EarFun Air Pro SV True Wireless Earphones Review

EarFun is a name I learned to appreciate in the wireless earphones arena. They keep updating their high-quality pairs, giving you a lot at a very affordable cost. Sometimes, however, an update of a successful model isn’t really necessary – so is it enough to update the looks and the design?

The new EarFun Air Pro SV poses that question: The SV stands for Special Version, and the specs are pretty similar to the “regular” Air Pro 2 model – great audio quality, very good noise cancellation (especially at this price level) and six built-in microphones for excellent phone call quality.

So what’s new? The design, for starters, is pretty unique (with a see-through hole on the case), and the new EarFun Smart Phone App, which lets you modify the EQ and the control settings. But the new design also means we’re getting a weaker battery…

So, are these the right wireless earphones for you? Find out in my in-depth review.

Who Are The EarFun Air Pro SV For?

EarFun has been around since 2018, specialising in low-cost true wireless earphones that tend to offer excellent value-for-money.

We’ve seen several iterations of their Air Pro earphones so far – I gave the first version 4 stars (out of 5), then the Air Pro 2 became one of my all-time favourite earphones, earning our Editor’s Choice mark. Now, it’s time to look at the “Special Version” of the Air Pro.

As you might have guessed from the name, these aren’t the Air Pro 3 – instead of going forward, EarFun sort of went sideways with this model: the audio quality and noise cancellation are pretty similar to the Air Pro 2 model.

The main differences lie with the design – a unique, and quite impressive, aluminium covered case with a see-through hole, and a new form for the earbuds.

Plus, EarFun has now released a long-awaited smartphone app that lets you customise and personalise some settings. At the moment, the app ONLY works with the SV model – so that’s another unique feature of this version.

And, perhaps due to the new design – the battery times are lower than those of the Air Pro 2.

The price is still very affordable, though it’s slightly more expensive than the Air Pro 2 (as of this writing).

So, while these are just as excellent as the Air Pro 2 in terms of most of the specs (except for battery times), it’s mainly about the design, and whether you’re willing to suffer a few downsides just to get pretty earphones (and an app). Let’s dig in deeper…

Using The EarFun Air Pro SV

Size And Comfort

EarFun’s Air Pro series uses the stem-style design, though things are a bit different this time around, with the stems having a triangular shape. It’s pretty, but not as easy to hold.

The earbuds and the case are all small and very light, so they’re quite easy to carry in your pocket.

The earbuds are quite comfortable in the ear, even after hours of usage, and provide a good seal (which helps with the bass, and with passive noise cancelling).

In the box, you get two additional (3 in total) ear tip sizes – that’s not a lot (compared to some other models), but should be enough to find a good fit. You also get a short USB-C charging cable, and a cleaning stick.

The charging case also supports wireless charging (so you just place the case on a supported charger, and it starts charging).

Unlike most earphone cases (at this price level, at least), this one has a nice look to it, with an aluminum cover on the outside (though it’s still very plasticky on the inside).

I especially liked the design, though – there’s a hole in the middle of the case which lets you see the earbuds’ stems inside.

Having said that, this design makes it a bit tough to pull the earbuds out, as you need to push them from the bottom. And, as mentioned, that triangular shape of the stems themselves, while pretty, makes it almost impossible to handle them, and put in and out of your ears, without accidentally pressing the touch buttons.

The earbuds have an IPX5 water and sweat resistance rating – which means you can safely use them in the rain or when working out, but you can’t fully submerge them in water – so please don’t drop them into a puddle.

And as is often the case (no pun intended), the charging case is NOT water-resistant, and it’s even worse this time around, because of that big gaping hole in the middle – so please keep the case hidden in your pocket or bag when it’s raining.

Pairing And Controlling The EarFun Air Pro SV

Pairing the Air Pro SV with your phone (or other devices) is easy – they immediately go into pairing mode when you first open the case. And thanks to Bluetooth 5.2 support, they STAY connected.

Having used them for more than a week, I never once encountered sudden disconnections or Bluetooth noises and crackles – even when I walked in crowded places.

The Air Pro SV promise a maximum working range of 15 meters (same as the Air Pro 2), and while that’s hard to test – because it depends on the type of walls and other interfering devices around you – I had no trouble listening when the connected phone was on a different floor.

Controlling the earphones is easy, with the touch buttons working just right – not too sensitive and not too hard (except when you’re handling the stems). A tap on the left lowers the volume, a tap on the right raises the volume. Two taps start and stop the music and answer a phone call, while three taps skip a track forward or backwards.

A long tap on the left alternates between ANC / Ambient Mode / Normal Mode, and on the right activates your chosen voice assistant.

The EarFun smartphone app is a first for EarFun, and lets you modify and personalise some of the aspects.

