EarFun Air Pro 3 review: "Convinced me to never waste my money on another set of Samsung Galaxy Buds."

There are a lot of wireless earbuds out there, which is why I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of the EarFun Air Pro 3. This is a market where you have corporate giants like Apple competing with Samsung, a huge proportion of underground brands, and then a whole wad of gaming options from the likes of Razer and EPOS. 

Regardless of how overly saturated the best gaming earbuds landscape may be, I still think it's a sin that EarFun isn't better known. After months of using their earbuds on a near-daily basis, I think this is a brand that deserves more recognition. In fact, they've convinced me to never waste my money on another set of Samsung Galaxy Buds.

For a price tag under 100 in both the US and UK, this is an easy set of earbuds to recommend for budget buyers. $80/£80 really isn't a lot to pay in this arena, and for the number of features on offer here, that feels like an absolute bargain. These aren't the perfect set of earbuds, although having tried my fair share, I'm not sure a perfect pair actually exists. EarFun has taken a serious crack though, and there are plenty of reasons to be happy with the result.

Design

The easiest comparison that can be made when you first glance at the EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds is with something like the Air Pods Pro. They have the in-ear socket but still keep the dropdown earring design. I like this shape because it makes the buds easier to adjust without accidental use of the touch controls  - a problem that plagues Samsung's Galaxy Buds.

Speaking of those touch controls, there's a clear circular pad built into the design here which means it's easy to find and distinguish where you should tap to skip to the next song. These touchpads always worked really nicely and clearly indicated their activations with subtle beeps. 

As is expected, the buds come with a pill box that houses them and keeps them charged. I like the shape of the case, but it does feel a bit bulky when sat in my back pocket. On the other hand, battery life here is nice and generous, and that may be an advantage of having a slightly bulkier case. The aesthetics EarFun has gone for aren't necessarily as overt as other gaming headsets, but I like the fact they appear as versatile as their features allow them to be. They're available in different colours too, which is always a welcome thing for accessories.

One small design issue I'd raise is with the grille used to cover the drivers. One fairly gruesome part about owning earbuds that I think far too many people ignore is keeping them clean. I had to return a pair of original Galaxy Buds to Samsung in 2019 because earwax got into the innards and caused damage. That seemed to be a widespread issue (and not just a gross fact about me) because since then, most earbuds have used much finer mesh to cover their drivers. The Air Pro 3s have fairly large openings that, while easy to clean, may be more susceptible to damage if you let wax build-up. 

Features

The EarFun Air Pro 3 features a lot of great bonuses for the money you pay. For starters, you get 11mm wool drivers powered by Qualcomm's adaptive audio, and while I found that these lacked a bit of oomph at times, they certainly provide a balanced and surprisingly deep audio experience. 

In terms of battery life, the box quotes around 45 hours and I'd say that's accurate. In months of using these buds, I haven't charged them very often - maybe twice or three times at the most. The buds alone can last up to 9 hours, but the case ensures they'll always be ready to go when you need them.

I'd argue that one of the true strengths of the Air Pro 3s is the clever EarFun companion app, which lets you turn on and off noise canceling, activate gaming mode (ultra-low latency), and adjust sound profiles. This was an easy app to use, and being a convert from Samsung-exclusive accessories, I didn't feel I was missing anything important from the Samsung Wearables app.

For those looking for a pair of earbuds to use in the gym, you'll be glad to know that these have earned an IPX5 sweat and water resistance rating, although, for reasons I'll come onto, you still might be better suited with something else. The buds connect through Bluetooth 5.3, and can seamlessly connect to two devices. In truth, I could never really set things up to connect to my phone and PC, for example. Luckily, pairing works really quickly, so switching from a phone to a Nintendo Switch on a flight is easy enough. In fairness, simultaneous Bluetooth connection is something even some of the best wireless gaming headsets struggle to achieve. 

