TWS true wireless earphones - under $75
4.5 STARS - Energizing sound, great comfort in a small package, and decent active noise cancelling: the Earfun Free Pro 2 is a strong successor to the popular original.
Earfun Free Pro 2 specs and features:
Bluetooth with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof (sweat and rain proof)
4,5 - 6 hours listening on a full charge (ANC on/ off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 4 sizes ear tips, 3 sizes of ear wings, USB-C cable, English manual
$70 - Check price on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores
Below this Earfun Free Pro 2 review, you will find comparisons of the Earfun Free Pro 2 vs Earfun Air Pro 2, original Earfun Free Pro, 1more ColorBuds 2, and Soundcore Life P3.
All reviews on Scarbir.com are unsponsored and honest. Please support my research by buying via the links on this site. You can also support me via PayPal.
Design, comfort and battery life
The original Earfun Free Pro was one of the first wireless earbuds to combine active noise cancelling with small earbuds and a small case, and one year later, there still isn't much competition for this combination. Most ANC earbuds are noticeably larger or have stems.
That means the successor still has a special spot in the market. The Earfun Free Pro 2 has an even smaller charging case (!), coming in at a millimeter less high and with rounded corners to feel even less intrusive in whichever pocket you let it slide. The space grey box is resistant to fingerprints and scratches, looks neat, and has a sturdy lid that doesn't close too easily. A single LED light on the front indicates the remaining battery.
The earbuds themselves follow the same formula. They're a little rounder than the previous iteration and a millimeter less thick. These are very comfortable to wear for hours; the round inside feels comfortable in your ears, and partly thanks to the rubber ear wings (that now come in three sizes), they will fit securely as well. That's convenient since the earbuds are IPX5 waterproof. They withstand sweat and rain, and combined with the tight fit, these great for sports.
Despite the small size, the battery life on the earbuds is decent, reaching more than 4,5 hours on a single charge with ANC on - and up to 6 hours with the function turned off. The case can recharge the earbuds four times fully before needing a recharge via USB-C. Wireless charging isn't supported.
Controls and connectivity
The Earfun Free Pro 2 doesn't come with a free app that lets you tweak the controls, so it's neat that the controls work well out of the box. The only thing missing is the option to return a track:
Double-tap L or R to play/ pause music
Tap R to increase the volume
Tap L to decrease volume
Triple-tap R to skip to the next track
Triple-tap L to return to activate the gaming mode
Hold R to activate the voice assistant
Hold L to switch between ANC, Transparency mode, ANC off
Switching between the gaming mode and ANC options is confirmed via voice prompts that play while music continues - neat. The Free Pro 2 also remembers in which ANC setting you turned the earbuds off, so it picks up with that setting the next time.
While the buds are IPX5 waterproof rated, it can be a bit tricky to control them with sweaty fingers when you're running or working out with them - a challenge many touch panels have.
Overall connectivity is good. The Bluetooth signal holds strong up to 9 to 10 meters away from your device, and sound hiccups are rare. Music doesn't automatically pause when you take one of the earbuds out, but it is possible to swap between listening between one or two earbuds at all times.
Calling and watching movies
The Earfun Free Pro 2 gives a bit of a walkie-talkie vibe in phone calls. Your voice sounds clear and loud, with a slight but non-disturbing crackle underneath it. More so, in quiet areas, the line sounds completely dead when you're not talking - it can be that silent! In more crowded areas, surrounding noises don't come through very loud, but the person you're talking to can hear some processing going on. Wind noise itself is barely audible in phone calls, but wind can drag away your voice.
Microsoft Teams, Zoom meetings, and other video calls are also doable with the Earfun Free Pro 2. Again, there's a slight crackle on the line, but your voice is loud and clear enough.
Watching videos is a flawless experience, with perfect synchronization between audio and video on Android and iPhone. While not perfect, the dedicated gaming mode reduces the delay in sound effects when you're playing games by quite a bit - although shots in Fortnite still sound later than they appear on screen, for example.
Earfun Free Pro 2 ANC Noise cancelling test
ANC quality: The Free Pro 2 active noise cancelling reduces much noise from your surroundings. Both brighter and darker background sounds can disappear entirely. If you're working in an office with the window open, you may forget there's distant traffic outside. Mild and consistent sounds from closeby are also reduced, like a fridge humming or typing on a keyboard. Voices from closeby are softer too.
Sadly, the effect is a bit inconsistent. Outside or in a crowded place, you can still hear plenty around you even when you have ANC activated and listen to music loudly, like the bright sounds car tires make on a wet road or someone picking up (or eating) a bag of crisps. The Free Pro 2 ANC is very strong in the best circumstances, but it's not always that good.
Ambient/ Transparency mode quality: With the Transparency mode activated, the Free Pro 2 puts through bright noises clearly. It's easy to hear and locate traffic around you while you're listening to music, but voices aren't loud enough - so if you want to listen to music and a conversation at the same time? Just take an earbud out.
Wind noise reduction: The Free Pro 2 doesn't show too much or harsh wind noise when you're using the ANC or Transparency mode, but it's great to have an ANC off mode at the earbuds as well, leaving out much more wind noise. This setting does take away some of the bass weight in the sound.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Earfun free Pro 2
Do you like a powerful, prominent bass slam? If not, the Earfun Free Pro 2 is not for you. If yes - read on.
