TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
4.5 STARS - With great sound, battery life, and IPX7 waterproof level, the Earfun Free 2 deserves your attention if you're looking for wireless earbuds under 50 dollars.
Earfun Free 2 specs:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AptX and AAC codec
IPX7 waterproof rating (heavy rain and shower resistant)
7 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips, English manual and USB-C cable
$50 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores (code ‘FREETWO3‘ may give a discount)
Below this Earfun Free 2 review, you will find comparisons between the Earfun Free 2 vs Edifier TWS1 Pro, Fiil T1 Lite, Earfun Free Pro, and Lypertek SoundFree S20.
Update January 20, 2022: Changed the score from 5 to 4,5 stars, as the Earfun Free Mini is now a better and more comfortable proposition under 25 dollars.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The 2 in the name implies this isn't the first Earfun Free to come out and that's right. The original Earfun Free was based on the Mpow M7 and released around 1,5 years ago. Then followed the Fiil T1 Pro-adaptation called the Earfun Free Pro, and the Earfun Air Pro took the basis of the Edifier TWS NB2.
The Earfun Free 2 is designed by Earfun itself, and like on the first Earfun Air, that's not a bad thing. There's a medium-sized case that's thin enough to slide into a jeans pocket, and its logo-imprinted oval shape separates it from generic designs. The lid feels sturdy enough, and there's a LED battery-indication light on the front, and a USB-C port in the back. Wireless charging is also supported.
The Free 2 buds are all-black and don't have a metallic accent like in the promo shots
The earbuds regained the shape of the original Earfun Free. While they now have a triangular-shaped touch panel (but not metallic looking, as the promo shots suggest) on the outside, they still are the same thick egg-like rounds inside. The Earfun Free 2 earbuds can feel a bit bulbous in your ears at first, but the oval shape clings into medium-sized ears wonderfully, granting comfort and a secure enough fit for workouts and runs. It's helped by the IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning this TWS can withstand heavy rainfall, a shower, and even a drop in the bath. Due to their size, just putting them in also blocks out a fair amount of noise around you.
Battery life on the earbuds is above average, as they offer up to 7 hours playtime on a single charge. The case can recharge them three times fully before needing new power itself.
Connectivity and controls
The Earfun Free 2 controls with large touch panels on the buds' sides that respond fairly well to your input. The control scheme is convenient:
Tap L or R twice to play/ pause music
Tap R once to increase the volume
Tap L once to decrease volume
Tap R three times to skip a track
Tap L three times to return to the previous song
Hold R to activate the voice assistant on your phone
Hold L to activate the Low Latency mode
All the controls you could desire are right there on the earbuds, and the Low Latency mode comes with a handy voice command when it's (de)activated. The volume control feels a little slow, however.
Connection quality on the Free 2 is good, with a strong Bluetooth signal up to 9-10 meters away from your device. Sound hiccups are rare, though they can occur more often with the Low Latency mode activated. It's advised to turn it off when you're listening to music.
Music doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out - not a problem. It is possible to seamlessly switch between listening to one or two earbuds at any time.
Calling and watching movies
It's doable to take a phone call with the Earfun Free 2. Your voice sounds a bit tinny and could have been louder, but as surrounding noises like traffic and distant people chatter are reduced nicely, it's still possible to have a clear conversation. The same goes for video calls, like group calls in Microsoft Teams or Zoom meetings. As always, wind noise is a fierce competitor for call clarity.
Watching videos is convenient, with good audio-video synchronization on both iPhone and Android. If an app has delayed audio, you can activate the Low Latency mode to synchronize audio and video better. This mode also greatly reduces the delay in sound effects when playing games, although there's still a little time between firing a shot in Fortnite and hearing it.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Earfun free 2: Big
The Earfun Free 2 has an engaging 'big' sound. That may be hard to understand, but it makes sense when you're listening to it.
First, music plays in a wide soundstage on the Free 2. Instruments and sound effects come from your left and right, quite a bit further from you than on most wireless earbuds. This doesn't mean those parts sound softer in volume; it means they just seem a bit further away. The Free 2 has a sense of spaciousness in the music; there's plenty of air around you, and instruments and layers are separated well within it.
