has longer battery life and better controls.
How we test
We test every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested across several months
Tested with real world use
Battery drain performed
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FAQs
The Enco X2 is compatible with any wireless charging plate, it just needs to be placed on the mat for the charging to begin.
Full specs
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
