Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus
Specifications
| Driver | 1× 10mm DD + 1× BA (Custom Balanced Armature) |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm QCC3091 |
| Codecs | Snapdragon Sound: aptX Lossless/Adaptive, LDAC, LC3, AAC, SBC |
| ANC | Yes (Quietsmart 3.0 Hybrid 50dB ANC) |
| Mics | 6 mics with AI algorithm + cVc 8.0 noise reduction |
| App Support | Yes |
| Multipoint | Yes (with device list) |
| Water Resistance | IP55 |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours (ANC off) |
| Total Battery | Up to 54 hours |
| Quick Charge | 10min = 3 hours |
| Wireless Charging | Yes |
| Wear Detection | Yes (extensive control) |
| Spatial Audio | No |
| Other Notable Features | Auracast, Mute call |
| In The Box | 5 sets of eartips, charge cable |
Pros
- ANC improvement over Air Pro 4
- Custom balanced armature enhances treble performance
- Harman-target tuning out of the box (ANC off)
- Good driver coherency for first hybrid implementation
- Improved comfort with oval nozzle design, alleviating occlusion (for me)
- Comprehensive control customization (including mute call)
- Device list for multipoint management
- Strong battery life (
- Improved transparency mode
- IP55 dust and water resistance
- Redesigned case (improved orientation)
Cons
- ANC still not as good as comparably-priced models
- Notable EQ shift with ANC on (thicker, more muffled sound)
- Transparency mode slightly weaker than competitors
- Some users may experience ear pressure
- Gaming mode latency higher than competitors (113ms)
- Normal mode latency 234ms
- Call quality still not exceptional
Verdict
Some improvements on its popular predecessor - but is it enough?
Review Reference: RC186 Price at Review: $99.99
Introduction
If you do a search on ‘best TWS under $100’ anywhere from the earbuds subreddit to LLMs to random Android Authority-style regurgitated articles, you’ll probably stumble upon the Earfun Air Pro 4 - the predecessor to the 4+ - which deserved their acclaim, and achieved popularity despite an amusing brand name that will undoubtedly still put a few off, something I’ve learned to forgive them for over time :D If you watched my Air Pro 3 review, you’ll note my tone on that model was quite dismissive - the sound was way overcooked in the bass, the distortion numbers were disappointing and the ANC fell behind many of its competitors.
Before the release of the Air Pro 4, Earfun got in contact with me and asked me why I didn’t like them. To say I was surprised is an understatement as we’d had no prior contact (I bought the Air Pro 3 out of my own pocket, as is the case with many brands I review). To Earfun’s credit, pretty much everything I fed back to them was upgraded in its subsequent release, and Earfun have maintained that relationship since. They are one of the brands I really enjoy dealing with, one of the few that take note of criticism, and by all accounts my experience with them isn’t unique.
The Air Pro 4+ (4+, 4 Plus, however you wanna refer to it) is positioned alongside, slightly above the 4 - with the “Plus” designation following the industry trend of offering enhanced versions with additional drivers, promising improved audio quality whilst maintaining the value proposition that made the standard versions popular. At around $100, the Air Pro 4 Plus competes directly in the crowded sub-$100 segment where marginal improvements can make or break a product.
The Air Pro 4 had its strengths - particularly its Harman-hugging tuning - but struggled with call quality (later improved through firmware updates) and had a smaller rounded nozzle that gave a deeper, sometimes uncomfortable fit with notable occlusion effects. The question is whether the Plus version addresses these shortcomings whilst successfully integrating a second driver - something Earfun had only done previously in headphone form with the Wave Pro, and not especially effectively - so it’s good news that that part of the question was definitely answered, but as always, there’s still some considerations that prevent this (and every other model in this segment) being a shoe-in.
Design, Fit and Comfort
It’s business as usual when it comes to the aesthetics of the Air Pro 4+, with a familiar look of subtlety. These are medium-length stem-based buds that feature a ring at the top of the stem to designate the touch control area, and a little branding underneath. Evolution rather than revolution.
