EarFun Air 2 vs. EarFun Air Pro 3: Which bargain wireless earbuds are best?

This article is part of our series?Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.

EarFun has released some of the best budget earbuds over the past year, including the EarFun Air Pro 3, which remain a CNN Underscored favorite and deliver the upscaled performance present on the best true wireless earbuds. Looking to outdo its latest accomplishments, the company recently debuted a new inexpensive, high-powered model that’s gunning for the bargain bin spotlight: the EarFun Air 2.

Both sets of buds come with high-end features such as companion app support, hi-res audio, smart controls and wireless charging. The designs are nearly identical. Battery life is also high, no matter the pick.

After testing the Air 2, we compared them with the Air Pro 3 to determine the brand’s better offering and value.

EarFun Air 2 vs. EarFun Air Pro 3 at a glance

Quick comparison

Equally satisfying sound

Each product delivers outstanding sound right out of the box. The Air 2 employ 10mm drivers and Sony’s LDAC codec (more on that below), while the Air Pro 3 use 11mm drivers and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec. Compatibility with the EarFun Audio app is standard for access to the customizable equalizer (EQ), multiple presets and low-latency Game Mode, though the latter doesn’t improve much (audio synchronization runs smoothly with the setting turned off).

Music sounds vibrant on the Air Pro 3. Bass is bold and vocals are crisp. Highs come through clearly, though the emphasized low end hides certain high-pitched sounds. The Air 2 leave a similar sonic impression. Bass carries well on contemporary tracks, especially Tidal HiFi and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) tracks, which reproduce sound at the highest quality. LDAC allows for instantaneous playback when streaming on Android devices and unveils more details in recordings. AptX Adaptive does the same but at a lower bit rate. Standard codecs like AAC and SBC also produce pleasant sound on Apple and Windows devices.

TL;DR: Expect solid audio performance across the board from both EarFun models.

The Air Pro 3 pack more firepower under the hood

A full charge gives the Air Pro 3 between seven and nine hours of endurance, depending on how you use the buds, and the charging case holds up to 45 hours of charge. The Air 2 generate nine hours on a full charge and up to 40 hours via charging case. Unfortunately, LDAC use drops the Air 2’s playtime down to five hours. Each charging case is Qi enabled for wireless charging and provides the same fast charging rate: 10 minutes for two hours of playtime.

Many of the same features are shared between these two sets of buds, including the EQ, Find Headphones mode, Game Mode and multipoint technology to pair to two devices simultaneously. These are first-rate extras for wireless earbuds under $100. The Air Pro 3 have several more to work with, including ANC, ambient listening and wind reduction. EarFun’s noise suppression technology is decent for putting a muzzle on low- and mid-frequency sounds, and Ambient Sound comes in handy for increasing situational awareness.

TL;DR: Stronger playtimes and special features give the Air Pro 3 an operational edge over the Air 2.

Uniform designs with different levels of durability

The Air Pro 3 are identifiable by their indented touch panel and flat charging case, while the Air 2 have a flat touch panel and rounded, more rectangular charging case. Both models feel comfortable on the ear and are sturdy enough to withstand extreme conditions. However, one holds up stronger than the other, as the Air 2 have IPX7 waterproofing up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, while the Air Pro 3 carry an IPX5 rating to protect the buds from natural elements (e.g., light rain or wind).

Build quality on each charging case is mediocre. The exteriors can withstand falls to the concrete, but the lids are flimsy and feel as if they could break off if dropped at the wrong angle.

TL;DR: Both products lack the premium quality of high-priced competitors, but at least they offer better protection than the IPX4-rated AirPods Pro 2.

The touch control dilemma

The Air 2 and Air Pro 3 have poor touch controls. Multi-tap gestures barely register, and when they do, their commands are often misinterpreted; triple taps are registered as double taps, double taps are registered as single taps and so on. You can at least customize each bud’s controls via the companion app, but you’ll still have to be careful to avoid accidental inputs. We’d really like to see this fixed on future releases.

TL;DR: Figure out the best single-tap control setup, because that seems to be the only touch control that works properly on either set of buds.

Bottom line

It’s tough choosing a winner when performance and price are almost the same. However, we find the Air Pro 3 to be the greater value. The differentiator is ANC, which is surprisingly good and does a fantastic job of minimizing unwanted noises. Sound quality is superior to most rivals in the same price class, plus the longer feature set and playtimes add to their appeal.

The Air 2 make a strong case for best bargain buds based on specs alone. These are the only sub-$50 buds that I know of with LDAC, multipoint technology and wireless charging. Music and movies sound excellent. Companion app support is huge as well. Unfortunately, LDAC sucks up so much juice and the touch controls are unreliable. Then again, the Air Pro 3 suffer from the same control issue.

For their respective prices, you can’t go wrong gifting or owning either product. Those who want affordable, reliable noise cancelers with stellar sound will be happy with the Air Pro 3, while those who want solid hi-fi-ready buds at an enticing price can toss the Air 2 into their virtual cart.