Budget TWS earbuds have grown so much in the past couple of years. Each year, new brands are coming into the market with new and innovative ideas. And one of the companies that are always looking to change the game is EarFun.
The product that we are checking out today is the EarFun Free Pro. The pitch is that it manages to combine great sound quality and ANC in an affordable package.
A lot of budget-oriented brands have done this in the past. However, EarFun has a good track record in terms of sound quality. They have even collaborated with Youtuber Oluv’s Gadgets to bring audiophile tuning in their products. Find out how well the EarFun Free Pro performs by reading our full review.
Disclaimer:
The review unit was provided by EarFun. We want to thank them for their support and for making this review possible. However, this does not influence our review in any way. Everything written here is my honest opinion.
Contents
EarFun Free Pro Review
Packaging and Accessories
The packaging of the EarFun Free Pro is very straightforward. It comes in a compact white box with the art on the front and the technical details on the back. Once you dig into the box, you immediately get the TWS earbuds, the charging case, the USB Type-C charging cable. And spare ear tips and wings.
The whole packaging is clean, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. But that isn’t a problem because the EarFun Free Pro lets the product do the talking.
Design and Build Quality
Charging Case
My favorite part of the EarFun Free Pro is, without a doubt, the charging case. It is quite refreshing to see a charging case that’s truly small and pocketable. Compared to my daily driver, the Lypertek Tevi, the EarFun Free Pro is a lot smaller.
However, its small size does not compromise on the build quality or the features. Everything from the plastic material to hinges feels very solid. Opening and closing the device feels very smooth and fluid. And throughout my testing period, I have not encountered any issues.
Additionally, it is very surprising to see that the charging case has wireless charging capabilities. Even some of the more expensive pairs that I have tried did not have this feature, so that’s a plus for such a budget-priced product.
Another thing that I love about the charging case is that opening the lid will trigger pairing mode. This means that by the time you insert the earbuds into your ears, they have already been connected. This also means that you do not have to accurately align the earbuds with the charging pins to properly disconnect them from your phone since closing the lid guarantees that.
Lastly, the battery life of the charging case is insane, especially for its small size. EarFun rates the battery for up to 32 hours in total. The charger also supports fast charging via USB Type-C, which basically means that it is virtually impossible to run out of battery.
Overall, the charging case is incredibly well-designed and exceeds my expectations for its price point.
Earbuds
The individual earpieces follow the theme set out by the charging case. They are small, lightweight, and have a very low profile once inserted into the ears. Again, this is the opposite of the large earbuds that we see in the market.
The EarFun Free Pro uses touch-based gestures for its controls. They are relatively easy to access due to the earbuds’ low profile design. We will cover the controls in more detail later in the review. But overall, I enjoy these touch-based buttons compared to physical buttons despite not being completely accurate.
The earbuds support additional wings as well as replaceable ear tips. I was contented with the comfort that I got with the stock tips, and I didn’t see the need to apply additional wings. But it is still a great addition, especially for fitness enthusiasts.
And speaking of fitness, the EarFun Free Pro has IPX5 water resistance meaning you shouldn’t worry about using these at the gym. During my testing, the earbuds did not fall off.
The earbuds can also be used independently. Just drop the one you’re not using back in the case, and the other earbud will seamlessly transition to mono.
As for its battery life, the earbuds can last up to seven hours (six hours if using ANC). That is more than enough for my usual workout session, my quick bursts when using the EarFun Pro for quick grocery trips, or even casual listening at home.
I enjoy the EarFun Free Pro’s overall execution with the earbuds. However, I did have a few minor issues. One of them is the earbuds’ nozzle size.
Like most TWS earbuds in this price range, the EarFun Free Pro’s nozzle is fairly short. This makes the use of third-party ear tips almost impossible. I tried several tips, such as the Spinfit CP360 and Azla Xelastec. I use both of these with my Lypertek Tevi due to their superior comfort.
However, when using them on the EarFun Free Pro, the earbuds no longer fit in the charging case. And even if they did, using them would break the earbuds’ low profile design. These are minor issues, but it’s something to consider if you usually can’t achieve a proper seal or a proper fit with stock ear tips.
The other issue that I had was that the earbuds were a bit hard to remove from the carry case. Due to their low profile design, taking them out of the case is a bit challenging. I feel like my hands could easily slip, and I would drop the earbuds. But aside from those, the EarFun Free Pro’s earbuds are well designed.
Controls
I highly appreciate the inclusion of touch-based controls. I always prefer them over physical buttons that are usually hard to press. And while I have mixed feelings about the control scheme on this model, I’d still take them over physical buttons.
All the usual control gestures are here. You can control the volume, play/pause, and skip a track. You can also trigger the ANC, Transparency Mode, and Low Latency Mode by triple tapping the left earbud.
However, it is in the execution where I have issues. Volume control is done by single tapping either the left or right earbud. This is usually done by double-tapping on other models. Having it in a single tap makes it too prone to accidental volume changes, which can negatively impact the listening experience.
Play/Pause is done by double-tapping any of the two earbuds. I would have preferred if it was assigned to a single tap since that would allow you to pause tracks faster.
As for trap skipping, you can only skip forward by triple tapping the right earbud. There is no way to return to the previous track since the triple tap gesture is already taken up by the ANC and other special commands.
