A few weeks ago, sales of the new OPPO Enco Air3i TWS headphones began in Ukraine. These are affordable tabs with increased battery life, compared to the previous generation, and improved sound. We have already managed to test the new product for several weeks, and in the review below we share our impressions and experience of use.

OPPO Enco Air3i

1999 hryvnias

Pros:

familiar classic design; sit normally in the ears, as for in-ears; good universal sound with soft bass; there is the OPPO Alive Audio spatial surround sound function; ultra-fast connection with devices; simple and convenient application; noise canceling microphone; adequate battery life; you can use one headphone; good ratio price/quality/opportunities

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Cons:

there is not even a short cable in the delivery package; no fast and wireless charging; someone will not have enough bass; no autoplay/stop music; a lot of competitors

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Specifications OPPO Enco Air3i

Packaging and assembly

OPPO Enco Air3i comes in a miniature silver-grey box.

Inside we have the headphones themselves in a case, instructions and documentation.

Design and ergonomics of OPPO Enco Air3i

OPPO Enco Air3i is a white tab earphone with a long leg that repeats the familiar design of AirPods.

The glossy plastic body has cutouts for speakers, a well-defined touch panel, a variety of sensors and microphones, charging contacts and L and R markings. The weight of each earbud is 3.7 grams. The weight of the case together with headphones is 40.2 grams.

The oval case is divided into two parts: the lower, glossy, and the upper, translucent and matte. On the front of the case we see a status indicator. The USB-C port is placed below, and behind it is the OPPO inscription and various information about the headphones.

The case is easy to open with one hand. The headphones themselves are firmly held in its grooves, so they do not fall out even when you open the lid and shake them strongly.

Dust and other traces of use are immediately visible on the surface of the headphones and the case. But it will be very difficult to notice scratches. Especially on the matte surface of the lid.

Features of OPPO Enco Air3i

OPPO Enco Air3i are equipped with 13.4 mm titanium composite dynamic drivers. The sensitivity of the driver is 128±3 dB, and the frequency range is 20-20 kHz. The headphones support the popular AAC/SBC codecs.

The audio device features OPPO Alive Audio’s signature 360-degree surround sound feature and three built-in sound effects.

TWS headphones are protected against moisture according to the IPX4 standard. This means that you can get into them in the rain and do sports. Please note that only the headphones are protected, not the case. Therefore, one should be more careful with it.

Only one earpiece can be used. That is, you can either not take the second one and listen to something in one, or put it in the case later, and then take it out and continue to use both. All these actions are not reflected in the signal, there are no sound delays, freezes, etc.

However, there are no sensors that detect the removal of headphones, so there will be no autopause and continuation of viewing.

Connection and control

OPPO Enco Air3i support Bluetooth 5.3 and have a minimum signal delay (47 ms). This allows you to use them not only for watching movies, series or videos on YouTube, but also for full-fledged gaming sessions.

The first connection of wireless headphones is as simple and fast as possible. It is enough to turn on Bluetooth on the phone and open the cover of the case. After a second, a window will appear on the screen with an offer to connect or refuse to connect. Next, we will be shown the battery status of the headphones and the case.

The novelty works with the proprietary HeyMelody program. It is a simple and convenient application where you can view the charge status, enable/disable one of the three available sound modes (Original Sound, Bass Boost and Clear Vocals), test and activate the OPPO Alive Audio mode, view and change touch controls, view electronic user manual, update firmware, etc.

See the picture below for basic touch controls.

By default, everything is very convenient and clear. The sensors are located higher on the body and respond adequately to touches. Due to their location, it is better to adjust the headphones by the leg, so that there are no phantom pressures when correcting the headphones in the ears.

OPPO Enco Air3i sound and microphone

OPPO Enco Air3i have good, clear and maximum versatile sound. All frequencies are enough here, but I would add a little bass, because even in the Bass Boost mode, it was not enough for me. However, low frequencies do not cover other frequencies and that is good. They can be called soft, which will also be a plus for some, and a minus for others.

