Review: EarFun Air 2, best TWS Bluetooth earbuds under $100?
EarFun is back with another fantastic pair of affordable TWS earbuds. Bag yourself high-resolution audio, extreme comfort and 40 hours of playtime for just $49.99!
Released on February 5th, the EarFun Air 2 TWS earbuds stupendous sound when considering their low price – I was blown away. Using the same driver type as its Free Pro 3 earbuds, EarFun has stripped away some features but hasn’t compromised on audio quality in the slightest.
After extensive use, I’ve found the EarFun Air 2s to be extremely comfortable over long listening sessions while enjoying high-resolution audio via Sony’s LDAC codec. The low end is crisp, the mids are pronounced and the treble isn’t dull. For real, I think these might be the best Bluetooth headphone under $100 in 2024.
EarFun Air 2 rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What’s in the box?
- EarFun Air 2s
- Charging case
- USB-C cable
- 3 additional ear tip pairs
- User manual
Sound quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Excellent stereo projection
- Warm, crisp and punchy bass
- Not as brightly tuned as higher priced models
In short, I’ve been amazed at the sound quality of the Air 2s. I immediately noticed the Air 2s aren’t as bright as Edifier’s Neo Buds Pro but the affordable EarFun TWS buds produce great highs nonetheless.
They furthermore sound far better than other earbuds in this price range as well as offering fantastic sound isolation. The JBL Vibe Beam earbuds, for instance, will cost you $60 and don’t have the same stellar battery life and offer smaller drivers… but they do boast ANC. Nevertheless, it’s easy to forgive the Air 2s for lacking ANC because they sound so good.
In fact, some of my favourite electronic tunes were done real justice by the Air 2s. Its stereo projection was fantastic – the stereo field wasn’t too wide, and the drums, bass, synths, pads and percussion interacted harmoniously. The bass is crisply warm and impactful and not overbearing while it tucks itself beneath the other layers.
Sleepnet’s remix of “Could This Be” is one of my favourite tunes to test earbuds out with because it has intense rhythms, intricate instrumentation and fast bass stabs (which can sound boomy depending on the playback device). I was super pleased when EarFun’s Air 2s kept the bass stabs tucked neatly beneath everything else that was going on but still gave them enough definition for them to cut through.
Chuffed with the EarFun Pro 2s performance in the electronic arena, I moved on to pop punk (a jarring transition for some, but not all).
Blink 182’s Dumpweed is usually a great indicator of how brightly tuned headphones are thanks to Tom’s higher vocals, Travis’s wizardry with rhythmic cymbals and his initial snare & cymbal crash at the beginning of the song. I figured the Air 2s wouldn’t perform so well here, seeing as the song is 20 years old at this point… but I was wrong. Vocals, drums and instruments were all evenly balanced with all the details there to hear.
I browsed through the rest of my test songs and the Air 2s performed amazingly across the board. For $59.99, I thought these earbuds must have a sonic weakness somewhere but I’m yet to find one.
I played through metal, more electronic tunes, math rock, and some of my classical favourites, and I wasn’t disappointed once. Something tells me the angle at which the earbuds sit has a lot to do with it, with the form factor designed to sit nicely and comfortably in at an angle, projecting the sound better and learning something from brands like Sennheiser.
I haven’t yet found a song that the Air 2s can’t serve justice, but that may change. Indie pop and other popular music genres shine as you might expect, with everything balanced as all things should be.
Features: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
High-resolution audio and Bluetooth V5.3 make for a seamless listening experience no matter what music you’re bumping. Hi-Res certification isn’t so easy to find in affordable TWS earbuds, but as we’ve heard the Air 2s perform super well across the board for less than $50!
Sony’s LDAC codec does however reduce the playtime by about 3 hours when engaged, but a 10-20 minute power-up gives the earbuds charge for a few hours, although there is no rapid charging (but wireless charging is available).
