EarFun Air Pro 4 Review: $80 Earbuds That Sound Like $200
Drum Rolls, the EarFun Air Pro 4 are the best budget earbuds I've tested this year. And I don't say that lightly.
I spent two weeks with these $80 earbuds. Used them on my commute. Tested them against AirPods Pro. Pushed the noise canceling to its limits. The result? These punch way above their weight class.
What You're Getting for $80
When you see earbuds at this price, you expect corners to be cut somewhere.
But.
You're getting Bluetooth 5.4 (that's the latest version, by the way). Support for aptX Lossless and LDAC. Active noise canceling that actually works. And a battery that lasts 7.5 hours with ANC on or a ridiculous 11 hours with it off.
The case adds another 45 hours. That's 52 hours total without ANC. I used these for a full week of commuting before needing to charge.
Sound Quality: The Real Surprise
Here's where these shine.
I tested them back-to-back with my AirPods Pro (the $250 ones). The Air Pro 4s deliver about 70% of the sound quality for less than a third of the price. That's insane value.
Bass is punchy but not muddy. Mids are clear vocals sit right where they should. Highs are crisp without being harsh. I threw everything at them from EDM to jazz to podcasts. They handled it all.
The EarFun app gives you a 10-band parametric EQ. Customize to your heart's content. Or use one of the presets the "Classical" preset is surprisingly good for acoustic tracks.
Noise Canceling That Actually Cancels Noise
This is the biggest shock.
ANC at this price usually sucks. But this killed my matatu engine noise. Reduced office chatter to almost nothing. Even handled wind noise better than earbuds twice the price.
It's not quite Sony WF-1000XM5 level (those are $300). But it's damn close to AirPods Pro. For $80, that's borderline ridiculous.
The App Is Actually Useful
Most earbud apps are trash tbh.
You get full control customization. Battery monitoring for each bud. A hearing test that creates your custom sound profile. Game mode for low latency. Even a "find my earbuds" feature that plays a loud beep.
Android users get Auracast support for sharing audio streams. It's like Apple's SharePlay but actually open.
What's Not Perfect
Let's talk downsides because there's always something.
The touch controls can be finicky. Sometimes I'd double tap and nothing would happen. Took about three days to get the hang of where to tap exactly.
They're IPX5 rated sweat and rain resistant but not dustproof. Don't take them to the beach. The OnePlus Buds 3 have IP55, which is better.
Call quality is just okay. The six mics with AI noise reduction work fine in quiet spaces. But on a windy street? The person I called could definitely hear the wind.
Battery Life Is Unreal
Here's what I got in real world testing:
- 7.5 hours per charge with ANC on
- 10.5 hours with ANC off (close to the claimed 11)
- Full week of daily commuting before charging the case
Fast charging gives you 2 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge. Saved me multiple times when I forgot to charge overnight.
Who Should Buy These?
Buy if:
- You want premium features without the premium price
- You're on Android and use LDAC or aptX
- You need earbuds that last all day
- You're tired of paying the Apple tax
Skip if:
- You absolutely need the best call quality (get AirPods Pro)
- You're deep in the Apple ecosystem (iPhones don't support LDAC)
- You want IP67 waterproofing for swimming
How They Stack Up
I compared these to everything in the budget range:
vs. Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99): EarFun sounds better, has newer Bluetooth. Liberty has slightly better ANC.
vs. Nothing Ear (a) ($99): Nothing looks cooler. EarFun sounds better and lasts way longer.
vs. AirPods Pro ($250): AirPods win on integration and transparency mode. But at $170 less? The Air Pro 4s are the smarter buy unless you're all-in on Apple.
The Verdict: Just Buy Them
These are the budget earbuds to beat in 2024.
For $80, you're getting features that were flagship-only two years ago. The sound quality rivals earbuds at twice the price. The battery life is stupid good. The ANC actually works.
I've tested dozens of budget earbuds. These are the first ones I'd actually recommend to my friends without caveats.
Are they perfect? No. But perfection costs $300. This is damn good for $80.
TechNesh Score: 9/10
Where to Buy
- Amazon: $79.99 (sometimes on sale for $69)
- EarFun Direct: $89.99
Pro tip: Amazon usually has the best price, and they go on sale during Prime Day.
The Bottom Line: If you're spending under $100 on earbuds, these should be at the top of your list. The EarFun Air Pro 4 deliver flagship features at a budget price and they actually deliver on the promise. Buy them. You won't regret it.