Whilst not looking a great deal different, Earfun have gone for a full-on redesign principle with the bit that matters most on the Air Pro 4 Plus - the bit that goes in your lug hole. The oval nozzle replaces the smaller rounded nozzle of the original, fundamentally changing the fit characteristics. This is a big change for Earfun in particular, whose smaller rounded nozzle on the Air Pro 4 gave a deeper and sometimes more uncomfortable fit.
For me, not only was the new design more comfortable, but it alleviated the occlusion effect that was present on the Air Pro 4. The oval nozzle provides a shallower, more universal fit that should accommodate a wider range of ear shapes and sizes. Basically, they’ve followed the rest of the the industry, opting to go with Apple’s lead rather than sticking with the IEM-style fit of their previous releases. And as always with subjective elements like these, your mileage may vary - everyone’s ear shape, size and anatomy is slightly different, so what works for one may not work for others, but the fact Apple made that change often tells you all you need to know. Personally, I found them pretty comfortable - better, in a way, than the likes of OnePlus Buds 4, which are initially lightweight but would cause a little ache after a while, but not as comfortable as SoundPEATS’ AirX Pro series. The eartips are made from a curious, sticky material that added stability during exercise testing, and whilst I could feel them at times in my ears, they were still a good gym companion overall, passing the 100 jumping jacks test without issue and offering an industry-standard IP55 rating provides adequate water and dust protection.
My partner, on the other hand, has smaller ears and felt a little bit of ear pressure, notably with ANC on. I guess this comes back to your propensity for these things, and is one of the frustrations us reviewers have because everyone’s experience when it comes to fit - something that makes or breaks your experience with them - differs somewhat. If I had to hedge my bets, I’d say these are better suited to adult males of a certain age than teenagers or females, but this is of course a sweeping generalisation so don’t take that as gospel!
The Case
The case is another element that has enjoyed a redesign, with a new orientation that improves both function and aesthetics compared to the original. The earbuds ‘front-load’ - and it isn’t always easy to get them in and out - but you can pop the case in front of you on the desk and see the buds as you’re pairing.
The case LED and Earfun logo are prominent, although not garishly so.
When it comes to portability, the case is pretty compact - a big improvement over the 4, and whilst it has stood the test of time in my pocket fairly well, it doesn’t feel as robust as some competitors - Realme, for example, with their Air 7 Pro. It’s still plastic and there’s a bit of machine tolerance on the edges. Still, it does the job and will fit in your pocket and not weigh you down.
The case supports wireless charging, adding convenience for those who prefer cable-free charging solutions. It also includes quick charge capability, giving you 3 hours of playtime from just 10 minutes plugged in - two features that are not always included, but are always welcome.
Controls & Features
When it comes to controls, Earfun allow you to change pretty much everything in a logical layout. They have also now added a ‘mute call’ option - something I’ve only seen previously with the Technics AZxxx series. This is really handy - a new addition for Earfun, and once again evidence they listen to feedback from users, particularly those selecting these for their daily work of Teams or Zoom calls. This degree of customization extends throughout the feature set - pragmatic, useful and straightforward. The app is hardly the flashiest out there, but it more than makes up for it with its ease-of-use and simplicity.
Earfun have bundled in loads of extra features, some of which are actually really useful, like the ability to re-balance your channels based on your own hearing, which also accounts for any degredations in the product over time, given that an unfortunate side effect of sticking things in your ears, gravity and the human body’s propensity to sweat and expel ear wax making that loss of power in at least one of your earbuds an unavoidable eventuality regardless of brand. There’s a hearing limit as well, which is OK, although as usual I ignored it and cracked on with my own manual settings, as well as the ability to customise which side the mic is on. You’ve got lots of control over in ear detection, and there’s also the fabled Auracast support - a technology that sadly hasn’t really taken off yet, certainly here in the UK, preventing me from really putting that feature through its paces.
The Air Pro 4+ includes a device list for managing multipoint connectivity, making it straightforward to see what you’re connected to and switch between devices as needed. Toggling in the app doesn’t do the full step automatically - there’s still some manual intervention - but it tells you what to do, at least.
