The manufacturer EarFun was founded in 2018 and has since focused on the development of audio products, particularly in-ear headphones. EarFun is convinced that you can get premium sound on a smaller budget.
In November 2023, the manufacturer launched the Free Pro 3 series, which is available in black-brown, blue and white. The Free Pro 3 is designed to impress with the use of Bluetooth 5.3 and the built-in Qualcomm SoC, which supports aptX technology and, in conjunction with the 7mm wool composite drivers, should ensure lossless sound. The features also include six microphones as well as active and environmental noise canceling and IP5X certification.
Regardless of the color variant, the headphones start at € 79.99 *. Read this test to find out whether the EarFun Free Pro 3 can live up to all the praise.
Tip: With the voucher code EFP3ANC1 you get another 25% discount when buying via Amazon.
Technical data
| Dimensions: | 67mm x 50mm x 31mm |
| Weight: | 41.5g |
| Bluetooth version: | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth frequency: | 2.402 Ghz – 2.480 GHz |
| Bluetooth profile: |
A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP |
| Bluetooth codec: | aptX adaptive (Qualcomm® QCC3072 SoC), AAC, LC3, SBC |
| Bluetooth range: | 15m (without obstacles) |
| Active noise canceling: | ANC up to 43 dB |
| Drivers: | 7mm wool composite |
| Battery capacity |
40 mAh x 2 (earbuds); 420 mAh (charging case) |
| Battery life: | ANC OFF – Up to 7.5 hours, 33 hours total with the charging case (varies depending on volume and audio content)ANC ON – Up to 6 hours, 27 hours in total with the charging case (varies depending on volume and audio content) |
| Charging time: | 1.5 hours (for earbuds); 2 hours (for charging case via USB-C); 3.5 hours (for charging case via wireless charger) |
| Quick charge: | Yes (10 minutes charging time = 2 hours playing time) |
| Charging ports: | USB-C (DC 5V/1A), wireless charging |
| Water protection: | IPX5 |
| Price: | € 79.99 * (25% discount with the voucher code EFP3ANC1) |
| Other: | 3 microphones per earbud, cVc 8.0 noise reduction, <55 ms ultra-low latency mode, ergonomic fit with interchangeable ear hooks |
EarFun Free Pro 3 test: packaging & scope of delivery
EarFun packs the Free Pro 3 in a compact box with a very eye-catching design. This is mainly due to the fact that the front and back have been covered with a shiny or shimmering foil, which creates a rainbow effect. In addition to two product images, the name and a list of the most important features can also be seen on the back.
If you remove the plastic film, the lid can be removed. In addition to a thin box with the operating instructions and a quick-start guide, you can also see the charging case and another box with the remaining accessories. These include a USB-C charging cable, two additional sets for the modular ear hooks and five sets of different sized silicone tips. There should be something for every ear shape.
Design & workmanship
EarFun has designed the charging case to be very compact with dimensions of 67 mm x 50 mm x 31 mm and the weight of 41.5 grams including the earbuds is not exactly high. This means that the EarFun Free Pro 3 should also fit easily into slightly smaller trouser pockets. The earbuds are also very light and relatively small, which could have a positive effect on wearing comfort.
Visually, the Free Pro 3 differs only slightly from its predecessor. The ear buds are mainly made of black plastic with a black-brown front panel with the look of brushed aluminum and a silver manufacturer’s logo. The black silicone attachments and the modular rubber ear hooks round off the sleek overall look. LEDs on the side also indicate the charging and connection status of the Ear Buds using different colors.
The charging case is made entirely of black-brown plastic, which is pleasant to the touch. The magnetically closing lid with silver manufacturer’s logo also looks neatly finished, closes well and does not rattle. Both Ear Buds have a fixed place inside the charging box and are held firmly in the housing by strong magnets. Small recessed grips also make it easier to remove the ear pieces. A small LED on the front also provides an indication of the charging status of the charging case.
