The budget wireless earbuds market has become increasingly competitive, but this EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus earbuds review finds they manage to stand out with a compelling combination great sound, premium features and aggressively good value. Priced at $100 — with a launch discount coupon on Amazon bringing it down to about $80 — these earbuds challenge what we’ve come to expect from the sub-$100 category. And they do so while going toe-to-toe with Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro 3.
EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus earbuds review
EarFun released the new Air Pro 4 Plus wireless, noise-canceling earbuds Monday after initially showcasing them at CES earlier this year. You may see them listed as “EarFun Air Pro 4+.” They feature various improvements over EarFun Air Pro 4, which I gave a 4-star review.
And given how good they are, minus a few minor drawbacks, they compare favorably with the outstanding AirPods Pro 3 for less than half the price (but minus a few features). As I’ve noticed with EarFun and other value-oriented makers in the past few years, great sound doesn’t have to come at a high price.
These adaptive noise cancelling wireless earbuds feature dual drivers, Qualcomm aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound, six microphones with AI for clear calls, certified Hi-Res sound, LDAC codec, Bluetooth 6.0 and 54 hours of playtime.
- Dual drivers for big sound
- Hi-Res Audio certified
- Long battery life
- Outstanding value
- Plasticky build quality
- LDAC codec is only for Android
- No heart rate monitoring
Table of contents: EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus earbuds review
- Design and build quality: Familiar but functional
- Sound quality: The dual-driver difference
- Active noise cancellation: Surprisingly effective
- Battery life: A clear advantage
- Features and connectivity: Packed with technology
- The value proposition
- Verdict
Design and build quality: Familiar but functional
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Air Pro 4 Plus won’t win any awards for groundbreaking industrial design. The stemmed design looks like a more affordable version of the AirPods Pro 3, with a slightly plasticky feel that more-or-less telegraphs its budget-friendly nature. But this criticism feels unfair when considering the price difference — we’re talking about earbuds that cost less than half of Apple’s flagship offering.
EarFun designed the earbuds using data from 10,000 ear models to create a “3-point ergonomic fit” for extended wear comfort. And in real-world use, this attention to ergonomics pays dividends. The fit is secure without being uncomfortable, making them suitable for everything from commutes to workouts. Without even having to change ear tips to one of the four other sizes provided, they stayed in my ears better than AirPods Pro 2 and 3 usually have.
And Air Pro 4 Plus’ IP55 rating provides dust and water resistance suitable for workouts and outdoor use, though this falls slightly short of the AirPods Pro 3’s IP57 rating.
The charging case is compact and practical, supporting both wired USB-C charging and wireless charging — a feature that remains surprisingly uncommon in this price bracket.
Sound quality: The dual-driver difference
Photo: EarFun
And here’s where Air Pro 4 Plus truly distinguishes itself. The earbuds combine a 10mm dynamic driver with an ultra-light FeatherBA balanced armature driver, making them the world’s first Hi-Res certified dual-driver wireless earbuds with adaptive noise cancellation under $100, according to EarFun. But that isn’t just marketing speak — the dual-driver configuration makes a tangible difference in audio performance I could hear the moment I slipped them into my ears.
EarFun’s proprietary Nano Side-Fitted Acoustic Architecture positions the two drivers at a precise 11-degree angle to minimize magnetic interference and optimize sound resonance. According to EarFun’s CTO Rocky Deng, this specific angle reduces high-frequency attenuation, delivering clearer and more natural highs.
In practice, the sound signature is impressively balanced and natural, with delicately balanced mids and treble over punchy-but-not-overpowering bass. There’s no “more bass equals better” approach sometimes found in budget earbuds.
Comparing directly to the AirPods Pro 3 is interesting. Apple’s flagship features a new multiport acoustic architecture with next-generation Adaptive EQ that transforms bass response and widens the soundstage Apple. The AirPods Pro 3 undeniably offer superior audio fidelity, particularly in Spatial Audio performance and overall clarity. But with an excellent default sound profile and plenty of opportunity for adjustment within the app, EarFun’s great new buds soar surprisingly close to the likes of AirPods Pro 3.
Air Pro 4 Plus supports an impressive array of codecs including aptX Lossless, LDAC, AAC and SBC, giving Android users access to high-resolution wireless audio. The AirPods Pro 3, by contrast, are optimized primarily for Apple’s ecosystem, though they deliver exceptional performance within it.
Active noise cancellation: Surprisingly effective
Air Pro 4 Plus features QuietSmart 3.0 adaptive active noise cancellation that suppresses up to 50dB of ambient noise. This is comparable to the AirPods Pro 2’s performance, though the AirPods Pro 3 raise the bar significantly. Apple’s latest removes up to 2x more noise than the AirPods Pro 2 and 4x more than the original AirPods Pro — establishing them as having the world’s best in-ear active noise cancellation. Nevertheless, EarFun does quite well here.
