When two Chinese wireless earbuds brands release two upgraded models that look very much like the models released before it, there are two questions. 1: Why the new model? 2: Which of the two is better?
Time to put the $70-$80 Earfun Free Pro 3 and SoundPEATS Air4 Pro to the test!
Earfun Free Pro 3 review: Impressive successor
$80 — 6+ hours playtime — Snapdragon Codec — IPX5 waterproof
The Earfun Free Pro 3 looks and feels almost identical to the Earfun Free Pro 2 from 2021. While its Active Noise Cancelling hasn't improved a lot, it made jumps up in battery life, features, and sound.
Wow - the Earfun Free Pro 3 looks a lot like its predecessor. The earbuds now have a metallic lining that gives them a slightly more formal look, and the charging case is 1mm wider and 1mm higher than that of the Earfun Free Pro 2. Hold your horses!
Clearly, the biggest changes of the Earfun Free Pro 3 over its two year old predecessor are the ones you can't see.
The previous model had 4,5 to 6 hours of battery life, Active Noise Cancelling turned on/off. The new model already offers 6 hours with ANC on, and up to 7,5 hours with the function turned off. The Free Pro 3 also adds app support, multipoint connection to connect two devices at the same time, a wind-noise reduction ANC mode, and it provides Snapdragon sound - a codec-optimization for games and calls on a (very) limited number of phones.
Do you notice these improvements on a day-to-day basis? Yes and no.
The Free Pro 2 already had surprisingly clear calls for earbuds without stems, and that hasn't changed: the Free Pro 3 puts your voice through a bit full, but it concentrates well on your voice and cancels many noises around you gracefully. Strong wind noise is the usual threat to your clarity, but a little bit of wind won't drown your voice - that's a welcome improvement.
Earfun left already good features untouched: the earbuds are still IPX5 rain and sweat proof, the controls are logical and extensive - including volume changes with a single tap, and the earbuds are comfortable and snug in your ears.
In fact, they're a bit more comfortable than before. Thanks to the tiny size and rounded inner shape, and helped by the rubber ear rings you put behind your upper ear lobe, you can safely wear these while running or working out, or when sleeping on your side. Thanks to the new position and rounder shape of these rings, they actually sit more comfortable in my medium-sized ears than the Free Pro 2.
When it comes to the sound, things are familiar. Earfun loves its music warm and bassy, and the Free Pro 3 is no exception. Music sounds full, thanks to the elevated lower mid-tones that lift darker electronic tones, male vocals, and lower instruments. The emphasis also gives center-mids such as guitar and piano play a feeling of thickness and warmth.
Bass is also heavily boosted, with moderately hefty mid-bass slams that last a little longer than average, and thick sub-bass rumbles. Both could have been tighter, more textured and more layered - and the bass isn't as immense as on the Free Pro 2, but there's definitely plenty to nod your head to.
Female and higher male vocals are subtly picked up from the rest of the higher tones, and have a noticeable more natural and clearer tonality than on the Free Pro 2. Still - if you want to lift up other upper-mid tones and highs a bit, and make the top end of the earbuds a bit more sparkly, you need the Treble Booster equalizer in the Earfun app.
Even then, however, the Free Pro 3 doesn't have a very open and vivid treble. While vocals reach the highs easier, Earfun opts for smoothness above all else - even Björk's screams in It's Oh So Quiet are harmless. Music also feels a little closed-in, with only some details coming from your left and right. A bit muted perhaps even, on lower to moderate volumes.
There are some very important sidenotes. First of all: this particular sound signature is really comfortable and easy to listen to for hours. Secondly, the sound keeps its consistency on the highest volumes. No audible driver size limit, no crackles, no dips. As these can go loud, it means music becomes more engaging and immersive on the highest volumes.