Overall, the EarFun Free Pro 3 and the accompanying charging case are solidly made. The earbuds hold firmly in the case even when shaken vigorously and the charging case also closes and opens well and does not rattle. The design is timeless thanks to the simple choice of colors and the stylish front panels.
Wearing comfort
My ears are quite demanding when it comes to in-ear headphones, or perhaps they simply have a bad shape. As a result, other in-ear headphones without a headband fall out or have to be repositioned during longer phone calls. This in turn leads to the touch controls on the earpieces being accidentally activated.
Fortunately, this is not the case with the EarFun Free Pro 3. The manufacturer not only includes 5 different large attachments for the ear canal in the scope of delivery, but also equips them with rubber ear hooks with which the earbuds can be “hooked” onto the ear cup. Here, too, EarFun is not lumpy and includes 3 different sizes. They hook into the ear cups perfectly and the earbuds hold very well in the ears even with strong movements.
Thanks to their light weight and discreet size, the Free Pro 3 could be worn for long periods without becoming uncomfortable. At times I even almost forgot that the ear buds were in my ear. Another advantage of the compact size is that you can also use the Free Pro 3 lying down, for example on a pillow, without them pinching your ears.
Sound
EarFun installs a Qualcomm SoC in the Free Pro 3, which supports the Bluetooth codecs aptX adaptive, AAC, LC3 and SBC. The sound is output via a dynamic wool composite driver with a membrane diameter of 7 millimeters. In principle, these are not unusual features. So how do the EarFun Free Pro 3 perform in terms of sound quality?
First things first, the Free Pro 3 have changed a lot compared to their predecessors. Overall, the headphones seem much more balanced ex works and it’s fun to listen to music with them. However, it is noticeable that the maximum volume of the Free Pro 3 is slightly lower.
Depending on the volume, we find the bass to be rich. It hits the ear, but is by no means excessive. However, the EarFun Free Pro 3 are definitely not a bass monster. The mids, on the other hand, are quite clear, which means that voices always come across well without overpowering the rest. We found the treble somewhat weaker, but still solid for the price range. Although they have a good sharpness, they lack a little lightness in the factory settings.
Fortunately, the EarFun app offers the option of assigning other predefined profiles to the equalizer or activating a user-defined configuration. One of these predefined profiles was developed by the Youtuber oluv’s gadgets. As tastes are known to differ, personalizing the equalizer is definitely recommended, as it can definitely improve the sound experience.
Active Noise Canceling
Like almost all current headphones, the EarFun Free Pro 3 also have active noise-canceling functions that can be activated. The quality shown is okay for the target price range, but cannot keep up with more expensive headphones by far. Four different ANC modes and wind noise suppression can be activated in the app. Simple or low-frequency noises such as humming or engine noise are filtered out well. Voices or very high-frequency ambient noise are significantly muffled, but are still easily audible. To work as effectively as possible, the right combination of earplugs and ear hooks is also absolutely crucial.
Alternatively, the EarFun Free Pro 3 offer a total of three modes via the app: Noise Cancellation, Transparent and Normal. The headphones also have an Environment Noise Cancellation feature, which is designed to filter out ambient noise for the communication partner. The ambient noise is recorded via three microphones per headphone. More on this in the next chapter
If you need to talk to a colleague in the office but don’t always want to take the ear buds out of your ears, the Free Pro 3 also offer a function for this. The so-called transparency mode uses the 6 built-in microphones to direct external noise inwards. In addition to a standard setting, there is also a fully transparent mode. Unfortunately, a slight, continuous noise can be heard in standard mode. In fully transparent mode, you also have to contend with a kind of “flickering sound”, which is more or less pronounced depending on the volume of the external noise.
Microphone
The microphone quality is okay for in-ear headphones in this price range. In an overall comparison, however, the EarFun Free Pro 3 rank in the middle of the field. The 3 built-in microphones per earpiece only help slightly. On the other hand, several people I spoke to assured me that the environment noise canceling works well in normally loud environments. The other voices from the open-plan office were barely audible, if at all. It is a little more difficult in particularly loud environments, such as road traffic. There, the sound sometimes blurs with the background noise and the voice quality deteriorates.
