EarFun Air Pro 4 Review: Budget Earbuds That Surprise You
Finding a pair of wireless earbuds that perform well without breaking the bank can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. The market is full of options, from premium brands costing hundreds of dollars to cheap knockoffs that barely last a month. Enter the EarFun Air Pro 4, a budget-friendly option that offers features usually found in higher-priced models. After weeks of testing these earbuds in different situations, from morning commutes to late-night gaming, I’m ready to share what makes them worth considering and where they may fall short.
- Exceptional Audio Quality
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Premium Apple Integration
Getting to Know the Basics
The EarFun Air Pro 4 was released in late 2024, making it an affordable alternative to mainstream options from Apple, Sony, and Samsung. The price is around $79.99, targeting budget-conscious buyers who still want active noise cancellation, good sound quality, and reliable connectivity. The company has steadily built a reputation for offering strong value in audio. The Air Pro 4 is their attempt to compete with models that often cost twice as much.
What’s interesting about EarFun’s approach is that they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they’re taking proven features and packaging them at a price point that makes sense for everyday users. Students, commuters, and casual listeners make up their core audience, people who want good earbuds without the premium price tag attached to flagship models.
Unboxing and Design
Opening the box reveals a straightforward package that doesn’t waste space on unnecessary extras. You’ll find the earbuds nestled in their charging case, along with multiple ear tip sizes to help you get the right fit. There’s also a USB-C charging cable and the usual quick start guide that most of us never read. Nothing fancy, but everything you need is there.
The earfun air pro 4 earbuds themselves sport a glossy black finish that looks sleek but does attract fingerprints pretty easily. They’re not going to turn heads like some of the more design-forward options out there, but they don’t look cheap either. Each earbud features a subtle logo and touch-sensitive controls that blend into the surface. The stems are slightly elongated, similar to what you’d see on many popular models, which helps with microphone placement for calls.
The charging case fits comfortably in most pockets without creating an awkward bulge. It’s made from plastic that feels sturdy enough to handle daily wear and tear, though I wouldn’t want to drop it from any significant height. The lid opens and closes with a satisfying click, and there’s a small LED indicator on the front that shows charging status. Overall, the design won’t win any awards, but it gets the job done without any obvious weak points.
How Do They Sound?
This is where things get genuinely interesting. For earbuds at this price point, the audio quality surprised me in the best way possible. The sound signature leans slightly warm, with enough bass presence to make electronic and hip-hop tracks feel full without overwhelming the mids. When I listened to rock and acoustic music, guitars came through with decent clarity, and vocals sat nicely in the mix without sounding distant or muffled.
Testing them with different genres revealed a well-balanced approach. Jazz recordings maintained their instrumental separation, allowing you to pick out individual instruments without everything blending together. Podcasts and audiobooks sounded clear and natural, which matters when you’re spending hours listening to spoken content. The treble doesn’t sparkle quite like it does on more expensive models, but it’s detailed enough that you won’t feel like you’re missing crucial parts of your favorite songs.
Comparing them to similarly priced options from brands like Anker and Soundcore, the Air Pro 4 holds its own comfortably. They don’t quite reach the audio fidelity of premium earbuds costing $200 or more, but that’s not a fair comparison anyway. For what you’re paying, the sound quality exceeds reasonable expectations and provides an enjoyable listening experience across most music types. If you’re curious about the earfun air pro 4 specs, they feature 11mm dynamic drivers that deliver this impressive audio performance.
Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode
Active noise cancellation at this price range usually means making compromises, and the Air Pro 4 is no exception. The ANC does work, reducing low-frequency rumble from airplane engines, bus motors, and air conditioning units noticeably. During my daily train commute, it cut down enough background noise to let me focus on my music or podcasts without cranking the volume to uncomfortable levels.
However, it struggles with higher-frequency sounds like conversations, keyboard clacking, or the beeping of crosswalk signals. If you’re expecting the same level of noise isolation you’d get from Sony’s or Bose’s flagship models, you’ll be disappointed. What the Air Pro 4 offers is practical noise reduction that makes noisy environments more manageable without completely silencing the world around you.
The transparency mode, which lets outside sound in when you need to hear your surroundings, works reasonably well. It’s helpful for quick conversations at coffee shops or listening for train announcements without removing your earbuds. The transition between ANC and transparency mode happens smoothly, though the ambient sound doesn’t quite achieve the natural quality of higher-end implementations. It can sound slightly processed, like you’re hearing the world through a microphone rather than directly.
