EarFun in-ear headphones are consistently one of the best best budget wireless earbuds we are testing. While over-ear headphones have been disappointing in tests, the brand’s in-ear headphones always seem to amaze us. So I was very excited to try out the Air 2 NC headphones, which claim to offer high-resolution audio and active noise cancellation. For only $69? Register me.
The Air 2 NC comes in a black box, almost identical to the Apple AirPods MagSafe case, but the caps are slightly more angular and bulkier than the aforementioned AirPods. However, at only $69, these are truly professional-sounding in-ear headphones. Although they don’t have as much sonic power as higher-end headphones, the Air 2 NC can still be one of ours best wireless earbuds.
Are these super budget in-ear headphones worth $70? You will find out in the review of the EarFun Air 2 NC headphones.
Editor’s note: The EarFun Air 2 NC earbuds are currently unavailable due to stock issues. EarFun tells us they will be available on Amazon US and Amazon UK in early November.
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: Cheat Sheet
- What is this? A pair of budget in-ear headphones that provide good sound quality for the price – but they won’t impress an audiophile.
- Who is this for? People who want a cheap pair of earbuds and decent sound quality
- How much is it? $69 / £59
- What do we like? The sound quality is quite good for only $69 and the charging case looks identical to the AirPods MagSafe case
- What don’t we like? There is no wear detection and the earbuds look a little dated
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: Specifications
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| Price | $69 / £59 |
| Communication | Bluetooth 5.3, LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Effective range | 49 feet |
| ANC | Yes |
| Battery (earbuds) | 9 hours |
| Battery (charging case) | 40 hours |
| Libra | 1.69 oz |
| Dimensions | 2.4 x 1.9 x 1 inches |
| Durability | IPX5 |
| Coloration | Black |
| Compatibility | iOS, Android |
EarFun Air 2 NC review: price and availability
(Image source: Future)
The EarFun Air 2 NC in-ear headphones are available on Amazon US for $69, and £59 from EarFun in the UK. This budget price range makes them $30 cheaper than OnePlus 3 headphoneswhich are our best budget wireless earbuds. JLab JBuds Mini The in-ear headphones cost $39 and are some of the cheapest headphones I’ve ever seen.
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: Design and Controls
The EarFun Air 2 NC has a small charging case that looks almost identical to the MagSafe case for AirPods. At the bottom of the case there is a Bluetooth connection button and a USB-C port for charging.
The earbuds themselves aren’t the prettiest on the market, they have plastic feet and a 2010s-style silver, chrome brand logo. However, they come in 4 tip sizes, so you’re sure to find something that suits your ears. I noticed that after about two hours the headphones started hurting my ears, so I changed them to smaller ones. I would advise you to play around with your ideal sizes before settling on one.
(Image source: Future)
The earbuds feature touch controls that can be customized in the EarFun Audio app. The touch controls seem a bit laggy to me, but if you can wait a while it shouldn’t be a major problem.
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: Features and Connectivity
Unlike EarFun Air 4 in-ear headphones ($89), Air 2 NC has no wear detection. For $69 you might not expect a bunch of premium features, but I think wear detection is a pretty important feature for in-ear headphones these days, $69 or not.
EarFun Air 2 NC earbuds support game mode and cinema mode. Cinema mode disables the equalizer, but apparently expands the soundscape to provide a more immersive audio experience. I tested this setting in a quiet room with ANC turned on. I listened to FKA Twigs, arguably one of the most cinematic artists working today, and found that the theater mode does provide a wider and deeper listening experience, but I don’t think it would be noticeable if you were listening in a louder environment.
(Image source: Future)
I tested the quality of LDAC on a friend’s computer Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. You have to have the EarFun Audio app to use LDAC. You then need to manually disable the two-device connection to enable LDAC, which most products can do automatically. We tested in the office Soundcore Space 1 Pro headphones ($99) at the same time as the EarFun Air 2 NC earbuds, which managed to automatically disable the two-device connection. However, while listening to Daft Punk’s “Revolution 909,” I became obsessed with the depth and layering of bass reverberating through the Air 2 NC headphones – so if you have an LDAC-enabled device (sorry, iPhone users), these headphones could be an amazing budget option.
In terms of call quality, the Air 2 NC headphones were average. During testing, I used these headphones on several work calls, and my colleagues reported that my voice sounded as if it were coming through the cell phone speaker rather than the dedicated in-ear microphones. If you want to use them for professional calls, you may be disappointed.
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: App
EarFun Air 2 NC in-ear headphones come with the EarFun Audio app available for iOS and Android. The application is very easy to use. My earbuds immediately appeared as a suggested connection, and once connected to the app, I was able to adjust the equalizer and touch controls. I changed the touch controls to mimic AirPods because that’s what I’m used to. You can adjust the left and right earphones independently.
(Photo: Future / EarFun)
The EarFun Audio app is a great companion app, offering a variety of settings from dual-device connection to firmware updates. If you have a pair of EarFun earbuds, I think this is a must-download app.
EarFun Air 2 NC headphones review: Sound quality
As someone who recently switched to Apple Music, I listened to the EarFun Air 2 NC via the Apple Music app with lossless streaming enabled. However, the Air 2 NC earbuds are not compatible with Apple’s high-resolution Bluetooth codec, ALAC, and only with Sony’s LDAC codec, so if you have an iPhone, you won’t be able to use Apple’s proprietary high-resolution streaming codec with these headphones.
(Image source: Future)
I listened to “Talk Talk” by Charli xcx and was blown away by the quality of the bass and the clarity of the vocals. Not wanting to interrupt the party, I put on “All My People” by Confidence Man, another pounding house track with a ’90s rave-groove bassline, and the bass was so infectious that I almost wanted to start rhythmicing in the coffee shop I was at. “Messy Star” by Chochocherry is a laid-back indie track with subdued guitar verses and a heavier chorus. Fortunately, the guitar nuances were accurately translated by the Air 2 NC headphones, and the shoegaze rock song sounded amazing. For a change of genre, I played “Neva Play” by Megan Thee Stallion and RM, an energetic hip-hop track. The bass was dynamic and layered, but some of the vocals were a bit muffled, as if they were lost in the structure of the song. Then I played “Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat, a mellow hip-hop song. The subtle brass motifs were groovy and hypnotic, and Doja’s voice was clear and sparkling.
At just $69, these in-ear headphones performed really well in audio tests. They are much better than those of the same price Mixx Streambuds Ultra Mini headphones in-ear headphones, but not as good as the entry-level ones AirPods 4 ($129), which have great sound quality but no ANC.
EarFun Air 2 NC Review: Verdict
(Image source: Future)
If you need cheap in-ear headphones but don’t want to (hugely) sacrifice sound quality, battery life, ANC, or premium features like LDAC (sorry, ALAC) support, the EarFun Air 2 NC in-ear headphones are a great budget option. While these aren’t the best-looking in-ear headphones on the market, if you ignore the chrome-plated plastic finish, there’s no reason why they can’t be a serious contender for the best in-ear headphones under $70.