EarFun Air true wireless earbuds review

REVIEW – I’ve been on a personal quest to find the “perfect” wireless earbuds to meet my needs.  I’ve reviewed quite a few of them here at The Gadgeteer, and although some earbud products have hit closer to the mark and some not so close, I’ve still not found “The Ones.”  The latest wireless earbuds to really pique my interest was the EarFun Air True Wireless Earbuds.  Let’s check them out.

What is it?

The EarFun Air is a set of “smart” true wireless earbuds with touch controls, water resistance, and an included charging case that can also be charged wirelessly.

What’s in the box?

I was a bit confused as to what to call the Earfun Air—Earbuds, as it read on the front of the package, or Earphones, as it reads on the rear of the package.  I decided to go with earbuds.  Additionally, the Earfun Air’s packaging is very protective and also largely made from recyclable cardboard.

• EarFun Air earbuds
• Charging Case
• 4 sets of Ear Tips in sizes XS, S, M, and L
• UBS-C charging cable
• User Manual

Options

The EarFun Air earbuds are available in either black (reviewed here) or white colors.

Hardware specs

Per the Earfun Air page on the Earfun

• Bluetooth Version = V5.0
• Bluetooth Frequency = 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz
• Bluetooth Profile = A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
• Maximum Working Range = 15 m (49 feet) without obstacles
• Audio Codecs = AAC, SBC
• Earbuds Battery = 2*55mAh
• Earbuds Battery Life = Up to 7 hours (varies by volume level and audio content)
• Earbuds Charting Time = About 1.5 hour
• Charging Case Battery = 500mAh, it can charge about 4 times for earbuds
• Battery Case Charging Time = Type-C about 2 hours，Wireless charging about 3.5 hours
• Input = DC5V / 1A
• Dimensions = 53.3mm x 52mm x 34mm
• Waterproof rating = IPX7 with Sweatshield™ Technology
• Material = ABC, PC
• Total Weight = 59.87g / 2.11oz (including charging case)
• Net Weight = 5.35g / 0.19oz each earbud on average
• Warranty = 18 months
• Location of Manufacture = China

Design and features

My initial impression of the EarFun Air earbuds was that they bear a somewhat close resemblance to a similar product by a well-known technology company.  However, the overall look and feel of the EarFun Air earbuds made me want to evaluate them solely on their own merits.  I immediately liked the styling and form factor of the matte black charging case.  It is a very simple, sleek, design, with only a single tiny LED indicator on its front.

Upon opening the Charging Case and removing the earbuds themselves, I was intrigued by their shape and size.  I’d had experiences in the past with true wireless earbuds that were either too heavy, too large, or stuck out of my ears too far, any of which made them fall out of my ears when doing anything other than sitting nearly motionless at my desk while working.  However, the EarBud Air earbuds themselves were small, compact, and lightweight, all of which were characteristics that appealed to me.

The EarFun Air earbuds can be used together of course, but can also be used independently if desired.  EarFun touts the playtime of the earbuds at a whopping 7 hours and I have to admit that I didn’t test them to that duration of time, but I did use them on several occasions for well over 2 hours without charging them.  Further, EarFun reports that with the Charging Case, the earbuds can have a total playtime of an incredible 35 hours without charging the case.

The Earfun Air earbuds include four sets of silicone ear tips in sizes XS, S, M, and L to help customize them to the wearer’s ear size and shape.  They were easy to replace and with the experiences I’ve had in the past with earbuds, I immediately installed the size L ear tips in a hopeful attempt to fit my apparently larger than average earn canals.  The very bottom “post” of each EarBud Air earbud has two small circular contact points that allow them to be charged via their charging case.

The EarFun Air earbuds have a very sleek design, with no obvious buttons or switches.  Their touch-sensitive controls are a design feature that helps contribute to the EarFun Air earbuds IPX7 Waterproof with Sweatshield™ Technology.  In fact, I put the EarFun Air earbuds through multiple heavy sweat-inducing workouts, and not only did they work flawlessly, but they also stayed in my ear throughout.  Strong work on this, Earfun.  Perhaps the only issue I had with the EarFun Air earbuds was that I had some difficulties in learning the touch controls; they can be a bit sensitive with the various taps used to control various features.  The extensive list of touch controls are as follows:

• Play/Pause = Tap twice either left or right earbud
• Next track = Triple tap on right earbud
• Volume up = Touch and hold right earbud
• Volume down = Touch and hold left earbud
• Answer/End call = Tap twice on either left or right earbud
• Reject call = Tap and hold either earbud for 2 seconds
• Answer second call while holding first call = Triple tap either left or right earbud
• Transfer two calls = Triple tap left or right earbud
• Reject second call = Tap and hold either left or right earbud for 2 seconds
• Voice assistant = Triple tap left earbud

Flipping open the Charging Case’s lid automatically powers the earbuds on.  Placing the earbuds back into the Charging Case and closing the lid automatically powers the earbuds off.  These features worked every time without fail.

Similar to the Earfun Air earbuds themselves, the Earfun Air’s Charging Case has a compact and space-efficient form factor with a contoured, rounded shape.  I also like its matte black finish and minimalist exterior.

The EarFun Air’s Charging Case is the smallest and most compact charging case for a pair of true wireless that I have yet reviewed.  I almost forgot when I carried them in my pocket.

The top of the EarFun Air’s Charging Case has a subdued “earfun” logo, and the Charging Case’s bottom has a USB-C port that can be used to charge the Charging Case.  This is one of the first products of this type that I have reviewed that has not had a standard micro USB port for charging, but instead the increasingly-utilized USB-C.  Additionally, the Charging Case can also be charged wirelessly.  More on this below.

