TWS true wireless earphones - under $75
FIVE STARS - With flawless multipoint connectivity on top of energetic sound, clear calls and Active Noise Cancelling, the Earfun Air S offers outstanding value for money in wireless earbuds.
Earfun Air S specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC and AptX codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat proof)
5 hours listening on a single charge (ANC on)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 4 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, cleaning cotton, English manual
$70 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Below this Earfun Air S review, you will find comparisons of the Earfun Air S vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro, 1more ComfoBuds Pro, Soundcore Life A3i, Soundcore Life P3, and Earfun Air Pro 2.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The Earfun Air S looks and feels like the kind of earphone you'd expect for its asking price of around 70 dollars. The medium-sized charging case is just a bit too big to carry comfortably in a jeans pocket, and is made of matte black plastic that scratches easily. There's a multi-color LED-light on the front that indicates the remaining case battery, and you can recharge the case via USB-C or wirelessly, after it has fully charged the earbuds four times.
The Air S comes with 4 sizes ear tips and even cleaning cottons for the speaker grille
The earbuds follow a proven formula, adopted by nearly all big brands in the industry. It attaches its stems to an oval ear part that's easy to fit in most ears. It sits snugly and is comfortable to wear for a few hours in a row.
Specs are decent too. The earbuds are IPX5 waterproof - meaning they survive sweat and rain, and a single charge provides the earbuds 5 hours of playtime with ANC on. Afterwards, you can quickly recharge the earbuds in the case for 10 minutes to get another 2 hours of listening time. No groundbreaking, but still usable scores.
Controls and connectivity: Multipoint!
The killer feature of the Earfun Air S is its multipoint connectivity, which is extremely rare on (affordable) wireless earbuds, and incredibly useful. It means that you can connect these earbuds to two devices at the same time, and it will switch automatically to your other device when there's a reason to.
Are you watching a video on your laptop and you receive a phone call? The Air S will automatically switch to your phone. Enter a video meeting on your laptop? Switch. Start playing music on your phone? Switch. It works flawlessly, every single time. No matter if you've connected a laptop and a phone, an Android phone and an iPhone, or whatever combination. Multipoint connectivity works more seamlessly than on the AirPods Pro or AirPods 3. It's that good.
The earbuds pair and connect quickly (keep in mind - you'll hear the voice prompt 'Connected' twice when you're connected to two devices), and it's also possible to use the earbuds independently from each other. Music doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out, however.
The controls are good too. Play/pause with a double-tap, increase or decrease volume by single-tapping the earbuds, and you can select the functions for the triple-tap and holding the earbuds via the free app - letting you choose between track changing options, activating the voice assistant or the game mode, or switching between ANC on/off or Transparency mode.
The only downside to the controls and the connectivity is the soft beep you hear after you change the volume. It could fire faster.
Calls, movies and Games
Multipoint is one thing. Multipoint AND being able to take a phone or video call without problems, is another. The Earfun Air S does just that, setting it apart from other affordable multipoint earbuds like the QCY T18 and Redmi Buds 4 Pro.
The Earfun Air S puts your voice through clear in phone and video calls, with enough volume. Noises like door slams, chatter, laughter, or traffic around you is audible in calls, but its volume is highly limited. More importantly, these sounds don't overrule your voice or drag it away. They make you sound a bit metallic and thin, but even while there's a scooter accelerating next to you, your voice is still clear. Wind noise is the usual enemy for the call clarity, as it always is on wireless earbuds.
The Earfun Air S has great video playback on Android and iPhone, and with the game mode, it synchronizes sound effects in games effectively with the action on your screen.
App Support of Earfun Air S
The Earfun Air S gets come extra features with the free Earfun Audio app for Android and iPhone.
Check the battery status of the earbuds individually
Update the firmware
Switch between ANC on, Transparency mode, ANC off
(De)activate the gaming mode
Change the controls for the triple-tap and hold functions
Choose between four equalizers or create your own equalizer
Read the manual
Simple and effective
Enough options to change the controls
Equalization doesn't have the biggest impact
It isn't the most staggering amount of features, but being able to change the controls to your liking is always an added bonus.
Unfortunately, the sound equalization doesn't have the biggest impact. The four Bass and Treble settings change the sound somewhat, but they don't have the impact of Soundcore's or Samsungs competition.
ANC Noise cancelling of Earfun Air S
Unfortunately, Active Noise Cancelling on the Earfun Air S falls a little behind with the best competitors in this price range.
Activating the ANC helps to reduce the volume of distant and nearby sounds around you. Especially brighter tones, like distant road noise or the higher notes of a conversation, become less audible. Constant background sounds, like static humming or the cabin noise in an airplane, are also softened well. However, irregular and darker sounds still come through easily. They're reduced, but present.
The comparably priced 1more ComfoBuds Pro and SoundPEATS' offerings Air3 Pro and Mini Pro do a better job of reducing noise, whether you're listening to music or not.
The Transparency mode - called Ambient Sound here - passes through your surroundings when you need it, and works fairly well. Chatter is elevated so you can eavesdrop on a conversation, and traffic is easy to hear and to locate - both as long as you're not listening to music on higher than moderate volume. That said...
The Earfun Air S is a little old-fashioned when it comes to wind reduction. Both the ANC and Transparency mode pick up a lot of wind noise, which isn't very nice to hear when you're playing some music or a podcast. This does render the Transparency mode to locate traffic when you're cycling or running rather useless.
Happily though, you can switch ANC off from the earbuds, which does a great job of ruling out all wind noise.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Earfun Air S: Engaging
Earfun Air S’ sound is vibrant and entertaining, although the generously pumping mid-bass may be too much for some.
