Qualcomm recently announced a collaboration with boAt to launch the very first Snapdragon Sound-compatible audio device in India, the Nirvana Eutopia 2 Pro headphones. The commercial availability of the device is still a few months away, so I got my hands on the EarFun Air Pro 4+, a pair of TWS earbuds that proudly wear the Snapdragon Sound badge, and can be bought off Amazon India for just about Rs 8,999. It’s not a high price to pay, as I discovered over the course of my review. I’ll excuse you if you haven’t heard of EarFun before, but let me tell you – they do promise a lot of fun for your ears.
Snapdragon Sound, in case you’re unaware, is a premium audio technology from Qualcomm that promises a pristine aural experience for audiophiles and delivers Hi-Res and lossless sound via compatible devices.
Table of Contents
Design: smooth, matte and easy to carry
I received a black unit of the Air Pro 4+, which won’t turn any heads purely in terms of looks. There is, however, a white option available too. Seen up close, though, even the black one is quite elegant-looking, I think, and its solid fit and finish is evident when you hold it in your hand. Finished in matte black, the case looks nice and feels premium. Thanks to the smooth finish and rounded corners, it’s easy to slip into your pocket.
There’s EarFun branding up front, a Type-C port at the bottom, next to an almost invisible pairing button, and a multi-colour LED cleverly hidden at the lip where the lid touches the case. The lid opens up satchel-style from the front, revealing the buds stacked vertically inside. While I do think this satchel design looks quite cool, it’s also highly functional and makes it easier to access the buds. The buds themselves feature a dual-tone finish, a stem design and are quite lightweight. They’re comfortable to wear over long periods, offer a snug fit, and the IP55 rating means they’re impervious to water splashes, drizzle and sweat.
Features: a lengthy list
There’s a laundry list of features on offer here. Here’s a look:- Qualcomm QCC3091 SoC
- Codec support: aptX Lossless, aptX adaptive, LDAC, Auracast, LC3
- 10mm Dynamic drivers
- Bluetooth 6.0
- Adaptive Hybrid (50dB) ANC
- IP55
- Fast charging, wireless charging
- Google Fast Pair
- Multipoint connection
- AI translation
App and connectivity
While you can use the EarFun Air Pro 4+ with both Android devices and iPhones, and the EarFun app is available for both platforms as well, a key point to note is that you need a phone that supports Snapdragon Sound to make the best use of these buds. Not any Qualcomm-powered phone will do, as I found out. To unlock Snapdragon Sound and aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive codecs, you need to use a recent, Qualcomm-powered phone from Motorola, Vivo, OPPO, iQOO or Xiaomi. You won’t be able to use it with an iPhone or a Google Pixel, as these phones don’t use Qualcomm SoCs. Notably, a Samsung flagship such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t offer support for Snapdragon Sound despite using a Qualcomm SoC.
Moving on to the EarFun app, it’s quite feature-rich and allows you to view battery levels, control various options, ANC modes, equaliser settings, customise the controls, etc. An AI translation mode is also available. For ANC, you have the option to switch between AI Ear Adaptive and AI Environment Adaptive modes, though frankly, I couldn’t make out much of a difference. You can even use a slider to adjust ANC manually, or choose a Wind Noise Cancelling mode. I do appreciate the plethora of equaliser presets on offer, and there’s also an option to set a custom EQ if you prefer. You will also see options to toggle features like Game Mode, in-ear detection, and touch controls. Speaking of, the touch controls seemed a bit fiddly to me, though you might feel differently. Given everything on offer here, though, this isn’t much of a deal breaker.
Audio, performance and battery life
Moving on to the meat of the matter and what everything boils down to… the audio quality. In short, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ is able to deliver on the promise and outputs rich, detailed audio that stays consistent across genres and different volume levels, too. The instrument separation and wide soundstage are on point, and it’s a pleasure to listen to music. While these buds don’t seem to be tuned for heavy bass, the low end is punchy and tight without being overwhelming, and you always have the option of tuning the EQ as per your own preferences, as and when you need.
The ANC is one aspect that does feel a tad bit underwhelming, though. It’s good enough to drown out background noises, but voices, especially those in close vicinity, stay audible. On a positive note, the call quality is quite good, so no complaints there. The Air Pro 4+ also score high with respect to battery life, offering a standout performance. With ANC on, expect about 8 odd hours on the buds alone, with the case adding four times that. So even with daily, prolonged usage, you can get through a full week without charging. And when it comes to juicing up, fast charging is supported, and you can even plonk the case on a wireless charger if you have one.
Verdict
There’s no doubt that the Indian market is full of options, and if you’re looking for a capable pair of TWS buds, there’s a lot of choice available. The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro (review) offers good sound quality and ANC for less than Rs 5,000, and gets our recommendation for value. But if you covet hi-res sound and have a compatible smartphone, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ won’t disappoint, and gets a big thumbs up as a worthy pair to consider.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Pros:
- Great sound quality
- Advanced codec support
- Loaded with features
- Good battery life
Cons:
- ANC could be better
- Touch controls are iffy
