TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
4.5 STARS - The Earfun Air Pro 3 delivers good Active Noise Cancelling and easily connects to two devices at the same time, which is still a rare feature under 100 dollars. It's a strong contender in a crowded market, but critical listeners may want to look elsewhere.
Earfun Air Pro 3 specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AptX Adaptive codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat proof)
7 - 9 hours listening on a single charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$80 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores (code AP315OFF may get you 15% off)
Below this Earfun Air Pro 3 review, you will find comparisons of the Edifier Air Pro 3 vs Edifier Air S, Edifier W240TN and Soundcore Space A40.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Just a week after the JBL Live Pro 2 review on Scarbir.com, the Earfun Air Pro 3 is remarkably comparable in design. The earbuds come in a square case that's light and compact enough to carry comfortable in most pockets. More square than both of its predecessors, the Earfun Air S and Earfun Air Pro 2. This time around, you get three LED-lights on the front that indicate the remaining battery life. The case provides the earbuds three full charges before needing new power via USB-C or wireless charging.
The earbuds themselves don't look especially fancy, despite their dark-grey stems and slight metallic effect surrounding the touch panels on top. The inside of the earbuds is oval and as it should be placed diagonally, it will be comfortable for most ears. With a side note: Earfun mounts bigger than average ear tips on the Air Pro 3, which may not be comfortable for everyone. Of course, it does come with multiple sizes tips - so definitely try them out.
Battery life on the earbuds is great, ranging from around 7 hours with ANC and music on, up to 9 hours with the function turned off. The IPX5 waterproof rating should also protect the earbuds against rain and sweat.
The Earfun Air Pro 3 may not strike as anything special, but especially at this price, everything's solid.
Controls and connectivity
Surprisingly, one of the best features of the Earfun Air Pro 3 isn't advertised on the box. This pair of earbuds supports multipoint connectivity, meaning you can connect the earbuds to two devices at the same time - like a phone and a laptop, or two different phones.
It automatically switches to the device that receives an incoming phone call, or you can switch by pausing the sound on the device you're currently using, and continuing on the other. It's a terrific feature that's still quite rare on sub-$100 earbuds, and very convenient.
Once setup to two devices, it does take a little while for the earbuds to connect when taking them out of the case in case the earbuds seek one of the devices. Aside from that, overall connection strength and the controls are great:
Double-tap L or R to play/pause
Tap R to increase volume
Tap L to decrease volume
Triple-tap R to skip to the next track
Triple-tap L to return a track
Hold L or R to switch between ANC on/ Transparency mode/ ANC off
Take note, premium brands like Sony and JBL. This is how you setup a control scheme that lets you both control the volume and ANC functions easily. Rather have the Game mode on the controls as well? You can sacrifice any other option with the app - delightful. Along with the responsive touch panels on top of the stems, operating the Air Pro 3 is a bliss.
Apart from one aspect: music doesn't automatically pause when you put an earbud out. That's a little bummer.
Phone and video calls on Earfun Air Pro 3
Like the predecessors Earfun Air Pro 2 and Earfun Air S, the call quality on the newer Air Pro 3 is once again, convincing.
It's safe to take a phone call or video call with these earbuds both indoors and outside. Your voice sounds full without being too dark, even though your voice can have a bit of a nasal vibe.
Your voice holds well when there's noise and even some wind around you. The much-praised Sony Linkbuds S reduces nearby noise better when you're not talking, but this Earfun makes your voice sound more pleasant when you are. That said, your volume could be louder; the other one may have to up the volume for you. It's not too soft, though.
In fact, as of July 2023, the Earfun Air Pro 3 is the top recommendation for phone and video calls under $100, thanks to its combinations of clear calls and multipoint connection.
Video and games playback
Watching videos with the Earfun Air Pro 3 is flawless on both Android and iPhone, and thanks to the Gaming mode, sound effects in games synchronize pretty well with the action you see on your screen. That said, the sound might make it hard to locate sounds around you - and even in videos, it could be more lively. More on that in the sound part.
App Support of Earfun Air Pro 3
App support on the Earfun Air Pro is plain and simple:
Check the battery status of the case (doesn't always work), left earbud and right earbud
Switch between ANC on/ Transparency mode/ ANC off
(De)activate the game mode
Customize the controls
Read the tutorial
Choose from four equalizers or create your own
The app feels basic and it doesn't always activate when you have the earbuds connected to two different devices. Besides, the equalizers don't do much in terms of altering the music. However, the option to change the controls is worthwhile on its own.
ANC Noise cancelling on Earfun Air Pro 3
Happily, the Earfun Air Pro 3 makes a big step up from the previously released Earfun Air S when it comes to Active Noise Cancelling. Perhaps partially due to its bigger-than-usual eartip, it has about the strongest ANC on earbuds under $100.
The ANC reduces all kinds of noise around you, from the lowest to the highest sounds. It does a particular good job in reducing darker sounds. Basses, lower voices, and constant electronic humming are either inaudible or heavily reduced in volume. Brighter sounds are also softened well, although you can still hear them when you're not playing music. Basically, it's still possible to hear higher-pitched radio sounds, laughter and chatter, but it's hard to follow a conversation.
In terms of the competition, the Air Pro 3 fares about as well as the Edifier W240TN, but with less pressure on your ears. It outperforms the Soundcore Space A40, as well as the JBL Live Pro 2, and is about as effective as the 1more ComfoBuds Pro and the more expensive Sony Linkbuds S.
