Oppo Enco M31 Review: A pocket friendly, sweet sounding pair of neckband earphones

Today, Oppo is one of the biggest Android smartphone manufacturers in the world. Back in the day though, Oppo used to be a well-regarded player in the audio market.

It was back in March when Oppo forayed into the True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphone market with the Oppo Enco Free. I found them a worthy competitor in the market.

The latest product from Oppo is the Enco M31 earphones at an inexpensive price of just Rs 1,999. Now, these aren’t TWS earphones but they have a neckband design.

Let’s dive in to find out if these are worth your money or not.

Design: Neckband style

I know many people love their Bullets Wireless from OnePlus for many years but I was never a fan of their neckband design. I don’t want anything that is remotely heavy sitting on my neck all day long. I’d rather throw a pair of earphones into my pocket.

Still. Saying that the Enco M31’s are one of the lightest neckband earphones I’ve ever tested. During my two-week testing period, there were more than a few times where I forgot they were even resting on my neck. That’s a testament to how lightweight - coming in at just 22 grams - they are.

The Enco M31’s are not only good for listening to while on your daily walk but they’ll also not flap around when you’re running.

The all-black design is somewhat boring and it isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Saying that Oppo has tried to make the pair elegant with the glossy metal trims for the button.

Oppo is offering these earphones in either black or green. Personally, I’d go with the latter, even though I’ve only seen them in images. I’ve been testing the black version.

Last but not the least, I’d just like to mention a bit about the build quality. The price may make these earbuds seem cheap but they are far from it. The build is sturdy and the neckband itself feels very solid. It doesn’t seem flimsy at all. The wires themselves are quite thick and overall these will last you a long time.

The earphones are IPX5 rating which means that they are sweat-resistant and you can work out with them without hesitation.

The Enco M31’s come with a volume rocker and a multi-function button. The buttons are quite simple to learn.

You long-press on the volume rocker for skipping or going to the previous track. A double-tap on the multi-function button enables the bass mode. A single tap on the multi-function button pauses/plays the music. Finally, snapping the earphones together via the magnets will turn off the earphones completely.

Sound quality and connectivity: Pretty good!

The Enco M31’s earphones connect over Bluetooth 5.0 and pairing was super quick. I rarely had any problems connecting to them. Even during my runs, the connection between the Enco M31’s and my smartphone rarely shuttered, and even if it did, it was hardly for a second.

The Enco M31’s come with support for LDAC coding. Something competing earphones don’t offer. That in itself makes these a better buy for audiophiles. The similarly priced OnePlus Wireless Z’s lack any LDAC coding and also have a less refined soundstage.

The best part about the Enco M31’s is the instrument and vocal separation. No matter what song you listen to - from Florence + The Machine’s Dog Days Are Over to Down The Road by C2C - the song is crystal clear. Even during Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, I could separate Mars’ voice from the crowded background noises.

It’s not to say the M31’s are perfect. In some songs, you’ll get a hollow sound coming from the instruments. It’ll feel like the song is escaping you rather than feeding into you. That rarely happened but it is noticeable whenever it does happen.

There is a ‘bass mode’ on the Enco M31’s but I didn’t really care much for it, to be honest. It doesn’t do enough justice as the song itself - no matter what you’re listening to - sounds a little off at all times.

One of the downsides is the call quality. I found it lacking vs competing headphones. Indoors it was perfectly fine but when I was outdoors there was a lot of disturbance at times and my voice couldn’t be heard for a large part of the call. I had to constantly repeat myself.

Funnily enough, most of my calls outdoors resolved themselves within the first ten minutes. They seemed to get better as the call went on. Still, if you need them purely for call quality, then it’s best to skip them.

Battery life: Less than stellar

Another area where the Enco M31’s disappoint. With an average volume of 50-60 per cent and LDAC enabled, the Enco M31’s struggled to pass the five-hour mark, routinely shutting down shortly after hitting four hours.

With TWS earphones, you’re given a charging case but with neckband earphones, you have to reach for a USB port somewhere.

Verdict: A must-have product

At Rs 1,999. The Enco M31’s are a must-buy. If you already have a primary pair that you aren’t willing to part with, then these are a must-have second pair.

The pros outweigh the cons and purely on from an audiophile perspective, these will never disappoint you.

The Enco M31 is much better than many wired earphones that have been praised for many years. The Enco M31’s are also much better than the competition, namely the OnePlus Bullets Z and the Realme Buds Wireless.