EarFun K2

Accordingly, the headband’s size adjustment covers a wide range from very small to medium head sizes. Another good feature is the pressure exerted is not too strong, while the design means that the earbuds don’t fit too loosely and are not constantly slipping. The headband is not rigid but made from a flexible plastic material, which makes it robust and resistant. However, there is no metal reinforcement in the folding mechanism, which means these headphones can be folded in a space-saving manner for transport.

As the K2 is a closed, circumaural model, ambient noise is noticeably dampened, and this can benefit the wearer’s ability to concentrate. In addition, these over-ears emit very little sound to the outside. However, it should be borne in mind that this shielding can pose a danger if worn while walking in road traffic, for example, by a child on the way to school. Due to the design, a certain amount of heat was also noticeable on the ears, but this can be counteracted with occasional ventilation.

Battery life

With the volume turned up slightly, the EarFun K2 achieved a listening time of 35 hours when the AAC codec was used. Frequent charging was therefore not necessary, and even use on longer journeys posed no challenge, particularly as the battery can be charged quickly and provides additional capacity for two hours and 45 minutes after just ten minutes of connection to a power supply. Meanwhile, a full charge via the USB-C port takes just under three hours.

These headphones can be used wirelessly but also wired, as there is a 3.5mm audio input on the left side of the casing. This practical feature means that the K2 can be used with devices such as the Toniebox or the Tiptoi pen and MP3 players without Bluetooth connectivity. Both a USB-C to USB-A charging cable and a mini jack cable are included.

Operation

As for controls, these over-ears are equipped with three buttons on the left side, and these can be used to start and stop playback and adjust the volume. You can also answer and end phone calls or skip forwards and backwards when selecting tracks using the controls on the headphones. The Bluetooth connection gave us a particularly stable impression during our test, which would give your kids, those tiny bundles of energy, plenty of freedom of movement. Inside a building, several rooms could be crossed, and it was possible to change floors without any problems; there was also a range of more than 30 metres outside in the garden.

Volume limitation

When the EarFun K2 are switched on, the maximum playback level is automatically limited to 85 decibels to protect the sensitive hearing of young listeners. This level is intended for typical everyday use. In addition, a limit of 94 decibels can be set for use in noisy environments such as when travelling; a simultaneous press of the plus and minus buttons switches between the two modes. However, it is not possible to tell from the outside which level is being used, and this does not appear to be the best solution. To ensure that the child’s ears are not exposed to excessive playback levels, you will have to check the volume occasionally, especially during prolonged use. When using the device wired, it is even more important to set the volume carefully, as the maximum achievable level in passive mode was generally 94 decibels when the electronics were not switched on, and it cannot be limited to the lower setting of 85 decibels.

Voice intelligibility during telephone calls

The HD microphone of these Bluetooth headphones does not transmit the voice quite as naturally as higher-priced models might, but they do offer solid intelligibility in a quiet environment. However, this deteriorated in wind and ambient noise, so this should be taken into account. On a positive note, the presentation of the other person’s voice sounded very harmonious and was easy to understand.

Sound

The EarFun K2 had a round, good-natured sound character, as the dynamic 40mm drivers enabled powerful reproduction. Both the bass and the mid-range appeared present and full-bodied, while the upper-frequency spectrum seemed restrained and timid. In this respect, the sound image tended towards the darker rather than the brighter side, which made perfect sense for headphones aimed at use by children. Human hearing ability declines in the high-frequency range early on in life, but it is still fully intact in children, which is why they should avoid using headphones with treble-heavy tuning.

The K2s sounded extremely warm, rounding off corners and edges without the reproduction appearing muddy, boomy or spongy. The mid-range, in particular, came through as appealingly clear so that the individual characters in Bluey can be perfectly distinguished from one another. Even SpongeBob’s laugh provides a somewhat gentler listening experience than usual, but without distorting the sound, which means that the playback was not perceived as tiring and was a pleasure to listen to.

Conclusion

In view of their price range, the EarFun K2 impressed us with a very stable Bluetooth connection, support for the AAC codec and a long-lasting, fast-charging battery. The warm, good-natured sound tuning also impressed us with its good speech intelligibility. However, there was room for improvement in the implementation of the volume limit, as it was not clear from the outside which level was being used. Furthermore, an 85dB limit was available when the electronics were switched on in Bluetooth mode but not when the headphones were used in wired mode.