I DID not expect this... 😯 Earfun Air Pro 4 Review (vs Nothing, Soundcore)
Earfun Air Pro 4 - Amazing Value?
The Earfun Air Pro 4 has just about everything you could want in a pair of earbuds. When it comes to features, it’s hard to find something that matches it at this price point. For audiophiles using Android devices, these earbuds are BOTH Snapdragon Sound certified with aptX Lossless support and Hi-Res certified with LDAC codec support. This means that, with the right device and source, they can sound as close to a direct wired connection as possible over Bluetooth.
It also features multipoint pairing, wireless charging and app support with full custom options which includes 30 different EQ presets, automatic sound calibration, and a graphic EQ. You can also switch to LE Audio mode which allows you tune into Auracast streams. This is the future of audio, and I've linked a demo below to learn more about it. For just $90, these earbuds are complete in the features department, leaving no blind spots.
That being said, it’s not perfect. There are areas where I wish it could be better in terms of performance and user experience. So let’s explore its microphone quality, active noise canceling, sound quality and transparency.
Mic Test
Its mic quality is actually quite good. My voice sounded loud and clear, and the noise gating was very effective in noisy conditions. It didn’t make the background totally silent, but it reduced the noise enough for my voice to come through loud and clear.
👉 Have a listen to the mic pickup samples.
(Tested mic pickup in both quiet and noisy conditions using loud cafe noise and some wind noise from a fan.)
Active Noise Cancelling Comparison
At max settings, the ANC effectively reduces a lot of low frequency rumble and mid range ambient noise. Using it in the real world, it’s good enough that I don’t have to raise the volume of my music to beat the noise around me.
However, it’s important to note that while the Air Pro 4s are effective, but at this budget range, they are not really the most effective. For example, the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC is quieter in terms of sheer noise cancelling power. Interestingly, in real world usage, the Soundcore doesn't seem as effective as the Earfuns, because it doesn’t create a good enough seal in my ear canal. I've tried all the ear tip sizes, and still the Air Pro 4s are more effective. So your mileage could vary depending on how well these earbuds fit your ear.
🎧 Enjoy the ANC comparison samples.
So that was a test of its noise cancelling at max settings. The Air Pro 4s has other modes, like Balanced noise cancelling, which adapts different levels depending on the environment, and a wind noise reduction mode. I tried these modes but felt that they all weaker than the default mode. I’ve never been a fan of adaptive noise cancelling, but some people might appreciates having these different modes.
Transparency Mode Sucks?
In terms of transparency, some people said it’s terrible. In fact, I agreed that it has one of the worst transparency modes. With very little passthrough of ambient sounds, and lots of occlusion, making everything sounded muffled. However, after updating the software in the same sitting and it got a lot better. Now, it passes through a good amount of midrange ambience without sounding too hissy, and it even picks up my own voice, making conversations feels more natural in transparency mode.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound quality, I find the Earfun Air Pro 4 sound closer to my preference, with more emphasis on bass and a bit darker in the lower mids to get some bass-mids separation. The upper mids and highs are moderately crisp and clean for more excitement. When listening to Elden Ring’s opening theme on them, the LFE was thick and juicy, and when the orchestra came in, all the winds and percussions sounded muscular and tight. Full of impact! If we compare it to the Soundcore, the Nothing, and even the older Earfun Air Pro 2, it’s relatively less bass heavy, but the darker lower mids make it seem as V-shaped as the others. Let me know which earbuds sounds best to you in the comment below.
My favorite ‘Hits’ preset.
The Earfun Air Pro 4 has tons of EQ presets. Well, it’s actually 30. But it’s a lot. I’ve cycled through all 30 presets, and my favorite is the ‘Hits’ preset. It’s much more V-shaped than the default one, and it adds more air and reverb. This makes it sound exciting and punchy, great for percussion tracks and other genres.
But if you don’t want to customise your own sound manually, just choose this preset. Or you can go through the automatic Sound Personalisation.
Conclusion
Overall Performance
Overall, as somebody who daily drives premium earbuds, for $90, these exceed my expectations in terms of features and performance. While the noise cancelling and mics are okay, they’re pretty good, considering the price. I even connected them to my PC to play Elden Ring. There’s a bit of latency compared to actual gaming headphones, but there were no signal drops.
User Interface
My main issue is with user interface. While I like the customisable sound, but scrolling through all the EQ presets in a single row is less intuitive for me. Previous Earfuns had all the presets on a single page, making it easier to choose and tap.
Multipoint Pairing
For Multipoint, I’ve no complaints about its implementation. It switches reliably with no signal dropouts, but you can’t use it with Hi-Res codecs, it defaults to the more compressed AAC codec. LE Audio mode works well and I was able to get Auracast working on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Z Fold 6. The drawback is that the app doesn't seem to detect the Air Pro 4 when it’s in LE Audio mode. So I actually had to turn LE Audio off, unpair, and re-pair for the app to pick it up again to access custom settings.
The Earfun Air Pro 4
It exceeds my expectations in terms of features and performance. Overall, these are minor issues compared to the value you get in terms of features and performance. They are definitely worth considering.
If you’d like to check the latest prices of the earbuds, click on the Amazon links below.
Check latest price:
Earfun Air Pro 4 - https://amzn.to/4duKXaF
NOTHING ear (a) - https://amzn.to/3UloJzQ
Soundcore Liberty 4 NC - https://amzn.to/3UG0vlx
Earfun Air Pro 3 - https://amzn.to/3y0ngYs
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