Categories: Tech & Ai

The 3 best AirPods alternatives, tested by an audio expert

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Folks who prefer earbuds with a stem, people who want great ANC for under $100, anyone looking for excellent battery life, and anyone who wants an all-around pair of earbuds that make as much sense at the gym as they do in the office should opt for the EarFun Air Pro 4.

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Most similar to: AirPods 4 with ANC

The EarFun Air Pro 4s are a no-brainer pick as an affordable AirPods alternative — they are Mashable’s favorite ANC earbuds under $100 after all. Performance-wise, they’ll sit more in line with the AirPods 4, but fit-wise, they’ll be more similar to the AirPods Pro 3, thanks to the silicone ear tips that situate more firmly in the ear canal. Honestly, that’s a plus — the AirPods 4 can be much more hit-or-miss at fitting different ear shapes. Beyond the design, these earbuds have impressively adept ANC powered by six internal microphones. Plus, it’s adjustable. I can’t say I noticed massive differences between the various levels, but still, I appreciated that the flexibility was there. Much like the Sony XM6 buds, EarFun shows up Apple when it comes to the customization of the sound profile, thanks to the custom equalizer and presets. Especially for the price point, the sound is surprisingly robust, clear, and dynamic. Maybe not quite on Apple’s level, but not too far off, either. Finally, you’ll get between seven and a half to eight hours of battery life per charge, plus 27 and a half additional hours with the case, making them a great option for anyone who finds themselves using their earbuds round the clock and running down the battery more often than they’d prefer.

Affordability: These earbuds are already $79.99, but almost always go on sale for $62.99, and occasionally even lower to $53.99.

What you might miss: Despite the similarly stemmed design to AirPods, EarFun opts for touch controls on these earbuds, which are mildly consistent at best and straight-up inconsistent at work. During my testing of the buds, I ended up toggling the touch controls off because I found them a little too frustrating to use. The case is also on the bigger side, making the earbuds not quite as portable as AirPods.

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Abigail Avery