A few weeks ago, a reader asked about quality earphones for between $20 and $40. I replied that after the ZVOX AV30 earbuds were discontinued, I had been looking for another budget recommendation. And now I have found it in the newly introduced EarFun Air 2 NC earphones.

EarFun is better known overseas, where its products have received widespread praise, including the first five-star rating awarded by Britain's "What Hi-Fi?" magazine to budget-priced wireless headphones. EarFun is starting to make a splash here, and if the Air 2 NC is typical, they should be very successful in the U.S. market.

The earbuds have all the essential elements needed for a satisfying listening experience. They enter pairing mode automatically the first time you remove them from the case, with no fumbling or holding down of touch-sensitive surfaces until they are ready to pair.

They are perfectly balanced and stay in the ear effortlessly, something I greatly appreciated because I often need to use foam to get earphones to stay securely in my ear. The noise reduction is very effective. Perhaps most important, they have pleasing sound quality with music, movies and hands-free calls, and they have low latency if you like to play games on your portable device.

The large drivers are made of a wool composite for smooth sound, and there is a bit of a bump in the bass (not unlike the Meze Audio 109 Pro) for a full sound that many people prefer.

The EarFun Air 2 NC buds have an 18-month warranty and list for $69.99, but you can get the special launch price of $39.99 at myearfun.com by using the code EAIRUS1.

EV charger guide

Q: You mentioned your electric bill only went up between $8 and $20 per month with your plug-in hybrid, but also that you used free chargers when you could. How often did you use the free chargers, and how do I find them?

A: I probably used the free chargers about 10% of the time. The navigation system has an option to find chargers as well as gas stations, but I find the PlugShare app to be the easiest and most informative way to learn about charging options. You can sort by plug type and charging speed, free or pay chargers, and read user reviews.

The latter have proven useful. One local grocery store has two free ClipperCreek Level 2 chargers for their customers, but the reviews stated that the spaces and chargers are almost always occupied by the same two Uber drivers with Teslas. That proved to be true.

Ad-supported chargers from Volta (owned by Shell) are my favorites. I have found them at grocery stores and outlet malls, and the concept is brilliant. They are tall monoliths with large, brilliant screens that display colorful ads. The retailers get free chargers to attract customers, the customers get to charge while shopping and Volta makes money and pays for the service with the ads. Everyone wins!

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.