OPPO Enco Free Unboxing and First Impressions

Ahead of its reported December 26 launch date, OPPO has shown us its upcoming TWS  (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds designed to compete against Apple's AirPods 2, the Enco Free.

OPPO Enco Free with the flip-to-open charging case

OPPO Enco Free is totally different from the impressive Enco Q1 with a neckband style. It highlights several new features that we never saw with other TWS earbuds such as the replaceable silicone tips in 3 different sizes and slide to adjust the volume.

OPPO also said that it has one of the most stable and fast connection, strong battery performance, good audio quality, and microphones with noise-canceling tech.

To see if it is as promising as advertised, here's what we initially think about it.

Unboxing/Accessories

Clean white box

OPPO Enco Free arrived in a clean white box with the print and the model name of the earbuds.

What's inside the box

Inside the box, I saw a small slim box containing the quick start guide and warranty doc. 

Next, I was greeted by the charging case with the Enco Free inside, another small box for the USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and the last small box with the extra tips inside.

Medium and large ear tips

There's no protective case for the case of the earbuds though.

Build Quality/Design

The buds

OPPO Enco Free uses a sturdy-looking polycarbonate body with a matte-like texture. The shape of the body looks like an AirPods with touch controls and mic, but the part of the bud is different.

Removable tip

We were surprised that it has a replaceable silicone tip for better fit and comfort. To be honest, that's quite clever.

Removable silicon tips on an earbuds-style earphones? Nice!

We also noticed that it has holes (vents) on each piece designed to improve bass and overall audio quality.

There's no mention of water splash resistance though. But, most earphones with dynamic drivers can survive sweat from workouts. We wish that this one has that feature as well.

Front of the case

USB-C port below

For the case, it uses a rounded rectangular polycarbonate body with metallic accents. It has an LED notification in front, USB-C (5V/1A) port for charging below, and a pairing button at right.

OPPO Enco Free Specs

Driver: 13.4mm dynamic driver
Frequency response: 16Hz - 20KHz
Sensitivity: 120dB @ 1kHz @ 1mW
Microphone: Dual microphone w/ AI uplink noise cancellation
Battery: 31mAh per earpiece, 410mAh case
Sensors: IR sensor
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 w/ OPPO Binaural Simultaneous Bluetooth Transmission
Others: IPX4 water splash resistance, Double-tap control, sliding volume control, pop-up and pair, USB-C, LED notifications, Colors: black, white, pink
Weight: 48.2 g
Price: Php 5,499

As of the moment

Enco Free with the Reno Ace Gundam Edition

Right off the bat, I'm quite impressed with the OPPO Enco Free.

While it doesn't have ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), the fit is good and it can somehow block minimal outside noise, thanks to its clever removable tips.

Pretty good audio quality

We also like that it has added features such as the slide up/down at left to adjust the volume, stop/play music playback when either the left or right earpiece is removed, and several double-tap features.

It is also an earbud with fast Bluetooth pairing that seamlessly connects to my Android phone or PC.

OPPO also claimed that it has a total of 25 hours of battery life with 5V/1A USB-C charging.

And of course, the audio that its large 13.4mm dynamic driver is pretty good. Audio signature is warm, it has decently clear mids, good separation, and soundstage is larger most in-ears.

So far, great!

The price isn't out yet though. Let's hope that OPPO will give it an affordable price tag than the competition to make it an even more impressive TWS earbuds.

For our full review: OPPO Enco Free Review - Solid TWS Companion