EarFun’s most recent release is the EarFun Air Pro 2, which is currently the best in their “Pro” line of active noise-cancelling options. Despite its simplicity and its MSRP of $80, it packs quite a punch—especially after rectifying some issues from the first product batch. Are these the right true wireless active noise-cancelling earbuds for you? Here’s what you need to know. My review unit was provided for free, but my opinions are my own and haven’t been influenced in any way.
EarFun Air Pro 2: The Good
If you’re in the market for an EarFun Air Pro 2, then chances are good your main consideration is price—and the EarFun Air Pro 2 delivers excellently. With full retail price being half what you’d pay for Apple or Samsung ANC earbuds, that alone wins points. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and come with an optional larger earbud cushion size (three sets of both smaller and larger sizes) so you can adjust for the best comfort and noise seal. The EarFun Air Pro 2 supports three modes: passive mode that acts like normal earbuds and maximizes battery life; active noise-cancelling mode that cancels out ambient noise; and ambient passthrough mode that lets you hear everything around you (even stuff that’d get blocked in passive mode). The earbuds last anywhere from 5 to 7 hours on a full charge depending on which mode you use, and the wireless charging case adds up to 27 extra hours of battery life. The charging case can be charged via USB-C cable or wireless charging pad. You can control the earbuds using tap and long-touch gestures, allowing you to change modes, change volume, play/pause/change tracks, accept/end/reject incoming calls, and activate voice assistant (when connected to a device that supports one). The EarFun Air Pro 2 has automatic in-ear detection, which automatically pauses playback when you take out one or both earbuds, then automatically resumes playback when they’re back in. Pretty useful when someone interrupts you to chat, or when they accidentally fall out when you’re out on a run. Lastly, the earbuds are IPX5 sweat & water resistant. (Unfortunately, the charging case isn’t.) They’re good for working out or wearing in the rain, but take care not to drop in water.
EarFun Air Pro 2: The Bad
I really like wearing the EarFun Air Pro 2, but I’ve noticed a few drawbacks that may or may not be important in your own decision-making process for buying these. First, the active noise-cancellation is OK but not great. I usually do work while sitting next to a dehumidifier running at ~50 dB (decibels), which is loud enough to distract me. These earbuds block out enough noise to make me forget it’s there, but not so much that it’s silent; without any audio playing, I can hear it humming away. To be fair, I still hear the dehumidifier even when I’m wearing my Bose QuietComfort Earbuds with ANC enabled. (Yeah, it’s that loud.) But the humming is a little louder while wearing the EarFun Air Pro 2, which isn’t unusual given that it’s one-third the cost! Second, there’s no volume control for ambient passthrough mode. When I’m listening to quiet music, the ambient passthrough is jarringly loud; when I’m blasting music, the ambient passthrough gets lost in the volume. In other words, even as you adjust the overall volume, the ambient volume is always the same and doesn’t change. If there’s a way to adjust ambient passthrough volume, it isn’t intuitive given that I haven’t found it. (No mention of it in the user’s manual.) It’s not a big deal for me since I rarely use the mode anyway, but it’s something to keep in mind if you intend to use it a lot. Third, the charging contacts are exposed on the inner side of the earbud, which can get gunked in dirt and sweat with use. Too much buildup can interfere with charging as well as smooth connection to devices and staying in sync between both earbuds. The user’s manual acknowledges this, and the product even comes with a mini cotton swab for cleaning the contacts when they get too dirty. But it’s still a maintenance hassle and I’d prefer an improved design that minimizes or eliminates gunk cleanup altogether. Lastly, the charging case is a little bulky. I really like the sleek design of the EarFun Free 2’s charging case (pictured above in the middle), and I was looking forward to something just as sleek with the EarFun Air Pro 2. Unfortunately, it’s about the size of a kiwi fruit. To be fair, the aforementioned Bose QuietComfort Earbuds charging case is way bigger and bulkier—almost twice as big, in fact. Even so, the EarFun Air Pro 2 does get points docked for imperfect portability. Depending on how big your pockets are, carrying it around could end up feeling rather inconvenient.
EarFun Air Pro 2: The Verdict
Overall, I think the EarFun Air Pro 2 is a great value. Most comparable true wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation will set you back at least twice the price. These are more than serviceable, especially if you aren’t an audiophile who needs perfect ANC and top-notch audio quality. It has drawbacks but nothing I’d consider to be a dealbreaker—and when you’re saving this much money on comfortable ANC earbuds, it’s honestly a surprise the drawbacks aren’t worse. If you liked this review, consider checking out the complete whatNerd Reviews Index!
