Traditionally, CES 2024 is a stage for big things: the hugely expensive Sonus Faber's $750k speakers, the hugely innovative EssilorLuxottica's Nuance Audio hearing aid glasses or the hugely fun Ottonomy's draught beer-toting robot, for instance.
So a set of cheap over-ear headphones can often fly under the radar. But not for me; not when they're a debut pair from talented affordable audio specialist Earfun – and not when they boast LDAC hi-res audio and an 80-hour battery life for a fifth of the price of Bose's latest QuietComfort Ultra (which have a 24-hour battery, just for reference).
So let's meet the Earfun Wave Pro. Again, they're the brand's first-ever pair of over-ear cans, but that doesn't mean Earfun's scrimped on the extras. Along with hybrid ANC you also get support for the Sony-made LDAC codec for high-resolution audio streaming of up to 32-bit/96kHz (in theory, at least).
The new Wave Pro are driven by 40mm diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) composite drivers to boast "rich detail" and "deep, immersive bass for a versatile, dynamic sound signature". You also get 5-mics with an "Al algorithm" for call quality, plus hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) tech that promises to nix up to 45dB of extraneous noise, plus any wind whistling past your shell-likes.
Opinion: if they sound good, Earfun's hit a home run
OK I'll get to it: perhaps the best thing about the Earfun Wave Pro is their stamina. Not since my beloved Edifier Stax Spirit S3 have I seen 80 hours listed on the spec sheet. And although I adore my Spirit S3s, they do not come any active noise cancellation baked in. Earfun's proposition does and there's also a fast charging feature claim: 10 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.
Also on the spec sheet is voice control tech for hands-free calls and a low-latency gaming mode for levelled up audio syncing during video streaming or games.
Look, I've been a huge fan of Earfun's oeuvre since the 2019 release of the Earfun Air, and the company's January 2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 are still some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds at the entry-level end of the market. OK, so our October 2023 Earfun Free Pro 3 review (note the difference in names) reveals a rare dip in form. Nevertheless, if they sound this good for this money, the heavy-hitters (aka Bose and Sony) should be worried.
How much are we talking? $79.99, (which is around £62 or AUS119). It's an awful lot of playtime for the money – $80 for 80-hours, if you will, but of course you can charge them and keep using them…
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