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Earfun Wave Life: two-minute evaluate
To misquote Futurama’s robotic delinquent Bender, you’re in for “Earfun on a bun” in the event you make the leap on the Chinese language model’s newest funds cans. Assuming I nonetheless have a job to take this evaluate any additional [only just – Ed.], I’ve been bowled over by the standard of the Earfun Wave Life. Seeing as they solely value round $50 / £50, these over-ear headphones are much better than I used to be anticipating.
The Earfun Wave Life pack in sufficient options and sufficiently sturdy audio efficiency to make them completely price contemplating in the event you’re on the hunt for a brand new pair of low cost over-ear cans. Sturdily constructed, extraordinarily straightforward on the ears due to their lush foam cups and sporting an app that’s each intuitive and complete with its EQ choices, there’s lots to love about these competitively priced noise cancelling headphones.
It’s a pity the Wave Life’s ANC options don’t absolutely persuade. For the worth Earfun are promoting them, I used to be by no means anticipating these over-ears to rival the best noise-cancelling headphones out there. Nonetheless, relating to snuffing out distracting ambient noise, ANC efficiency with these low cost cans is nearly aggressively common.
On the flipside, in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to not need to endure common noisy commutes, the Earfun Wave Life have greater than sufficient plus factors to make them price recommending in the event you’re on a good funds.
Bolstered by stellar software program, a devoted sport mode and 40mm drivers that hand in convincingly deep bass ranges, Earfun’s reasonably priced headphones are totally satisfying. They may be low cost, however they definitely don’t really feel it.
Not solely are the Wave Life among the most snug low cost cans I’ve ever worn, they’re additionally nice for hands-free voice calls. Throughout considered one of my least glamorous chats in current reminiscence – one which concerned asking a plumber pal of mine a few damaged bathroom seat – I used to be reassured my voice was clear throughout the whole abode-centric chinwag regardless of me being in a unique room than my cellphone throughout the name. Thanks very a lot, Bluetooth 5.4.
Will these cans’ soundscape blow you away (even after you tweak frequency settings with Earfun’s improbable EQ software program)? Most likely not. But for the worth, these supremely snug headphones, which additionally boast endurance of as much as 60 hours in the event you change ANC off, ship greater than they disappoint even they might not fairly make it into the best over-ear headphones available.
In order for you a pair of funds over-ears that shall be snug in your skull whereas (principally) delivering satisfying sounds, you can do an entire lot worse than the Earfun Wave Life.
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Value and launch date
- Launch date: February, 2025
- Value: $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$105 (approx.)
The Earfun Wave Life are priced super-aggressively at simply $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$105 (approx.). They’ll typically be discovered even cheaper than their official retail value courtesy of Amazon gross sales, too.
Although they’re clearly not as premium because the $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$167 (the place bought) Earfun Wave Pro that impressed us huge model early final 12 months, they nonetheless ship a satisfying sonic expertise.
Certain, they’re not going to make audiophiles’ socks roll up and down. But contemplating their funds value level, I reckon most people shall be pleasantly stunned by these over-ear headphones’ pleasingly deep bass and comparatively convincing trebles. The Earfun Wave Life are additionally much more cozy than I used to be anticipating from such an reasonably priced pair of cans.
By way of various choices, in the event you’re searching for among the best cheap headphones for below $/£100, you’ll battle to do higher than the excellent 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 (catchy moniker, proper?). The Sony WH-CH520 are one other nice choice in the event you’re out there for a funds pair of noise-cancelling cans.
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Specs
|
Weight: |
264g |
|
Drivers: |
40mm Composite |
|
Battery life: |
37 hours (ANC on); as much as 60 hours (ANC off) |
|
Management: |
app; bodily/contact; voice |
|
Connectivity: |
Bluetooth 5.4; USB-C |
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Options
- As much as 60 hours’ battery life
- Intuitive app improves sound high quality
- Two units will be paired concurrently
Other than their stellar battery life – extra on which shortly – the Earfun Wave Life characteristic that impresses me most is their glorious software program. The Earfun Audio app is obtainable on each Android and iOS, and I’d contemplate it a necessary obtain if you wish to squeeze the very best sound out of those low cost over-ear cans.
Simple to make use of, sporting an uncluttered design and with intuitive customized EQ calibration instruments, the Earfun app can considerably enhance the Wave Life’s already first rate out-of-the-box audio.
I’m a giant fan of the software program’s customized equalizer that permits you to modify the headphones’ soundscape throughout quite a lot of frequencies by way of a set of sliders. It’s a doddle to make use of, as you merely tweak every frequency till the app’s repeating ‘drip’ sound fades away.
After a few minutes of changes, I discovered the personalized outcomes to be considerably extra satisfying than any of the 30 preset EQ profiles Earfun’s software program gives. These span varied musical genres, whereas varied bass and treble increase presets are additionally offered.
The wide range of profiles the agency serves up could also be spectacular, however I discovered the bulk to be a bit too quiet. And to not be overly nitpicking, however flicking between these presets on each my iPhone 14 Professional and iPad Pro (2024) is painfully sloooooow.
