The new earbuds, priced at just under $100, go a long way toward building on the expectations set by their predecessor. That includes not only improvements to noise cancellation but also to the audio drivers, battery life, and more. But how do they hold up under review and do they do everything better than before? Let’s dive in for a closer look.
The hardware here isn’t as good as last gen, still great for the money
Now, as always, one of the greatest aspects of EarFun Air Pro 2 is the hardware. And that’s not just the wireless charging or the ease of operation when it comes to single-handed use. The company also includes plenty of ear tips, a total of six, in fact, with two sets of each size. The sets are shaped just slightly differently too, making it easier to find a pair that fit your ears perfectly. And, of course, the quality of the earbuds themselves has improved over last generation as well. With a more curvy, smooth shape, and the same metal speaker grille inside. While the general aesthetic of these earbuds is fairly standard — its the same pod-style design that many are using — these are also more comfortable than last generation. Making long-term listening a real pleasure compared to some competitors’ wearables. The design itself may, in fact, be enough to put some potential buyers off. Last year’s model was sleek and sharp-edged but comfortable. This year’s model is, by comparison, somewhat mundane and pedestrian. With that said, EarFun Air Pro 2 hardware is also one of the few areas where I found real issues during my review. Surprisingly, in some regards, this generation doesn’t quite stack up to last. The USB-C plug at the back of the device is as firm-fitting and jiggle-free as always. The earbuds themselves rest firmly within the case and the case lid stays firmly in place too. But the plastics used in the carry case also feel thinner and cheaper for version two of these earbuds. Making matters worse, the hinge isn’t quite as solidly built either. I was able to easily wiggle the hinge with some light jostling, compared to last generation. Conversely, the touch zones on the earbuds themselves don’t feel as accurate this time around either. Leading to more than a few unwanted touches as I acclimated to how they work. And that simply wasn’t an issue with the original.
Battery life from EarFun Air Pro 2 is far better than par for the course
As headphones and earbuds of all price brackets have continued to develop, prices have come down while quality of audio has gone up. As a result, battery life is increasingly important for end-users and consumers. Now, EarFun claims that its Air Pro 2 will last up to seven hours per charge and that’s impressive but it wasn’t accurate based on my review tests. In fact, with ANC features inactive, I saw closer to nine hours of use on a single charge during review. Nearly two hours longer than EarFun claims. And with ANC active, the batter still lasted longer than the claimed six hours. At right around seven hours. Moreover, I tested the battery life at a range of around 15- to 20-feet. And with volume just a step below maxed out, using only high-quality, high-fidelity music streams. That’s aside from an hour tested using my Nintendo Switch gaming console. With an additional claimed 34-hours of ANC listening in the charging case, these earbuds should last just about anybody all day long. Aiding in that longevity, charging here is relatively quick. I was able to attain more than an hour of extra listening from just a few minutes of charging. Although I didn’t test this aspect in any exact way. That’s down to the fact that the claimed rate of charge is accurate. With EarFun Air Pro 2 taking just an hour to charge up. Charging the case, convversely, is much less impressive. That takes two hours if you’re charging via USB-C and around three-and-a-half hours using the other great feature included by EarFun. Namely, wireless charging.
