The latest Oppo Wireless Neckband Headset – the Oppo Enco M32 – is the successor to the much acclaimed Oppo Enco M31 which was launched in May 2020. This refresh brings upgrades such as longer battery life, longer drivers and IP55 dust and water resistance. Due to its price, Active Noise does not come with the same benefits as cancellation. So, it competes with other options in the same price bracket which includes Boult Audio, DIZO, Realme, boAt and a few more wireless neckband options. The predecessor of the Oppo Enco M32 – the Oppo Enco M31 – has impressed most reviewers and users primarily because of its sound quality. However, with the Oppo Enco M32, the company decided to omit an important feature that was present in support of the Oppo Enco M31 – LDAC codec. Earphones are also different from its predecessors, not high-race certified. So, let’s see how these changes affect the overall performance of the newly launched Oppo Enco M32.

Oppo Enco M32: Performance – Sound, Microphone and Wireless Connection

One of the main attractions of the Oppo Enco M31 was the LDAC codec support that offered high-resolution audio streaming up to 990 kbps via Bluetooth. However, it is missing in the newly launched Oppo Enco M32 which results in poor quality audio. The effect of this change is obvious when listening to the Oppo Enco M32. Not only sound quality but his alertness and dedication too are most required. The sound stage is a bit narrower than the Oppo Enco M31.

Crude Frequency Response of Oppo Enco M32 (Peach) vs. Flat Response (Dark Green)

The Oppo Enco M32 is equipped with a composite titanium-plated diaphragm with a 10 mm dynamic driver. For sound signatures, earbuds have a V-shaped sonic signature with extensive boosted bus response and boosted highs. The bus response increases from 20Hz – 250Hz and eventually sounds quite muddy. In addition, the enlarged alloy negatively affects the midges. Mids, already under-emphasized in the mix, suffer from an phenomenon called auditory masking where alloy notes cover the transparency of the mid. Thus, the vocal and main instruments commonly present in this range lose their clarity and appearance. Heights are well generated with good brightness but the frequency response spike from 7kHz – 8kHz causes some hearing fatigue when listening for long periods of time. To know how we test earphones, watch this video.

This V-shaped sonic signature contrasts with the Oppo Enco M31 which had a more neutral approach. It was disappointing to see the Oppo go on the ‘more base, more treble’ route when the predecessors of these earphones chose so much for the exact opposite approach. While the Oppo Enco M31 may be recommended to a novice audiophile, the Oppo Enco M32 may only be recommended for those who prefer exaggerated, punchy bus responses. There’s no way to change the EQ settings either, so you’re stuck with what Oppo has to offer. These earphones sound decent enough to listen to pop, rap, EDM and Bollywood. Realme Buds Wireless 2 Neo offers somewhat better sound quality with less muddy bus feedback in the same price range, so if sound quality is something you crave, we consider Realme’s offer a better option.

However, the Oppo Enco M32 is an extremely loud earphone though, if that’s what you’re specifically looking for. We listened to earbuds at only 40-50 percent of the volume all the time. Keep in mind that if you listen to these earphones above 70 percent, you will experience a lot of noise distortion at low and high altitudes.

For wireless connectivity, the Oppo Enco M32 is powered by Bluetooth 5.0, just like their predecessors. As we expected Bluetooth 5.1 or 5.2 Oppo has no point here. The Oppo Enco M32 offers good wireless range and we were able to move one or two rooms from the source device without disconnecting. Although there is no dedicated gaming mode, the earphones have a minimum latency when watching videos or playing games.

Now moving on to microphone performance, the Oppo Enco M32 AI is equipped with an all-encompassing MEMS microphone with noise cancellation that does a decent job for the most part. The speaker’s voice is loud and audible but there are occasional distortions. In addition, if you’re in a noisy environment, earbuds don’t do a great job of distinguishing your voice from the surrounding sound.

Oppo Enco M32: Features

The Oppo Enco M32 is fairly feature-rich for the price but with the exception of Active Noise Cancellation and app support. Missing ANC is understandable at this price point, but we miss the app support because some competitors provide a companion app with customizable controls and other settings. One case is the Realme Buds Wireless 2 Neo that can pair with the realme Link app and use features like customizable controls, EQ presets and more.

