Is the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro worth the upgrade from the Huawei FreeBuds 3?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Huawei FreeBuds 3 to the OPPO Enco Air5 Pro buys you 42.1 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in value (2.2 to 9.0), battery (3.4 to 9.0) and noise cancelling (3.5 to 9.0). On paper: battery life 4 h to 13 h, codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, LHDC and bluetooth 5.1 to 6.0. Worth checking: full charge time goes 60 min to 90 min and driver size goes 14.2 mm to 12 mm. It's also $139 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound6.68.0
- Noise cancelling3.59.0
- Battery3.49.0
- Calls6.68.0
- Value2.29.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | FreeBuds 3 | Enco Air5 Pro | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 4 h | 13 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LHDC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 6.0 | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IP55 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 4 h | 7 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 20 h | 54 h | |
| Full charge time | 60 min | 90 min | |
| Latency | 190 ms | 47 ms | |
| Driver size | 14.2 mm | 12 mm | |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 | |
| Case weight | 48 g | 43 g | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| Transparency mode | No | Yes | |
| Companion app | No | Yes | |
| Custom EQ | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Driver | 14.2 mm dynamic | 2× 12 mm driver |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "FreeBuds 3 to Enco Air5 Pro". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.