One thing that does work just fine is the gaming/ultra-low latency mode which gives you less than 55ms of delay. Weirdly, this is something you have to turn on through the app, I assume because of the extra drain on battery life. Nevertheless, when playing Xbox Game Pass with one of the best mobile controllers, audio is always exactly in sync thanks to EarFun's buds.

Lastly in this list of features is Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), which is honestly really impressive. Short of Samsung's much more expensive Galaxy Buds Pro, I haven't come across a pair of ANC Earbuds that drown out background noise so well. EarFun says this is powered by QuietSmart tech and can drown up to 43dB of background noise. Through the app, you can activate ambient mode and normal mode too.

Performance

Audio is always going to be king when deciding on a pair of gaming earbuds, because more than any other type of gaming headset, they'll likely be used for music and phone calls as well. Overall, I'm really pleased with the audio quality of the Air Pro 3s, mainly because of the balance and detail on offer. 

The tranquil soundtrack of Jusant layered beautifully with the protagonist's effort noises as they scaled the game's gargantuan tower. Eastward and the Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood sounded totally distinct even if their soundscapes aren't too far removed from one another. Electric Bass tones from the latter held power, while Joel Corelitz's treble-heavy score for the former never sounded tinny or uncomfortable on the ears. 

Music was a similar story - Laufey's smooth jazz sounded lighter than air, while EarFun's buds never felt like they lost control when I asked them to play heavier rock by Alter Bridge. The rather expansive EQ settings in the companion app were great for adjusting to different genres as well, and having so many presets to hand is a real strength.

I had a similar experience with the Sony INZONE H7 headset in this regard. Even when drivers lack the power of more expensive audio solutions, great balance and quality of sound can do a lot of heavy lifting. While I certainly found that the Air Pro 3s lacked power in more action-heavy games, it's hard to fault the level of detail on offer for this price. Again, it isn't the absolute best audio quality out there, but it's better than other budget earbuds I've tried like the Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds.

ANC is sure to be a contributing factor to that audio quality because again, a lack of power is softened by a sincere lack of background noise. While it's possible to switch between ANC mode, ambient sound, and normal, I do wish there was maybe a slider to scale between them. While ANC worked brilliantly on a plane, completely negating that ugly pressurized air-con noise, I don't think EarFun prepared for blustery Scottish winds. There were a few walks I went out on where wind and rain did put ANC to shame.

The only other caveat I have when recommending these buds is that even with different ear tips to fit my lugs specifically, I did find that they were prone to slipping and loosening if I was eating or talking on the phone. The Air Pro 3s sit comfortably inside your ears, but not especially deep, so you will occasionally feel them start to come out. For that reason, I'd be a little hesitant to take them on a run, but your mileage may vary.

Should you buy the EarFun Air Pro 3?

If you're looking for some do-it-all wireless earbuds and you're on a budget, I couldn't recommend the EarFun Air Pro 3 more. For the money you pay, you get a slew of great features that let you tailor your audio experience to you. These are just as strong for gaming as they are for listening to music, and although they lack that power audiophiles may be looking for, their balance and quality make them worth buying.

As I mentioned up at the top, there's a lot of competition in the wireless earbud market. I've always struggled with the idea of jumping ship from Samsung's Galaxy Buds because I use the specific device they're designed to be used with, but the value for money on offer with EarFun's buds has completely changed that for me. 

How we tested the EarFun Air Pro 3

The EarFun Air Pro 3 wireless earbuds were my everyday go-to mobile audio solution for a number of months before this review. I've used them extensively, taking them through multiple battery life cycles and using them for a myriad of gaming and music sessions. I also used them for phone calls and sending voice messages to test the quality of the microphones. For gaming, I paired these earbuds with the Nintendo Switch and my phone when playing Xbox games via Cloud Streaming. I made use of the companion EarFun app to customize and tailor my experience as well.

If you'd like to read more about the ways we test the latest gadgets and goobers, I'd recommend reading our Hardware Policy.

Looking for something platform-specific? Check out the best Nintendo Switch headset, the best PS5 headset, and the best Xbox Series X headset.