Comfort for Long Listening Sessions
Comfort often gets overlooked in reviews, but it matters tremendously if you plan to wear earbuds for extended periods. The Air Pro 4 includes three sizes of silicone ear tips, and finding the right fit makes all the difference. I settled on the medium tips, which created a good seal without causing pressure or discomfort even after wearing them for three or four hours straight.
The lightweight design helps here. Each earbud weighs very little, so you don’t get that fatigued feeling that heavier models can cause. The stem design also means the weight is distributed in a way that doesn’t put excessive pressure on any single point in your ear. During my first week of testing, I wore them during a six-hour work session and genuinely forgot I had them in at several points.
For workouts and physical activity, they perform admirably. The earbuds stayed secure during jogging sessions and gym workouts, though extremely vigorous movements like burpees or jump rope occasionally required minor adjustments. They’re not specifically marketed as sports earbuds, but they handle moderate exercise without constantly falling out. The included ear tips provide enough grip that sweat doesn’t immediately compromise the fit, which is a pleasant bonus.
Battery Performance
Battery life can make or break the daily usability of wireless earbuds, and this is another area where the Air Pro 4 delivers solid results. With ANC turned on, I consistently got around six hours of playback per charge, which aligns with what EarFun advertises. Turning off noise cancellation extends that to roughly seven and a half hours, giving you flexibility depending on your needs.
The charging case adds another four full charges, bringing total playback time to somewhere around 30 hours with ANC enabled. For most people, this means charging the case once a week unless you’re an extremely heavy user. The case itself charges via USB-C in about two hours, and there’s a quick charge feature that gives you roughly an hour and a half of playback from a 10-minute charge when you’re in a pinch. The EarFun Air Pro 4 battery life proves to be one of its strongest selling points for daily use.
In real-world usage, I found myself charging the case every five to six days with moderate daily use of two to three hours. That’s convenient enough that battery anxiety never became an issue. The earbuds also power off automatically when placed back in the case, which prevents accidental battery drain from forgetting to turn them off manually.
- Exceptional Audio Quality
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Premium Apple Integration
Taking Calls and Staying Connected
Call quality is one area where budget earbuds often cut corners, but the Air Pro 4 performs better than expected. The microphones capture your voice clearly in quiet settings. People on the other end said I sounded natural, without the robotic compression common in cheaper earbuds. Wind noise can be an issue outdoors, especially on breezy days. Indoors or in calm conditions, however, calls come through just fine.
Bluetooth connectivity uses version 5.3, which provides a stable connection up to about 30 feet from your device without walls in between. I experienced very few dropouts during testing, even in crowded areas with lots of wireless interference. Pairing is straightforward, the earbuds enter pairing mode automatically when you first open the case, and they reconnect quickly to previously paired devices.
One limitation worth noting is that while the earbuds can connect to multiple devices, they don’t support true multipoint connectivity where you can be connected to two devices simultaneously. You need to manually disconnect from one device and connect to another through your Bluetooth settings. It’s a minor inconvenience rather than a dealbreaker, but something to be aware of if you frequently switch between your phone and laptop. For gamers, the earfun air pro 4 game mode reduces latency to around 80ms, which helps with timing in mobile games and video watching.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Great sound quality for the price
- Long battery life (30+ hours total)
- Comfortable lightweight design
- Effective noise cancellation for commutes
- Secure fit during workouts
- Compact and portable case
- Clear call quality indoors
Cons:
- ANC doesn’t block high-frequency sounds well
- No wireless charging
- Fingerprint magnet finish
- Touch controls can be finicky
- Poor call quality in wind
- No multipoint connectivity
- Processed-sounding transparency mode
Wrapping Up
The budget earbud market continues to evolve rapidly, and these earbuds represent solid value for anyone working with a tighter budget. The sound quality provides an enjoyable listening experience, the ANC makes noisy environments more tolerable, and the battery life keeps pace with daily demands.
They’re particularly well-suited for students, commuters, and casual listeners who want wireless earbuds with noise cancellation without spending $150 or more. For many listeners seeking that balance between features and affordability, these earbuds deliver exactly what they’ve been searching for.
- Exceptional Audio Quality
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Premium Apple Integration
