Oppo follows up its early 2023 launch of the Enco Air3 earphones with a new Pro avatar—the Oppo Enco Air3 Pro. Priced at ₹4,999, it’s a step up from its predecessor, the Enco Air2 Pro, promising significant enhancements in specifications and performance, besides including support for advanced Bluetooth codecs and bamboo-fibre diaphragms for the drivers.
Design
Design-wise, the Oppo Enco Air3 Pro maintains a familiar look, similar to its predecessor. The earpieces feature a stem design with rounded sides, clearly marked with ‘L’ and ‘R’, and now also come in a fresh green. Unlike the basic Enco Air earphones, the Pro version offers an in-canal fit for better active noise cancellation. They’re lightweight and comfortable, and come with a charging cable and three sets of different-sized silicone ear tips.
Control-wise, touch-sensitive areas on the top of each earpiece stem allow for various functions like playback control, noise cancellation adjustment, voice assistant access, and volume control. The earphones carry an IP55 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water during workouts or light rain.
The charging case features the Oppo logo, an indicator light, and a USB Type-C port at the bottom, but lacks a pairing button. To enter pairing mode, a simultaneous long-touch gesture on both earpieces is required.
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Additional features include Google Fast Pair support, and app-based features such as Oppo Alive Audio for spatial surround sound and Golden Sound for personalised frequency compensation based on individual hearing profiles.
Connectivity/App
The Enco Air3 Pro offers app and feature customisation which varies based on your device. If you have an Oppo or OnePlus phone, you’ll find the app in the Bluetooth settings. For other devices, the HeyMelody app, available on iOS and Android, provides access to the full feature set.
On the app, you can fine-tune features like equaliser presets, ANC levels, and personalisation. Multi-point connectivity is efficient, allowing pairing with two devices simultaneously. The app also offers a helpful earbud locator, a fit test, and the option to enable Oppo Alive Audio and Golden Sound.
The Enco Air3 Pro stands out with bamboo fibre diaphragms, a departure from the conventional metal diaphragms found in most earphones. Boasting 12.4mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response range of 20-40,000Hz, and a sensitivity rating of 107dB, these earphones connect via Bluetooth 5.3. Notably, they support SBC, AAC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs, offering versatile connectivity options.
Performance
Oppo’s Enco Air3 Pro takes a notable step by aligning itself with specific devices for enhanced performance. LDAC Bluetooth codec support, especially on Android devices, elevates the sound quality significantly compared to AAC codec on iOS. While the bamboo fibre drivers are highlighted, the major improvement seems to come from software enhancements, including LDAC support and the Golden Sound profile.
In terms of sound quality, the Enco Air3 Pro stands out in the budget true wireless earphones category. The combination of the advanced Bluetooth codec and soundstage creates a balanced and detailed audio experience. The soundstage offers spatial virtualisation, showcased by tracks like Dua Lipa’s Dance the Night, providing an enjoyable and spacious feel even at higher volumes. The Golden Sound enhancement further refines the audio, tailoring it to the listener’s hearing profile.
The highs, however, can be a bit overwhelming, particularly at higher volume levels.
ANC & Call Quality
The active noise cancellation of the Oppo Enco Air3 Pro serves the indoors very well, effectively reducing everyday background sounds for a more comfortable listening experience. The in-canal fit enhances noise isolation, and adjustable ANC modes further fine-tune the performance for different environments. The mild mode strikes the best balance and effectiveness indoors, while the other modes are less effective in noisy outdoor settings.
For earphones under 5k, we feel the call quality is good as well; indoors, it is respectable, and remains acceptable outdoors.
Battery
The battery life of the Oppo Enco Air3 Pro falls within expectations for its price range. With ANC and the LDAC Bluetooth codec enabled, we were able to get approximately 15 to 16 hours of listening on a single full charge.
Verdict
Oppo’s latest Enco Air3 Pro find a good spot in the budget TWS segment. While it is slightly more expensive than its predecessor, the price makes up for the upgrades.