The Air S mid-bass gives strong thumps, providing modern genres like dance, pop, techno, and hip-hop plenty of power underneath. The bass doesn't outweigh other parts of the music, but it's all but shy. Bass slams can even give a bit of a minor rumble and sadly - also a rare distortion, and while pacing is natural, this imprecision can undermine the bass' tightness at times. The darkest of bass tones, the sub-bass is strong, dives deep and provides solid rumbles - even though audiophile test case Biosphere by Oi-1 shows things could be a tad tighter.
Unlike its well-balanced predecessor Earfun Air Pro 2, Earfuns newest packs a more engaging sound. Apart from the bass, upper-mids are boosted as well, putting female and higher-pitched male vocals forward, and elevating instruments like violins. In Miles Davis' new rendition of Hopscotch - Slow, you can't just hear the trumpet sputters clearly - the trumpet almost attacks you.
Indeed - treble is pronounced, and in most cases it leads to fantastic results. There's a strong openness surrounding higher vocals and instruments, which makes you clearly hear instruments and details coming from your sides. Higher vocals sound natural and have plenty of body, and even Björks' outbursts in It's Oh So Quiet aren't too piercingly bright. Sadly, treble-intensive (dance) songs can sound a little too hot, despite the subtle and enjoyable warm undertone of the sound.
In between the strongly elevated bass and upper-mids, center mid-tones like guitars, male (or darker female) vocals and piano play flirt with the boosted lower-mid tones, which gives them enough presence without making them sound too dark or tonally off.
The overall musical presentation of the Earfun Air S is airy and entertaining, but the bass may be a bit much at times.
Earfun Air S comparisons
Earfun Air S vs 1more ComfoBuds Pro
The 1more ComfoBuds Pro has been Scarbir.com's top recommendation for affordable ANC earbuds for about a year now, but it's highly challenged by the Earfun Air S. The 1more has stronger Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency modes... and that's about it. The Earfun Air S handles phone and video calls just as well, has nearly the same battery life, but also boasts an effective gaming mode, higher waterproof rating, and its sound is more immersive. The Air S is more dynamic, with more detailed bass, a more natural-to-warm tonality, more airiness, and more treble nuances. Overstating it, vocals can sound more like their true selves on the Earfun, whereas the 1more colors them more equally bright. It's a step up in sound and, of course, the 1more doesn't have multipoint connectivity.
Earfun Air S vs Earfun Air Pro 2
There are two big differences between the Earfun Air Pro 2 and the newer Earfun Air S. The Air S is the only model with multipoint connectivity, so you can connect it to two devices at the same time. The other difference is the sound character. The Air S has boosted and stronger mid-bass and further elevated treble, whereas the Air Pro 2 flattens out the frequencies more and sounds more balanced. Both sound great in their own right; the Air Pro 2 a bit smoother and friendlier, the Air S more energetic. Surprisingly, the Air Pro 2 ANC is more effective in reducing the volume of irregular sounds. Other aspects are comparable, whether its controls, call quality, battery life, waterproof level and comfort.
Earfun Air Pro 2 review ($60)
Earfun Air S vs Soundcore Life A3i
The Earfun Air S is not the only option if you're looking for ANC earbuds with bassy, energetic sound under $75. The Soundcore Life A3i is a great alternative. Between these two, the Earfun sounds more open and extends highs further, while the Soundcore separates multiple basslines better and presents mid-bass and sub-bass tighter. The Soundcore lets you alter the sound easier via its brilliant free app, has convenient actual buttons, and it reaches up to 7 instead of 5,5 hours of playtime on a single charge. One moment, ANC on the Life A3i feels stronger, the other moment Earfuns ANC does. The Air S has wireless charging, even clearer phone and video calls, and yeah - multipoint connectivity, baby!
Earfun Air S vs Soundcore Life P3
Competing with the wildly popular Soundcore Life P3 coming in at around $80, the $70 Earfun Air S is more convenient for phone calls in noisy areas. And a video call on your laptop straight after without connection hassle, thanks to the brilliant multipoint connectivity the Life P3 lacks. The Soundcore has more extensive app support, with more sound equalizers and adjustable relaxing and sleep sounds. The Soundcore lasts 6 instead of Earfuns 5 hours on a single charge; both have quick charge and wireless charging of the case. Soundcore's ANC is slightly stronger. The Earfun can go louder. It has airier and more detailed treble, while Soundcore's upper-mids can strike more metallic and less natural. The P3 has fuller and more textured lower-mids and a tighter mid-bass with stronger impact. It may still be the preferred choice if you're all-in on bass.
Soundcore Life P3 review ($80)
Earfun Air S vs Edifier NeoBuds Pro
The $130 Edifier NeoBuds Pro may have been the most-praised ANC earbuds with energetic sound last year. Can you save half of your money with the Earfun Air S? Well, probably! The Earfun is a less complicated product, and always gives you around 5 hours of battery life instead of Edifiers 4,5 hours (highly dependent on your settings). Both have great call quality. ANC on the NeoBuds is a bit stronger, but the Earfun opposes it with its brilliant multipoint connectivity. The Edifier has an even more V-shaped sound, meaning it even further boosts the bass and upper-mids. The NeoBuds S has more impactful and deeper mid-bass, but treble is more metallic than on the Earfun, and cymbals are splashier. The Edifier has a more cave-like soundstage, while the Air S has more natural air and instrument representation.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro review ($130)
Verdict
Having multipoint connectivity next to Active Noise Cancelling, clear calls and great sound quality, makes a difference. The Earfun Air S holds great value for money.
Five stars - Excellent
Buy Earfun Air S/ check price:
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon Germany
Buy on other Amazon countries
I received the Earfun Air S from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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