But the third and foremost: next to the default sound, a custom equalizer and around 10 equalizer presets in the free Earfun app on iPhone and Android, YouTuber Oluv Gadgets also offers a Signature preset in the app, which has a slightly more natural sound with less excessive lower-mid fullness and bass push, more sub-bass depth, and more open mids - and thus more natural vocals. A recommendable setting indeed. While it doesn't completely overhaul the sound of these earbuds, it does finetune the standard sound. I haven't switched back to the default anymore.
Sadly, the Active Noise Cancelling didn't make a jump up. While it can remove and soften your surrounding noises, it takes a little bit of time for the earbuds to recognise and reduce the sounds. The ANC can do a good job of dampening wind, constant traffic, and even distant chatter, but won't do it directly after putting the earbuds in - at some times you'll even wonder if the function is turned on. Louder voices still come through easily.
A competitor like the Soundcore Space A40 offers a better combination of ANC and side-sleeping, while the cheaper Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 also boasts stronger noise reduction. It's the one aspect the upgraded model that didn't really improve over the Free Pro 2. Other than that:
The Earfun Free Pro 3 is an upgrade by the books. It offers better comfort, longer battery life, and more features. And thanks to Oluv's sound equalizer, it competes with the best earbuds in the price segment.
Design and comfort: 4.5/5 - Good fit and comfort, great battery life
Controls and connectivity: 5/5 - All controls within reach, totally customisable, multipoint connection for two devices
Playback: 4/5 - Flawless in videos, solid gaming mode performance
Call quality: 3.5/5 - Voice is somewhat full, but good noise reduction
ANC: 3/5 - Can be quite good, but takes fiddling and time
Transparency mode: 2/5 - Loses its function on moderate music volume
App support: 4/5 - Easy to use, good amount of sound equalizers
Sound quality: 4.5/5 - Comfortable listen, more engaging on the highest volumes
VERDICT: 4.5 STARS (Great)
$80
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SoundPEATS Air4 Pro: Now with better bass
$80 — 6,5 hours playtime — Snapdragon Codec — IPX4 waterproof
Is SoundPEATS the gift that keeps on giving? The SoundPEATS Air4 Pro is not just the successor to the Air3 Pro, but also the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro which is only half a year old. Does the Air4 Pro do enough to justify the new release?
Like the Earfun Free Pro 3, the biggest selling point of the SoundPEATS Air4 Pro over its two predecessors is the addition of codec-optimizer Snapdragon Sound - which should improve the call clarity and gaming latency a bit on specific phones.
Other than that, little has changed from the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro and Capsule3 Pro. Compared to the latter, the charging case is around 2mm less high and wide and the earbuds now only have shiny touch panels instead of entire stems. Okay - the inside of the buds is shiny now, but it doesn't change anything to the already good, comfortable fit of the models before it.
Yeah, this seems a by-the-numbers periodical release that seemingly just wants to sell on the Snapdragon sticker. The same price tag, the same earbuds, the same charging case, the often seen before IPX5 rain and sweat proof rating, and the same 5 hours of playtime on a single charge with Active Noise Cancelling turned on - and 6,5 hours with it turned off.
The ANC, too, has the same performance as the Capsule3 Pro: it reduces and softens low tones well, high sounds reasonably well, but irregular mid-tones like chatter and laughter still come through easily.
The competition hasn't rested, however, and a newer and more affordable alternative like the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 now has stronger ANC.
It would be great if SoundPEATS did more to improve itself. Previous models have been good in some circumstances and bad in others - and that's still the case here. While the Air4 Pro does great job of reducing background noise in your calls, even when you're walking outside with the wind in your back, your voice in phone and video calls isn't very stable and comes with crackles in even the easiest of conditions - as if the microphone moves against your jacket.
Other aspects have been improved. The Transparency mode (called Passthrough here) isn't strong enough to let you actually hear conversations when you're playing music, but does let you hear the traffic around you when needed.
The sound is the biggest improvement over the Air3 Pro and Capsule3 Pro. Female and higher male vocals are placed forward and feel powerful. Singers are given the opportunity to hit the higher notes, but they're put to a hold before they become sharp. The bump in the upper-mids also lifts instruments like trumpets, violins, and higher electronic tones, but these have a warmer and pleasant underlining than the Capsule3 Pro that could mix up its balanced approach with occasional lightness.
