INTRODUCTION

   Inflation has hit the entire world lately (some places more than others) so it's no surprise really that now more than ever before consumers are starting to pay extra attention to price/performance when out in the market. Of course, this applies far more in the electronics industry than any other but luckily through the years this industry has prepared itself by allowing the design and development of products for virtually all price segments of both the consumer and professional markets. Lately one of the electronics companies that's doing very well in the TWS (true wireless stereo) market and has gained numerous supporters due to the very good price/performance ratio of their products is no other than EarFun and after having already tested 2 of their models today with me i have yet another, the Free 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.

   Just like with their very popular Air Pro 2 model for the Free Pro 2 EarFun used the AB1562A Bluetooth v5.2 chip by AIROHA (A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, BR, EDR, Bluetooth Low Energy, 80ms low latency mode, Dual-mode, MCSync, QuietSmart v2.0 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 sweat and water resistant earbuds we also find a 6mm composite dynamic driver, 3 noise-cancelling microphones (1 pickup and 2 noise reduction ones for the QuietSmart v2.0 hybrid ANC function - can filter out noise up to 40dB), touch/tap controls and an 35mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery (can keep the earbuds going for up to 6 hours - 5 hours with ANC on). Also, just like both of their other models that made it to the lab the Free Pro 2 are bundled with a small storage/charging case that features an internal 420mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery (can provide almost 30 extra hours of playback time). So right from the get go it's clear that the Free Pro 2 is a cut-down version of their Air Pro 2 model and so all that's left is to see how they perform.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As always EarFun used a small box that has a product picture at the front right beneath their logo and above the main product features.

Bluetooth connectivity is showcased on the left side.

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

The earbuds are already placed inside the charging case which in turn is placed in a piece of black foam.

Contained inside the box are the EarFun Free Pro 2 TWS earbuds and their charging/storage case, 3 extra pairs of silicon ear tips (4 total), 2 extra sets of ear hooks (3 total), cleaning stick with instructions, USB-A to USB-C cable, user manual and a product satisfaction paper (like/dislike).

THE FREE PRO 2

Shipping a total of 4 sets of silicon ear tips and 3 sets of ear hooks with the Free Pro 2 all but guarantees that you'll be getting a good fit.

Each of the 2 earbuds measures 19mm in length, 13mm in width and 23mm in depth and weighs just 4.1g (the front is basically a touch button so double tap on either one to pause/resume music 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 and game mode activation, 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).

The earbuds have one hole on each side, probably for one of the ANC microphones and the pickup microphone.

Left and right markings are located at the rear right next to another hole (probably for the 2nd ANC microphone) and the 2 charging contacts.

Squeezing a 6mm composite dynamic driver in each housing is not really something we haven't seen before since it's one of the most common sizes used with TWS models.

Forgot to mention that both earbuds have activity LEDs at the front.

EarFun ships the Free Pro 2 with an 38g heavy aluminum charging/storage case that measures 66.6mm in length, 26mm in height and 23mm in width.

The charging/storage case has an activity LED at the front and the USB-C port at the rear.

As expected, the interior is made out of plastic and just has two seats for the earbuds.

CONCLUSION

   When people are out in the market for a new TWS model they usually pick one based on their needs which in most cases is handsfree calls. Yes, there are always those who spend large sums of money for TWS models capable of delivering crisp and accurate audio (for use when working out or when on the road) but for the most part handsfree calls is what the majority of people want them for. Well, the Free Pro 2 by EarFun are made for just that, reliable calls with good audio quality for both ends. Yes, this clearly means you’ll not been blown away in terms of audio clarity and accuracy so this is not a TWS aimed for high-quality music reproduction. Still thanks to its good hybrid ANC and relatively good microphones (not to mention bluetooth v5.2) I had no problems using the Free Pro 2 for just over a month (primarily for calls). Battery life is also quite good with up to 3 hours and 40 minutes with ANC on and almost 5 hours and 10 minutes with ANC off (volume level set at 80-90% at all times). True, this isn’t stellar but after taking into account the tiny size of each earbud I don’t think I could had asked for more (and besides, there’s also the charging/storage case).

   Right now, EarFun is running a 25% off promotion so by using code EFFPRODL you can get your very own Free Pro 2 TWS Earbuds for just USD59.99 inside the USA (MyEarFun.com) and for 52.49Euros inside the EU (MyEarFun.com) a price which should appeal to most consumers in the market for a new TWS model. Yes, if you’re looking for a music oriented model the Free Pro 2 is clearly not for you but if you just want one to make clear calls you will not be disappointed.

PROS

- IPX5 Certified
- Hybrid ANC (4 Noise Cancelling Microphones)
- Battery Life
- Bluetooth v5.2
- Good For Gaming (80ms Low Latency)
- External Tap Controls
- Charging / Storage Case
- Fit / Stability
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Lack Of HD Audio Codec Support
- No App
- Audio Clarity & Accuracy
- Volume Levels