Transparency mode on Earfun Air Pro 3
The Transparency mode on the Earfun Air Pro 3 allows you to listen to and easily pick up conversations or traffic around you, but this only works well if you don't listen to music. Even on background volume, a bit of music is enough to rule out most sounds around you.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Earfun Air Pro 3
Unfortunately, the Earfun Air Pro 3 doesn't mean a step up in sound quality from the previously released Earfun Air S. While the sound isn't unbalanced, it lacks a little liveliness.
It's perhaps best described not by music, but by taking any scene from HBO's new hit show The Last of Us. Joel's and Ellie's voices are barely louder than dark background sounds, even when there's just scenic sound effects.
The same goes for songs. It's not that you can't hear vocals, but both female and higher-pitched male singers are a bit recessed. Voices and mid-instruments like guitars and cymbals sound darker than average; they tend more towards the lows than the highs. As the Air Pro 3 also rolls off treble quickly, there's not much going on in the upper-mids and highs on these earphones. Even playing around with the app's equalizer won't change this noticeably.
On the plus side, this makes for a comfortable listen on the newest Earfun. Treble never becomes too much, and highs are toned down so heavily, you won't hear a single sharp note here.
The Air Pro 3's comfortable ride is further strengthened by the boosted lower tones, which give the music a warm character. Lower-mids in particular, like drums and darker electronic tones, have strong presence. Meanwhile, the amount of bass depends strongly on the ANC mode. It's at its best with the function turned off. Lower-mids lose a bit of their thickness, and the mid-bass performs more natural, with a gentle thumping. The Transparency mode maintains this character, but of course, it allows the music to be battled by noise around you.
With ANC on, the bass gains weight - perhaps a little too much. The mid-bass feels thicker; thumps last longer, but also bloat more. It gets looser, up to the point the bass in bass-heavy genres like dance, techno and electronic pop, becomes more boomy than tight. Underneath it, the sub-bass lacks a bit of texture, but it controls the strong rumble in James Blake's test case Limit to Your Love well enough.
The Earfun Air Pro 3 doesn't have a very vivid sound, but its warm and darker than average character, does make it an easy companion for long background listening.
Earfun Air Pro 3 comparisons
Earfun Air Pro 3 vs Soundcore Space A40
The Soundcore Space A40 is one of the best compromises between comfort and Active Noise Cancelling. These earbuds are compact enough to sleep with, but the Earfun Air Pro 3 does have stronger ANC, ruling out darker sounds better. The Earfun is better in handling outdoor calls as well. Both earbuds boast great multipoint connectivity. The Soundcore Space A40 sounds better; it's more balanced with more forward and nuanced vocals, better reproduction of mids and treble, and a more controlled bass.
Soundcore Space A40 review ($80 - $100)
Earfun Air Pro 3 vs Earfun Air Pro 2/ Air S
Earfun Air S
The Earfun Air S is one of the two recent predecessors to the Earfun Air Pro 3. It was one of the first offerings on the market boasting multipoint connectivity under $100, but fails to convince in the Active Noise Cancelling department. Happily, the Air Pro 3 filters out dark and medium sounds better, even though it's partially due to the slightly bigger ear tips that come with the newer model. Call quality and features are great on both models, but they do have a different approach to sound. The Air S sounds more engaging, but also brighter, with more and occasionally hot treble.
There's another predecessor to the Air Pro 3: the Earfun Air Pro 2. The Air Pro 3's ANC is stronger across the range, filtering both darker and brighter sounds even a tad better. Other differences: the Air Pro 2 mounts slightly smaller ear tips and therefore has a more comfortable fit, but the Air Pro 3 counters it with multipoint connection, so you can use it on two devices at the same time. Sound wise, these are very much alike - with the Air Pro 3 sounding a bit more consistent on low vs high volume levels.
Earfun Air S review ($70)
Earfun Air Pro 2 review ($70)
Earfun Air Pro 3 vs 1more ComfoBuds Pro
The 1more ComfoBuds Pro has long been praised on Scarbir.com for having the best call quality under $100, in both phone and video calls. Wind noise was the only exception to that rule, as it fades away your natural and clear voice quickly. The Earfun Air Pro 3 handles wind noise in phone calls better; your full and warm voice remains stable for the other end of the line. Background sounds are also handled well. Both these earbuds have strong ANC, but the 1more has a slightly more open Transparency mode. The 1more offers a brighter sound; the Earfun a warmer and bassier approach. The Air Pro 3 does have longer battery life, volume controls on the earbuds, and is the only one with multipoint connection.
Earfun Air Pro 3 vs Edifier W240TN
The Edifier W240TN is a competitor to the Earfun Air Pro 3 when it comes to ANC strength. The Edifiers Active Noise Cancelling softens the highs just a bit better. However, the Edifier earbuds apply more pressure to your ears, making the Earfun the more comfortable ANC earbuds of the two. The Earfun handles outdoor phone calls better, whereas the Edifier has a more engaging, and brighter sound, with more uplifting bass and a richer presentation of mid-tones.
Edifier W240TN review ($80)
Verdict
The Earfun Air Pro 3 are great wireless earbuds under 100 dollars, combining good call quality with strong Active Noise Cancelling and great multipoint connectivity. While it's good for long relaxing listening sessions, critical listeners should look elsewhere.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Earfun Air Pro 3/ check price:
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Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon Germany
Buy on other Amazon countries
I received the Earfun Air pro 3 from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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Also read:
Guide: The best earbuds under $75
Leaderboard: All rated wireless earphones
