OPPO Enco M32 review: One step forward, two steps back

Feels comfortable around the neck and in the ears

For starters, no complaints about the build quality. The earbud shells, the rubberized neckband as well as the battery pods seem to be made of quality materials. Except for the rear half of the earbuds where you find a bit of gloss, everything else has an even matte finish. We got the new green variant for review, which doesn't look gaudy at all. On the contrary, the shade is quite elegant. Despite the sturdy build, the OPPO Enco M32 weighs under 27 grams, and the soft-touch, flexible neckband sits comfortably on the neck without any discomfort even after extensive use. The angled silicone ear tips enter the ear canals and you also get these U-shaped wings at the back of the buds for a more reassuring fit. The company bundles three pairs of silicone tips including the pre-installed medium sized. Choose one that fits best to get good passive noise isolation. The right battery pod hosts a volume rocker and a multifunctional button, and they let you access all the key playback functions and manage calls. You also get a USB-C port hidden under a protective flap for charging this neckband. There's a tiny multicolored LED that indicates the pairing status of these earphones and also gives you an idea about its battery level.

Standard features but doesn't inherit the best from its predecessor

This is where the Enco M32 feels a lot lighter in comparison to its predecessor. These earphones support SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.0. The company has done away with LDAC support present in the Enco M31 and hasn't even bothered to upgrade the Bluetooth version. Gone are the dual sound profiles too (Balanced and Bass mode), and you have to make do with the default sound signature. There is no companion app to tweak the sound either. The driver size has increased and each earbud is now fitted with a 10mm dynamic driver. The back of the buds have magnetic tips that hold the earbuds in place when not in use, and also act as an on/off switch, which is good to see. The neckband turns off when the buds are stuck together and turns on and reconnects instantly when they are separated. The magnets are reasonably powerful to hold them in place and avoid any accidental separation. Battery capacity is where it trumps the M31 by a huge margin. There is a big jump from the 88mAh battery that powered its predecessor to 220mAh capacity in the M32. Despite the increase in battery reserves, this neckband is only five grams heavier, and in reality you cannot even tell the difference. That's well done! The wireless neckband is IP55-rated dust and moisture resistant, and can be worn during workouts or jogs without a worry.

Lively sound output when heard at the right volume levels

Pairing the OPPO Enco M32 is a straightforward process. Just separate the buds to enter pairing mode, find the neckband in the list of Bluetooth devices on the source device and pair them. Wireless range is pretty good with the neckband retaining a strong connection up to 10 meters with a clear line of sight between the earphones and source, and half of that even with a concrete wall in between. The earphones get sufficiently loud at 50% volume, and even outdoors, they were loud enough at 60%. A volume band of 50-60% is the sweet spot for this neckband, and I will tell you why in a moment. Unlike the OPPO Enco M31, the sound signature of the M32 is distinctly V-shaped, meaning boosted bass and treble. It is generally a popular option in this budget, but the way it works here by design or by error is a little unusual. When you listen to audio on this neckband below 40-45% loudness, it is predominantly bass dominated. The excess bass often overshadows the mid-range frequencies and some finer sounds of instruments in the lower mid-range spectrum are lost. Even vocals feel a bit recessed in bass-heavy tracks. As you take the loudness towards the 50% mark, there is a lot more sharpness to the overall sound with a good balance between the highs and lows. Highs have just the right amount of sparkle. As you go beyond 60% loudness, the bass feels inadequate and the highs start to dominate. As you get closer to 70%, there is a noticeable sibilance in the output and listener fatigue sets in pretty soon. Hence, 50-60% (and another 5% on either side) is the ideal loudness band for the M32 to operate in for best results. It may seem quite narrow but it should suffice for most users. Lastly, the soundstage is moderately broad and fine for the segment.

Excellent battery backup, even better fast charging

The call quality on the OPPO Enco M32 is average at best, especially when outdoors. When indoors or at a quiet location, both parties are perfectly audible to each other. But as soon as you step out in a busy area, the omni-directional microphone picks up a lot of ambient noise and hampers the conversation. The battery backup is the USP of this neckband and it doesn't disappoint. The company claims a battery backup of 28 hours. In reality, I managed to get about 24 hours out of it at 60% loudness on an average and approximately three hours of daily music playback and a couple of calls. These are excellent numbers and significantly higher than those of the OPPO Enco M31; the only area where the M32 does better than its predecessor. You get a USB-C port to charge this device. Better still, it supports fast charging and the numbers are even more impressive. A mere 10 minutes of charging gave me over 15 hours of play time, and there was a bit of juice left in the tank. OPPO says this neckband can be charged fully in just 35 minutes, and though I didn't clock it to perfection, it did take less than 45 minutes to get the tank full. Not bad at all!

A decent product if one can look past its predecessor

The OPPO Enco M32 was launched at an introductory price of Rs. 1,499 with a one year warranty, but now sells for Rs. 1,699. One can spot it for its launch price on and off in online sales. But given its overall performance and the competition, it would be better if the company sticks to the introductory price for good to make it a viable buy. We have sufficiently established that the M32 is no match for the M31, and not its ideal successor. But for what it is, you get a wireless neckband with good design and build, decent sound output when heard at the right loudness, good range, excellent battery backup and fast charging. And to be fair, it is about 25% cheaper than its predecessor which is extremely hard to find these days. More than the M31, the OPPO Enco M32 needs to bother about a couple of competitors that are actually available in the market, and both priced a shade under Rs. 1,500. The Boat Rockerz 330 offers comparable sound and battery backup, and also better call quality. However, it isn't at the same level in terms of finesse, and lacks features like a magnetic power switch. The Realme Buds Wireless 2 Neo covers those bases, has a more pleasant sound signature and offers further customizations through the companion app. However, the battery backup is significantly lower, and fast charging is not in the same league as that of the M32. Take your pick.