Most often, I listened to music in the mode with enhanced bass and without the 360-degree surround spatial sound function of OPPO Alive Audio. It’s a cool thing, but not for this format. When listening to music, it adds echoes and various noises, which only interferes. But in videos, serials and movies, it adds volume and space, as if it transports the user inside the video or favorite series.

The microphone here has a noise canceling function. That’s why the voice is always clearly audible, even when repairs are going on somewhere behind, someone says loudly or you’re just outside. However, as always, the noise cancellation makes your voice sound a bit robotic, which isn’t a problem for me, but something to be aware of.

Autonomous operation of OPPO Enco Air3i

OPPO Enco Air3i are equipped with 32 mAh batteries in the headphones and a 480 mAh battery in the case. The manufacturer claims that the headphones work up to 35 hours together with the case. Autonomous operation of the headphones themselves is up to 5.5 hours at 50% volume. Charging the case and headphones takes 2.5 hours.

In fact, everything turns out like that and even more. I often listened to music at 20-30% volume and less often at 70%, so on one charge the headphones lasted me stably for 6-7 hours. Therefore, at the declared 50% volume, I think they will withstand the above-mentioned 5.5 hours without any problems. The charging time is also as stated. I will also note that there is no fast charging or wireless charging.

User experience

Before the review, I did not expect anything from this model, so in general, I will mark the impressions after the tests as positive. OPPO Enco Air3i proved to be balanced in terms of price/quality/capability and this is the most important thing. They also look simple and adequate (although this is not entirely to their credit), have a pleasant universal sound and ultra-fast connection with devices.

I liked the spatial surround sound function. But I emphasize once again that it is better not to use it for music. The headphones have an adequate microphone with noise cancellation and a good battery life.

I will also emphasize that these are earplugs, so you should be prepared for the fact that it will not be possible to drown out the environment and other sounds. This is the design, so it is often chosen if they want to listen to music, communicate with people and do other things without taking the device out of their ears.

And they fit my ears, so they rarely fell out. Usually the tabs “fall” from them much more often, but the OPPO Enco Air3i literally fell out several times when I used them. But they definitely need to be corrected much more often than any in-channel model. And you should also be ready for this.

Price and competitors

OPPO Enco Air3i is sold at a price of 1,790 hryvnias. However, these are probably some “gray” options, because the official price tag of the model is 1999 hryvnias, according to which it can be found in many large online stores. In my opinion, this is an adequate price for this model and its capabilities, but there are a lot of well-known competitors in this segment.

For example, there are the same second or third Apple AirPods. They are more expensive, but often people are ready for it to get a gadget of a super-recognizable brand, and not an option for them, as in this case. Therefore, AirPods 2 (price from 4,470 hryvnias) and AirPods 3 (price from 5,800 hryvnias) should be noted among competitors. Do not forget about another version of the model from OPPO – OPPO Enco Air3 (price from 1490 hryvnias).

From the available segment of TWS headphones, it is worth paying attention to JBL Vibe 300TWS with a price tag of 1,379 hryvnias, as well as Redmi Buds 4 Lite (price from 650 hryvnias). There are also stylish Nothing Ear (stick) priced from 2,299 hryvnias and Marshall Minor III (priced from 3,850 hryvnias).

Conclusion:

OPPO Enco Air3i is a new TWS in-ear earphone with a pleasant universal sound, a branded surround sound function and a soft bass. However, low frequencies will definitely not be enough for someone, and they will not like poor noise reduction. But this is a shortcoming of the form factor, not of this particular model.

You can literally live in such headphones: listen to music, watch series, talk with family or friends, do other things, etc. And all this without removing them, or using only one earpiece.

OPPO Enco Air3i have noise cancellation in the microphone, which will definitely be useful if you talk a lot and don’t take them off. They also have adequate battery life, ultra-fast connection with devices and a simple, convenient application. But the novelty has a poor supply kit, there is no fast and wireless charging. In any case, this is one of the decent options to consider if you are looking for a pair of in-ear headphones with an adequate price.

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