Oppo Enco Free: My Choice for non in-ear headphones

Meet Oppo Enco Free!

[HANDS-ON] 26th December 2019, the same time Oppo announced Oppo Reno 3, Oppo also introduced their second earbuds, Oppo Enco Free. Priced at RMB 699 in China (S$140 approx / as of May 2020 it's going for S$129 locally in Singapore), it's almost 3 times more expensive than many self-proclaim unbranded TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds and just about S$50 less expensive than Apple AirPods 2 (wired version).

Removable ear tip is visible

Appearance and Design: This is what sets Oppo Enco Free apart from all others, the front tip of the earbuds are removable. That's right, Oppo provided 4 sizes of ear tips so the size of the earbuds are changeable. In reality, the default tip fits me well so there is no need for other sizes but it could prove to be the difference for others with unusually large or small ears and largely improve sound quality as sound leakage is reduced.

The earbuds comes in white, black and pink but you probably have to buy an export set from China for pink as I checked online. It noticeably lighter than Airpods 2 and the plastic exterior looks so too. Charging case has a relatively big logo on it, not my liking but its not important.

Unlike Airpods 2, the left earbud support volume control by sliding up/down, more straightforward than calling out to Siri. The right earbud controls next/previous songs. There is also an app that allows customing these controls.

Glossy finish on the stick and matte in the rest.

Compatibility with Samsung A8+: Flipping open the case does not auto connect to Samsung A8+ nor Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. Manual pairing via Bluetooth menu works 100%. App also works well without glitch. Taking off the earbuds will also pause media playback.

The sound quality is not comparable to AirPods 2 for me as an average consumer. The bigger problem for me is the volume on Samsung A8+ have to be set to maximum for the earbuds to be loud enough to be enjoyable. Pairing AirPods with the same phone, 70% is good for me. I also find the sound leakage is higher than AirPods so the bass and concentration seems to be weaker.

With AAC playback, the clarity is no problem so is the microphone. More importantly, the connection is absolutely reliable. It has not dropped at all for the whole month we have with it so far and no lag at all. Works a treat with YouTube, though I don't play mobile games so can't comment on that.

Reliability is what will entice anyone considering a unbranded TWS and a branded one.

The case flips open and close nicely but not as satisfying as Airpods.

Competition and Final Thoughts: I considered the following before deciding on Oppo Enco Free which is the most suitable for my father.

Realme Air Buds

• Case is filmsy

Apple Airpods

• With Android does not auto pause when taking out the earphones
• Double tap only pause

Xiaomi Airdots Pro 2

• Soft according to Qoo10 review
• S$75 can't be that good in sound quality

Stockholm

• Review of Sound quality not as favourable
• Design not my cup of tea.

Razer Earbuds

• Relative short battery life

Black Supply

• No idea if this is legit good

Huawei Free Buds 3

• Need to install huawei app to utilise its noise cancellation function. 
• $200 is the most expensive of this list.

Vivo TWS Airbuds

• Cannot find local set online

Link - Oppo Enco Free Product Page