EarFun Free Pro 3 review: These tiny earbuds pack a big punch

Best Prices Today: EarFun Free Pro 3

While I was testing the EarFun Free Pro 3, I thought I was testing earbuds that retail for $179.99 and thought they were a good buy at that price, even if I had a couple of minor complaints. Turns out I misread the press release; I was off by a full $100.

How did EarFun cram so many features into earbuds that sell for much less than $100? Even my quibbles seem unimportant after I realized what a bargain these are. Ignore the tortured syntax of EarFun’s naming scheme and seriously consider the EarFun Free Pro 3, especially if you’re an Android user.

I used aptX Adaptive playback with my OnePlus 10T Android phone and was shocked by the outstanding results.

How they’re made

The EarFun Free Pro 3 earbuds are available in your choice of Brown Black, Navy Blue, and Silver White. I tested the Brown Black version and thought of them as regular black until I checked the specs; now I see the slightly gold undertone to the black case that gives it a brownish tint.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best noise-cancelling headphones.

That case is tiny, measuring just 2.64 x 2 x 1.22 inches(HxWxD) and weighing just 1.5 ounces, easily fitting into the watch pocket on a pair of jeans. EarFun rates the buds IPX5 for water resistance, which makes them an excellent choice for any workout short of swimming. You get five pairs of silicone ear tips and one pair of foam tips.

The case supports wireless charging, but EarFun includes a USB-A to USB-C cable if you want to plug in. A full charge for both earbuds and case should take 3.5 hours via USB-C, and you’ll get 2 hours of playback after 10 minutes via fast charging.

EarFun promises 7.5 hours of playback with noise cancellation turned off, with a total of 33 hours with a fully charged case. Activate ANC and you’ll get 6 hours with a total of 25.5 hours. My testing suggests that the 6-hour number is accurate.

The EarFun Free Pro 3 earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3, with multi-point connectivity. They support the AAC, aptX Adaptive, LC3, and SBC codecs. The earbuds feature 7mm wool composite dynamic drivers and there are three microphones in each earbud, two each for noise cancellation and one each for phone calls.

Active noise cancellation performance

EarFun has created four ear-adaptive presets for its active noise cancellation setting. The company suggests that each of the four presets is tailored for different ear canal shapes. The default setting worked fine for me. There’s also a wind noise cancellation option that I didn’t think made much of a difference.

Ambient Sound mode provides a degree of noise cancellation while allowing the user to understand conversations more easily with others in a room. It’s not the active or adaptive ambient sound modes available on some more expensive earbuds, but it gets the job done. There’s also normal mode, which I found to be the best for listening to music in a quiet environment.

Using the EarFun app

EarFun has an app for both Android and iOS that gives a listener access to the earbuds’ advanced features. It’s the best way to control the ANC features described above. There’s also a battery indicator for each earbud and the charging case.

There’s a Game Mode designed to reduce latency for gamers. EarFun warns that engaging this feature can make the connection unstable. I’m not a gamer and didn’t test this feature.

There’s a full complement of equalizer settings, although I found the EarFun Classic Default Sound setting to be excellent. If you’re looking to experiment there are 10 equalizer presets called Rock, Pop, Country, R&B, Classical, Jazz, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Bass Reducer, and Treble Reducer.

A Custom Equalizer panel allows you to create your own profile with a 10-band equalizer, then name and save multiple presets in the app. EarFun also has an endorsement deal with the popular YouTube channel Oluv’s Gadgets and there are two custom presets designed by Oluv for his fans.

Touch controls

The EarFun Free Pro 3 has touch controls that work far better than any other earbuds I’ve tried in this price range. The default settings raise the volume with a single tap to the right-hand earbud and lower it with a single tap on the left one. A double-tap on either bud plays or pauses the music. A triple-tap on the left-hand bud goes to the previous track, while the same action on the right-hand bud jumps to the next track. A long press (two seconds) of the left-hand earbud switches the noise cancellation setting, while a long press on the right brings up your device’s voice assistant.

Users can configure those taps and presses to match any command they prefer, and there’s also an option to have a long press activate Game Mode.

