Now that we are slowly inching towards being back on track, we are seeing a surge in launches, especially in the audio segment. The market currently is flooded with Truly wireless earbuds and Bluetooth earphones in each every possible price category you could think of.
One such addition is the new Oppo Enco M31 neckband style wireless earbuds, that were announced with the new Reno series smartphones but didn’t really reach the consumers due to the COVID related lockdowns. Priced at INR 1,999, they claim to offer a lot. So let’s find out how they perform in our full review.
Box Contents
Here’s a complete list of items you get inside the box:
- Oppo Enco M31 Bluetooth earphones
- Ear tips
- USB Type-C charging cable
- Documentation
So, lets start with design!
The Oppo Enco M31 earphones have some design cues taken from a bunch of products, notably the OnePlus Bullets wireless series. While on the Bullets Wireless, you get a pair of earbuds that protrude a little, the ones on Enco M31 sit flush with the ears. They are pretty sturdy and the material choice is one of the best we’ve seen in this price range.
The neckband is soft and doesn’t cause irritation. The buds themselves are made partly with plastic and metal. Each earbud houses a 9.2mm driver which is capable of pumping out some quality audio. They have a magnetic lock, like on the newer neckband style earphones. You get the controller on the left side, while the USB Type-C charging slot is on the right. The controller houses the multi-function button and the volume rockers. The multifunction button here can be used to pause/play media by one press while double pressing it launched the bass boost mode.
How do they sound?
Moving to the sound quality and performance, they hands-down are the best neckband style Bluetooth earphones out there. We tried out the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z with these, and while they were a little bass-heavy, the Enco M31 are balanced.
Sound quality is quite good and the vocals are clear than ever. The sound isolation is perfect and with medium volume levels, you just feel yourself enjoying every small bit of the tracks. The overall sound signature is balanced with a slight inclination on the mids giving us clear vocals. The bass is not that overpowering and goes well with the highs and lows.
The audio via the microphone is decent as well and during our test, the other party was able to hear us clearly over cellular call, the same was the case with video calls and in-game voice chat. Instead of going with a Qualcomm codec like the AptX series and jacking up the price, Oppo went with LDAC. Now every Android phone with Android Oreo and above supports LDAC, hence providing a better experience over SBC or AAC. What you would need to get a good hearing experience, is a higher bitrate audio file and set the LDAC settings to LDAC 600/900.
How is the battery?
Coming to the battery life, while the brand claims 12-hour battery life on these but with the LDAC 600/900, we only got around 6 hours. Now with the LDAC off, the number went up to 9 hours but didn’t really exceed that under any condition.
This might be a dealbreaker for some, considering the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z can last for up to 10 hours.
Verdict – Should you buy it?
Keeping the battery issues aside, the Oppo Enco M31 is the best sounding and performing neckband style Bluetooth earphone you could buy right now under INR 2,000. The build quality is sturdy and these will easily last you a while if handled with care. The inclusion of LDAC is just cherry on top. People looking at the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z should skip those and invest in the Enco M31 instead.
