Two of the most interesting true wireless earbuds under $80 this year come from sibling brands. The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro and the Realme Buds Air8 Pro share a lot of DNA, but they are not the same product. This head-to-head looks at where they differ, where they match, and which one you should actually buy.
Both pairs sit in the budget-to-midrange sweet spot, but they make different trade-offs. The OPPO leans on a longer per-charge battery and a slightly higher headline score, while the Realme counters with more microphones, wear detection, and a more aggressive value sub-score. The gap between them is smaller than the headline numbers suggest.
Price and positioning
The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro costs $69, while the Realme Buds Air8 Pro asks $74. That is a $5 difference, which is small enough that price alone should not decide the purchase. Both are positioned as everyday earbuds with active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 6.x, and IP55 water resistance, so they are competing for the same pocket.
Both are 2026 releases. Neither supports wireless charging, so you are stuck with USB-C for both. If you care about the absolute lowest price, the OPPO wins, but the $5 gap is not a meaningful advantage on its own.
The scores, side by side
The HearWiki buyability score for the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro is 89/100, and for the Realme Buds Air8 Pro it is 84/100. That is a five-point gap, which sounds clear-cut until you look at the sub-scores. On sound, the Realme leads with 8.4/10 against the OPPO's 8.0/10. On ANC, the OPPO is 9.0/10 and the Realme is 8.4/10, so the OPPO leads. On battery, the OPPO is 9.0/10 and the Realme is 7.2/10, a clear OPPO win. On calls, the Realme is 8.5/10 and the OPPO is 8.0/10, so the Realme leads. On value, the Realme is 9.2/10 and the OPPO is 9.0/10, effectively a tie.
So the headline score gap is driven mostly by the battery sub-score, not by a universal OPPO advantage. The two are much closer than 89 vs 84 suggests. If you ignore battery, the Realme is arguably the stronger package on sound and calls.
Sound
The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro uses a 12 mm dynamic driver in each earbud, while the Realme Buds Air8 Pro uses a 2-driver hybrid setup. The Realme's hybrid array gives it more detail and separation, but its sound tuning needs some adjustment to get the best out of it. The OPPO is more straightforward out of the box, with a tuning that suits a versatile listen.
Both support SBC, AAC, and LHDC codecs, so you get high-quality wireless audio on both if your phone supports LHDC. The OPPO's 122 dB sensitivity means it gets loud quickly, so be careful with volume; Realme does not quote a sensitivity figure. For most people, the Realme has the edge in raw sound quality, but the OPPO is less fussy.
Noise cancelling and battery
Both have active noise cancelling. The OPPO's ANC sub-score is 9.0/10, the Realme's is 8.4/10, so the OPPO is the stronger performer here. Both offer a transparency mode for hearing your surroundings, and the Realme's is usable rather than a token feature.
On battery, the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro delivers 13 hours per charge, and 7 hours with ANC on. The Realme Buds Air8 Pro delivers 12 hours per charge, and Realme does not quote an ANC-on figure. With the charging case, the OPPO totals 54 hours, the Realme 50 hours. So the OPPO wins on both per-charge and total battery.
Neither supports wireless charging, so both need a cable. Both have IP55 water resistance, so they handle sweat and light rain equally.
Calls and everyday use
The Realme Buds Air8 Pro has six microphones, the OPPO has three. That is a big difference for call quality, and the sub-scores reflect it: Realme at 8.5/10, OPPO at 8.0/10. If you take a lot of calls in noisy places, the Realme is the safer bet.
Both support multipoint, so that is a wash. The Realme adds wear detection (auto-pause when you remove an earbud), which the OPPO does not have. The Realme also has Bluetooth 6.1, the OPPO has Bluetooth 6.0, a minor difference.
Weights are close: the OPPO is 4.4 g per earbud, the Realme is 4.8 g. Neither is heavy, so comfort will come down to fit rather than weight.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro if you prioritise battery life and noise cancelling. It lasts longer per charge and its ANC sub-score is clearly better. It is also $5 cheaper, although the value sub-scores are effectively tied.
Buy the Realme Buds Air8 Pro if you care about call quality and sound detail. Its six-microphone array and hybrid drivers give it the edge in conversations, and its sound sub-score is higher, though you may need to tweak the tuning. It also has wear detection, which the OPPO lacks.
If you are torn, the OPPO is the safer all-rounder, but the Realme is the better choice for heavy callers and audio tinkerers. See the full comparison table at /compare/oppo-enco-air5-pro-vs-realme-buds-air8-pro, and browse other options in our best true wireless and best ANC earbuds guides.
FAQ
Which has better battery life, OPPO Enco Air5 Pro or Realme Buds Air8 Pro?
The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro lasts 13 hours per charge and 54 hours with the case, while the Realme Buds Air8 Pro lasts 12 hours per charge and 50 hours with the case. The OPPO is rated for 7 hours with ANC on; Realme does not quote an ANC-on figure.
Do both earbuds have wireless charging?
No. Neither the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro nor the Realme Buds Air8 Pro supports wireless charging. Both charge via USB-C only.
Which earbuds are better for phone calls?
The Realme Buds Air8 Pro is better for calls, thanks to its six microphones and a calls sub-score of 8.5/10. The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro has three microphones and a calls sub-score of 8.0/10, so it is decent but not as strong.