All in all, these headphones are definitely not suitable for professional audio recordings. For phone calls or a team call, however, the quality is more than okay and the environment noise canceling works well.
EarFun app & operation
The EarFun app does not require registration to use the basic functions of the app. Nevertheless, the app’s rating of 2.2 stars out of almost 1000 reviews is quite poor. After starting the app, you first land in the selection menu for the connected devices. There you will find information on the connection status and the charging status of the Ear Buds and the charging case. Tapping on the device opens the main menu. Another particularly practical feature of the headphones is that they can be paired with two devices (e.g. smartphone and laptop) at the same time.
Once in the main menu, the charging status is displayed again. Below this, the manufacturer has placed the switches for activating ANC or transparency mode. The gaming mode can also be activated here and you can jump to the “EarFun Equalizer” or “Adjust headset buttons” submenus. The cogwheel in the top right-hand corner also provides another submenu that can be used to start firmware updates or adjust other settings.
As usual, the EarFun Free Pro 3 can also be controlled via gestures or by touching the ear buds. Four different gestures (1x touch, 2x touches, 3x touches, 1x long touch) can be configured per side. The predetermined gestures can also be reconfigured or completely deactivated via the app if required.
Overall, the EarFun app leaves a good impression. The most important features are quickly accessible and clearly described. However, some of the translations are a little strange and depending on where you turn, you can get a little lost in the settings.
Battery life
EarFun specifies a total battery life of 7.5 hours for the Free Pro 3 earbuds and a total of 33 hours with various charging breaks in the charging case. These figures apply to operation without ANC and at medium volume. As expected, the earbuds do not quite reach these figures. However, around 6 hours are possible without ANC and at a moderate volume, which makes the EarFun Free Pro 3 a fundamentally reliable companion. With ANC activated, we end up with between 4.5 and 5 hours of runtime. This is absolutely sufficient for a typical working day with a normal lunch break for charging.
With a capacity of 420 mAh, the battery in the charging box is not exactly top of the range. The ear buds each have a capacity of 40 mAh, which means they can be charged around 5 times in the case. The charging case can then be recharged using the USB-C connection. A full charge via the cable takes around 2 hours. Wirelessly, the process takes around 4 hours. The headphones are fully ready for use again after 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, the Ear Buds do not offer a Quick Charge function.
EarFun Free Pro 3 test: Conclusion
Overall, the EarFun Free Pro 3 leave us with a good to very good impression when the purchase price is taken into account. We liked the low weight and the small dimensions of the headphones and the charging case. In combination with the extensive range of accessories and the option of using an earhook, the Free Pro 3 are very comfortable to wear in our opinion.
We were also impressed by the environment noise canceling and the general sound quality. However, the latter requires a little manual tuning of the equalizer settings via the EarFun app, as the headphones are slightly weaker in the treble range ex works. Finally, we are also satisfied with the battery life shown, even if the values specified by the manufacturer are not quite achieved.
On the other hand, the active noise canceling is not exactly stunning, which we would rather place in the midfield. On a basic level, it works quite well for low-frequency noises. However, high-frequency noises such as voices are only muffled and not completely eliminated. You also have to do without wearer detection, which automatically stops music playback when an earphone is removed from the ear, for example.
For the discounted price of €59.90, the EarFun Free Pro 3 are, in our opinion, absolutely recommendable in-ear headphones if you can live with the slightly inferior active noise canceling. For the standard price of € 79.99 *, the EarFun Free Pro 3 are still good in-ear headphones, but the competition is already well represented in this price range. However, EarFun Free Pro 3 are definitely worth a look.
EarFun Free Pro 3
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
88/100
The EarFun Free Pro 3 impress with a very high wearing comfort, a solid battery life, flawless environmental noise canceling and a well-balanced sound experience. The price/performance ratio is also very good. However, the EarFun Free Pro 3 have certain weaknesses in terms of active noise canceling and maximum volume.
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