When the included USB-C cable is plugged in, EarFun Air’s Charging Case’s tiny LED on its front pulsates red to indicate that the case’s internal battery is charging.

Once the Charging Case’s internal battery has been fully charged, the tiny LED changes from red to green as shown above.

With the Charging Case’s battery fully charged, I set about pairing the earbuds to my iPhone XR.  In the image above left, you can see that, when the lid of the case is first opened, the tiny LEDs on the earbuds glow red if they are not paired.  Once paired, they change to glowing blue to indicate that they have been successfully paired.

Right out of the box, the EarFun Air earbuds are set up to pair with a device quickly and easily.  I simply opened the lid of the Charging Case, went into my iPhone XR’s Bluetooth Settings, then selected “EarFun Air” from the “My Devices” list and it was done.  The earbuds will automatically connect with the last device they were paired with the case’s lid is opened, and they did this without fail every time I opened the case.

In the event that the EarFun Air earbuds lose their pairing with your phone, or for pairing with a new device, pressing the small, circular button situated between the earbuds in the Charging Case for 2 seconds initiates a re-pairing mode.  I should note here than I never had to re-pair the EarFun Air earbuds with my iPhone XR, not even once.  This is a huge win and something that has never happened with any of the true wireless earbuds that I’ve reviewed.

In the photo above, looking down from the top of the Charging Case, you can see that there are cavities in the Charging Case that are perfectly sized and shaped where each of the earbuds sits.  You can also see the tiny magnets in each of these cavities that allow the earbuds to align with and “snap” down into their spots perfectly for charging.  These cavities, the earbuds, and the positioning of the magnets have been designed and built so well that not one time did the earbuds fail to charge in the Charging Case.  This is also something that has never happened with any of the wireless earbud charging cases I’ve reviewed.  Additionally, the charging contacts for the earbuds are difficult to see in the image above, but they are located way down at the bottom of these two cavities.

The photo above illustrates a fully-charged Charging Case that has been paired with a device.  The tiny blue LEDs glow briefly to indicate that the earbuds have a paired connection with a nearby device.  The small LED on the front of the Charging Case glows green to indicate a charge greater than 30%, orange to indicate a charge less than 30%, red to indicate a charge less than 10%, and flashes red to indicate a charge less than 1%.

The EarFun Air’s Charging Case can also be charged wirelessly using virtually and Qi-type charger.  In the photo above, I’m using the CHOETECH Wireless Charging Pad, a product we previously reviewed here at The Gadgeteer.  Full charging time for the earbuds in the Charging Case is about 1.5 hours, while the Charging Case itself can be charged via the USB-C cable in about 2 hours or via wireless charging in about 3.5 hours.

The position that the EarFun Air earbuds sit in your ears will depend on what is most comfortable for you.  Although I expected the little posts on the earbuds to point downward when I placed the earbuds in my ears, the above photos show how the EarFun Air earbuds fit most comfortably in my ears, with the little posts aimed forward and slightly downward.  In this position, they felt really comfortable and stable in my ears, and in fact, even while sweating quite heavily during several vigorous workouts, the Earfun Air earbuds stayed in my ears.  This is one of the very few times that I could recall this happening with any of the wireless earbuds I’ve reviewed.  Kudos to Earfun for nailing this.

Sound quality was excellent both in listening to music, as well as during phone calls.  Also, because I selected the size L ear tips and the earbuds fit snug in my ears, this provided good ambient sound blocking, which helped improve the audio from the earbuds.  Additionally, no one complained that they had trouble hearing me during phone calls or Zoom/Skype calls, which was probably due to the 4-microphone call technology which helps filter unwanted ambient noise.

I should also mention EarFun Air’s in-ear capacitive detection technology.  This is a feature that auto-plays when putting the earbuds in your ears, and aut0-pauses when removing them from your ears.  Once I had the correct silicone ear tips my ear canal size, I found that this feature was quite handy.  On several occasions, I’d be listening to a podcast or music while vacuuming, and when my wife would want to talk with me, I’d just remove one of the earbuds and the sound would pause, then re-start when I placed it back in my ears.

EarFun touts a maximum range of the EarFun Air earbuds from your phone at 15 meters (about 49 feet) without obstacles and based on my testing, this seems accurate.  For ranges about half that, the signal was quite strong, even through residential home walls.  And on one occasion, I took off in a dead sprint down the street in front of my house while listening to music, and I don’t think the signal broke up until at least 50 feet.  At that distance, the earbuds announced “Unpaired,” and as soon as I got back within range, they immediately announced “Paired.”

What I like

• Excellent sound quality and good ambient sound blocking
• The earbuds fit perfectly in my ears and stayed in, even during sweaty workouts
• Charging Case is small, compact, and sleek
• Bluetooth pairing was simple to initiate the first time and never lost pairing even once
• Magnets allow earbuds to fit in the perfect position inside the Charging Case every time
• Automated features like capacitive in-ear detection and automatic pairing are very convenient

What I’d change

• Touch controls can be a bit challenging to master

Final thoughts

Has my quest to find the “perfect” wireless earbuds for me finally come to an end?  I’ve reviewed many Bluetooth wireless earbuds, but the EarFun Air True Wireless Earbuds are, for me, the best I’ve reviewed yet.  They are small and lightweight, fit in my ears just right, and stayed in, even through sweat-heavy workouts.  They were simple to pair with my iPhone XR and never lost pairing even once.  Their Charging Case is sleek, small, and compact, hold the earbuds perfectly for charging every time, and can be charged with either the included USB-C cable or wirelessly.   I’m very impressed with the EarFun Air True Wireless Earbuds and I feel that they are a really solid value at their $59.99 price point.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon (Coupon Code: EARFUN35 saves you 27%OFF with $10 coupon on the product page and use the discount code at checkout)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EarFun.