INTRODUCTION

   One of the things COVID-19 changed for me (and most people certainly) was that i completely stopped using public transportation, primarily the bus and metro. Now i never used them that much to begin with but i kind of had to whenever i needed to pick up small devices (primarily sample boxes) from pickup areas where i just couldn't go with my car (lack of parking). So instead i begun walking many kilometres quite often (minimum 4km, maximum 9km) which as most of you can imagine takes quite a bit of time. Well, i can't think of a better way to test both wired and wireless earphones and headphones than when walking next to cars honking, people talking and everything else one can come across while on foot, can you? One of the TWS (true wireless stereo) earphones I've been testing that way for the past month are no other than the very popular EarFun Air Pro.

   EarFun was established in 2018 by a collective of experienced industrial designers, acoustic engineers, and music enthusiasts who share the common goal of creating next-generation wireless audio devices. The EarFun team is driven by a passion for music and a commitment to delivering solutions that use the latest technologies to improve the audio experience. With two CES Innovation Awards honorees and an iF Design Award in 2020, EarFun is the most awarded new audio brand.

       For the Air Pro True Wireless Stereo Earbuds (currently available in black & white colors) EarFun has paired the BES2300YP programmable Bluetooth v5.0 Audio SoC by BES Technic with two 10mm composite dynamic drivers (for improved bass and clear treble) and 6 noise-cancelling microphones (filter out up to 90% of ambient noise - always according to EarFun). The EarFun Air Pro are also IPX5 certified which means you can use them even while in the rain or while working out (water and sweat resistant, not to be submerged into water however - you'd need IPX7 for that) and also feature touch/tap controls, master feature (either earbud can act as primary), two 60mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (can keep the earbuds going for up to 9 hours - 7 hours with ANC on) and as expected the bundle also includes a small storage/carrying box (closes magnetically) which also doubles as a recharging case thanks to an internal 500mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery (can provide almost 23 extra hours of playback time - 18 hours with ANC on).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

EarFun uses a small white and yellow box to ship the Air Pro inside which typically has a product picture at the front right beneath their logo and above the main product features.

An exposed view of the right earbud can be seen on the left side of the box right over a "Tuned by Edifier" statement (these earbuds are actually also available by Edifier in some regions).

Contact information for EarFun is printed on the right side.

At the rear of the box, we find yet another product picture, the main product features, serial numbers and barcodes and the HQ address of EarFun.

The front opens up to reveal the first use instructions.

Along with the EarFun Air Pro TWS earbuds and their charging/storage case the box also contains 2 extra pairs of silicon tips, USB-A to USB-C cable, user manual and an product satisfaction paper (like/dislike).

THE AIR PRO

The EarFun Air Pro sport a long design which we don't really see much, at least not that shape (each earbud weighs just over 6g).

As always to have a better idea about their size i placed the EarFun Air Pro right next to the EPOS GTW 270, JBL Live 300TWS, Lenovo HT10 and the 1MORE True Wireless ANC models.

Each earbud has the company name, a feed-forward microphone and a tap zone (right earbud: tap twice to play/pause tracks and three times for next track / left earbud: tap twice to enable voice assistant and three times to change mode between ANC, Ambient Sound and Normal / both earbuds: tap twice to answer/end calls and three times to reject a call) on the exterior.

A voice pickup microphone is located at the tip of each earbud.

Left and right markings are printed on the interior just over two charging contacts.

As expected, the feedback microphone is located on the interior of each earbud.

Using 10mm dynamic drivers should help boost bass levels for the Air Pro.

The just over 42g heavy carrying/storage case features a magnetic top and is quite compact.

Here you can see how it compares to the charging cases from the EPOS GTW 270, JBL Live 300TWS, Lenovo HT10 and the 1MORE True Wireless ANC models.

A battery charging LED is located at the rear of the case right next to the USB-C port.

Once you open up the case you will see a small button at the center along with an activity LED (you can use this button to start Bluetooth pairing).

With both earbuds in the case, it now weighs just over 53g.

CONCLUSION

   Whenever i test a TWS set i always look for four things, audio quality, signal strength, battery life and available features. So just how did the EarFun Air Pro do during the 3 full weeks of testing? Well audio quality is actually quite good, not audiophile-grade of course but mids and highs are accurate and clear (especially with ANC on) and as for bass levels well they are not half bad for a TWS model (have heard better however). So, this means that the EarFun Air Pro are ideal for daily use. Just don't expect miracles from the Hybrid ANC function (does manage to filter out a good chunk of noise but far from all of it). Signal strength is actually what had me worried for a moment there since one of the samples i received did have hiccups/gaps in audio quite often (both when listening to music and on calls). Fortunately, that was just with one of the samples so that was probably an isolated issue which does happen from time to time (yes it has happened with other TWS models in the past). As for battery life well things here are also very good so even with the volume set at almost maximum i was able to squeeze just over 6 hours and 50 minutes from the EarFun Air Pro (slightly less than 5 with ANC on). This is not very close to the 9 advertised hours (or 7 with ANC on) but that's always the case since manufacturers tend to test their products at no more than 40-50% volume. Both the tap controls and microphone work as advertised but could be better, especially the former since just touching them will not work so you actually need to tap your finger and well that for some people may not be just as easy (microphone does a good job in filtering out some noise but the end result is not as vivid/rich as with other higher-end TWS models).

   You can currently get your hands on a pair of the Earfun Air Pro TWS Earbuds for just USD67.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 69.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is very balanced for what you're getting in return. At the end of the day, I don’t have anything bad to say about the EarFun Air Pro TWS Earbuds, yes, they are not the best money can buy today but that wasn’t the goal to begin with. The goal was to create a pair of TWS Earbuds with good audio quality, adequate ANC and a rather long battery life and since the Air Pro deliver on all of the above, they deserve the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Audio Quality (10mm Dynamic Drivers)
- IPX5 Certified
- Size/Weight
- Hybrid ANC (4 Noise Cancelling Microphones)
- Battery Life (Up To 32 Hours Total)
- Available In 2 Colors (Black/White)
- Bluetooth v5.0
- External Tap Controls

CONS

- Lack Of HD Audio Codec Support
- No App