Oppo Enco W31 Review: Best Budget True Wireless Earphones For Bass Heads

Design- Most Distinctive Looking Capsule And Earbuds

The Enco W31 is the most distinctive looking budget true wireless earbuds you can buy in the Indian market. Unlike the myriad of Apple Airpods inspired TWS earbuds, the Enco W31 ships inside a compact pebble-shaped capsule which has a more lifestyle appeal to it. The case has a soft matte finish which makes it less prone to scratches but also makes it quite slippery. The minimally designed case is very lightweight and easily fits inside pockets. The build quality is pretty good.

Type-C Charging Port, LED Indicator, Function Button

The cutout at the front allows you to open the case with minimal pressure; however, we would have preferred a slightly deeper cut for ease of operation. The function button to pair the earbuds, and the LED indicator is provided inside the case. The Enco W31 features a Type-C port positioned at the bottom of the capsule.

Overall, the Enco W31's design clearly stands out. These budget TWS earbuds will certainly please youngsters who do not want Apple AirPods lookalikes. The Enco W31 is available in Black, White and Pink color options.

IP54 Dust And Water Resistant, Smart Wear Detection

Unlike the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 which is IPX4 certified, the Enco W31 can resist both water and dust as these budget true wireless earbuds have IP54 water-dust resistivity. And like premium true wireless earbuds, the Enco W31 also comes equipped with infrared sensors to offer smart wear detection. The sensors are quite efficient at pausing and resuming audio playback upon detecting any motion.

Pairing And Control

The Enco W31 can be paired with Bluetooth-enabled smart devices in a jiffy. The TWS earbuds work seamlessly across the devices, thanks to the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard and Binaural latency, which means both the earbuds connect to the smartphones individually to maintain a stable wireless connection. I did not face any connectivity issues while using them with Windows PC, Android and iOS powered devices.

· Open the case and long-press the function button to start pairing the earbuds.

· The green LED will start blinking bright white light to initiate the pairing process.

· It will flash green once the earbuds have been paired with a smart device.

The controls are fairly easy to understand. You can double-tap on the right earphone for the next song. Double-tap on the left earphone to switch music modes as the Enco W31 provides two modes- Balance Mode and Bass Mode. To invoke the voice assistant, triple tap on either side.

How’s The Wearing Experience?

I have used the Realme Buds Air and have also reviewed the Mi true Wireless Earphones 2. While these earbuds don't fall off from your ears, they fail to offer a secure fit. This is one area where the Enco W31 scores better than the rivals. These earbuds offer a more secure fit and also prevent audio leakage to a great extent, thanks to the rubber tips that keep them intact in your ears.

On the downside, I did not find the Enco W31 as comfortable as Xiaomi and Realme Buds for longer audio sessions. The Realme Buds Air and the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 can be worn for longer duration without causing any discomfort to your ears. However, the in-ear fit varies from person to person and it might be possible that you may find the Oppo Enco W31 good enough to wear for extended use in daily routine.

Audio Performance

A lot goes into tuning audio products to make them sound to the best of their hardware potential. Moreover, audio being subjective also calls for customization at the user's end which is mostly achieved via dedicated applications. The important thing to note here is that the budget price-point leaves very little for manufacturers to offer a deeper level of customization.

Both Realme and Xiaomi TWS earbuds are tuned to deliver a certain type of audio that you cannot tweak as per your liking.

On the other hand, Oppo has provided a neat solution to allow for some basic customization to drive a certain output to match your listening habits. The Enco W31 features two audio modes- Balanced Mode and Bass Mode. As the name suggests, the Balanced Mode pushes a balanced sound signature. The frequencies don't overlap and the earbuds very well handle highs, mids and even low-frequencies.

Oppo Enco W31 Pushes Great Audio Despite 7mm Drivers

The audio delivery very closely matches that of the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 in this mode, although the Xiaomi TWS earbuds are powered by 14mm dynamic drivers and the Enco W31 only uses 7mm drivers. The bigger drivers help the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 to achieve a more open sound stage to sound richer and slightly louder. As far as codec support is concerned, the Enco W31 supports AAC audio format.

Enable Bass Mode For Thumping Bass

But as soon as you double-tap on the left earbud and activate the Bass Mode, you will be surprised to feel the difference in the audio delivery. The Bass Mode is really effective in bringing out those rumbly beats, which I personally haven't experienced on budget true wireless earphones. The Realme Buds Air, Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and in fact no budget TWS earphones can match the bass delivery of the Enco W31. As the Enco W31 offers a tighter in-ear fit, they prevent audio leakage and deliver an enjoyable audio experience.

Overall, the Enco W31 is by far the best pair of budget true wireless earbuds for bass heads who prefer bass-heavy audio delivery.

Call Quality

The Enco W31 features dual-microphones with built-in noise reduction algorithm for clear voice calling operation. Despite the dual-microphones, the Enco W3 failed to match the call clarity delivered by the Mi true Wireless Earbuds. A lot of receivers complained about the voice clarity while I made calls over the Enco W31.

I also experienced a lack in the audio clarity by being on the receiver side and letting a family member use the Enco W31to make calls. While there was no background noise, the caller's voice lacked loudness. It seems the dual-microphones are somewhat lacking in generating good on-call audio. In all, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 are better option if you are always on phone for calls.

Battery Life

The Enco W31 can easily last for three hours on one full charge with 80% to 100% volume. The charging capsule adds another 11 hours of audio playback. The Mi True Wireless Earphones offer slightly longer battery life than the Enco W31. Moreover, the Enco W31 takes a very long time to get fully charged.

You have to keep them plugged in for about two and a half hours as these budget earbuds lack any form of fast-charging solution. Oppo being a master of fast-charging technology could have at least provided some form of fast-charging solution for its budget TWS earbuds. It would have added great value to the overall package.

Should You Buy Oppo Enco W31?

The Oppo Enco W31 is an impressive pair of budget true wireless earphones, all thanks to the dual music mode. It may not sound like a noteworthy feature at first but the audio customization plays a big role in the end-user experience, particularly in the budget TWS earphones category which lacks the very feature.

That being said, the Enco W31 manages to deliver the best-in-class bass making them perfect for consumers who prefer bass-heavy audio. The audio delivery, in general, is also very good. The distinctive design also looks refreshing and the battery life is also at par with rivals.

But not everything is perfect in these budget true wireless earbuds. They fail to offer a comfortable fit for long listening sessions and lack audio clarity for voice calls. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 performs better in both the departments. Moreover, it takes considerable time to recharge the Enco W31's battery cell to 100%.

Overall, you should only go for Enco W31 if your audio preference is inclined toward bass-heavy music. For almost everything else, The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 comes across as a better pair of true wireless earphones. You must note that the Mi True Earphones 2 are priced Rs. 500 extra than the Enco W31.