The Free Pro 2 continues what the first Earfun Free Pro started. The bass is always the dominant aspect of the music. Even if you listen to a singer-songwriter ballad or a rock song, there's a drum or bassline to provide a slam. In dance, electronic, and hip-hop songs, you truly can't miss the boosted bass.
The sub-bass (the darkest bass tones you can feel as much as hear) dives deep and can rumble fiercely, and the mid-bass doesn't end. Its strikes are thumping and drag on a while. The bass doesn't have the quickest pace and could have been tighter, but there's enough energy to make even the softest songs feel powerful.
The bass doesn't leave much room in the music for the higher frequencies. Unlike the first Free Pro, treble isn't forward. It's great that there's less white noise than the original Free Pro and Fiil T1 Pro where it's originated from - but from the lower to the highest ones, male and female vocals are recessed. They barely sound louder than claps and other instruments, let alone the bass.
The same goes for other upper-mid tones. Like brighter vocal outbursts, violins, cymbals, and screaming electronic guitars are restricted. The entire treble region rolls off quickly, making music sounds warmer and darker than average. The good thing about this is that the Free Pro 2 offers a smooth ride - but it lacks natural tonality and some clarity.
Within its bassy and warm character, the sound is still quite lively. As lower-mids are boosted, drums and darker electronic tones are detailed, and especially these lower-mids, claps, and snare drums, come from your left and right in the Free Pro's average soundstage. In instrumental and easier going songs, there's a nice spaciousness in the music as well.
Like the first model, the Earfun Free Pro 2 is a good choice for lovers of powerful bass. With the further toned-down treble, it's as much as a smooth ride as it is engaging listen.
Earfun free Pro 2 comparisons
Earfun Free Pro 2 vs Earfun Free Pro: What are the differences?
The Earfun Free Pro 2 does everything that the first version did, and most things a little better. Video call quality is comparable, but phone call clarity on the 2 is better. The 2 is even more compact and comfortable, its ANC is stronger, it comes with more sizes of ear wings, and foremost, the sound is smoother. The original Free Pro extends upper-mids and highs more, creating more space in the music, but also a more metallic effect, that can occasionally turn to harshness. The strong mid-bass on the original can distort a little when pushed all the way, whereas the successor controls it better. Is the 2 a definitive upgrade over the first one? No - but if you choose between the two and don't mind the price gap, the Free Pro 2 is the better choice.
Earfun Free Pro review ($50)
Earfun Free Pro 2 vs Earfun Air Pro 2: Which is better?
The Air Pro 2 handles phone calls better with its stem design, yet the Free Pro 2 presents your voice clearer in video calls. That's one thing to consider when choosing between these two. The other is the size, as the Free Pro 2 case is about 2,5 times smaller. Both earbuds are very comfortable to wear for hours; the Free Pro 2 has a tighter fit, the Air Pro 2 longer battery life. Contrary to expectation, the Air Pro 2 has a deeper, stabbier bass that's even easier to feel. The Free Pro 2 bass is fuller. The Air Pro 2 opens up upper-mids and highs more, giving more air to the sound (sorry not sorry) and making music livelier. The Free Pro 2 sounds smoother.
Earfun Air Pro 2 review ($60)
Earfun Free Pro 2 vs Soundcore Life P3
The stem-design Soundcore Life P3 is a strong competitor to the Earfun Free Pro 2, backed by its fantastic app with lots of control options, sound equalizers, and even a sleep mode that lets you mix all kinds of relaxing sounds. Your voice is clearer on video calls with the Earfun; the Life P3 handles phone calls better in crowded outdoor situations. The Soundcore ANC is more consistent, has longer battery life and richer sound. Even with the standard sound equalizer that boosts the bass strongly and doesn't open up upper-mids and highs all the way, the Soundcore sounds more immersive than the Earfun - more around you, more fluid in the mids, clearer in vocals and overall. Not to mention you can change the sound either manually or with some good equalizers from the app. The Earfun has a warmer and smoother sound.
Soundcore Life P3 review ($80)
Earfun Free Pro 2 vs 1more ColorBuds 2
The 1more ColorBuds 2 is another option if you're looking for compact, stemless active noise cancelling earbuds. It has a colder, much less bass-focused sound than the Earfun. The Earfun has a fuller, stronger mid-bass and deeper sub-bass, more weight in the lower mids, and warmer tonality from the lowest to the highest vocals. The 1more is more balanced and softer, rounded, out of the box. Center-mids are more natural, and vocals have more nuances - even though they can have a metallic vibe. You can alter the 1more sound to your liking via a sound test in 1more's free app, but even when you choose the most engaging setting, lovers of bass and a warm sound are better off with the Earfun; and others possibly with the 1more.
No 1more ColorBuds 2 review yet - check on Amazon ($80)
Verdict
Energizing sound, great comfort in a small package, and decent active noise cancelling: the Earfun Free Pro 2 is a strong successor to the popular original.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Earfun Free Pro 2/ check price:
Check price on Amazon US
Check price on Amazon UK
Check price on Amazon Germany
Check price on other Amazon stores
I received the Earfun Free Pro 2 from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
Also read:
Leaderboard: All rated wireless earphones