That being said, the sleeves of the Oppo Enco M32 have some alluring features. First, we have IP55 dust and water resistance. While most earphones in this price range exclude dust resistance, Oppo has you covered on that front. You can use these buds in different situations like when you are working, in the rain, while camping, trekking and much more without worrying about dust or water damage.

You can quickly switch between connected devices by simultaneously holding the volume key, which is the next best thing to a multipoint connection. In our experiments, this feature worked flawlessly, however, pressing both volume buttons can be a hassle. We’d rather triple-tap the multi-function button instead. There’s also quick connection support for Oppo ColorOS 11.0+ devices, but we haven’t been able to test it.

The right plastic module on the neckband earphones also has your inline control. These buttons can be used to pause / play music, increase / decrease volume, activate your device’s voice assistant, answer / hang up / reject phone calls, and move between tracks. Due to the lack of a companion app, there is no way to customize these controls, but Oppo integrates the existing controls well. These are all intuitive enough, so we didn’t have any problems with the default control settings

Oppo Enco M32: Battery life

If the Oppo Enco M32 has such a shiny field, it is, without a doubt, battery life. The Oppo Enco M32 is capable of delivering 28 hours of wireless playback time when fully charged. Although this is the number described by the company, we conducted some tests on our own and were happy to see the results. In our experiments, the earphones lasted a full 29 hours, although we listened to the earphones at 40-50 percent of the volume because they were extremely loud. Nevertheless, the battery life of the Oppo Enco M32 rivals this price range and even more. For example, the Realme Buds Wireless 2 Neo comes with only 17 hours of playback, which seems trivial compared to the Oppo Enco M32.

Not only that, Oppo Enco M32 also supports fast charging. So, just 10 minutes of charging will give users a ridiculous 20 hours of wireless playback time! This is a very convenient feature which will be appreciated by most of the users. During our testing period, we rarely charge these buds and when we do, a 10-minute charge uses us for 3-4 days, which is nice.

Oppo Enco M32: Build, design and comfort

There is nothing surprising about the design of the Oppo Enco M32. These are a rubber neckband with a simple-looking pair of neckband style wireless earphones, matte black plastic modules or weights on both sides and a glossy black earbud. The only interesting part is the back of the earbuds which is finished like a silver CD.

The rubber neckband matches the shape of your neck and sits there quite comfortably. Plastic weights or modules on both sides seem a bit cheaper. On the left is the Oppo logo while on the right is the control, USB-C charging port and an LED light. The buttons are not very sensitive or prominent and you can find instability around you, feeling for the right one.

For earbuds, the nozzles are angled inwards so that they fit snugly in the wearer’s ear. From the three sized silicone tips provided you will be able to find the right one for you. The earbuds have a silicone loop or wing that adds a fit and makes it feel more smooth and secure. Earphones are usually quite comfortable to wear even when sitting or doing activities, but if you wear them for many hours, you may feel some tiredness in the ears. The earbud’s silicone wings and ear tips also get dusty very quickly.

Overall, the earphones don’t look or feel spectacular. These are simple and minimal earphones with little flare. Although the fit is very good and you can easily use them as workout earbuds, especially since they are water-resistant.

Oppo Enco M32: judgment

The Oppo Enco M32 follows the acclaimed Oppo Enco M31 and the difference between the two earphones is stark. While the Oppo Enco M31 provided audio pleasure for beginner audiophile and purists through their neutral sonic signature, the Oppo Enco M32 follows a more popular ‘base-first’ philosophy with a V-shaped sound signature that will delight base lovers. The departure of the Oppo Enco M31 from the sound signature was quite a surprise to us, but it was probably made to further the public’s preference. Basically, Oppo is back safely. However, due to the tone set by the Oppo Enco M32’s predecessor and the muddy bus response, these newly-launched earphones did not meet our expectations in terms of sound quality. Earphones also lack the app support that some of its competitors offer. Nevertheless, these earphones have one of the best battery performance in this price category and come with a solid IP55 water and dust resistance rating. In addition, you will get a safe and comfortable fit.

That being said, the Oppo Enco M32 is a pretty good entry-level neckband style earphone that we would recommend to base lovers and fitness enthusiasts. Although the sound signature surprised us, these earphones are still a good sounding neckband style earphones that you can get without breaking the bank, unless … you get the great Oppo Enco M31 for yourself from 2020 (if you can get it low battery life) , Of course). Or you can get yourself Realme Buds Wireless 2 Neo which comes with some good sound quality and app support.