Listening to the EarFun Free Pro 3

For reference, I listened to Giles Martin’s excellent new remixes of The Beatles 1962-1966 (a/k/a The Red Album) via Qobuz. Martin used MAL, an artificial intelligence tool named after Beatles roadie Mal Evans and developed by filmmaker Peter Jackson, to break down four-track recordings into their individual instrumental and vocal tracks.

Purists might cringe, but it’s exactly this kind of modern processing technology that can improve the listening experience for exactly this kind of earbud. Audiophiles should continue to enjoy their original mono vinyl pressings through an elaborate home audio system, but these new alternate mixes are sure to help introduce the band to new listeners who’ve never owned a pair of speakers.

I used aptX Adaptive playback with my OnePlus 10T Android phone and was shocked by the results, especially when I played the same songs using the AAC codec on my iPhone. There’s a rubberiness to Paul McCartney’s bass and an extra crack to the snare on Ringo Starr’s drums on tracks like “Paperback Writer” and “Drive My Car,” while the string parts on “Eleanor Rigby” have a surprising detail, making it easier to pick up each instrument in the mix.

When listening via AirPods Pro and AAC on the iPhone, there was less of the overall shimmer I got when listening via the EarFun Free Pro 3 and aptX Adaptive, and a sound that I’d call closer to that on the original albums. There’s slightly more detail and less excitement overall.

When other reviewers talk about “excitement” from earbuds or headphones, that’s usually a sign that I’ll experience ear fatigue after a few minutes. I was able to enjoy these earbuds for extended listening sessions with zero issues.

You won’t get reference-quality playback with these earbuds, but no one should expect a critical listening experience with earbuds designed for casual use. For commuting, going to the gym, or listening on the move, the EarFun Free Pro 3’s audio processing enhances music for listening in noisy enviroments.

Multipoint experience

The EarFun Free Pro 3 had no problem with a simultaneous connection to both my iPhone and Android phones. After the initial pairing, the earbuds automatically reconnected with both devices, and switching between devices was easy.

There’s one significant caveat that involves the EarFun app. The app can only work with one device at a time, that being the first device that’s paired with the earbuds in any listening session. Once the Earfun Free Pro 3 earbuds had connected to the Earfun app on my Android device, I could play music on my iPhone, but the Earfun iPhone app couldn’t recognize the earbuds. It’s a minor glitch, but one that might confuse some users; particularly listeners who use an Android phone as well as an iPad, for example.

Should you buy the EarFun Pro 3?

EarFun has packed every conceivable feature into earbuds that sell for a truly bargain price. Support for aptX Adaptive makes them an outstanding choice for anyone with an Android device that supports the codec, but they still deliver excellent sound via the iPhone’s AAC codec even if it doesn’t quite match the results Android can enjoy.

The app is polished, and EQ can be customized for users who care about tweaking their settings. Phone-call quality doesn’t match what you would get from AirPods or the Google Pixel Buds Pro, but the Earfun earbuds cost 2/3 less. The ANC on the Earfun may not be quite as effective as what you’ll enjoy with those more expensive models, either, but it’s more than adequate.

Music sounds great, the case is tiny, and Earfun has packed a lot of features into a bargain-priced package. Anyone who’s looking for earbuds priced less than $100 should give these a listen.

Specifications

• Drivers: 7mm dynamic wool composite
• Microphones: Three on each earbud, two for noise cancelling and one for voice calls
• Eartips included: 5 sizes of silicone tips, 1 set of foam tips
• Bluetooth version: 5.3
• Bluetooth codec support: AAC, aptX Adaptive, LC3, SBC
• Multi-point support: Yes, can connect to two devices simultaneously
• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: 6 hours, 27 hours with case (ANC on); 7.5 hours, 33 hours with case (ANC off)
• Water resistance: IPX5
• App support: Yes, including preset and customizable EQ
• Case dimensions: 2.64 x 2 x 1.22 inches(HxWxD)
• Case weight: 1.47 ounces
• Color choices: Brown Black, Navy Blue, Silver White

Best Prices Today: EarFun Free Pro 3