Tech I like - EarFun Clip
This is the second post of this series, and yes, once again it's about earbuds from EarFun.
For those not in the know, these are earclips, which instead of fitting inside the ear the speaker part sits outside of the ear canal resting just outside. The battery and receiver part of the buds sit the other side of your ear which acts as the "clip" part that helps it stay on your ear. In practice they do look quite a bit like you are wearing earrings.
Now, I had first come across these when I was looking into the EarFun Air Pro 4's I mentioned last time as they were just about to be released. At the time I had no interest in this style of earbud. I got the idea of letting in more ambient sound naturally, but wasn't sound on the clip design. EarFun aren't alone in doing this as there is quite a range from different audio companies now.
However, it was whilst I was in China that I quickly noticed this style was incredibly popular. Yes, there were still people wearing standard (and likely noise-cancelling) earbuds but I'm pretty sure I saw more people wearing earclips. I especially saw them by people who were technically at work, from those working in shops and food stalls to security guards and even the police! Should many of those I saw wearing them perhaps be concentrating a bit more on their jobs, perhaps? Certainly when I worked in a store my manager would understandably be putting me on the path to losing my job if they saw me wearing earbuds on the shop floor.
Anyway, I saw a lot people wearing them, including my students. But, it was whilst I was at one of the airports waiting for an internal flight that I actually got a chance to try them on for myself to get an idea how well they actually sound. Admittedly the first I tried (the Shokz OpenDots ONE) were on the more expensive side, even in RMB they were still over £120 (but cheaper than on Amazon UK at the time). They did sound remarkably good in that I could clearly hear the music but also had a good enough awareness of my surroundings.
So, I was sold on the concept but I wasn't about to drop over £100 just yet. Before I got on my flight I quickly downloaded some reviews on YouTube of that model I tested as well as some comparison videos, including the EarFun Clip, to watch on the flight. [sidenote, on internal Chinese flights they are very picky about when you shouldn't wear earbuds - although they didn't apply that rule to everyone...]
The EarFun Clip were getting solid praise and not too discernable from the Shokz. It might not have wireless charging (for the case) or the ability for either bud to be left or right, but otherwise it had what I wanted. That being Bluetooth 6.0 (not essential but nice to have), a good game mode (the Air Pro 4's are excellent), long battery life, and also LDAC support.
Once I got back to the hotel I had a look on both EarFun's website and Amazon (thanks to my esim) and noticed they were only around £40. This seemed excellent, but I wanted to wait just a little bit so it would be more convenient to have it sent to my address whilst I was away. This paid off, as by the time I was ready to order I was able to get them for just £33.99! That is an insane price for earbuds. Sure, they don't have noise-cancelling, but the other features do add up.
Once I got back home to the UK I quickly set them up before unpacking. They took a little bit to get used to in terms of the fit as they are a different shape to the ones I tried (which is why I didn't want to spend a lot on my first pair) but I soon found the right placement on my ears.
Not long after wearing them around the house I quickly understood the appeal. There are times where you want to listen to something directly (as in, not via normal in place speakers) - be it music or podcasts - but don't need noise-cancelling. For doing various chores around the hours (but not hoovering) these have been excellent. Plus, multi-point has also been helpful as I switch back and forwards with my PC.
Voice calls have also been very convenient. Now I don't know how I sound, but I've been using them coincidentally for a few calls now and no one has complained. I did once ask if I sound ok and was told it sounded more spacious, which was neither good nor bad. But, considering how far away the mics are, I consider this a win.
Wearing outside is more varied, but in no way that was surprising. If walking by a busy road (especially a damp one that I find echoes the sounds) then hearing everything in a podcast is going to be a tough time. Walking through a park though and you can hear what you're listening to, plus the jogger who is just about to pass you.
I've only had them around a week so far and charged them for the first time today. These have been a daily wear for me and can see that carrying on for some time. EarFun do have an upgrade to the Air Pro 4 (the + version) which comes out soon. I'm quite tempted to get them providing reviews are positive. This might seem unnecessary given how relatively recent I got the original version, but if they improve on what is already a great pair, then I'm excited.
Likewise, with the EarFun Clip, this is their first pair of clip earbuds and already off to a very strong start. How they could improve them - aside from wireless charging for the case - not sure, but I'm excited to see what the future holds for them.