Audio from EarFun Air Pro 2 won’t disappoint, especially at this price
With regard to the most important aspect of EarFun Air Pro 2, however, that didn’t disappoint at all under review. We’re talking, of course, about the audio quality. EarFun started out with a 10mm titanium composite driver in each bud, just for starters. It paired that with three mics in each earbud too, for a total of six mics. Two of those are professional level and for noise reduction. And they’re tied in with a QuietSmart 2.0 custom anti-wind noise algorithm as well. Put simply, the mics ensure that even in a windy or otherwise noisy environment, sounds come through as they should. In fact, the earbuds automatically detect and actively suppress wind. Including in calls, which came through crystal clear with minimal speakerphone effect during my review. The remaining mic, of course, is for voice pickup — including access to on-source AI assistants. ANC is enabled by those mics too and the feature on these particular earbuds cannot be overstated. Immediately upon turning these headphones on and placing them in my ears, the difference was noticeable. When I turned on the ambient passthrough mode — dubbed Transparent mode — voices of others around me were clear. Arguably clearer than with the earbuds taken out of my ears. Despite that I had music playing on a medium volume at the time. Volume is, on that note, fantastic as well. 70- to 80-percent volume is almost too loud for comfortable listening. While turning down to around 50-percent didn’t result in any loss of detail or clarity. This is easily among the best pair of earbuds I’ve tested for noise cancellation, despite the price. In terms of standard audio from the 10mm drivers, balance was great. As was the left-to-right placement of audio on the headspace front. Bass, mids, and highs come through with clarity often reserved for earbuds at twice the price. Without feeling overcompressed or underrepresetned. Although, the audio was not quite up to audiophile levels, and the quality does diminish somewhat at below 45- to 50-percent volume. All of which is to be expected for the price bracket. That’s not, of course, to say that audio here is perfect. At least not for every user. I found the bass punch to be somewhat light compared to many comptetitors. Likely as a result of the balancing aiming more for flat than for bottom-heavy power. That’s easily fixed — for those that prefer bigger lows — using a playback app that has a built-in EQ. But it really shouldn’t need to be for most users. Songs that are mixed to be bass heavy still push a lot of sound with plenty of rumble. The bass is simply less than I’d have expected in other tunes if I was looking for bass-boosted headphones and by a significant degree.
Connectivity and features are on-point with EarFun Air Pro 2
Looking past wireless charging, which wasn’t present on the original EarFun Air Pro, there are plenty of worthwhile features to talk about for this review. Not least of all, despite the relatively low cost, these actually do come with top-level features such as in-ear detection. Meaning that they automatically pause when taken out of your ears. Although they do also support single-bud listening. Moreover, beyond the ANC mode discussed in the audio segment above, EarFun includes Transparent mode. Typically dubbed “Ambient Mode,” Transparent mode allowed me to hear external, environmental noise during my review of EarFun Air Pro 2. So, without interrupting my music or diminishing audio quality, I was able to wear these buds while out for a bike ride or while walking down a sidewalk-less road without losing track of my surroundings. Better still, that works similarly to how other on-bud features such as AI assistant access work. Namely, the features are available at the tap of an earbud without ever pulling out my phone. And without a dedicated app to fiddle with. On-bud volume controls are another added perk with these buds. So adjusting the volume doesn’t require the source device either. Which is a fairly significant step above what most wireless listening devices offer. Last but not least, the IPX5 water-resistance rating with these buds is a cut above too. With SweatShield tech in place, these earbuds resist water and sweat. But also the wearing effects of the chemistry of sweat itself. So the liquid protection isn’t going to wear off quite as quickly as with many contenders. Connectivity, conversely, was spot on as expected with these earbuds. With no interference or cut-out in any of my test environments. Including at a distance of over 30-feet inside of my somewhat radio signal-heavy household.
Should you buy these earbuds?
Now, EarFun Air Pro 2 will undoubtedly make their way onto our overall top earbud and headphone lists following this review. There are aspects to these headphones, well beyond great audio, that leave no question about that. Not least of all, they build on their predecessor in important ways. From better ANC and audio drivers to the addition of wireless charging. But there are a few caveats that are well worth paying attention to as well. First and foremost, the build quality and design aspects of these earbuds feels diminished compared to their predecessor. That’s not to say those characteristics are terrible or unworkable. But it is something that users of the original are going to notice. Furthermore, the audio is balanced here, without any bass-boosting to speak of. Given that the trends have leaned toward heavier bass, that’s going to come as a disappointment to some. Although bass-heavy songs and media do still hit. And hard. The touch zones on the earbuds themselves are also more finnicky this time. So there is more of a learning curve to consider when it comes to not accidentally tapping the buds. Setting those things aside, EarFun has again knocked it out of the park with EarFun Air Pro 2. Not least of all because of the improvements but also because the price is ultimately the same. With the available discounts, right out of the gate, EarFun Air Pro 2 still costs just $79.99. And that makes them well worth the asking price and then some.
