A few months ago, a person wanted to know what would be the best Amazon Echo device for listening to music. She was willing to spend up to Rs 10,000, which can fetch you some great options. Instead, I suggested that she should first get an Echo Dot just to get a feel of the speaker and what it can do. She did and ultimately ended up buying two Amazon Echo (fourth generation) speakers. Similarly, many are new to true wireless earphones but instead of splurging, go for an inexpensive model to see if it suits you at all. There are plenty of upsides to TWS as well as uh-oh moments. How inexpensive are we talking about? Oppo Enco Buds level, which comes for less than Rs 2,000.

Those who are constantly on TWS could be wondering what good are these tiny sound cans. Let’s not knock a product because it’s not costly. True, it doesn’t match something like Oppo Enco X, which is packed with features, or the new OnePlus Buds Pro but it does give you a feel of a TWS without compromising a lot.

Not having something extremely out-of-the-box in way of design is a welcome move because a simple device works well. What is far more important is that you get 24 hours of charge using the case and the buds, which is sufficient from a budget-friendly device.

Oppo Enco Buds come with Bluetooth 5.2

All that matters is sound — music as well as mic. Armed with Bluetooth 5.2, you are assured of a stable connection, so there are no cracks in streaming or while gaming. Oppo has pumped up the bass slightly but that’s something anybody with a soft corner for the latest Bollywood soundtracks or electronic music wants. Frankly, it’s enjoyable. A good degree of vocal clarity and good instrument separation are two elements worth pointing out, though treble suffers slightly, which we found while streaming Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever album.

Where things are surprisingly good is call quality. Powered by “intelligent call noise reduction”, most noises — like the whirl of a fan or the hum of a refrigerator — are cut off while making calls. The person at the other end will be able to hear you clearly but will certainly know that you are using TWS.

In case you are using an Oppo phone, the sound cans pair easily, otherwise download the HeyMelody app to play around with the functions on the earbuds, like what you can do with taps and touches. Equally good is the low-latency Game Mode and IP54 water and dust resistance, allowing you to use them in the gym or in light showers.

Frankly, under Rs 2,000 this set of TWS is just too good to be true. Yes, there could have been a Type-C charging cable in the box but most of us have one lying around, so it’s a good way to cut corners. In case you are looking for a TWS option for taking calls and listening to some music on the go, this is it. Even though it’s an entry-level gizmo, the Oppo Enco Buds sets the music free but keeps your wallet plush.

At a glance

Device: Oppo Enco Buds

Price: Rs 1,999

High notes

• Bass-heavy sound
• IP54 rating
• Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity
• Good call quality
• Muffled notes
• No USB-C cable in the box