For those not in the know, these are earclips, which instead of fitting inside the ear the speaker part sits outside of the ear canal resting just outside. The battery and receiver part of the buds sit the other side of your ear which acts as the "clip" part that helps it stay on your ear. In practice they do look quite a bit like you are wearing earrings.
Now, I had first come across these when I was looking into the EarFun Air Pro 4's I mentioned last time as they were just about to be released. At the time I had no interest in this style of earbud. I got the idea of letting in more ambient sound naturally, but wasn't sound on the clip design. EarFun aren't alone in doing this as there is quite a range from different audio companies now.
However, it was whilst I was in China that I quickly noticed this style was incredibly popular. Yes, there were still people wearing standard (and likely noise-cancelling) earbuds but I'm pretty sure I saw more people wearing earclips. I especially saw them by people who were technically at work, from those working in shops and food stalls to security guards and even the police! Should many of those I saw wearing them perhaps be concentrating a bit more on their jobs, perhaps? Certainly when I worked in a store my manager would understandably be putting me on the path to losing my job if they saw me wearing earbuds on the shop floor.
Anyway, I saw a lot people wearing them, including my students. But, it was whilst I was at one of the airports waiting for an internal flight that I actually got a chance to try them on for myself to get an idea how well they actually sound. Admittedly the first I tried (the Shokz OpenDots ONE) were on the more expensive side, even in RMB they were still over £120 (but cheaper than on Amazon UK at the time). They did sound remarkably good in that I could clearly hear the music but also had a good enough awareness of my surroundings.
So, I was sold on the concept but I wasn't about to drop over £100 just yet. Before I got on my flight I quickly downloaded some reviews on YouTube of that model I tested as well as some comparison videos, including the EarFun Clip, to watch on the flight. [sidenote, on internal Chinese flights they are very picky about when you shouldn't wear earbuds - although they didn't apply that rule to everyone...]
The EarFun Clip were getting solid praise and not too discernable from the Shokz. It might not have wireless charging (for the case) or the ability for either bud to be left or right, but otherwise it had what I wanted. That being Bluetooth 6.0 (not essential but nice to have), a good game mode (the Air Pro 4's are excellent), long battery life, and also LDAC support.
Once I got back to the hotel I had a look on both EarFun's website and Amazon (thanks to my esim) and noticed they were only around £40. This seemed excellent, but I wanted to wait just a little bit so it would be more convenient to have it sent to my address whilst I was away. This paid off, as by the time I was ready to order I was able to get them for just £33.99! That is an insane price for earbuds. Sure, they don't have noise-cancelling, but the other features do add up.
Once I got back home to the UK I quickly set them up before unpacking. They took a little bit to get used to in terms of the fit as they are a different shape to the ones I tried (which is why I didn't want to spend a lot on my first pair) but I soon found the right placement on my ears.
Not long after wearing them around the house I quickly understood the appeal. There are times where you want to listen to something directly (as in, not via normal in place speakers) - be it music or podcasts - but don't need noise-cancelling. For doing various chores around the hours (but not hoovering) these have been excellent. Plus, multi-point has also been helpful as I switch back and forwards with my PC.
Voice calls have also been very convenient. Now I don't know how I sound, but I've been using them coincidentally for a few calls now and no one has complained. I did once ask if I sound ok and was told it sounded more spacious, which was neither good nor bad. But, considering how far away the mics are, I consider this a win.
Wearing outside is more varied, but in no way that was surprising. If walking by a busy road (especially a damp one that I find echoes the sounds) then hearing everything in a podcast is going to be a tough time. Walking through a park though and you can hear what you're listening to, plus the jogger who is just about to pass you.
I've only had them around a week so far and charged them for the first time today. These have been a daily wear for me and can see that carrying on for some time. EarFun do have an upgrade to the Air Pro 4 (the + version) which comes out soon. I'm quite tempted to get them providing reviews are positive. This might seem unnecessary given how relatively recent I got the original version, but if they improve on what is already a great pair, then I'm excited.
Likewise, with the EarFun Clip, this is their first pair of clip earbuds and already off to a very strong start. How they could improve them - aside from wireless charging for the case - not sure, but I'm excited to see what the future holds for them.