Earfun’s app additionally permits you to change between the Wave Life’s 4 ANC modes. First up, there’s ‘regular’, which considerably confusingly turns noise cancelling off. There’s then ‘ambient sound’, ‘wind noise cancellation’ and ‘noise cancelling’; with the latter two choices snuffing out sounds most successfully.
Sadly, Earfun hasn’t actually cracked the ANC code with its low cost cans and I might nonetheless simply make out passing visitors when going out for strolls. Subsequent to my Apple AirPods Max, noise cancelling on the Wave Life isn’t as much as scratch. That stated, evaluating $60 headphones to Crew Cupertino’s $500 over-ear cans is like pitting a Morris Minor in opposition to a Lamborghini Aventador in a drag race.
One other promoting level of the Earfun Wave Life that fortunately proves simpler is their multi-phone connectivity that allows you to pair two units concurrently. Throughout my testing it proved largely dependable, with the headphones syncing to my pill and smartphone with little trouble. The one slight hitch I’ve encountered is after I enter the app on my duo of Apple units, which frequently requires me to unpair one gizmo earlier than I can tweak software program settings on the opposite.
The Earfun Wave Life are battery beasts. On a full cost, they’ll final for 60 hours, with that quantity dropping to a still-impressive 37 hours with ANC enabled. Throughout my fortnight of testing these cans, I solely needed to cost them twice, which is super-commendable contemplating how variety these headphones are in your change purse.
Nonetheless, there’s no getting across the reality the bundled-in USB-C charging cable is comically brief. I’m speaking Smurf brief. Nonetheless, I’m not going to grouse an excessive amount of after I can get the Wafe Life to 100% juice in lower than half-hour on my GaN charger.
As talked about within the two-minute evaluate, the four-mic, AI-assisted algorithm additionally makes hands-free calling a breeze. With a 49ft vary, you don’t have to fret about being lower off when wandering round your house/home, both.
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Design
- Extremely cozy to put on
- Simple-to-reach on-cup controls
- Supplies really feel premium for funds cans
No-frills is the identify of the ultra-plain sport relating to the Earfun Wave Life. With an inoffensive but solely forgettable design, these cans will not maintain you from hitting the hay and dreaming about how alluring they give the impression of being.
Crucially, although, they don’t really feel low cost. The standard of the plastics used within the development of those over-ears feels much more premium than I’d anticipate from $60 headphones. I additionally respect the brushed metallic that seems whenever you lengthen the Wave Life’s headband.
By way of consolation, Earfun has completely nailed it with its newest funds cans. I wore them on a three-hour stroll with my husky on an uncommonly heat Scottish afternoon not too long ago and by no means as soon as did they trigger me any discomfort. That’s primarily because of their super-comfy foam cups which rotate 90 levels, making them each straightforward to fold up and an absolute pleasure to put on.
The Earfun Wave Life weigh a comparatively breezy 264g, which additionally means you don’t have to fret about neck pressure or earache. Each time I put these cans on, it looks like giving my lobes a giant fuzzy hug. I’ll take consolation over model all of the livelong day.
The on-cup controls are additionally satisfying to work together with. A mushy plastic energy button is wedged between equally squishy and easy-to-locate quantity up/down controls, whereas I additionally had no issues switching between noise-cancelling controls due to the devoted ANC button. My solely slight beef? You need to maintain down the ability button a bit too lengthy for my liking.
There’s additionally a USB-C slot for each wired play and charging. As I said beforehand, the cable that comes within the field is manner too brief, so that you’d be higher off investing in an extended third-party one if you wish to go down the wired listening route.
As for colours, you’re restricted to a single shade of black. When you like your headphones to be unfussy and never make you stand out on, say, a crowded practice or bus, the Wave Life’s bog-standard noir received’t trouble you. Personally, I like each white and coloured cans, so I might have appreciated multiple hue.
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Sound high quality
- A contact quiet with out app tweaks
- Software program EQ changes save the day
- Properly-judged bass ranges
Contemplating how reasonably priced the Wave Life are, I don’t wish to overly dunk on their sound shortcomings, and there are few obtrusive weaknesses with these low cost cans’ audio high quality. There are, although, some that warrant mentioning.
My greatest bugbear is the default sound profile whenever you first unbox these over-ears. That is subjective, however the Wave Life have been a tad too quiet after I first clamped them round my cranium. Though initially underwhelmed by their audio, I calibrated a customized EQ by way of the Earfun Audio app to provide a listening expertise that felt much more well-balanced and punchy.
With out software program tweaks, vocals throughout my favourite tunes and dialogue on among the best Netflix movies on my iPad felt muted and flat, so I undoubtedly advocate downloading Earfun’s app. Contemplating the agency’s software program is each sturdy but by no means feels formidable to work together with, it might be uncharitable to slam the Wave Life’s default soundscape when it’s so easy and fast to make it appreciably higher via minor app changes.