When it comes to latency, the Air Pro 4+ measures 234ms in normal mode, dropping to 113ms with gaming mode engaged. This is a bit higher than some competitors - in gaming mode, alternatives such as SoundPEATS Air5 Pro Plus and OnePlus Buds 4 clock in at 81ms and 65ms respectively - so if you’re a serious mobile gamer, this might be a consideration. Still, for videos and light gaming, it will satisfy the average user.
ANC & Transparency
There was a marked improvement in ANC performance from the Air Pro 4 to the Air Pro 4+. When tested using simulated ears and binaural microphones in both a subway and coffee shop environment, the improvement was certainly tangible - although I was keen to see how they measured when pumping pink noise through them to see if the objective matched the subjective - and essentially, it confirmed a mixture of my own experience and market feedback I’d seen from other users: better, but with caveats.
Looking at the measurements, in the lowest depths the 4+ has the advantage over the 4, but still only really offers moderate noise reduction for subway rumble and cabin noise. From 100 - 300Hz it’s a bit of a mixed bag, with the Air Pro 4 sometimes beating its successor in traffic or road noise. From 500Hz onwards, the 4+ mostly have an advantage - so you will notice an improvement in dealing with voices and indistinct chatter, although it falls behind something like OnePlus Buds 4 - one of the leaders in their price point, which offered almost 30dB noise reduction at 3KHz, compared with around 15 on the Plus and 10 on the regular 4. ANC performance, like all buds, differs depending on your seal. I got a really nice seal with the medium set of eartips, and this added passive isolation certainly augmented the experience, but for those who don’t, the shortcomings will definitely show.
Earfun gives you two AI modes - the environmental mode relieving ear pressure a bit, so if you are suffering - this is what to do. They also give you some manual adjustment to find that sweet spot as well. Their wind noise reduction mode is effective most of the time, too, although in strong gusts you will notice a little feedback, something all TWS struggle with to a degree.
When it comes to transparency mode, the Air Pro 4+ performs fairly well, giving you a good balance of intelligibility and naturalness. Unfortunately, it isn’t the huge improvement we were hoping for - it is still slightly weaker than some competitors. In conversations in particular, your own voice sounds a little bit muffled - it isn’t the heightened occlusion of the Air Pro 4, but it’s still not perfect. Environmental sounds come through clearly enough for most practical purposes, and there is a little layering of white noise at higher frequencies - keyboard taps, for example.
Audio & Sound Signature
As I mentioned in the intro, the raison’d’etre for the Plus release is the sound, with Earfun playing catchup with the competition in the driver willy-waving stakes, adding in a custom BA to open out the sound, something the 4 struggled a little with. The refined frequency response takes away some of that upper mid-range presence from the original Air Pro 4 and adds a little bit of sub-bass whilst not pushing the treble too much, and for me it is, for the most part, a winning formula. Earfun’s last two releases have focused the sound a little more Harman-esque, but the re-balancing of the tuning here gives the Air Pro 4+ a little more excitement, very much playing to the strengths of the drivers.
The bass is warm and fulsome, and there’s good depth to male vocals with only a little bleed from the lower frequencies into the lower mids. The low end is present and supportive without dominating, and a bit more balanced than the giving kick drums weight and electronic bass lines some substance without muddying up the mix. It isn’t the speediest bass, but it isn’t the slowest either - distortion stays well controlled through the bass and midrange - the driver handles low frequencies without obvious strain, and the vocal range is clean. Group delay peaks at around 1.7 milliseconds at 60 Hz and then flattens by 150 - a clear sign of a pretty well-damped bass tuning.
The ear gain through the 1-3kHz region is sensibly implemented, bringing vocals forward and adding clarity to acoustic instruments. The treble appears to roll off gently above this, erring on the smoother side of neutral. It’s - dare I say it - a sensible implementation that correlates to the driver type, quality and positioning. The consumer market seems to be heading in this direction, prioritising a comfy listen over exasperation and fatigue, although for me Earfun do it better than the darker approach that SoundPEATS have taken recently, out of the box, at least. Sibilance and harsh recordings are for the most part handled forgivingly, though absolute treble sparkle and air again take a back seat - it isn’t the widest horizontal sound field, and imaging is an improvement, but not super precise.
