The Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is trying to expand its presence with its mobile audio accessories. The company has launched its wireless audio accessory, OPPO Enco M31 in India, a Bluetooth headset priced at Rs 1,999, and supporting Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio technology.
After launching the OPPO Enco Free premium TWS earbuds alongside the OPPO Reno3 Pro, the company now another pair of Bluetooth headset. The OPPO Enco M31, which is a budget wireless accessory, uses Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity and LDAC audio codec in contrast to the Qualcomm’s aptX HD. But is it worth the price? Here’s what we have to say about the OPPO Enco M31 wireless headphones in its review.
OPPO Enco M31 Specifications
- Driver: 9.2 mm dynamic drivers
- Driver Sensitivity: 101.9 dB @1kHz
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz – 40 kHz (LDAC 96 kHz, 990 Kbps)
- Connectivity & Ports: Bluetooth 5.0 (Dual Mode), USB Type-C
- Protection: IPX5 certified, Splash resistant
- Frequency Band: ~2.4 GHz
- Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa
- Wireless Range: 10m
- Battery: 88 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Battery Runtime: 12 hours in typical audio format, 8 hours in high-quality audio format, 6 hours Talktime
- Charging Time: 1 hour
- Compatibility: Android, iOS
- Weight: 22 grams
- Color: Black, Green
- Price: Rs 1,999
- Warranty: 12 months manufacturer warranty
Design & Build
The OPPO Enco M31 has a flexible neckband design and it’s the second neckband-style Bluetooth headset from the company, the first being the OPPO Enco W1. Aside from the TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earphones, the OPPO Enco Free, this one uses a neckband-style design.
The headset also has a magnetic end to its pair of earphones that sticks to each other to disconnect the Bluetooth for saving the power, a similar trait seen on the OnePlus Bullets Wireless.
Speaking more about the design, the OPPO Enco M31 uses an IPX5 splash-resistant design that protects from water splashes and sweat. The headset has an ergonomically curved neckband with a smooth surface to give you comfort no matter how long you wear them. The liquid silicone rubber surrounds a shape-memory metal core that fits in your neck properly.
The cables on both earphones connected to the neckband which also carries the rechargeable battery inside. On one side of the neckband, there is a power button that doubles as a play/pause button, a volume control, and a microphone. The box contains headphones, a pair of buds for different sizes, a USB Type-C charging cable, and user guides and warranty info.
The overall build is pretty much sleek and strong, however, the quality of cables is dubious, it’s slightly thinner than realme Buds Wireless and very much identical to the OnePlus Wireless Z. The primary competitors of the OPPO Enco M31 are the realme Buds Wireless and OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z, both retail under Rs 2,000.
Features & Connectivity
The main highlight of the Bluetooth headset is the LDAC codec support which is the high-quality audio codec for rich and clearer sound quality. The OPPO Enco M31 is certified for Hi-Res Wireless Audio which will deliver you a great audio experience.
The OPPO Enco M31 comes with 9.2 mm dynamic drivers with driver sensitivity, 101.9 dB @1kHz. The frequency response of the drivers is 20 Hz – 20 kHz (44.1 kHz) and 20 Hz – 40 kHz (LDAC 96 kHz, 990 Kbps).
Aside from this, the headset offers AI-powered noise reduction technology during calls such that it reduces the background ambient noise for better voice calling experience. The headset uses a Bluetooth 5.0 technology which gives you a faster transmission response and also a reliable connection.
Audio Quality & Battery Life
Talking about the audio quality of the headset, the OPPO Enco M31 is far better in terms of sound quality. The LDAC audio coding technology with the embedded professional audio chip delivers three times more data than a standard Bluetooth audio coding technology (330 Kbps vs. 990 Kbps) eventually producing a detailed sound quality.
This is, however, limited to the paired devices that support LDAC codec, if your smartphone doesn’t support LDAC, then the Bluetooth falls back to the typical Bluetooth audio technology delivering the standard audio quality. This also may not make a huge difference if you are looking for high-quality audio in the Bluetooth headset, your device needs the LDAC support.
If we compare the LDAC with the Qualcomm’s aptX HD, the LDAC is much faster in speed with the 990 kbps versus the 576 Kbps on the Qualcomm’s aptX HD codec. The OnePlus Bullet Wireless Z with aptX HD support costs around Rs 1,999 whereas the OPPO Enco M31 with Sony’s LDAC support is also priced at Rs 1,999, but quite a significant difference in the audio quality.
For its battery life, the OPPO Enco M31 equips an 88mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery that runs up to 12 hours on typical playback and 8 hours on LDAC audio on a full charge. The charging takes about an hour to fully charge the headset. It has a 10-minute charge feature that charges the headset enough to run for 3 hours on LDAC audio.
On the other hand, OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z has the ability to run up to 10 hours in a single 10-minute charge and runs up to 20 hours in full charge. The realme Buds Wireless costing Rs 1,799 can also give you a 100 minutes of music playback in a 10-minute charge and a total of 12 hours battery life in full charge.
Verdict
The price for OPPO Enco Free and OPPO Enco W1 retails at is Rs 7,990 and Rs 4,999 respectively. However, the price for the OPPO Enco M31 is merely Rs 1,999, hence it comes under the budget mobile accessories segment. For its price, the OPPO Enco M31 is recommended for the budget audiophiles who want every subtle nuance.