Second, bass on the Earfun is well-represented. There's a strong mid-bass slam that sits somewhere between tight and muddy and always packs a nice punch. In acoustic songs, bigger drums can have that typically slow thump, while there's enough bass speed to power up modern electronic genres as well. The sub-bass (the lowest frequencies you can hear and feel), can also give a fierce but controlled shakeup in your ears. Lows on the Free 2 sound thick, without overpowering other aspects of the music.
This combination of strong bass and wide soundstage creates the admirable big sound of the Free 2. Inside it, female and higher-pitched male vocals sound clear with a nice balance between crisp- and smoothness, and higher vocals don't become too bright. The same goes for upper-mid tones, such as cymbals and trumpets: they are clear and controlled.
Center-mids like guitars, drums, and darker male vocals are slightly recessed and can sound a little unnatural in some instances. In crowded songs with a lot of upper-mid emphasis, claps can become a bit metallic. Some sibilance (an emphasis on sss-tones) can also occur, and the bass may lose a bit of presence when there's a big amount of highs swooping in. It's nothing we haven't seen before on sub-$50 earphones, but it's there.
These may read like big downsides, but they barely are. They are only tiny flaws on a great-sounding earphone for a superb price, in a market that's starting to grow fuller and fuller of great-sounding earphones for a suberb price.
Earfun Free 2 comparisons
Earfun Free 2 vs Edifier TWS1 Pro
The Free 2 and TWS1 Pro share more or less the same sound signature, with a wide soundstage and a focus on treble with heaps of clarity. Both earphones have a brighter sound, but the Edifier takes it up a notch. There's more center-mid detail, and upper-mids and highs extend further. The Earfun has an even wider stage and puts more weight in the mid-bass, which is heftier than the Edifiers. Bass is tighter on the TWS1 Pro. Both models are excellent in features, with both 7 hours+ battery life, fair call clarity, and a secure fit - although the Edifier buds are tinier in your ears.
Earfun Free 2 vs Fiil T1 Lite
The Fiil T1 Lite has smaller earbuds and a smaller case than the Free 2, and keeps on being a great choice under $50 next to the newcomer. The Earfun Free 2 has more weight in the lows; emphasized lower-mids and mid-bass make the music sound fuller. The T1 Lite shows more nuances in the mids, with more pronounced layering in the lower-mids and more natural sounding center mids. As treble is boosted as well, the T1 Lite sounds a tad brighter. The Earfun has a wider soundstage and more separation between instruments. Along with the longer battery life, call quality, and higher waterproof rating, the Earfun Free 2 may be a better choice even.
Fiil T1 Lite full review ($35)
Earfun Free 2 vs Earfun Free Pro
As the ANC noise-cancelling of the Earfun Free Pro isn't much stronger than the passive noise reduction of the Earfun Free 2, a comparison between these two can't miss. The Free 2 has a rounder sound: it elevates lower-mid tones further, bringing a bit of extra warmth in instruments - whereas the Free Pro gains its weight and warmth in the lows more from the bass. The Free Pro has a fatter mid-bass slam; the Free 2 controls it better. Female and higher-pitched male vocals are a tad splashier on the Free Pro; they're often more forward and smoother on the Free 2. In dance songs, the bassy Free Pro can be more uplifting than the more balanced-out Free 2.
Earfun Free 2 vs Lypertek SoundFree S20
If you can up your budget to $70, the Lypertek SoundFree S20 is worth looking into as well. The S20 has a tighter, quicker firing mid-bass, and it displays more detail within its comparable spacy sound. The Free 2 has a thicker mid-bass. Center-mids like cymbals and guitars sound more natural on the S20; vocals are truer to life as well, reaching the highs and darker edges a bit easier. Upper-mids on the Free 2 can be a bit peakier; the Lypertek sounds a tad warmer. In features, the Earfun is more versatile - it wins on call quality and waterproof rating.
Verdict
The Earfun Free 2 once again proves you can get great wireless earphones under 50 dollars. With an immersive, wide sound, and quality features like IPX7 waterproof rating, 7 hours battery life, and decent call clarity, this TWS gives a lot of competitors a run for their money.
4.5 stars - Great
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I received the Earfun Free 2 from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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