EarFun Free Professional 3
MSRP $80.00
“You would pay extra for earbuds than you’d the EarFun Free Professional 3, however why?”
Professionals
- Improbable worth
- Cozy, safe match
- Massive, bass-forward sound
- Wonderful noise canceling
- Wi-fi charging
- Bluetooth Multipoint
Cons
- No put on sensors
- Inconsistent triple-tap gesture
I’ve mentioned it earlier than: We’ve hit the purpose the place nearly no one must spend greater than $100 on wi-fi earbuds. Since 2021, there’s been a deluge of merchandise that ship consolation, sound high quality, lively noise cancellation, and different fascinating options with out the necessity to spend $150 to $300. And what we will anticipate from the under-$100 class retains getting higher.
The newest instance is EarFun’s Free Professional 3. After spending a couple of weeks with them, there’s no query that for $80 or much less (Amazon reductions EarFun merchandise recurrently), they’re an outstanding purchase.
EarFun Free Professional 3: what’s within the field
Even $249 wi-fi earbuds just like the Apple AirPods Professional typically include simply three or perhaps 4 sizes of eartips, so it’s nice to see that EarFun has gone above and past with 5 sizes of silicone eartips, a set of reminiscence foam suggestions, plus three varieties of earloops.
You additionally get a USB-C charging cable, plus a disposable cleansing software.
EarFun Free Professional 3: design
EarFun makes earbuds with each stem-based and stemless designs. The Free Professional sequence are stemless, which some people desire. Stemless designs are usually safer as a result of they take up extra room in your ear’s concha, and there’s better pores and skin contact than with stem-based earbuds like Apple’s AirPods.
That makes the Free Professional 3 higher suited to lively use, like working, biking, or hitting the fitness center. They’ve an IPX5 score for water resistance, which signifies that so long as you don’t submerge them, they need to have the ability to deal with splashes and sweat effortlessly (so long as you clear them off after you utilize them.)
However what’s actually outstanding in regards to the Free Professional 3 is their weight. Not a lot the burden of the buds themselves — they’re on par with different stemless designs — however the whole weight of the buds and their charging case, which is simply 1.4 ounces. Slip them in your pocket and also you gained’t know they’re there. The case even has wi-fi charging, which is the form of function that usually will get reduce when producers wish to hold costs low.
EarFun Free Professional 3: consolation, controls, and connections
Due to the numerous included eartips and earloops, I had no hassle discovering a cushty and safe match. As has been the case with most wi-fi earbuds I’ve used over time, fatigue finally set in, however they have been high quality for as much as two hours of steady use.
I like that the Free Professional 3’s contact controls are absolutely customizable throughout the EarFun companion app (iOS/Android). With single, double, and triple faucets on every earbud — plus a long-press gesture — you get eight management choices, which is sufficient for each attainable operate together with playback, quantity, name administration, ANC management, and voice assistant entry.
These gestures have been largely — however not at all times — acknowledged after I carried out them. Triple-taps tended to be those that failed most frequently, which isn’t distinctive to the Free Professional 3 (I’ve had hassle with the triple-tap on different merchandise, too). Fortunately, you get a suggestions tone when faucets are efficiently registered, which at the very least eliminates the “did I try this proper?” guesswork.
The one lacking factor is built-in put on sensors on the earbuds so you’ll be able to auto-pause your tunes once you take away one or each buds.
With Bluetooth 5.3, I discovered the connection high quality was excellent and gave me a good vary — about 20 to 25 toes indoors. Their help for Bluetooth Multipoint is a giant comfort and it really works seamlessly. When you’re contemplating shopping for new wi-fi earbuds, it’s essential, because it helps you to keep linked to 2 gadgets concurrently.
EarFun Free Professional 3: sound high quality
Audiophiles would possibly discover the Free Professional 3’s sound signature a tad too “boosted,” however I find it irresistible. It has a high-energy vibe that enhances a number of genres and can assist you get probably the most out of Dolby Atmos Music mixes, which have a tendency to want slightly increase anyway.
