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The new Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation blinded me with silence (and science)
Don't like silicone tips jammed into your ears? These AirPods are nearly as good as their Pro counterparts.
Ears come in all shapes and sizes, and now AirPods do too. Sort of: The new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) aim to fill the gap between "regular" AirPods (those with hard-plastic earbuds) and AirPods Pro, which employ silicone ear tips. Not everyone likes the fit or feel of the latter, but that was the only way to get ANC. Not anymore: The AirPods 4 deliver that desirable feature in a more traditional earbud design. But does ANC actually work without the benefit of that silicone seal inside your ear canals? And with the $179 price tag in spitting distance of the AirPods Pro 2 ($189-$199 with "perma-deal" pricing) what's the smarter pick?
Before I answer those questions, note that this AirPods 4 review specifically covers the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Apple also released no-ANC AirPods 4 that are virtually identical otherwise. Price tag there: $129.
Read more: The best wireless earbuds for 2024
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Ear detection: Yes | Spatial audio: Yes | Multipoint connectivity: Yes | Case charging: USB-C or wireless | Max battery life: 4 hours on a charge (with ANC enabled) | Water resistance: IP54 | Special features: Find My, head gestures
VERDICT: A great option for anyone who doesn't like the fit or feel of AirPods Pro but still wants robust active noise cancellation.
- Most of the same features as AirPods Pro 2
- Charging case and earbuds each support Apple Find My
- ANC works surprisingly well, except against wind
- Good overall sound quality
- Great for phone calls
- Nifty head-gesture features
- Below-average battery life
- No volume controls on stems
- Unhelpful status LED on case
- AirPods Pro have better overall sound, ANC
- No physical pairing button
- Priced about the same as on-sale AirPods Pro 2
- No hearing-aid or hearing-protection features
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelling: Let's do the price math
Worth noting: Apple wasn't the first to create a hard-plastic earbud capable of ANC. The year-old Edifier W320TN has a similar design and the same enviable capability — one reason it scored an honorable mention on our list of the best wireless earbuds. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles, but it routinely sells between $60 and $100.
And speaking of price, let's look at the math. As noted above: You'll pay $179 for the AirPods 4 with ANC. AirPods Pro 2 list for $249, but have been "on sale" for $199 or less for as long as I can remember. (At this writing: $189 at Amazon. Here's my AirPods Pro 2 review if you want to learn more.)
It may not happen right away, but at some point there will be discounts on the AirPods 4; they could easily drop to $159 or even $149 around October Prime Day, then again around Black Friday and the holidays. Right now, however, there's exactly a $10 difference between AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2 (also with ANC, natch). So a big part of this comes down to personal preference: Which do you like better in your ears? (There's also the question of sound quality, of course, so read on.)
AirPods 4: Setup, design and fit
Setup is easy as ever: Just bring the AirPods case close to your iPhone and pop it open. One quick tap and you're connected, then shown a brief how-to-use tutorial and given the option to turn on features like Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume. I wish more products offered this kind of novice-friendly setup.
The downside to a one-size-fits-all design like this is that depending on the size/structure of your ears, these might just fall out. That's one reason some folks opt for an in-ear headphone like the AirPods Pro (the wedged-in silicone eartip helps keep them in place), while others lean toward an open-ear headphone that hangs off the outside.
In my fairly average-size ears, the AirPods 4 rested comfortably and never came loose, even when I shook my head violently. It's impossible to say whether your experience will be the same, but if there's an Apple Store nearby, ask an employee for a try-on demo. They'll give you one (with freshly cleaned 'buds, of course).
I've been a pretty steadfast AirPods Pro user for the past couple years, but I must admit that I'm preferring the ease and quickness with which I can lay the AirPods 4 into my ears, and lift them out again. It's more convenient and less "invasive" than twisting in those silicone tips — and also less likely to capture ear wax (ew).
AirPods 4: Nearly every AirPods Pro feature is here
In designing the AirPods 4, Apple borrowed from the AirPods Pro feature list not only ANC, but also its H2 chip, spatial audio, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness, wireless charging case with speaker (and USB-C charging port) and so on. The new Head Gestures feature — nod to accept calls/announcements, shake to decline — is here as well (though that's also been added to the Pros).
