INTRODUCTION

   Audiophile grade TWS models may represent the pinnacle of today's technology but at the same time their target audience is considerably smaller than that of far more affordable models. Cost is something i actually hear a lot about daily, whether that's from friends and family members or even readers it's clear that a balanced price/performance ratio is what most consumers are looking for when out to grab a new pair of TWS earbuds. Now the good news today as opposed to even just 2-3 years ago is that there are quite a few TWS manufacturers that try to offer just that, affordable yet high performance TWS earbuds that deliver where it really counts. EarFun is one such manufacturer and after testing their highly popular Air Pro TWS a while back (review here) today with me i have their successor, the Air Pro 2.

   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.

   This time over EarFun has taken another route and so instead of using an BEC Technic Bluetooth v5.0 chip (as they did with the Air Pro) they used the AB1562A Bluetooth v5.2 chip by AIROHA (BR, EDR, Bluetooth Low Energy, Dual-mode, MCSync, Hybrid ANC) which as DSP uses the Cadence HiFi Mini Audio Engine coprocessor that supports audio up to 192KHz/24-bit. Inside each of the two IPX5 water resistant earbuds we also find a 10mm titanium composite dynamic driver, 3 noise-cancelling microphones (1 pickup and 2 noise reduction ones for the Hybrid ANC function - can filter out noise up to 40dB), touch/tap controls and an 45mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery (can keep the earbuds going for up to 7 hours - 6 hours with ANC on). As with the original Air Pro the Air Pro 2 are bundled with a small storage/charging case that features an internal 500mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery (can provide almost 34 extra hours of playback time). At least specifications-wise the Air Pro 2 seem to be somewhat "less" than the original Air Pro so let's see if that's the case or not.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again EarFun has used a small box which typically has a product picture at the front right beneath their logo and above the main product features.

Turning the box around we see the main product features, bundle contents, serial numbers and barcodes and several certifications.

Packaging is actually very good with the earbuds already placed inside the charging case which in turn is placed in a formed piece of cardboard (the rest of the bundle is also placed in here).

So aside the EarFun Air Pro 2 TWS earbuds and their charging/storage case the box also contains 5 extra pairs of silicon tips, cleaning stick with instructions, USB-A to USB-C cable, user manual and a product satisfaction paper (like/dislike).

THE AIR PRO 2

By shipping the new Air Pro 2 model with a total of 6 silicon eartips (1 already pre-mounted) EarFun makes certain that they'll fit well in your ear.

Unlike the Air Pro the Air Pro 2 follow the same basic design introduced by the Apple AirPods Pro (something which many other manufacturers have done so since, the why however is beyond me).

EarFun has placed their logo on the front exterior of both earbuds.

Each earbud has external touch controls so you can use a double tap on either one to pause/resume playback and answer/end calls (hold for 2s to reject a call), tap 3 times on the right for next track and 3 times on the left for previous track, tap once on the right to increase volume and on the left to decrease volume and tap and hold for 2 seconds on the right to enable voice assistant mode and on the left to enable/disable ANC.

At the front of each earbud, we see the voice pickup microphone which is placed near the left/right markings and the two charging contacts.

Further at the rear we find an infra-red sensor (ear on/off sensor) and one of the two feedback microphones.

The second feedback microphone is located at the base of the earbuds as seen above.

Using 10mm large drivers is not something we haven't seen before (still they should produce good bass levels).

The charging case has the company logo on top and a USB type-C charging port at the rear.

Opening the case reveals a single resting area for the earbuds and a button at the center.

 You can actually reset the earbuds to their factory state by pressing this button for 8 seconds.

Also, i forgot to mention that a battery charging LED is located at the front of the case.

CONCLUSION

   Having already reviewed the original Air Pro TWS model i obviously had higher expectations from the Air Pro 2 and at least for the most part they delivered. Now it's important to understand that just like their predecessors these TWS earbuds are not made for music playback, they are good but you shouldn't expect more. Highs, mids and bass are all sufficient but combined with a somewhat limited soundstage and not the highest volume levels means that i wouldn't pick up the EarFun Air Pro 2 purely for music playback while on the road. What they lack however in that regard they more than makeu p with their performance in calls which is great really. The ANC is somewhat subtle (almost on par with what i got from the JBL Reflect Flow Pro) but enough for most instances and the same applies for clarity on both ends. Unfortunately, stability/fit is another issue i found with the EarFun Air Pro 2. Again, i have no idea why manufacturers have decided to follow the same path as Apple in terms of design but unless you equip such long TWS with ear hooks stability can't be good, not if you’re jogging or working out (and i like doing both, especially when testing TWS models). Of course, if you just plan on using them while casually walking or sitting down that shouldn't be an issue. As for battery life i was able to come really close to the advertised numbers, to be more precise i recorded up to 6 hours and 38 minutes with ANC off and 5 hours and 22 minutes with ANC on (so not bad).

   You can currently get your very own EarFun Air Pro 2 TWS ANC Earbuds directly from their online store for USD64/56Euros (final price at checkout) a price tag which is actually very good for what you're getting. Now although I can’t recommend the EarFun Air Pro 2 for people who place too much weight on music playback I can recommend them for those who want a solid TWS pair for calls and yes that’s what these do best.

PROS

- Good Audio Quality (10mm Titanium Dynamic Drivers)
- IPX5 Certified
- Hybrid ANC (4 Noise Cancelling Microphones)
- Battery Life
- Bluetooth v5.2
- External Tap Controls
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Lack Of HD Audio Codec Support
- No App
- Stability / Fit
- Volume Levels