As a part of that increase, these earbuds are good for bass. It’s not straightforward to make inexpensive wi-fi earbuds that ship massive, daring low-end frequencies with out going overboard, however the Free Professional 3 handle to take action.
On a few of my favourite bass-heavy tracks like Hans Zimmer’s Time and Warming Up My Devices, plus Billie Eilish’s dangerous man, the Free Professional 3 jogged my memory of Sony’s WF-1000 sequence, which is excessive reward when you think about these earbuds are far dearer.
Not a bass head? The EarFun app has a colossal variety of EQ changes. Along with the default tuning, there are 10 presets (12 for those who embody the 2 “Oluv” signature presets), plus a 10-band equalizer that allows you to configure and save your individual presets.
When you occur to personal an Android cellphone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound, you’ll get hi-res audio help through aptX Adaptive. Switching back-and-forth between an iPhone (AAC) and a Motorola ThinkPhone (aptX Adaptive) — it’s really easy to do because of Multipoint — I might hear the distinction. Higher separation of frequencies and extra element have been the most important enhancements, however there was additionally an enhancement of the soundstage.
I’m not going to inform you it’s a distinction you’ll have the ability to hear the entire time. In actual fact, until you’re sitting quietly and actually centered on the music, you possible gained’t discover in any respect. However I’m calling it out since you’ll discover loads of funds buds that promise “hi-res audio” with no perceptible distinction.
EarFun Free Professional 3: noise canceling and transparency
I’m nonetheless form of shocked by this, however the lively noise cancellation (ANC) on the EarFun Free Professional 3 is superior. It’s higher than on the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($100), and beneath some circumstances — like canceling noise at a distance — it even bests Sony’s LinkBuds S ($200).
I don’t understand how helpful it will likely be for you, however the EarFun app has 4 “Ear-Adaptive” profiles for ANC primarily based on completely different ear styles and sizes. For me, the default settings labored greatest.
There’s additionally an efficient wind-noise cancellation mode.
Cleverly, the triple-gesture switches you between ANC and transparency mode by default — you don’t should cycle by way of the ANC off mode. However that off mode remains to be accessible within the app once you need it to preserve battery life.
Transparency mode is extra of a blended bag. It does an excellent job of letting you hear your environment, however don’t depend on it for clear conversations — your voice will nonetheless be fairly muffled. That’s not an actual ding in opposition to the Free Professional 3, as full transparency is more durable to get proper than ANC, and solely a handful of wi-fi earbuds do it effectively.
EarFun Free Professional 3: name high quality
Normally, name high quality on the Free Professional 3 is sweet. In quieter situations, your voice will come throughout very clearly and naturally — much more so for those who’ve acquired a Snapdragon Sound cellphone. When issues get noisy, your callers gained’t hear a lot of the background sound, however they’ll know one thing’s up. The environmental noise-canceling software program can have a tough time distinguishing between your voice and people different noises, creating wobbliness and compression.
EarFun Free Professional 3: battery life
Battery life on these wi-fi earbuds is about common for the trade in the intervening time. EarFun claims 7.5 hours per cost, with an extra 25.5 hours within the case, for 33 hours whole. However that’s a best-case situation. With ANC turned on, you’ll be able to anticipate round 6 hours per cost and 27 hours total. Listening at louder than 50% — which, because of the Free Professional 3’s wonderful passive isolation gained’t typically be vital — will cut back these numbers additional.
When you do end up in want of a top-up, the fast-charge system will provide you with an additional two hours with 10 minutes of charging.
The EarFun Free Professional 3 get so many issues proper that it’s nearly simpler to inform you who shouldn’t purchase them. Don’t purchase them for those who desire the match of stem-style earbuds. Don’t purchase them for those who want crystal-clear transparency mode. And don’t purchase them for those who hate getting nice worth in your cash. For everybody else, the EarFun Free Professional 3 are extremely beneficial.
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