OPPO Enco Air 5 — got a defective unit (crackling in one bud), replacement process has been a nightmare. Think twice before buying.

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Bought the OPPO Enco Air 5 directly from the Oppo app for ₹2,211 (was on a launch discount from ₹3,299). Delivered yesterday.

Right out of the box — constant crackling/ticking sound in the right earbud, but **only in Normal mode**. ANC and Transparency mode are completely fine, no crackling at all. That inconsistency alone tells me it's a hardware fault (loose driver connection/bad solder joint), not something a firmware update is likely to fix.

Here's where it's gone downhill:

- Called Oppo CC — told to visit a service center for a defective unit received *yesterday*.

- SC says they don't have replacement stock and it could take **up to a month**, wants me to leave the buds with them and "come back later" with zero paperwork.

- Asked about pickup/drop instead — found out Oppo does have a 30-day exchange policy for functionally defective units, but CC kept defaulting me into the slower repair/warranty process instead of treating it as a straight exchange.

- Finally got a ticket raised after pushing hard, told to wait 48 hours for a callback.

For context — I switched to this from a OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro that had a battery drain issue after going out of warranty. Ironically the Nord Buds' build quality (weight, fit, finish) feels more solid than this. Not off to a great start with Oppo's own audio lineup.

Posting mainly so others considering the Enco Air 5 know: if you get a defective unit, be ready for a slow, frustrating exchange process — SC stock for a brand new launch may not exist yet, and CC will try to route you into a repair-warranty flow instead of a straight replacement unless you specifically push back citing the 30-day exchange window.

Will update if this actually gets resolved.

**TL;DR:** Bought the OPPO Enco Air 5 (₹2,211), arrived with a crackling right earbud in Normal mode (fine in ANC/Transparency). SC has no replacement stock, quoted up to a month wait. CC kept pushing repair/warranty flow instead of the 30-day exchange policy. Took real pushback to even get a ticket raised. If you're considering this model, know the post-purchase support experience can be rough.