For me, the battery life & high-resolution audio quality are easily the biggest selling points of the Free Pro 2 TWS earbuds. I’m quite frankly shocked with how well the Air 2s perform across the board, and the ample battery life hasn’t become an issue at all. There’s plenty of playtime while I’m commuting, exercising, working, or casually listening so the lack of rapid charge isn’t that big of a deal for me.
Another useful feature available is multipoint pairing, facilitating connectivity Bluetooth with two devices at once. It’s handy while bouncing between your computer and smartphone, and it’s even great when leaving the office. Rather than manually connect to your smartphone after a long day having been connected to your laptop… the two just connect automatically, despite the prior connection.
The stems are long enough to pull the buds out of my ears easily, unlike the Free Pro 3s which only had small rectangular driver housings and were easy to drop. Browsing modes and available software features in the EarFun companion app are easy, being one of the simplest companion apps I’ve used.
The Air 2s low latency game mode, meanwhile, isn’t something I’ve tested prolifically but it’s been more than adequate in the short gaming sprees I have been on, having performed well while playing first-person shooters.
Some obvious omissions from the feature lineup include active noise cancelling (ANC), wearing detection, and super fast charging. I will say, however, that the consistency in audio quality with LDAC engaged tells me it may have been a deliberate omission to give the user the best affordable pair of earbuds for sound quality.
Wearing detection prevents the music from playing if one or both earbuds aren’t sitting in your ears. It’s handy while listening but a random somebody wabes you down and wonders why you’re ignoring them, before asking you a relevant question that you didn’t hear with both earbuds in.
These Air 2s, though, don’t offer such a convenient feature which is a little flustering in busy situations while being talked at all of a sudden. Also missing is super fast charging, at least officially. But the truth is I’ve been through most of this review process thinking they had super fast charging, expecting a ten-minute charge to buy me two or three hours. All I can say is I haven’t been disappointed.
The neat charging case is not that easy to grip either. It’s a small oval shape with a sheen surface, and I have dropped the case a couple of times while trying to remove it from my pocket in the cold outdoors.
Design: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Besides the generally hard-to-grip charging case (especially in cold weather), the Air 2s boast a humble design that prioritises function over form. They’re still pretty earbuds with LEDs on their tops that indicate battery life while in the case, and their long stems make it easy to slip them in and out of my ears, but there’s nothing all that glamorous here… and that’s fine.
Inside the buds sit 10mm composite wool drivers, 1mm smaller than the drivers found in the Air Pro 3s, delivering exceptional sound and plenty of low-end at this low price point.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Air 2s sit at an angle, emulating the position of driver housing in earcups from studio headphone manufacturers like Sennheiser. Although I can’t give a reference point that demonstrates how good they sound because of this, I can certainly say the earbuds sit very comfortably while sounding great.
Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I know we are only at the start of the year but I think the EarFn Air 2s may be the best affordable TWS earbuds of the year. They’re fantastically affordable and they sound great offering Sony’s LDAC high-resolution Bluetooth codec and excellent audio resolution.
No, they don’t offer a suite of features but I think it’s unfair to expect all that much when paying less than $50. If you’re looking for ANC, I can recommend EarFnun’s Free Pro 3s (for only $30 more).
Sound quality is these earbuds’ biggest strength and they quite frankly knock the ball out of the park. They’re extremely comfortable and don’t cause any ear fatigue over longer listening sessions and their battery life allows for long listening sessions. The absence of rapid charging meanwhile isn’t noticeable as the battery life provides more than enough playtime.
Ultimately, the EarFun Air 2s are a fantastic pair of affordable Bluetooth earbuds for anyone on a tight budget. There’s plenty of playtime whether you’re commuting, exercising or travelling, and superior sound quality and isolation make for an excellent listening experience for a low price.
You can get the affordable EarFun Air 2 TWS earbuds at a 20% discount with the link below!
EarFun Air 2 rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