There’s an EQ you can play with – it didn’t seem to make a big difference, but I did manage to get some more bass.

You can also use the app the change what the buttons/taps do – but unlike apps from other companies, this one only lets you change the functions of the Triple Tap and Long Press. You can’t change double-taps or single taps.

Hopefully, that’s something EarFun will improve in future versions – why not let me personalise the entire control scheme?

EarFun Air Pro SV Audio Quality

I’m a big fan of the Air Pro 2, and have been using them a lot in the past few months – therefore, the best thing I can say about the Air Pro SV, is that the sound is almost identical to that of the Air Pro 2 (though the bass isn’t as impressive).

I started my tests with the main theme from the Star Trek: Discovery series, by Jeff Russo. The overall sound was great, with the majestic orchestral theme music playing through.

The sound was also surprisingly clear, although I did need to crank the volume up more than I usually do. The passive noise cancellation and good ear seal helped create a very enjoyable and balanced listening experience, handling the dynamic changes through the music piece well.

Moving on to Denis by Blondie, it became clear that the bass levels are a bit lacking here (if you like deep bass, that is).

However, the lead vocal’s sharpness and the clarity of the drums almost compensate for the lack of better low performance. The overall experience was again well balanced and kept my ears from getting tired, as the sound is quite round, with good separation and almost no distortion.

As with the other Air Pro models, the SV isn’t using a Qualcomm chip, so there’s no support for AptX Adaptive – an advanced audio codec that helps provide high-resolution music at very low latencies (EarFun’s other line – the “Free” earphones – do support AptX).

The Active Noise Cancelling, however, is quite impressive. Low and mid-range earphones have been getting better and better with noise cancellation (especially when it’s a ‘hybrid’ model that partly relies on the design and the good seal).

EarFun is calling their ANC implementation “QuietSmart 2.0”, saying it can deal with both low-frequency noises (like the deep rumble of an aircraft or a train) and higher frequencies like train announcement voices.

With the ANC On, it works even when you’re not listening to music – so you can use them to muffle out sounds even when you’re not listening to anything – on a train or plane ride, for example.

The ANC here works best with low, constant rumbles – so it’s perfect for travelling – but it also does a fairly decent job with people who talk around you and other outdoor noises.

As expected, it’s not perfect, and some sounds confuse it and do manage to slip in, but it’s one of the best implementations I’ve experienced at this price range, really helping you tune out outside noises.

There’s also some Wind-noise Reduction on offer here. But it’s something ANC often struggles with, and indeed, the wind did manage to get through most of the time , so don’t expect clear sound when you’re walking outside on a particularly windy day.

The “Ambient” mode does the opposite of ANC – it picks up some of the sounds around you and amplifies them. So it’s useful if you’re walking near a dangerous road, or otherwise want to be aware of your surroundings while still listening to music.

As for phone calls, the EarFun Air Pro SV use the QuietSmart technology and 6 built-in microphones to eliminate noises for the person you’re speaking with on the other end.

This part DID work well with wind, which is usually the ultimate phone call killer – and it gets almost eliminated here. Again, it’s not perfect, and a loud ambulance near you will still alarm the person you’re speaking with – but it’s a pretty decent implementation of this technology.

EarFun Air Pro SV Battery Times

This part is a bit disappointing, when compared to the Air Pro 2, or models from other manufacturers.

When fully charged, you can now use the Air Pro SV for up to 6 hours without ANC, and 4.5 hours with ANC (compared with 7 and 8 hours on the Air Pro 2).

The case holds additional 24 hours of power (without ANC) and 18 hours (with ANC on).

In this day and age, 4.5 hours is a low number (and why would you get these and NOT turn on the ANC?). It’s not a deal breaker, and the “Quick Charge” feature lets you quickly get 2 hours of playtime with just 10 minutes of charging – but I would have liked to see a better number.

Bottom Line: Are The EarFun Air Pro SV Worth It?

The Air Pro SV provide excellent sound quality, very impressive Active Noise Cancellation, and many of the bells and whistles one could hope for these days.

EarFun’s similar Air Pro 2 model is still the better option in my view, with better battery times, improved bass, and a design that’s a bit easier to use and handle.

But there’s no denying that the Air Pro SV looks good – true wireless earphones at these price levels are usually quite boring, and most look pretty much the same – so if you’re looking for something that will draw some attention, this is it.

All in all, there’s a lot to like about this pair – especially if you’re into the way it looks.

As of this writing, the Air Pro SV is only sold on EarFun’s website, but they also ship to the UK. For a limited time, you can get a 30% discount, by using the coupon code EARFUN30.

Note: The earphones were supplied by the manufacturer for this review. As always, this did not influence my unbiased opinion of the product.