Inside minutes of fiddling about with its frequency sliders, I landed on a customized profile that delivered a soundscape with decently weighty bass that dovetailed effectively with the treble ranges I settled on. Sure, mids on the Wave Life get misplaced within the sonic shuffle considerably, however general, I’ve had much more satisfying audio periods with these cans than disappointing ones.
When testing headphones for the primary time, I’ve obtained a small clutch of go-to bangers I at all times hearth up. The virtually hymn-like digital stylings of Demise in Vegas’ Women sounds far more impactful than I used to be anticipating from sub-$100 cans, whereas the pulsating trance beats of F*ck Buttons nine-minute The Lisbon Maru delivered all of the bass my eardrums craved – thanks, Wave Life.
I used to be much less taken with my favourite reside efficiency ever when listening to The Verve’s astonishing rendition of Sonnet from their spellbinding 1998 residence live performance from Wigan’s Haigh Corridor, although. This traditional Cool Britannia tune sounds wonderful on my Sony Inzone H9 – stunning, contemplating it’s a gaming headset initially. However on the Wave Life, Richard Ashcroft’s usually haunting vocals lack the audio oomph my Inzone cans drum up.
Talking of which, Earfun’s funds over-ears include a low-latency Sport Mode that routinely kicks in in the event you hearth up a title on both your Android or iOS system. Not that I really observed a lot distinction after I disabled the characteristic when enjoying among the best iPad games.
That’s to not say the Wave Life don’t do a greater than satisfactory job at being an honest gaming headset. Though avid gamers aren’t Earfun’s goal market, their newest over-ears’ potential to select refined sounds throughout gameplay is admirable. I used to be notably impressed (and oh so flustered) by how successfully they conveyed the fixed close by Xenomorph screeches within the nerve-shredding Alien Isolation. The Resident Evil 4 remake’s undead-slaughtering gun battles additionally popped in an impactful manner I wasn’t anticipating from such low cost cans.
It’s finest to go in with low expectations relating to the Wave Life’s noise cancelling, although. Even the simplest of its modes isn’t nice at kiboshing ambient sounds, so if high quality ANC is essential to you, look elsewhere.
- Sound high quality rating: 3.5 / 5
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Worth
- Nice worth for cash, given the options
- Sound high quality expectations met for the worth
- No carry case
Contemplating the quantity of options and basic construct high quality, there’s zero doubt the Earfun Wave Life symbolize improbable worth for cash.
General sound high quality additionally surpasses the expectations I’d typically go in with relating to reviewing such an affordable set of headphones. Except you’re an actual elitist audiophile, you’ll be fairly smitten with what your $60 / £50 / AU$105 (approx.) outlay serves up sound-wise.
Whereas a carry case would have been appreciated, that’s a bit an excessive amount of to ask for such reasonably priced cans. Earfun deserves loads of credit score for promoting its Wave Life over-ears at such a beautiful value level.
Ought to I purchase the Earfun Wave Life?
|
Part |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Options |
Bluetooth 5.4; glorious 60-hour battery life; simultaneous system pairing |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
Extremely cozy; easy-to-reach on-cup controls; one other colour could be good |
4 / 5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Optionally available app important to beat restricted EQ presets; a contact quiet; ANC might be much better |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Worth |
Implausible worth for cash; sound high quality to be anticipated on the value level |
4.5 / 5 |
Purchase them if…
Do not buy them if…
Earfun Wave Life evaluate: Additionally contemplate
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Earfun Wave Life |
1More Sonoflow Professional HQ51 |
Sony WH-CH520 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Drivers: |
40mm composite |
40mm dynamic |
30mm |
|
Energetic noise cancellation: |
Sure |
Sure |
No |
|
Battery life: |
60 hours (37 hours ANC on) |
100 hours (65 hours ANC on) |
50 hours |
|
Weight: |
264g |
246g |
137g |
|
Connectivity: |
Bluetooth 5.4; USB-C |
Bluetooth 5.2; 3.5mm |
Bluetooth 5.2 |
|
Waterproofing: |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
How I examined Earfun Wave Life
- Examined for practically three weeks
- Examined at residence, on lengthy walks and in experience shares
I examined the Earfun Wave Professional in quite a lot of circumstances spanning songs, streaming content material and video video games over roughly a three-week interval. This gave me the prospect to get to know the way versatile these over-ears will be.
Most of my time with these funds headphones was spent listening to music and podcasts on my iPhone 14 Professional. Away from revisiting my favorite tunes, I additionally used the Earfun Wave Life for Netflix and Disney Plus streaming, plus enjoying a number of video games on my iPad Professional.
Whereas most of my background centres round protecting the very best TVs and nearly 20 years writing about video video games, I’ve owned an absurd quantity of headphones and earbuds in my life – from $500 Apple Airpods Max to funds buds from manufacturers you’ve in all probability by no means heard of.
Presently, I’ve extra units of cans in my house than I do meals in my fridge. I ought to maybe modify my priorities in life, however hey, what can I say? I actually love the best headphones.
First reviewed: June 2025