Compared to the already mentioned competitors, mid-tones are a bit warmer than on the Edifier TWS1 Pro 2, while the Earfun Free Pro 3 sounds even fuller - yet also with a bit more separation in high quality recordings.
The Air4 Pro beats its competitors in the bass. The mid-bass has a fierce thump that attacks with a steady pace, and the sub-bass stabs and rumbles intensely, deep yet controlled in for instance James Blake's Limit to your Love. It's the best and most detailed part of this SoundPEATS, and the biggest upgrade to the Air3 Pro and Capsule3 Pro in general - in texture and in power, while it still doesn't force itself too much in songs without much bass out of themselves.
The bass is more precise and detailed than the Edifier, and deeper and more layered than the Earfun. It doesn't hold up as well on the highest volumes as the Earfun, though, as the Air4 Pro can get a little peaky in the upper-mids then.
The SoundPEATS Air4 Pro keeps most good aspects of earlier models, but fails to really improve on call clarity and Active Noise Cancelling. Especially if you like bass, these are SoundPEATS’ ANC earbuds to go for - but consider the competition as well.
Design and comfort: 4.5/5 - Very comfortable buds in a very familiair package
Controls and connectivity: 5/5 - All controls straight on the earbuds, multipoint connection
Playback: 4.5/5 - Flawless in videos, great synchronization in games
Call quality: 3/5 - Good noise reduction, but unstable and crackly voice
ANC: 3/5 - Reduces darker sounds well, higher sounds ok, middle sounds badly
Transparency mode: 3/5 - Decent enough to locate traffic around you
App support: 3/5 - Basic and a bit finicky; welcome EQ presets
Sound quality: 4/5 - Impressive bass, peaky on active listening volumes
VERDICT: FOUR STARS (Good)
$80
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Verdict: SoundPEATS Air4 Pro vs Earfun Free Pro 3: which is better?
The Earfun Free Pro 3 and SoundPEATS Air4 Pro are very close to each other. Both are clear upgrades over their predecessors. Also in general, these are two capable, all-around wireless earbuds in their $70-$80 price range.
They also don't set any new standards. Both earbuds don't have the strongest Active Noise Cancelling, and phone and video calls can still be tricky in less ideal situations - like almost all wireless earbuds priced under the Sony Linkbuds S.
The battle between these upgraded models is decided on sound quality. The SoundPEATS Air4 Pro has a more detailed and engaging bass, but the Earfun Free Pro 3 comes with two sound signatures; the thick and comfortably warm sound out of the box, or the subtly refined, more natural tuning of Oluv Gadgets. The fact that the Earfun maintains its sound and consistency on the highest volumes, is a feature not many affordable earbuds have.
Ultimately, it's the versatility of the Earfun Free Pro 3's sound, that makes it the more favourable option.
Bonus: Earfun Free Pro 3 vs Edifier TWS1 Pro 2
The Earfun Free Pro 3 sees a strong competitor in the equally new Edifier TWS1 Pro 2, available at around 50 dollars. The Edifier has some of the strongest ANC on all earbuds on the market - removing and reducing lots of noise around you, even in challenging conditions.
The Earfun has at least 2 hours longer battery life on a single charge, comes with volume controls, multipoint connection so you can connect it to two devices at the same time, and its app support is more convenient. It's also more comfortable for side-sleeping.
In the sound department, it's pretty close. The bass is adjustable well on both models; the Earfun sounds slightly smoother and warmer. The Edifier's mids are a tad more natural, vocals are more forward and highs extend further. Music is slightly opener, while the Earfun's treble is more comfortable on the highest volumes.
You decide which wins - fantastic ANC… or more features.
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Disclaimer: I bought these TWS true wireless earbuds myself or I received these products from the manufacturer or a distributor. 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
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