OPPO Enco Air5 Pro review: Stellar ANC, exciting sound, unbeatable value under Rs 5,000

It took OPPO a good three years to bring out a successor to the much-loved OPPO Enco Air3 Pro (review). Why? Perhaps OPPO needed the time to come out with a pair that can match or top what the Air3 Pro delivered. They were, after all, a terrific pair of TWS earbuds and one of the best you could buy under Rs 5,000. Well, the Enco Air5 Pro is here now, and the question is whether these are worthy successors after all this time. Priced at Rs 4,999 and launched alongside the Find X9 Ultra (review), the Enco Air5 Pro brings 55dB ANC, LHDC 5.0 Hi-Res Audio, and Bluetooth 6.0. After spending time with them as my daily pair, I can say that the Enco Air5 Pro is a solid upgrade to the Air3 Pro and easily among the most exciting TWS earbuds I’ve used under Rs 5,000.

Design: matte, minimal, and smarter than the price suggests

Unlike the glossy, transparent top case of the Enco Air3 Pro, the Enco Air5 Pro is all matte on the outside. I prefer this as it adds a touch more premiumness to the design and doesn’t attract fingerprints, smudges, or the yellowing that the transparent top of the Air3 Pro tends to do. It comes in Matte Black and Pearl White, and we received the Matte Black variant. The case is compact enough to disappear into any pocket, measuring 63.36mm across, and it weighs around 43 grams with the earbuds inside.

The earbuds themselves weigh 4.4 grams each, which is light enough that you stop noticing them fairly quickly once they are in. The fit is secure without being uncomfortable over extended listening sessions, although I felt the silicon eartips could have been of better quality. IP55 dust and water resistance means they handle sweat and light rain without any anxiety, which matters for earbuds at this price that you are likely to take everywhere.

ANC: the standout feature at this price

The 55dB ANC on the Enco Air5 Pro is the real reason to buy these over most competitors in this segment. Most earbuds at this price offer ANC under or around 50dB, including the Enco Air3 Pro, but the Enco Air5 Pro takes it a few notches higher. In crowded and genuinely noisy environments, with music playing at around 50 to 60 percent volume, the ANC manages to drown out external noise to a degree I did not expect at Rs 4,999. I could barely hear the train I would commute in screeching through a tunnel, make out the station announcer, or register the constant car honking at a busy intersection. That is not something I can say about some earbuds at twice this price.

The dual-feed ANC system uses three microphones per earbud to target and block human voices and environmental noise across a 5,000Hz frequency range, which is an improvement over the Enco Air3 Pro’s 4,000Hz range. There is also a dynamic adjustment system that adjusts noise reduction based on earbud fit and ambient conditions, so the ANC performs consistently whether you are seated or moving. The four modes – ANC On, Adaptive, Transparency, and ANC Off – cover every situation, and the Adaptive mode works well enough that I left it there for most of my time with these earbuds.

Sound quality: exciting, full-bodied, and made for enjoying music

The 12mm titanium-coated dynamic driver with a frequency range of 20Hz to 40,000Hz and LHDC 5.0 Hi-Res Audio support is a serious hardware package for the price. And it delivers. The U-shaped sound signature is fun, exciting, and full-bodied. It’s tuned for the masses, and that’s not a bad thing.

The one minor observation is that the mids are slightly on the average side compared to how well the highs and lows perform. It is not a problem that will bother most listeners, and calling it a con feels like a stretch given everything else the Enco Air5 Pro gets right. But if vocal clarity in the middle frequencies is a priority for you, it is worth noting.

I tested “Why Georgia” by John Mayer, and the guitar strumming came through clearly, with a satisfying, crisp texture. Instruments have room to breathe without feeling stuffy. While a U-shaped sound typically tends to recess the mids, I didn’t find this to be entirely true in simpler, minimalistic Rock songs. Take Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”. The lead vocals and slapback echo were absolutely crisp and centered, while the punch of the kick drum remained prominent. The song doesn’t have a massive soundstage by design, but it features fantastic spatial placement that comes through beautifully on the Enco Air5 Pro.

“Time” by Pink Floyd is one of the ultimate tracks to test soundstage, especially during the opening alarm clock sequence. The Enco Air5 Pro handles this wonderfully, delivering a wide soundstage that keeps each alarm distinct without clashing into one loud wall of noise. That said, once the track transitions into the heavy guitar, drums, and singing, David Gilmour’s voice does feel slightly recessed in the mix. Still, the overall presentation remains highly enjoyable.

Ultimately, there is a genuinely pleasing balance between the bass and the vocals here, with neither overpowering the other. The default Ultimate Sound EQ mode is the most balanced of the three presets and the one I stuck to throughout. The Pure Vocals and Thundering Bass presets do exactly what their names suggest and are well worth experimenting with depending on your listening mood. You also have a custom 10-band equaliser to fine-tune the sound as per your preference.

Battery life: more than enough for most use cases

The Enco Air5 Pro offers 7 hours per earbud with ANC on, and 13 hours with ANC off. Combined with the 530mAh case, that extends to 29 hours with ANC on and 54 hours with ANC off. On LHDC, the numbers drop slightly to 6 hours with ANC on and 10.5 hours without, which is still very competitive for Hi-Res Audio playback at this price.

In real-world use, I never used the earbuds for more than two hours in a day, so it’s a little difficult to say whether they last as per the claims. Suffice it to say that I was able to get through a week easily without having to charge the case.

Connectivity: good enough to feel complete

Bluetooth 6.0 with dual-device connectivity lets you stay connected to your phone and laptop simultaneously, making it genuinely useful for switching between calls and music without manual pairing. It is an upgrade over the Bluetooth 5.3 on the Enco Air3 Pro.

The 47ms low-latency gaming mode handles video and gaming content without noticeable sync issues. AI-powered wind noise reduction keeps calls audible in outdoor windy conditions, and the AI real-time translation feature is a nice addition, even if it is not something most users will reach for daily. Spotify Tap lets you jump straight into Spotify by pressing and holding the earbuds, and touch controls include slide gestures for volume, which I prefer over tap-only controls.

Call quality is largely good, and I had no genuine issue speaking outdoors. The triple-mic system works well to isolate your voice from background noise, ensuring the caller can hear you clearly.

Final verdict

The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro is the easiest recommendation in the Rs 4,999 earbuds segment right now. It offers several upgrades over the Enco Air3 Pro, including a slightly more compact and arguably better case, improved ANC, better battery life, and AI features like AI translation, among other things.

The ANC, in fact, rivals earbuds that cost significantly more; the sound quality is fun and exciting, and the matte case feels great to hold. The mids being slightly recessed in some genres, such as heavy rock, is the only real note of caution, and even that is a minor observation in the context of how much the Enco Air5 Pro gets right at this price. If you are looking for earbuds in this range, these should be your first consideration.

Editor’s rating: 9 /10

Reasons to buy:

• ANC that rivals earbuds priced significantly higher, with meaningful real-world performance in crowded environments.
• Full-bodied, exciting sound quality at Rs 4,999.
• Solid battery life of up to 54 hours with the case and 13 hours per earbud with ANC off.
• Premium matte case finish that feels soft to the touch and resists fingerprints.
• Bluetooth 6.0 with dual-device connectivity and useful touch controls, including volume slide gestures.

Reasons not to buy:

• Mids are slightly recessed compared to the otherwise strong highs and lows.