Any links to online stores should be assumed to be affiliates. The company or PR agency provides all or most review samples. They have no control over my content, and I provide my honest opinion.
The Air S are the latest affordable ANC earbuds to launch on Amazon from EarFun.
These are priced at under £60, like almost all of the EarFun buds. As always, they are excellent, but they have so many earbuds at similar price points that it is become difficult to recommend which to choose.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EarFun Air S Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds, Qualcomm®... | Buy on Amazon | ||
| EarFun Air Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Wireless Earbuds... |
£59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Specification
- Latest Qualcomm QCC3046 with aptX Audio Technology.
- 10mm Wool Composite Dynamic Drivers
- Feed-forward Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) up to 30dB.
- EarFun Audio App with EQ options
- Gaming mode with 100ms low latency
- Bluetooth version: V5.2
- Bluetooth profile: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
- Working range: 15m(without obstacle)
- Battery capacity: 40mAh x 2(earbuds); 500mAh(charging case)
- Charging time: 1 hour(for earbuds); 2 hours(for charging case via USB-C) ; 3.5 hours(for charging case via wireless charger)
- Playtime:
- ANC OFF: Up to 6 hours, Totally 30 hours with the charging case; (varies by volume level and audio content)
- ANC ON: Up to 5 hours, Totally 25 hours with the charging case; (varies by volume level and audio content)
- IPX5 Sweat & Water Resistant
- Dimensions: 56mm x 65mm x 31mm
- Weight: 52g
Design / Fit
The EarFun Air S adopt a similar stem design to the Air Pro 2 I previously reviewed. I find them both very comfortable and easy to find a secure fit.
I think I generally prefer stemmed designs as it seems to keep some of the weight out of the earbud inside your ear and pulls the centre of gravity inwards a little.
Using the larger tips, I can achieve an excellent seal, which will greatly improve bass response but also noise cancelling, and it makes sure they stay in my ears during runs.
I have had no issues with these coming out of my ears either during a run or for intense gym sessions and weight lifting.
These are IPX5 rated, so there should be no issues with sweat or rain.
EarFun Audio App
The EarFun Audio App is a new addition. It looks like the EarFun Air S are the only earbuds that support it.
The Google Play reviews indicate the app is awful, but most of these reviews seem to be complaining that other earbuds are not compatible with it.
The app is OK, it has a very basic EQ. The EQ pre-sets are almost pointless as they just ramp up or down the top end of bass/treble. However, it can be handy, these are quite bass-forward earbuds, and you can possibly get a slightly more neutral sound out of them with the EQ.
Sound Quality
You can rarely go wrong with EarFun, and the same is true here. These provide good sound quality, albeit a mainstream focussed bass-forward sound profile.
I managed to find my EarFun Air Pro 2 earbuds so I could compare them against them, and I would say the out-of-box performance is quite similar, but the Pro 2 is a little bit better.
Most of the time I prefer bass-forward earbuds, so I generally like these, but depending on the music genre, it can muddy the other frequencies.
I’d say the EarFun Air Pro 2 perform a bit better with the mids, and they seem a little less prone to that muddiness.
Both earbuds have a recessed high, in my opinion, making them a little less detailed but also less prone to unpleasant sharpness.
Unlike some other earbuds, switching the ANC on or off doesn’t appear to have a significant effect on the bass.
Active Noise Cancelling
The active noise cancelling is not amazing and significantly worse than the EarFun Air Pro 2. The specification of the earbuds confirms this, the Air S have a rating of 30dB, whereas the Air Pro 2 claim 40dB. Decibels are logarithmic. If we were talking about loudness, then 40dB is ten times as powerful but roughly twice as loud as 30dB to the human ear.
When testing these with my normal aeroplane cabin noise recording, the Air S does have a noticeable impact on the sound, but it leaves a significant amount of low end and most of the high end.
The Air Pro 2 filters out much more of that low end.
Neither earbuds are amazing for ANC, but they should make listing to music or media in loud environments a little bit easier.
Battery
With the ANC on, I get a bit under the quoted 6 hours of battery life. The louder you listen, the worse the battery will be.
This is about average for battery performance, but there are plenty of options on the market with significantly worse battery life. I love my FreeBuds Pro 2, but the battery is poor.
Price and Alternative Options
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| EarFun Air S Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds, Qualcomm®... | Buy on Amazon | ||
|
| EarFun Air Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Wireless Earbuds... |
£59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The EarFun Air S have an RRP of £59.99, and there is currently a 10% off voucher on the page.
The EarFun Air Pro 2 are a little bit cheaper, they are listed at £59.49 but have a £10 off voucher available.
There are so many earbuds competing at this price point it is hard to recommend alternative options. From my experience, EarFun in general, are about the best at this price point. You then have plenty of Anker Soundcore options or the Nothing Ear (1), all priced well under £100.
Overall
The EarFun Air S are excellent earbuds and well worth the money, I doubt many competing brands could compete with these. The main issue I have with them is that the EarFun Air Pro 2 are cheaper.
The EarFun Air S have plenty of advantages, including a low latency mode, and an app with EQ and aptX. But, the EarFun Air Pro 2 are better in the two most important areas, sound quality and active noise cancelling.
EarFun Air S aptX ANC Wireless Earbuds Review Rating
Summary
The EarFun Air S are excellent earbuds and well worth the money, I doubt many competing brands could compete with these. However, the Air Pro 2 are cheaper, sound better and has better ANC.
Overall
75%-
Overall - 75%75%
Pros
- Feature-rich and affordable earbuds
- Low latency, EQ, aptX and multi-device connectivity give these some advantages over the Air Pro 2
Cons
- I think the EarFun Air Pro 2 are better
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
![Competition: Win EPOS Sennheiser GSP 601 Gaming Headphones & GSX 200 Soundcard – Headphones for PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X [Now closed]](https://mightygadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/EPOS-Sennheiser-GSP-602-review--768x420.jpg)