I do a fair amount of commuting on public transport, so active noise cancelling is a feature I can’t do without. While the Apple Airpods Max are still the ones to beat with regards to sound quality and noise cancelling, their weight, bulk, battery life and earpad situation leaves something to be desired. I’ve tested some newer over-the-head headphones – the QCY H3 Pro does a decent job, albeit without a carry case, while the 1More Sonoflow Pro has a carry case, but has an ANC implementation that gets easily overloaded by strong pressure changes and doesn’t like to connect in LDAC mode with my phones.

Thinking I would down-size a bit and try in-ear true-wireless-stereo solutions, I gave the QCY Melobuds Pro a try too – they sounded very good indeed and the ANC was competent, but alas, not quite as good as I would have imagined.

In November 2024, thanks to a cracking promotion, I managed to snag a pair of Earfun Air Pro 3 TWS earbuds from Amazon AU for AU$53.18. These generally have reviewed well elsewhere, with my main reason for trying them out purely being the Qualcomm-based chipset and aptX codec which would likely play well with my Qualcomm-based primary and secondary phones (Motorola G84 and Poco F3 respectively).

Here’s what I think of them …

Unboxing

The unit arrived in a rather flashy gift box package with iridescent foil accents. The front advertises its credentials as a Visual Grand Prix 2023 gold award winner, its support for Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.

The rear of the box provides a list of the inclusions, key features and specifications. This unit carries a model number of TW500 and is Made in China. It carries the Australian Regulatory Compliance Mark.

The other sides of the box indicate the manufacturer’s details and some of the highlight features.

Removing the lid, we are greeted with a user manual booklet …

… below is a thin plastic tray holding the charging case, wrapped in a protective sheet and accessories contained inside a cardboard box.

All unpacked, we can see that there is a USB-A to USB-C charging cable included, interchangeable ear tips, a guidance card, a brand introduction and a sealed cleaning stick/swab.

The earbuds are contained inside a plastic case, finished in matte black. The shape is rounded, a bit like a pebble.

Product details are printed underneath, along with a flat section of the case. The plastic is a requirement to allow the wireless charging coils to work.

Three white LED indicators shine along the front, near the lip that allows for easy opening of the flip-up lid. The back-side of the case has a USB-C port for wired charging and the hinge for the lid.

As shipped, protective films and covers protect the charging contacts and silicone rubber pad which keeps the earbuds seated.

The bottom of the case has a button in the centre for certain actions (pairing, reset) and moulded left and right indicators. Charging occurs via two pogo pin connections, spaced widely along the stem.

The earbuds themselves have a mixture of a rounded and angular design. The charging contacts are recessed, presumably to ensure they stay clean. The main body of the unit is gloss black plastic.

The outward-facing sides are more of a blue-silver colour, with clearly indicated touch zones. The branding is relatively conspicuous. There is also a clear segment near the top through which an LED shines.

Microphone openings can be found along the edge of the case – three in total for each earbud. One of them is just behind the stem that goes into the ear canal, and two on the stalk – one near the ear and one on the end closest to the mouth.

They seat nicely in the case, by magnetic attraction, with a nice “click” and are kept in place by the lid which is also magnetically closed with a silicone pad that pushes down on the earbuds.

User Experience

Unlike many of the previously-reviewed Bluetooth earphones/headphones which strive for a vendor-neutral high-resolution audio codec selection, such as LDAC for Android devices and AAC for Windows/Apple d