After spending a few weeks with EarFun Air Pro 3I was shocked by how well these $80 headphones replaced my trusty one AirPods Pro 2 which costs almost four times as much. EarFun’s newest affordable earbuds offer noise cancellation and sound quality that’s almost on par with Apple’s high-end headphones, and even outshines them with a number of unique advantages. Useful companion app.
That being said, you make some significant concessions at this lower price point, and if you’re an Apple user, the AirPods Pro’s seamless connectivity is hard to resist. So is it worth the savings? This is how AirPods Pro 2 (ours The best true wireless headphones pick for Apple users) and EarFun Air Pro 3 (our favorite ANC budget headphones) stacked up after weeks of live testing.
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancellation |
Correct |
Correct |
| Ambient sound |
Correct |
Correct |
| Battery life (review) |
6 hours (headphones), 30 hours (with carrying case) |
9 hours (headphones), 45 hours (with carrying case) |
| wireless charging |
Correct |
Correct |
| Water proof |
IPX4 (headphone and case) |
IPX5 |
| Ear tip size |
XS, S, M, LOTS |
XS, S, M, LOTS |
| Software support |
iOS |
iOS, Android |
| Color |
White |
Black |
| Weight |
0.19 ounces |
0.18 ounces |
| Price |
$230 |
$72 |
If you choose to save some money on the EarFun Air Pro 3, you won’t have to sacrifice much in terms of comfort. Both of these earbuds have a similar softness and secure fit, so much so that I often forget which pair I’m wearing when using them with my back to each other. The Air Pro 3 even comes in the same four eartip sizes as the AirPods Pro 2 (extra small, small, medium, and large), so you’ll have plenty of options to swap between them if it doesn’t feel right when you take them out. out of the box. .
Still, while the Air Pro 3 feels great, it may come as no surprise that you get what you deserve given the overall build and design quality. These larger size buds aren’t nearly as sleek as the AirPods Pro, and while they’re not embarrassingly ugly, I definitely notice a larger number whenever I come across a reflection of my phone. myself while walking. Speaking of bulk, the Pro 3’s charging case is also noticeably thicker than Apple’s (which is noticeable for those with tight pockets), and its flimsy plastic design is prone to smudges and scratches. And while the Air Pro 3’s touch controls are impressively customizable, I didn’t find them as consistent and reliable as the AirPods Pro’s tactile pinch controls whenever I had to skip or Pause a song on the go.
None of this is an outright dealbreaker, but if look and control are your top priorities, the AirPods Pro are well worth the splurge.
TL;DR: When it comes to comfort, the AirPods Pro 2 and EarFun Air Pro 3 are neck and neck, but Apple’s buds have a much sleeker design.
Competitive sound quality and noise cancellation, but Apple has the edge
As you might expect, the $80 EarFun Air Pro 3 far exceeds the $249 AirPods Pro 2 in terms of sound quality — but not by much. The EarFun’s earplugs provide impressively great sound for the price, delivering my usual mix of loud rock guitar and soft acoustic indie, loud enough to make my head dizzy and enough clear so that I hear every subtle detail and vocal harmony hidden in the mix. It wasn’t until I went back to AirPods Pro that I realized what I was giving up; Apple’s buds just provide a cleaner, more detailed sound, which makes the EarFuns good if not slightly fuzzy sounding by comparison. Call quality is also a similar story, with the Air Pro 3 having excellent staying power during long chats and falling only slightly behind the AirPods Pro when comparing recordings.
There’s even less of a gap between the two when it comes to active noise cancellation, which the AirPods Pro do better than nearly any pair of headphones on the market. Both buds did a great job of easing everyday annoyances like the hum of nearby construction and the chatter of people in subway cars. In fact, the Air Pro 3 is even slightly than inhibited from having to drown out my noisy bedroom fan when I work from home. The two sets of headphones are also very similar when I use the transparent/ambient sound mode to let noise in, although the EarFun’s headphones tend to over-amplify harsh noises like hum. wind.