And unfortunately, there is no way to reprogram the buttons. You can get used to these gestures, but I highly prefer those found on the Lypertek Tevi.
Features
Tested With: Huawei Mate 30 Pro
One of the things that separate the EarFun Free Pro from other budget TWS options is its wealth of features. It has ANC, Transparency Mode, and Low Latency mode. This is very surprising since ANC and Transparency Mode is usually only found on higher-end models. Of course, these features do not perform as well as higher-end models.
However, I think you should treat these additional features as mere bonuses. The EarFun Free Pro is competitive even without them. They are great bonuses to have, and I enjoyed them even if they have limitations.
ANC and Transparency Mode
The ANC on the EarFun Free Pro is pretty average. I wasn’t expecting any miracles given the fact that it doesn’t use a lot of microphones. It does block out noise such as air conditioners, but there’s still a lot of external noise that can easily be heard.
But with that said, the ANC doesn’t use a lot of battery. And when combined with the earbuds’ excellent passive noise isolation, you can block out a lot of noise when listening to music. But if you are planning on using the ANC to help you focus, then it is, unfortunately, not enough.
Transparency mode is pretty much the same as ANC. It works pretty well, but it could be better. When using it by itself, I can easily hear important queues, and I can even carry on a conversation while watching a video.
But when I’m listening to music, the transparency mode isn’t quite as effective. The music drowns out too much of the ambient sound, which shows the limit of the microphone used. But overall, both of these features are still usable, and I appreciate their inclusion in this budget-priced model.
Low Latency
The low latency mode is a feature that is commonly seen on budget-priced models. This is usually done to compensate for the lack of APTX, LDAC, or other low latency audio codecs. This is primarily done to help the earbuds be more usable for mobile games and videos.
And while this is a nice inclusion, it has too many issues with my setup. I am not too sensitive to the delay that most TWS have on videos, but turning on low latency mode significantly reduces the delay. It does, however, introduce some audio glitches which may annoy you.
However, for playing mobile games, the audio glitches appeared more frequently. I am not sure if it’s a compatibility issue with the games that I’m playing, but they happened on both Call of Duty Mobile and League of Legends: Wild Rift. You may not encounter this issue, but for my setup, low latency mode for gaming is outright unusable.
Sound Quality
Of course, the most important aspect of any audio product is the sound quality. Given how much of a consumer-oriented product the EarFun Free Pro is, I had my doubts. But thankfully, the EarFun Free Pro manages to produce an enjoyable sound.
The EarFun Fre Pro isn’t the most accurate sounding TWS earbud. It has lots of bass and doesn’t have the most extended highs. But it knows its target sound and isn’t trying to be something it’s not meant to be.
It is enjoyable to listen to and has very few flaws. Its bass manages to punch deep enough and make tracks exciting. It lacks in detail and note definition. But still, it manages to accomplish its goal of hyping up tracks.
Vocals are surprisingly clean and are not recessed. I still enjoyed tracks that highlighted vocals. Highs were a bit recessed but still maintained to maintain definition and note clarity. You’ll still hear instruments such as cymbals without making your ears bleed.
The only issue that I have with the EarFun Free Pro is that the bass is a bit too forward for my taste. Elements such as the kick drum tend to be overexposed on tracks that do not need them.
But aside from that one flaw that I found, the EarFun Free Pro managed to make me not care about all the technical details and simply made me want to listen to my music. This makes the EarFun Free Pro a perfect companion to my daily tasks.
Verdict
Overall, the EarFun Free Pro is a well-executed product. Of course, given its limitations, it isn’t perfect. The ANC and other sound features could be better, and the sound tuning has some imperfections. But as a whole package, the EarFun Free Pro delivers.
We highly recommend the EarFun Free Pro to those who are looking for a perfect combination of sound quality and features at the budget price point.
Specifications
- Active Noise Cancellation up to 28dB
- Customized Noise-Cancellation Algorithm for Excellent Isolation
- Bluetooth 5.2 and Support Newest MCSync Technology for Stable Connections and Extended Working Range
- Low Latency Mode improves Video and Gaming Experiences
- Dual Composite Dynamic Drivers Deliver Superior Sound and Balance
- 32-Hour Total Playtime: 7 Hours + 25 Hours with Charging Case
- Fast Charging, 10 Min Charging = 2 Hours Playtime
- 40-Min Full Charging, 32 Hours Playtime
- Wireless Charging Compatible
- Intuitive Touch Control + Volume Control
- Single Earbud Mode – Right or Left Independent Use
- Activate Voice Assistant
Albums Used For Testing
- Milet – Who I am
- Babymetal – Legend Metal Galaxy
- Mamamoo – Travel
- Periphery- Periphery 3 and 4
- Blackpink – The Album
- Final Fantasy VII Acoustic Arrangements
- Square Enix Jazz- Final Fantasy VII At Billboard Live Tokyo
- Sawano Hiroyuki – Best of Vocal Works
- Yorushika – Plagiarism
- Intervals – Circadian
Stephen is a musician, cinematographer, and headphone enthusiast who is passionate about reviewing audio equipment. He has been playing guitar for at least a decade, which introduced him to professional recording equipment such as headphones and in-ear monitors. With the help of reviews and online content, he was able to learn the ins and outs of the hobby. His goal is to give back to the community by providing quality content to help others enjoy the beautiful (and expensive) world of audio.
Favorite Headphones: Sennheiser HD660s