Earfun Air Pro Review – Doin’ it Right

Usability –

Connectivity

The Air Pro provides a simple connectivity experience. To pair, simply hold down the button on the case while the earphones are docked and they will enter pairing mode, denoted by a blinked status LED. This frees up the touch controls and prevents gestures from becoming too elaborate. Once paired, they quickly reconnect to the previously paired device. To add more, simply repeat the process. Unfortunately, no app is supported for eQ, control customization, etc.

The Air Pro supports BT5.0 but does not use a Qualcomm chipset. As such, codec support is limited only to SBC and AAC which may disappoint those wanting the best sound quality. Regardless, there wasn’t too much background hiss here and connectivity was both fast and reliable. You are also able to use the earphones in mono and stereo. In crowded areas, I did note a few brief instances where the audio would cutout, but it definitely wasn’t something I would label as a clear-cut issue on this earphone.

Range was an average performer, cutting out after crossing through 1 room with double brick walls. This is slightly less than most competitors but adequate for PC and phone use within a room. Latency was acceptable and will be suitable for videos, movies and casual gaming. There was a slight lipsync delay but it wasn’t overt despite the lack of codec support. Unfortunately, the Air Pro does not support gaming mode like the NB2, which lowers latency to a lower 80ms.

Battery & Charging

The earphones are rated at 9hrs of playtime or 7hrs with ANC on with an additional 2.5 charges from the case. They also support fast charging, able to reach 2hrs of playtime off of a 10-minute charge. I found these specs were generally accurate, albeit do note that I am a lower volume listener. The upside here is that these earphones have heaps of volume so most users shouldn’t feel themselves having to max out the volume, especially when combined with their effective ANC. I was content listening at volume 5-7/30 on my Xperia 5 II where I was able to achieve just over 7hrs with ANC on consistently, connected over AAC. Compared to many competitors, this is a well above average result.

Controls

I was ready to write off the touch controls of the Air Pro as frankly, most suck. However, once again, they did surprise me with their responsiveness and reliability. Gestures are received consistently and responsiveness is great. I didn’t find myself having to consciously alter the interval of taps, speeding up operation and increasing convenience. These are surely some of the better touch controls I’ve used and never left me frustrated.

ANC Performance

Both Edifier and Earfun spoke big on the smart features of this earphone and, in real world use, the results do not disappoint. This is a potent setup, delivering a great aware mode and firmly good ANC performance. Passive noise isolation is surprisingly decent even without the use of ANC and, unlike the Sennheiser MTW2, it doesn’t solely rely on this, delivering a very noticeable effect from activating ANC. An aside, when it comes to evaluating ANC performance, I like to break this down into two categories: ANC intensity, or how much the amplitude of certain noises are reduced, and ANC spectrum, referring to how wide of a frequency range is affected. Sony’S WF-1000XM4 that I would consider to be a class leader cancels a much wider frequency range than its competitors and at a high intensity, dulling not only wooshes and rumbles but also voices too.

Models one step down like the MW08 and 1More ANC TWS offer similarly strong low-frequency cancellation but over a narrower frequency range that does little for voices. The Air Pro interestingly cancels a wide range of frequencies. When activated, you get broad spectrum attenuation of all but high-frequency sounds. However, the intensity decreases as the frequencies rise so it isn’t quite world-silencing like the Sony’s, and it doesn’t block low frequencies quite as potently as the 1More or M&D either. The Air Pro is still a pretty impressive performer, strongly diminishing low frequencies and hushing voices too. It does so with minimal pressure and artefacts. Small features such as ANC easing off when one earphone is removed from the ear make this feel like a far more polished experience than your average budget noise canceller. Considering it is almost at the level of these more expensive models, I was very impressed.

Aware Mode

The Aware mode is also great and, to my ears, actually works a little better than the ANC. It is clearly better than those implemented on both the 1More and the M&D earphones, being clearer and more potent. Turning it on gives a very authentic feel of openness, not quite as immediate as the Sony’s but incredibly close. Voices are easy to discern, and it is quick to activate too. I would put it on the level of something like the Sennheiser MTW2, except, without the clipping. This is one of the best Aware modes I’ve tried, especially on a cheaper model. As a feature I love to use personally, especially around the house, I see this as a huge plus for day-to-day usability.

Call Quality

With such a comprehensive mic array, the Air Pro’s set high expectations for call quality. And the results speak for themselves, these earphones have excellent call quality. Recipients noted good volume and vocal clarity, I sounded immediate and discernible. Most impressive, however, was the ambient noise cancellation. Even outside or directly in front of my garage fan, recipients noted that background noise was barely audible. Surely, the triple-mic setup stem-mounted voice mic are helping here. This makes them a great choice for those wanting to use their earphones as a headset too. Do note, that unlike a few competitors, you cannot use aware mode or ANC during calls.

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