The Oppo Enco M32 is a successor to the Enco M31 which was released last year and saw some impressive reactions. Oppo has followed that up with a successor this year, in the Enco M32 Neckband earphones.
Oppo Enco M32 Neckband
1799
The Oppo Enco M32 earbuds is targeted at the under Rs 2,000 price segment which means that the specifications are tipped to take on other earphones like the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro, and the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z. Besides this Oppo also needs to provide an experience that tops the predecessor.
The Oppo Enco M32 is priced at Rs 1,799 in India and has its basics sorted out with convincing battery life, a comfortable design, and decent audio quality. Here’s what we found in our review.
Oppo Enco M32 Design and Ergonomics
The Oppo Enco M32 takes forward the wireless neckband-style of headset that the Oppo Enco M31 was. It keeps the design elements similar and even seems to focus on comfort and ease of use.
Oppo goes with a minimalist design and it is only available in black colour. The left neck module comes with the Oppo logo and the device has a matte texture to it. It uses a soft and flexible form factor which means that the neckband is pretty flexible and don’t take damage with bends.
Unlike the body of the neckband the earphones have a glossy finish on the outside and a reflective magnetic zone. The Oppo Enco M32 comes with three pairs of extra silicone ear tips in-the-box, besides a USB Type-C charging cable.
For connectivity the right module of the neckband feature a USB Type-C port for charging with a protective rubber flap. This module also feature the playback and volume controls buttons. The earpieces snap together magnetically, cutting off the power. Snapping the earphones together turns it off and separating them turns them on, although the magnetic force does not seem too strong.
The headset also has a IP55 dust and water resistance which means that it can comfortably be used while exercising or other situations which would make it come in contact with small amounts of fluids.
As for the ergonomics the earphones are pretty comfortable to wear, this despite the fact that I am not a fan of neckband style earphones. The in-ear fit is also rather snug and seems to do a good job keeping out most noise. The earbuds come with removable rubber fins to itself wedges the inner ear to help it stay in place.
Battery Life and Performance
The Oppo Enco M32 specifications include Bluetooth 5 for connectivity along with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. On the inside the earphones feature 10mm dynamic drivers with frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz. It also allows for quick dual-device switching using the volume buttons.
Oppo like we mentioned, aimed to focus on the basics with the Enco M32, and the earphones perform well in terms of audio fidelity and consistency. The audio of the device is bass heavy and which is pretty standard for the sub – Rs 2k segment of earphones.
In terms of volume, the earphones go up quite high and audio is rather distinct even on a crowded street. Although the higher volumes seem to affect the bass output and the earphones can’t seem to handle it.
I listened to some EDM, Rock, Western Classical as well as some Hindustani Classical on the Earphones. And the experience seems most tuned to the lows, while the mids are decent as well. What really suffers are the highs and the treble. Most tracks will have the beats pronounced along with mostly clear voices. Some tracks that don’t focus on bass like classical music of any kind may not be the best head on these earphones.
Audio for the calls was clear and distinct for the most part, even outside unless there were issues with the network. Connection to the smartphone was also rather stable with the Oppo Enco M32, there was an instance where the smartphone was at one end of the room and I fetched something from the other end of the room without any issue in connection. Others did not complain of any issues hearing what I had to say as well which means that the microphone worked well.
Oppo claims that the Enco M32 lasts up to 28 hours with a full charge, but I could stretch that to 20 hours. I used the device for listening to music, calls as well as playing games. Oppo further claims that the device can provide up to 20 hours of battery life with 10 minutes of charging. But I could not effectively test that capacity. The Enco M32 took about 30 minutes to full charge.
Verdict
The Oppo Enco M32 is well designed and ergonomic neckband style earphones that provide decent music and battery life. Although if we had to compare it to its predecessor, the Enco M31 may not have been as well built, but it did have comparable or better audio thanks to the LDAC Support.
Other comparable options include the Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Pro but that remains slightly ahead in the game since it features active noise cancellation. But Oppo does provide a more attractive pricing for the Enco M32 which makes it worth considering. Definitely a good buy at this price point.