As for color options, no surprise here: Any color you want, as long as it's white.
Each earbud has a small "force sensor" (i.e. button) embedded in the stem; you squeeze it once to play/pause your music, long-squeeze to toggle ANC on/off and so on. I like this a lot better than typical touch or tap controls; however, you can't swipe the sensor to adjust volume as you can on the AirPods Pro. I've always found that control a little finicky anyway, but it's too bad Apple opted not to include it here.
An even more notable omission: all the impressive assistive hearing features Apple announced earlier this month. For now, those will be available only to AirPods Pro 2 users.
AirPods 4: How do they sound?
Full stop: AirPods 4 don't sound as good as AirPods Pro. Make no mistake, I think they're pretty solid overall, just missing some of the depth and fullness afforded by an inner-ear silicone seal. Bass can get a little muddy, highs a little hollow.
In Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, for example, the strings sounded very detailed, the various movements very well-balanced. When I switched over to the AirPods Pro, however, I felt like the cello was more prominent and pleasant. Similarly, in Townland's Coral and Bone, a bass-heavy riff seemed a little harsh on the AirPods 4, something I don't notice when playing the same song on the Pro.
Of course, sound quality is a highly subjective thing, and a lot of it depends on the kind of music you listen to. I will say that Apple's spatial audio is just as dynamite here as on the AirPods Pro. For the uninitiated, it creates a virtual "focal point" for the sound you're hearing, staying fixed even as you turn your head. It's a feature I really love, both for music and video. (And it's available on the non-ANC AirPods 4 too.)
As for ANC, it's surprisingly effective — I'd say at least 80% as good as it is on the AirPods Pros. When I sat next to a noisy fan, it seemed almost miraculous that these "open" earbuds could reduce so much of the sound. However, while I've yet to take them on an airplane, I can't imagine they'd block as much engine roar as the Pros — not without the helping hand of that silicone seal.
And one thing I noticed right away on a lengthy outdoor walk: These AirPods aren't nearly as effective at isolating wind noise, because, again, no inner-ear seal; wind just creeps in, and ANC alone can't combat it.
The good news is Apple's microphones do very well at reducing wind noise (and other background sounds) when you're on a call. Indeed, AirPods are widely recognized as some of the best earbuds, period, for phone and Zoom conversations, and the AirPods 4 are no different.
AirPods 4: What I don't like
These AirPods won't win any battery-life contests. They're good for only about four hours with ANC turned on, five with it off. The charging case brings your listening totals up to 20 and 30 hours, respectively. For comparison, AirPods Pro can last up to six hours with ANC on.
The two models share one major charging-case annoyance: The front LED lights up orange when connected to power, but then goes dark after a few seconds. Want to know the charging status? You have to tap or open the case to make the LED come on again. This wouldn't be a big deal if, say, the LED turned green when charging was complete, but it doesn't. There's no indication that it's actively charging or finished charging. This makes zero sense to me. (You can, of course, grab your phone to check the AirPods' charge status.) Just as bad, there's nothing in the small printed instruction guide that reveals anything about the case LED's colors, flashes, etc.
A smaller gripe: Apple has eliminated the physical Bluetooth-pairing button from the AirPods case. Now, to enter pairing mode, you double-tap the front of the case, with the lid open and with the AirPods still inside. That's not hard to do, obviously, but it's one more thing to remember. (I, for one, expect I'll forget it by the time I finish this paragraph.)
It also bears mentioning that Android users are almost certainly better off with something other than AirPods, which would serve as little more than "dumb" earbuds when paired with those phones.
AirPods 4: The verdict
For any iPhone owners seeking the ANC goodness of AirPods Pro without that screwed-into-the-ear-canal feel, the AirPods 4 with ANC are likely to be received with open arms (and happy ears). It should come as no surprise that Apple's newest earbuds deliver nicely tuned audio, lots of useful features and virtually unrivaled (except by other AirPods) call quality.
Battery life isn't great, though, and if you want the best audio fidelity and most powerful ANC, AirPods Pro are the better choice — especially when there's only $10 separating the two.