TL;DR: These buds are all equally great at blocking noise, but the AirPods pro have the edge in terms of overall sound quality and transparency mode.
You’d think cheaper headphones mean fewer features, but that’s not the case with the EarFun Air Pro 3. Thanks to the EarFun Audio app available for both iOS and Android, the Air Pro 3 is packed with features. additional — including some things that AirPods Pro can’t do.
EarFun’s app offers plenty of customization options, starting with a fully adjustable equalizer that lets you trigger presets (such as Bass Boost or Treble Boost) or play with your own. slider to create and save your own sound profiles. While the AirPods Pro sound great, there’s no custom equalizer option. You can also completely rearrange the Air Pro 3’s controls, with the ability to assign any function you like to things like single, double and triple tap, and long press. By comparison, you can only customize the press and hold controls on the AirPods Pro, and the options at that level are pretty limited.
The EarFun Audio app isn’t the most intuitive to navigate, but the fact that it exists gives it a big advantage over Apple’s buds—especially if you’re using an Android phone. AirPods Pro don’t have a companion app of their own, though iPhone users can adjust things like noise cancellation, control selection, and spatial audio through the iOS settings menu. Android users won’t get the same luxury of using AirPods Pro and will largely have to rely on on-ear controls. So if you’re an Android user interested in customization, the Air Pro 3 wins here.
Naturally, if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro (and any pair of AirPods) have a big advantage over the cheaper competition. Apple buds only job with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac in a way that makes other Bluetooth headphones feel clunky in comparison. You’ll be prompted to pair them the second you unbox and switch between your iPhone and Mac with the same pair of buds that feel seamless (to their credit, the Air Pro 3 can be paired with two device at once). The AirPods Pro are also smart enough to automatically pause your music when you take out even one bud – for comparison, the Air Pro 3 often continues to play even when I take them out, which is a frequent disappointment. . You’ll also benefit from immersive 360-degree spatial sound in supported apps like Apple Music and Disney+, which can be personalized to your ears via the iOS settings app.
TL;DR: The EarFun Air Pro 3 are more customizable earbuds overall and will work equally great on both iOS and Android. Meanwhile, AirPods Pro 2 has some key perks exclusive to Apple users.
Now, this is an area where less means more. Despite costing a fraction of the price of AirPods Pro, the EarFun Air Pro 3 outperforms Apple in terms of battery life. EarFun’s headphones are rated for 9 hours of playback from the headset alone and up to 45 hours from the carrying case, which is a significant increase over the AirPods Pro 2’s 6 hour/30 hour rating. I found the estimates This calculator also matches his daily test; While I usually go up to four days without needing to recharge the Air Pro 3’s case, the AirPods Pro 2 often let me down after two or three days. You also won’t have to sacrifice wireless charging if you buy the cheaper buds here; both sets work fine for me Belkin Boost Charger papers.
TL; DR: EarFun Air Pro 3 has better battery life and like AirPods Pro, supports wireless charging.
The gap between cheap and high-end earbuds has never been closer, and the EarFun Air Pro 3 is the best example of that. They’re easily $80 (and often less, thanks to regular discounts and coupons), and offer comparable ANC and sound quality to the AirPods Pro 2 — not to mention longer battery life and more. More customization options, especially for Android people.
That said, if you’re in a position to splurge – and especially if you have an iPhone – AirPods Pro 2 really worth their high value. They’re our pick for the best Apple earbuds for a reason, offering truly seamless compatibility with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac while also delivering some quality sound. and the best noise cancellation you can find in any pair of headphones. They also look better, complete with a sleeker case that’s better built to last.
Of course, there is a big gap between these two buds and there are a lot of great options in between to consider. The Sony LinkBuds WILL is our favorite Android headset, offering a unique adaptive sound mode, powerful apps for both operating systems, and high-resolution audio support for Android users. But if your budget is definitely under $100, the EarFun Air Pro 3 proves that you don’t have to give up too much money when it comes to saving.