In real-world testing, Air Pro 4 Plus’ strong ANC mode performs impressively well, effectively eliminating consistent low-frequency noises like air conditioners and fans, though sounds like keyboard clicks, voices, and sirens still came through in a toned-down way. The inclusion of multiple ANC modes — including a dedicated wind noise cancellation mode — adds practical versatility that’s rare in this price range.
While competitors like the Soundcore Liberty 4 may be quieter in terms of sheer noise-canceling power, the Air Pro 4’s superior fit can make it more effective in actual use, highlighting that the ear-canal seal and comfort of a good fit for passive noise cancellation can matter as much as raw ANC capability.
Battery life: A clear advantage
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
When it comes to batter life, Air Pro 4 Plus decisively outperforms the competition. EarFun claims up to 54 hours of total playback time with the charging case (36 hours with ANC enabled). That significantly exceeds AirPods Pro 3’s total battery life. Apple’s earbuds offer up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled, with up to 30 hours total with the charging case.
And fast-charging capability provides three hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging, making Air Pro 4 Plus ideal for users who frequently forget to charge their devices overnight.
Features and connectivity: Packed with technology
The Qualcomm QCC3091 SoC powers Air Pro 4 Plus. It supports Bluetooth 6.0, delivering high-resolution streaming across a wide range of devices. The earbuds include Google Fast Pair for seamless pairing with Android devices, multipoint connectivity for switching between devices and Auracast broadcasting for sharing audio.
A six-microphone AI-enhanced system handles call quality. I found calls crisp and clear, and my voice sounded that way to callers, too. In addition, the earbuds include an ultra-low latency Gaming Mode that keeps audio synced with on-screen action. And like AirPods Pro 3, EarFun’s new buds offer AI-based language translation. And in another difference, EarFun buds’ touch controls lack haptic feedback.
But AirPods Pro 3 offers some key features Air Pro 4 Plus simply can’t match. Apple’s earbuds include built-in heart rate sensing that uses infrared light pulsed 256 times per second to track blood flow during workouts, supporting up to 50 different workout types. They also feature comprehensive hearing health features including a clinically validated hearing test and FDA-approved hearing aid functionality.
The EarFun Audio companion app is functional, offering 30 EQ presets, a customizable parametric EQ, sound profile customization based on a hearing test and full control customization. However, scrolling through all 30 EQ presets in a single row is a bit tedious.
The value proposition
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Here’s the critical question: Are EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus worth considering with top products like AirPods Pro 3 available?
For iPhone users deeply embedded in Apple’s ecosystem who want the absolute best ANC, cutting-edge health features and seamless device switching, AirPods Pro 3 justify their $249 price tag. The hearing health features alone could be transformative for users with hearing loss, and the heart rate monitoring opens up fitness tracking possibilities without an Apple Watch.
But for everyone else — particularly Android users, budget-conscious consumers, or those who simply want excellent sound quality without breaking the bank — Air Pro 4 Plus present a compelling alternative. To my ears, they’re the best budget earbuds available, delivering sound quality, balanced audio and impressive 54-hour battery life at an unbeatable price.
Air Pro 4 Plus has already earned recognition with a 2025 Red Dot Design Award and IFA Innovation Award Honoree status, validating their position as serious contenders in the crowded earbuds market.
Verdict: EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus review
EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus won’t replace AirPods Pro 3 for Apple devotees seeking the ultimate wireless earbuds experience. But they don’t need to. These earbuds occupy a different, equally valuable niche: delivering genuinely impressive audio quality, effective noise cancellation and premium features at a price that makes high-quality wireless audio accessible to far more people.
At $99.99 (or about $80 with launch discount coupon on Amazon), Air Pro 4 Plus represent exceptional value. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone who balks at spending $249 on earbuds but still wants a listening experience that approaches flagship quality.
For Android users with devices supporting aptX Lossless or LDAC, Air Pro 4 Plus may actually be preferable to AirPods, offering better codec support and comparable performance at less than half the price. That’s not just good — that’s remarkable.
These adaptive noise cancelling wireless earbuds feature dual drivers, Qualcomm aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound, six microphones with AI for clear calls, certified Hi-Res sound, LDAC codec, Bluetooth 6.0 and 54 hours of playtime.
- Dual drivers for big sound
- Hi-Res Audio certified
- Long battery life
- Outstanding value
- Plasticky build quality
- LDAC codec is only for Android
- No heart rate monitoring
Buy from: EarFun or Amazon
★★★★☆
EarFun provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
