TWS true wireless earphones - under $25
4.5 STARS - After the more original Oppo Enco Air3, the newest half-in-ear earbuds from the phone brand look suspiciously similar to the original AirPods. Yet at only 25 to 30 dollars, the Oppo Enco R3 is probably the best cheap AirPods-clone you can buy.
Take note: The Oppo Enco R3 model is called the Oppo Enco Air3i in several countries, even though the original Oppo Enco Air3i was another model!
Oppo Enco R3/ Oppo Enco Air 3i specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC codec
IPX4 waterproof rating (splash proof)
5,5 hours playtime on a single charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 5 times
Has: app support, spatial audio
Doesn't have: ANC, multipoint connection, wireless charging
Comes with USB-C cable, English manual
$25 - $40 - Buy on your Amazon country or AliExpress
In and underneath this Oppo Enco R3 review, you will find comparisons of the Oppo Enco R3/ Air3i vs Oppo Enco Air3, Huawei Freebuds 2 SE and 1more Q10 Mini.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Only a week after testing the fancy looking Honor Choice S7 half-in-ear earbuds, the Oppo Enco R3 is down the most minimal and functional looking design earbuds can have.
With their glossy white finish and their rounded and longer-than-average stems, the Oppo Enco R3 looks utterly generic. Even worse, these earbuds look like cheap AirPods-knockoffs in your ears.
That's a bit of a shame, as it doesn't rime with the quality these earbuds have. You will know how good these earbuds are; others might think you bought a crap set of earbuds from the gas station next door.
That said, the Oppo Enco R3 covers the basics greatly.
The earbuds have an AirPods 1-like small speaker mound, instead of the newer but bigger AirPods 4-design. This provides a non-intrusive, super comfortable fit. This is the type of earbuds you barely feel after a while.
Like on the brilliant Oppo Enco Air3, the R3 has a perfect angle between the earpiece and the stem. It stays in tightly in (my) average-sized ears, and survives moving or shaking your head rapidly. I'm never afraid these will fall out, unlike many other half-in-ears.
The battery life is average but usable, playing 5,5 hours on a single charge. Conveniently, the charging case can recharge the earbuds 5 (!) times fully.
The charging case has the same flat pebble design as other affordable models from the brand, like the Oppo Enco Air2i. One LED light on the front shows how much battery is left - more or less. Recharging is done via USB-C.
The case is more sizeable than competitors like the 1more Q10 Mini, Xiaomi Buds 6 Active and Huawei Freebuds SE 2, and it can be a bit tricky to get the earbuds out - but it's comfortable to carry in a jeans pocket.
The Oppo Enco R3 won't win a price for a design - but its comfort is outstanding.
Controls, connectivity and app support
Unlike the more expensive Oppo Enco Air3, the Oppo Enco R3 doesn't have multipoint connection. You can only connect these earbuds to one device at a time.
The earbuds also lack auto-pausing music when you take an earbud out.
That's not a problem on its own, but it is with the standard control scheme of these earbuds. By default, it lacks a touch command to pause the music!
You only get options to skip and return tracks, or to change the volume by holding the left or right touch panel (located at the top of the stem).
This is no doubt a rule to make you use the free HeyMelody app. At the time of writing, only HeyMelody on Android supports the Oppo Enco R3. The iPhone-version will hopefully follow later.
Easy to use app, simple EQ options
You can (and have to) add pause controls yourself
The HeyMelody app features several useful funcions:
Check the battery level of the left and right earbud
(De)activate the game mode
(De)activate spatial audio
Choose from three equalizer presets
Change the controls, including the option to add play/pause to the control scheme and add single-taps. You can pretty much set the controls up exactly how you like.
No multipoint connection and no play/pause control option out of the box? Those feel like evil design choices in 2025, even for highly affordable earbuds. Good thing you can fix things with the (Android) app.
Phone and video calls
The microphones of the Enco R3 pick up your voice loud and clear enough, but also rather nasal.
Background noise is audible, but doesn't outweigh the volume of your voice. Your voice also remains stable.
You can already hear some wind noise on the line as you're walking into only a bit of wind. More wind can overpower your voice.
While the Oppo Enco R3 does little to minimise sounds and wind around you, you do sound pretty clear in phone calls and video conferences.
Video and games playback
The Oppo Enco R3 plays videos on YouTube and streaming services like Disney+ flawlessly.
With the gaming mode you can activate from the app or the controls once setup via the app, there's great synchronisation between sounds and the action on your screen.
Even with the spatial audio setting turned on, it's still a bit tricky to locate where sound effects are coming from in a game like Call of Duty mobile, however.
Sound quality of Oppo Enco R3
When it comes to sound quality, the Oppo Enco R3 washes away the 25 dollars competition of half-in-ear wireless earbuds.
Along with the vocal-centered Huawei Freebuds SE 2, the Oppo Enco Air3 has been the benchmark for sound quality on half-in-ears. At around 40 dollars, it has a more balanced and rich sound than the $200 AirPods 4 ANC.
The newer and cheaper Oppo Enco R3 also sounds impressive.
The R3 heavily boosts the center mid-tones and lower treble. Male vocals and lower female vocals are prominent and very forward. Guitars, piano play and lighter electronic tones also have a strong presence.
Being so prominent, it's great that vocals are natural and vivid. Singers sound lively: the Oppo doesn't have any problem showing the darker and warmer edges from Kingfishr, to displaying Björks highest outhauls in It's Oh So Quiet!. No part feels cut off or flat.
