Apple Airpods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) | Review
Alex Cornelius
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As someone who's been using AirPods for years, I was eager to see how the Apple Airpods 4 stack up. I've used it around the house, and I have to say, they've quickly become one of my most-used gadgets alongside my phone.
What I really like about the Apple AirPods 4 is that they're more of an earbud than an in-ear headphone. I'm not a fan of sticking things inside my ear canal. It sits comfortably on the outside. And let me tell you, they sound fantastic—a significant improvement over version 3.
So, let's dive into what makes these new AirPods special.
ANC vs. Non-ANC Features
The Apple AirPods 4 with ANC is more costly than the version without ANC. So, let's take a look at what you get for the differences.
1. Built-in speaker on the case
The noise-cancelling version includes a few additional features. First, the charging case has a built-in speaker.
This might not seem like a big deal, but trust me, it's a lifesaver when you've misplaced your AirPods. You can use your phone to trigger a loud ping, making it easy to locate them. While both versions support Apple's Find My feature, only the ANC version can produce a sound.
2. Wireless Charging
Another perk of the pricier version is wireless charging. You can plop the case on any Qi charger. It also charges magnetically on an Apple Watch charger. So if you've got a charging base by your bed, you can snap your AirPods case right onto it.
Both versions have a USB-C port for wired charging. If you go for the non-ANC version, this is your only charging option.
Comfort and Fit
The Apple AirPods 4 are just as comfortable as the previous version (Apple AirPods 3), maybe even a bit better.
Apple has tweaked the design slightly. The AirPods 4 are a bit smaller than the version 3 and angled slightly differently. This might help with fit for some people, but keep in mind that these types of earbuds don't work for everyone. If you've had trouble with AirPods in the past, these might not solve all your problems.
One advantage these have over wired earbuds is that there's no cable to accidentally yank them out of your ears. They tend to stay put better, even though the shape is similar to Apple's wired earbuds.
Audio Quality
The audio quality on these new AirPods is a massive improvement over the previous version. I mainly use my AirPods for podcasts, but I made sure to test these out with music too.
The bass is so much deeper and richer, but it doesn't muddy the sound. It's almost like listening to a proper pair of headphones. You still get all the clarity in the higher tones that you had before, but there's this satisfying depth to the low end. I was genuinely impressed by how good these sound.
Active Noise Cancellation
I'll be honest, I was skeptical about how well noise cancellation would work on earbuds that don't seal off your ear canal. My previous experience with ANC was with over-ear Bose headphones, which already isolate a lot of noise passively.
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But to my surprise, the ANC on Apple AirPods 4 works better than I expected. I tested them out with my noisy vacuum cleaner system in the garage, and they did a great job filtering out most of the noise. There was still a bit of a hiss, but it was much quieter than without ANC.
Battery Life
Battery life is always an important factor with wireless earbuds. With noise cancellation turned off, you can expect about 5 hours of playback from a single charge. Turn on ANC, and that drops to about 4 hours. This has been pretty consistent with my experience.
The charging case is good for about 20 hours of total playback time. So you can recharge your AirPods several times before needing to plug in the case. It's on par with what I've experienced from previous AirPods, which is to say it's very good for day-to-day use.
Pairing with Apple Devices
If you're in the Apple ecosystem, you'll love how easy these are to set up. When you first take them out of the box, just open the case near your iPhone, tap a button on your phone, and you're done. Your AirPods are now available across all your Apple devices - your Macs, iPads, and Apple TVs.
Switching between devices is seamless. I use these all the time with my Apple TV in the bedroom. When I want to switch, I just hit a little button when the prompt comes up, and I'm good to go with private listening. It's super convenient.
Configuration Options
There's a whole menu of configuration options for these AirPods, but it's a bit hidden. You need to go into your Bluetooth settings, find your AirPods, and tap the little 'i' button.
From there, you can toggle noise cancellation on and off, switch to transparency mode (which lets in outside sound), or try the new adaptive mode that tries to smartly filter ambient noise.
There are also options for answering calls, muting, and ending calls by squeezing the stems. You can even set up head gestures to control your favorite voice assistant, though I found this feature a bit gimmicky.
Additional Features
Apple has packed in a few more features that are worth mentioning. There's a personalized volume feature that adjusts the sound based on your environment. There's also a conversational awareness feature that tries to focus on the person you're talking to in a noisy environment. This probably works better with the in-ear AirPods, but it's there if you want to try it.
You can fine-tune the adaptive audio to adjust how much outside noise gets through when using noise cancellation.
Bluetooth Compatibility
While these AirPods are designed to work best with Apple devices, they'll still function as regular Bluetooth headphones with non-Apple devices. The pairing process is a bit different from previous versions. Instead of a physical button on the case, you now open the case and double-tap the front to enter pairing mode.
Lossless Audio Discussion
These AirPods have Apple's H2 chip, which supposedly supports lossless audio. However, I couldn't find a way to verify if I was actually getting a lossless signal from my FLAC files on my phone.
They sound great, but my regular wired headphones still sound better with high-quality files. It's worth noting that these AirPods max out at a 48 kHz sample rate, so you won't get the full 96 kHz that some high-end audio files offer. But for wireless earbuds, the sound quality is still impressive.
Conclusion
All in all, the AirPods 4 is really a great gadget to own. They're a significant improvement over the previous version, especially in terms of sound quality and the addition of active noise cancellation.
If you're due for an upgrade or you're considering jumping into the world of AirPods, I think you'll be very happy with how these work and sound. They offer a great balance of comfort, sound quality, and convenient features, especially if you're already in the Apple ecosystem.
Sure, they're not cheap, but for the quality and features you're getting, I think they're worth the investment. Whether you're listening to music, podcasts, or using them for calls, these AirPods are likely to become your go-to audio device.