The measurements suggest pretty good coherency between the drivers - but not perfect. The spike at around 5KHz likely indicates phase wobble where the crossover sits - and whilst it’s a narrow spike, it’s still there. It will impact on timing interpretation around this region, with some hi-hats and cymbals sounding less tight, perhaps a little splashy, and detracting from the bite of trumpets and texture of violins. There’s also an occasional touch of sibilance on some vocals, although it does very much depend on the vocalist. For casual listening it’s likely a non-issue; for critical listening it’s a minor asterisk.
The only thing to bear in mind is the additional colouration from activating ANC, with a sizeable dollop of low-end thump and a more v-shaped sound overall. To some it may be preferable, adding weight and character, but for my liking it’s a bit overbaked. Bear this in mind when it comes to EQ, with Earfun giving you plenty of options to adjust the sound.
Call Quality
One area where the original Earfun Air Pro 4 struggled was with calls, although they did improve it slightly after a few firmware updates. The Air Pro 4+ continues to show improvement, though call performance still isn’t exceptional, and still falls short of some of their direct competition, like OnePlus and SoundPEATS. Whilst your voice is on the softer-side of natural, once again the algorithm is a bit too aggressive, so when the scene gets super-busy, you will lose a little definition and clarity. This was particularly evident in the coffee shop scene included in the YouTube video, where the Air Pro 4+ still struggles to distinguish your voice from others close by. If you’re looking for a set specifically for calls, Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 4 is still the pick under $150 - with the Earfun, you’ll get by, but you might have to repeat yourself every so often.
Battery Life
Battery life is strong on the Air Pro 4+ - I measured 6 hours 19 minutes with ANC on using AAC, and there wasn’t much difference with aptX Adaptive, which is a big plus. With ANC off, battery life extends to around 9 hours - only a little short of Earfun’s advertised levels. Earfun still leads the way when it comes to giving you long listening sessions, and I didn’t notice too much degredation when you switch to aptX-adaptive. Obviously, the more settings you activate - gaming mode, multipoint and LDAC, for example, the more you’re going to eat into that total - my advice is stick with aptX-adaptive if your phone supports it. The quick charge feature also provides 3 hours of playtime from just 10 minutes of charging, offering solid convenience when you’re in a rush.
Summary
The Earfun Air Pro 4+ represents a successful evolution of the Air Pro 4, addressing key comfort issues through the redesigned oval nozzle whilst adding a custom balanced armature that enhances audio capability without sacrificing the Harman-target tuning that made the original appealing.
The improvements are tangible - better ANC performance, improved comfort with reduced occlusion, and enhanced treble detail from the dual driver implementation. The driver coherency is not perfect, but it’s very commendable for Earfun’s first hybrid attempt, with measurements showing well-controlled group delay and low harmonic distortion.
The comprehensive feature set stands out, with extensive control customization including rare options like mute call functionality and channel rebalancing. Proper LE audio and Auracast support, combined with good battery life, wireless charging, quick charge, and a device list for multipoint management, makes this feel like a well-rounded package that justifies picking this over the regular 4, even if it probably doesn’t do quite enough to justify an upgrade for existing users.
Earfun still have a few things they need to improve to become the de facto choice. The notable EQ shift when switching ANC on remains problematic, thickening the note weight and moving away from that desirable Harman tuning. It suggests Earfun are struggling with balancing strong ANC with the colouration impact on the sound, and are holding back a little while they work this out. Call performance still lags behind some of their close competitors, and transparency mode is better, but again not price-category-leading. The gaming mode latency at 113ms, while acceptable for casual use, also falls behind competitors clocking in at 65-81ms.
Where the Air Pro 4+ makes sense is for those in countries where buying from AliExpress introduces taxes or tariffs that make buying from there cost-prohibitive. Earfun’s presence on Amazon (and their excellent return policy for earbuds) makes buying their products relatively pain-free. With regular reductions in price taking them to some way lower than OnePlus’ Buds 4 - probably the most balanced all-rounder in their price bracket - they are a compelling option for many. As far as value for money goes, Earfun are still a contender, and with their commitment to improving products through firmware updates for the duration of the product lifecycle, you can definitely do a lot worse.