The Enco R3 has a clear, open and airy treble, without becoming too bright or harsh. The amount of treble can be tiring on high volumes, however - on which you may also notice some sibilance (sss-emphasis).
That doesn't mean the Oppo Enco R3 is underpowered in the lower frequencies. Darker electronic tones have enough presence to inject flow into songs, and darker instruments sound great too - it's just that they're not as prominent as the center-mids.
The same goes for the bass. The mid-bass delivers strong slams, although they of course don't reach the fulness or thumping of full-in-ears.
Although it rolls off quicker than on full-in-ears, the R3 is even capable of a decent sub-bass rumble in James Blake's great test track Limit to Your Love. Simply put: you can feel the bass of the Enco R3, which is still uncommon on half-in-ears.
All this comes together in a tonality that's bright nor warm, perhaps a bit colder than average.
With the HeyMelody app on Android (and likely iPhone in the future), you get three sound equalizers and a spatial audio feature on top of the default sound.
The bass boost equalizer makes mid-bass slams slightly punchier, but mostly elevates bass lines and lower mid-tones a bit more, while toning down the lower treble and the airiness in the sound.
The Clear vocals equalizer takes away pretty much all bass and lows, and doesn't seem like a useful addition.
Oppo Alive Audio then? Well, this spatial audio setting works surprisingly well, especially for music genres with lots of (acoustic) instruments. It may not make an expansive soundstage or give instruments pinpoint positioning, but it does make music seem more around you and thereby more immersive - while controlling all frequencies well!
The Oppo Enco R3 can be a bit tiring on high volumes - but with a bass you can feel, natural vocals and great airiness, these very affordable half-in-ears impress.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Oppo Enco R3 comparisons
Oppo Enco R3 vs 1more Q10 Mini
At only 15 to 20 dollars, the 1more Q10 Mini are splendid what-you-see-is-what-you-get earbuds.
These half-in-ears are wonderfully small, its case is lovely compact and it performs well enough for phone calls in easier circumstances. It even throws in 7 hours of playtime per charge - 1,5 hours more than the Oppo.
Still, the Enco R3 is better value. While the 1more Q10 pleases with a punchy mid-bass and smooth treble, the Oppo shows much more detail in the sound. It's airier, shows more nuances on your left and right, and extends highs further. The Oppo is just much more lively.
$15 - See price on your Amazon country or AliExpress
Oppo Enco R3 vs Redmi Buds 6 Active
With a comfortable fit, good controls, app support and clear calls, the Redmi Buds 6 Active is good value for its $15 to $20 price tag. Like the Oppo Enco R3, it doesn't have multipoint. The Oppo has half an hour longer battery life per charge and noticeably better gaming performance.
On the topic of sound, the Redmi convinces with a quick and kicking mid-bass, clear treble, and great left-right separation in instruments. The sound can be a bit echo-y and singers a tad nasal, tough.
The Oppo Enco R3 is more mid-centric, bringing details like the plucking of guitar strings closer to the surface. Its airier, but as it doesn't have the same weight in the lower-mids and bass, you may prefer the Redmi for dance and electronic genres.
$20 - See price on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Oppo Enco R3 vs Huawei Freebuds 2 SE
The Huawei Freebuds 2 SE remained my recommendation over the successor Huawei Freebuds 3 SE.
That's because the Freebuds 3 SE has a more slippery fit and costs more. Besides, it still doesn't have multipoint connection, the feature the SE 2 really needed. As the 2 SE costs the same as the Oppo Enco R3, it makes sense to compare this model.
The Freebuds 2 SE has shorter stems (helping it look less like an AirPods-knockoff), but plays around 3,5 hours on a single charge more than the Oppo! It handles phone calls with more clarity as well.
Thanks to the spatial audio setting, music sounds more around you on the R3. Oppo's lower-mids are weightier than on the Huawei. The Freebuds lifts vocals even more, setting them further apart from the music and giving them more extension in the highs. It's hard to state which sounds better - these both rock.
$40 - See price on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Oppo Enco Air3i/ Enco R3 vs Oppo Enco Air3
How does the $25 Oppo Enco R3 or Oppo Enco Air3i compare to the $40 Oppo Enco Air3? You'd be surprised.
The previously released Oppo Enco Air3 has a slightly smaller charging case and a more distinct look. It offers half an hour less battery life per charge, but adds multipoint connection - meaning you can connect it to two devices. Andother plus of the older model is the call performance, that rules out more background noise.
They both deliver in the sound department. The Oppo Enco R3 has a bigger lower treble emphasis than the Air3, and extends highs further too. This gives the R3 more clarity and air at the top end.
Yet - the Air3 is more balanced and divides its attention better across all frequencies. It has a fuller mid-bass and more textured lower mid-tones. Its Bass boost equalizer realises this without taking the sparkle from the higher frequencies; the R3's Bass boost isn't as capable. All in all, the Air3 sounds more pleasant and slightly fuller.
$40 - $60 on your Amazon country or AliExpress
Verdict: Oppo Enco R3
If you're not afraid to walk around with earbuds that look like cheap AirPods-knockoffs, the Oppo Enco R3 is a wonderful treat, that combine excellent comfort, decent calls and great sound quality.
4.5 STARS - Great
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I bought the Oppo Enco R3 myself to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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