These New Air Pro 3 Earbuds Are A Great Alternative To Apple AirPods

EarFun is one of those brands that are not so well known but somehow manages to produce some great-sounding earbuds that end up selling rather well because of word-of-mouth recommendations. EarFun has already won awards for its products and the company has now announced its TWS earbud flagship, the Air Pro 3.

The company claims the Air Pro 3 are the world’s first ANC wireless earbuds to incorporate the highly efficient LE Audio Bluetooth architecture and Qualcomm’s apt-X Adaptive audio codec. Adopting next-generation Bluetooth technology, the Air Pro 3 features LE Audio with the new audio codec LC3. The advantage of this innovation is much lower power consumption than earbuds using the basic SBC codec.

Like most wireless earbuds, the Air Pro 3 offers active noise cancelation using the aired QuietSmart 2.0 hybrid ANC system, which delivers up to 43dB. In addition, the sound of wind shear on the Air Pro 3’s built-in microphones is subdued by using an anti-wind noise algorithm that constantly works to reduce wind noise.

Qualcomm’s apt-X Adaptive audio codec ensures that the Air Pro 3 have a low latency when streamed from devices that support the Qualcomm standard. The advantage of low latency is a much tighter synchronization between sound and vision, making the earbuds ideal for playing games with sound effects or watching movies without experiencing lip sync issues.

The sound produced by the EarFun Air Pro 3 is created by a large 11mm wool composite dynamic driver in each earpiece. The result is a remarkably clear soundstage with nicely balanced midranges, a solid but not overpowering bass, and a detailed treble range that never strays into sibilance. Overall, the sound is very pleasing for the money and the low distortion doesn’t make them hard to listen to for extended periods.

The Air Pro 3 can be customized using the EarFun Audio app. This nicely made little smartphone app offers controls for switching between ANC, Ambient Sound or turned off. The ANC function is incredibly effective for a pair of earbuds and is well worth having. The app also offers a Gaming Mode for low-latency listening and an EQ control for adjusting the tone of the earbuds. Finally, the app lets you customize the touch controls on each bud to suit your preferences. The app is well thought through for a brand without much of a profile and seems to work perfectly.

Like many other TWS earbuds, the Air Pro 3 support MultiPoint Connectivity, meaning you can have two devices connected to the earbuds simultaneously. In practice, this could be your work phone and your phone or digital music player. That way, you can listen to music at the gym on your personal phone but can switch to an incoming call on your business phone simply by tapping one of the earbuds. It all works seamlessly and is a great feature for busy people.

Thanks to the use of Qualcomm’s QCC 3071 SoC (system on a chip), the EarFun Air Pro 3 use the latest Bluetooth 5.3 version. The chipset uses the latest wireless audio architecture for an instant and robust connection, even at longer distances.

Many of us use our earbuds to take and make calls, enabling us to do other things like type or drive while we chat. The Air Pro 3 has an array of six microphones supported with Qualcomm’s cVc 8.0 ech0-canceling and noise suppression technology which mutes a lot of background noise and enhances the speaker’s voice. The microphones also monitor sound for the hybrid ANC function, which cuts out extraneous and unwanted noise.

The advantage of the latest Bluetooth Audio LE enables the Air Pro 3 to play for up to nine hours on a single charge of the earbuds. The storage case holds up to 36 hours of backup charge, including the earbuds' power. Without ANC turned on, the playing time rises to a very impressive 45 hours. This should be long enough for a transatlantic flight on full charge of the earbuds or a couple of weeks of commuting using the power in the storage case to keep the earbuds topped up. The case can be recharged using the supplied USB Type-C cable or a Qi-compatible wireless charging mat.

Finally, the new earbuds are rated as IPX5 for water and sweat resistance. This ensures they are fine for use in light rain or a vigorous workout on the treadmill at the gym. With each earpiece weighing just 5.2g, the Air Pro 3 are comfortable for long listening sessions. There are four sizes of silicone ear tips provided with the Air Pro 3 so that should cover most users.

Verdict: For a brand that’s not a household name, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are a superb pair of affordable true wireless earbuds. They tick just about every box in terms of audio codecs, long battery life, comfort and a well-designed smartphone app available for iOS and Android. If you’re looking for a great pair of ANC true wireless earbuds with excellent sound and all the specifications you could want, there’s not much better in the way of value on the market. Highly Recommended.

Pricing & Availability: The EarFun Air Pro 3 is available today on Amazon at $79.99 / £79.99 / €79.99. There is a launch discount of 25% available from February 2^nd using the code EAP3ANC1, bringing the price down to $59.99 / £59.99 / €59.99.

More info: www.myearfun.com

Tech Specs:

• Bluetooth version: 5.3.
• Bluetooth LE Audio: Yes.
• Chipset: QCC 3071 SoC.
• Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, apt-X Adaptive, LC3.
• Drivers: 11mm wool composite.
• Low latency mode: 55ms.
• ANC: QuietSmart 2.0 hybrid 45dB.
• Total battery life: 9 hours + 36 hours case.
• Charging: USB-C / Wireless.
• Burst charge: 10 minutes = 2 hours.
• Waterproofing: IPX5.
• Weight: 5.2g per earbud.