Over the last few months, I have covered a number of different earbuds brands in a market that has really grown over the last couple of years. EarFun is a brand we have covered a few times before, most recently with the EarFun Free.
Packaging wise they look very professional looking and they have won the IF Design Award & CES Innovation award 2020. The main features of these buds are they are IP7 rated, 35-hour battery, 4 built-in microphones for quality calls and Qi-compatible for wireless charging. They are also available in two colours Black & White.
Inside the box you are given the following:
EarFun Air buds
Charging Case
Spare Ear Tips – (XS, S, L) Medium tips currently on the earbuds
USB-C charging cable
User Manual
So how do they perform and are they a real alternative to Apple AirPods?
Design-wise first impressions they look a little like a pair of AirPods. The EarFun Air have a shape that should fit in most peoples ears and after testing them in my ears and also some family members they generally fit most ears due to the ergonomic fit that EarFun have aimed to achieve. This is done with the right balance from the silicone tip and the size of the actual earbud that it fits very well and creates a level of passive noise cancellation due to the fit without the use of ANC. I took these out on a bike ride and the good fit was tested and they passed with flying colours.
Pairing these buds is very simple. Once you take them out of the packaging pop them into the charging case and when you pop them out and the LED light on each bud will start flashing red/blue that is the pairing indication and then just pair on your phone as normal. Once paired you hear a voice that says pairing successful. It was a very easy process that anyone could do.
Controls-wise, everything is done by touch controls and its very easy to use and you have the following controls:
Play/Pause- Tap Twice on either bud
Skip Track – Triple tap on the right bud
Skip Back a track- Triple tap on the left bud
Volume increase- Touch and hold the right bud
Volume decrease- Touch and hold Left bud
Answer/end a call – tap twice either bud
Reject a call – Tap and hold for 2 seconds on either bud
Voice Assistant- Triple tap left bud
The earbuds also allow you to switch back and forth between two simultaneous calls. It was not something I found to be overly useful personally but I can see some people will find this a useful feature.
When listening to “Freya Ridings- Castles”, The EarFun Air provides a powerful bass that is paired with some really nice highs. When you pump up the volume the bass will not distort like some others in this price range. Overall when listening to this track you got a balanced sound signature that never became muffled and that a big bonus.
I also like to listen to a little Katherine Jenkins “Angel” for how they perform with classical music. The lows are dutifully represented and the vocals maintain clarity without sounding overly bright allowing you to enjoy the sweet sounds of Katherine to remove the stress of the day.
You can also make and receive calls as the EarFun Air comes with four enhanced microphones that when I made a few calls everyone found the sound the be quite clear. For buds that under the $100 mark could you ask for more?
They sound good and are suitable for this current heat. They are IPX 7 rated with added Sweatshield technology which basically seals all the internal circuitry meaning if its a super hot day or you have hit the gym these buds will keep on playing without any problems.
Another feature I like when it comes to the EarFun Air is the In-ear capacitive detection this is really handy as if am out and about and I bump into an old friend by simply taking the bud out the music stops and I can have that conversation without having to fight with the music.
You will also notice that I mentioned the charging case is Qi-compatible meaning no more cables and you can charge these on your wireless charging device.
You will notice on the front of the charging case a small LED this indicated the level of charge:
Green- More than 30% battery
Orange- Less than 30% battery
Red- 10 % or less
Red Flash – 1% charge
The charging case has a 500mAh battery life giving you 35 hours in total and a single charge will give the buds seven continuous hours of playtime which is very good. You also have the fast charging feature 10 minutes of charge provides 2 hours of playtime. Once you have completely run out of battery it can take 2 hours via the USB-C or 3.5 hours to charge via your wireless charging device.
I would say if you are looking for a budget alternative to the Apple Airpods then the EarFun Air is well worth considering. You get a massive battery life and with features like wireless charging and in-ear capacitive detection technology normally find on some more expensive models they tick some boxed. The audio quality is ok but for the price range, you need to have your expectations at a certain level but overall they are a good pair of budget buds.
Product Rating:
Design – 5 Stars
Features- 4 Stars
Audio Performance- 3 Stars
Value for Money- 4 Stars
Overall rating: 4 Stars