EarFun Air Pro 4+ review

Before the EarFun Air Pro 4+ came along, I was using the original, non-Plus version as my go-to pair of travelling buds, accompanying me on train journeys and the like. Now I've tried out the new version, the Air Pro 4+, the old set has been relegated to use as a trusty backup. The Plus version is, to my eyes and ears, better in every way.The high-level picture is that these earbuds—just like the first but more so—offer a ton of features and fantastic sound, making for a very appealing overall package. That's especially true for the $80–100 price tag (depending on whether they're on one of their frequent sales), which I'd say is probably more of a mid-range price than a truly budget one.On the feature front, you get pretty much the whole caboodle. The case has wireless charging, and the earphones have ANC (adjustable), dual Bluetooth connectivity, great EQ options, LE audio, Auracast, and in-ear detection. The list goes on. You even get in-app (phone speaker or earphone) language translation.The buds are the same overall size as the regular Air 4 Pros, but I found these to sit a little less snugly in my ears. This might be down to the oval-shaped tips, as opposed to the more circular tips of the non-Plus buds. This has meant I've struggled on a couple of occasions with the earphones coming loose, for instance, if I've been on a particularly strenuous and active walk.

However, I have weird little ears and I seem to struggle more than most people to keep earbuds seated, and at any rate, it has only been occasionally that I've found it to be an issue. You get a selection of different tip sizes to choose from, too, which can help.Once they are, in fact, seated, you're in for a treat. Sound quality on the original set was pretty great, and I'm happy to say that with the Plus buds, I can remove that 'pretty' qualifier and say that these things sound straight-up great—once you've manually adjusted the EQ to boost some of the highs and lows, that is. There's more clarity across the frequency spectrum, and when listening to music, each instrument feels separate and distinct without reducing overall fullness. The improvement is definitely noticeable over the first version and has turned these into some truly premium-sounding earphones.This is thanks to the combination of "ultra-light FeatherBA armature" and 10 mm dynamic drivers—the non-Plus lacked the former armature ones. Armature drivers were originally made for hearing aids and are great for clarity and higher frequencies. This explains perfectly why the difference is so (ahem) clear between the original Pro 4 and the Pro 4+.

It's noticeable with in-game audio, too, though it's not quite as bassy and immersive as some other earphones. The Nothing Ear (a), for instance, can rock you a bit more in gunfights and offers a deeper, closer presence that the Air Pro 4+ can't quite match. I wouldn't exactly say the EarFuns are worse for gaming, though, just different. The clarity you find in music does transfer into games, too, giving each audible in-game action an extra sprinkling of satisfaction.Note that you're only getting a Bluetooth connection, which can't offer the same bandwidth as over wired USB or wireless 2.4 GHz, and moreover tends to add a little audio lag. There is a low-latency game mode, however, and I found this to work very well. Without it enabled, FPS games are pretty unplayable thanks to the clearly audible delay, but with it turned on, the delay is almost imperceptible. Almost, but not quite, so I still wouldn't say it's the best option for someone who only plays competitive FPS games, for instance. For occasional competitive gaming and certainly for casual gaming, though, game mode works very well.

The Qualcomm QCC3091 SoC powering these buds—the same as in the non-Plus—allows for a bunch of the latest audio technologies. These include the aptX lossless codec, Bluetooth 6, LE Audio and LC3 low-power codecs, and LDAC. All stuff that you don't see too often on budget buds. Apart from Bluetooth 6, however, it's all stuff that was present in the original Air Pro 4's.The Air Pro 4+ also has both ANC and transparency modes. The ANC sounds about the same as with the previous non-Plus version to my ears, which is to say, it works perfectly well at blocking out background hums and whirrs and even quieting other noises a little. Saying that, I really can't tell much of a difference between the different ANC modes on offer, so I just stick with the default. Ambient mode is actually improved over the first edition, allowing more sound through, and more clearly, too.The mic is serviceable, too, at least for phone calls. It's not amazing, though, and I'd definitely prefer a headset for gaming—not least because you want to free up that Bluetooth bandwidth for incoming audio rather than outgoing. For making calls and voice noting, however, it's fine.

EarFun has also done a great job with the software, too, as everything is nice and customisable. The EQ, in particular, is great, offering full customisation with multiple bands across the frequency range, and different profiles you can switch between. It might not look as snazzy as some other apps, like the Nothing one, but it does the job just fine.I must say, while we're on the topic of how things look, I'm happy with the change to the charging case, too. There was something about the laying-flat design of the first, especially when combined with the plain black and EarFun branding, that made me a little sheepish when opening it in public. I'd always wonder whether the AirPod users around me would be looking over at me, shaking their heads and tutting.Not so with these new bad boys, though, because that case opens up the other way and presents you with two lovely, vertically shelved stems to grab. Opening the case takes a little while to get used to as it can be a bit slippery, but since getting used to it, I've had no issues. Ditto taking the earphones out and putting them back in.Another slight improvement over the first is the extra battery life. While an extra two hours overall—with the case included—might not sound like a lot, going from 11 hours to 12 on the earbuds themselves (with ANC off) is more of a meaningful difference.

You really are getting quite a lot, overall, with these buds. They cover all bases for general use, and are only really lacking when it comes to competitive gaming or ultra-high fidelity audio, thanks to being Bluetooth-only.The buds' main competition is, I reckon, primarily the original non-Plus earbuds. One of the best things about originals is that they go on sale so frequently, which at the time of writing means they often go down to $60 and occasionally even a little lower. These new Plus ones have already dropped a few times though, down to $75 or $80. If there's not much in it, say $80 vs $65, then I'd definitely get the Plus ones. If there's more in it, say $100 vs $55, then I'd wait for the Plus to go on sale again, or go for the non-Plus version if you want to save as much as possible and don't mind sacrificing some sound quality.You certainly would be missing out, though, as those fancy new dual drivers make all the difference. It's truly impressive how far we've come to get such a nice sound for a sub-$100 price.