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AirPods 4 With ANC vs. AirPods Pro 2

techyOS said:
In some situations, the volume doesn’t lower at all, and in other situations, the volume never returns back to original levels. I tried to make a video that explains this in detail, give it a watch if you want: AirPods’ Conversation Awareness: The Reality - YouTube
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I have the AirPods Pro 2 and have used the conversation awareness extensively and that has not been my experience. If I start talking, they lower pretty quickly and once the conversation is done, in just a few seconds they usually adjust back up. It’s not 100% perfect all the time, but most of the time it’s pretty Apple Magical
 
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I have over the ear headphones, bone conduction headgear, and ap 4 that I use and love them because use of in ear earbuds make my ears hurt after a while. I also have ap pro2, and use them, as for me, on occasion because I also wear hearing aids. The up coming update for the ap pro2 will be fantastic for me and the world. No more spending thousands of dollars (even with over the counter hearing aids). The get my vote for just that one thing.
 
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I’ve had both. The pros are great for the gym for me but that’s about it. I don’t love them in my ears. The 4s are what i use daily (prior was the 3s) with anc but i mainly just use one for phone calls. This is my main use case. The other night I decided to listen to music with them and i was blown away at how good they sounded. Miles better than the last gen for sure.

tl;dr - the 4s with anc are incredible and more comfortable than the pros IMO.
 
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jz0309 said:
So which one of you two should we believe?
just tells that it is very subjective…
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Not necessarily subjective. When I go to the same places with the same noises, I used to didn't even hear the engines, machines, and music, now I distinctly hear them. I took off the AirPods and the noises were not louder than before.

But we can both be right, since the same software sometimes have different effects. Perhaps there are other variables. Just like how Apple bricks some iPads and HomePods just this month, but not all of them. There is already another thread on MR saying the ANC got worse.

I certainly wasn't looking for the ANC to get worse. In fact, I was surprised by it and checked several times if I had the correct mode on. Just like the other guy likely wasn't looking for it to get better either.
 
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I have both APP2 and now AP4 ANC. I'd defnitely recommend to get the ANC version if you're interested in the AP4s. I haven't tried the ANC on an airplane yet, but it is surprisingly effective against environmental noises. Two weaknesses compared to the APP2 ANC is that the AP4s can't handle wind noise, and there are sometimes weird audio artifacts when the airpods move around in your ear a little (e.g. when you're chewing). But it's kind of a miracle that they got this to work with open ear buds at all.

Overall, having very comfortable open ear buds (assuming they fit your ears) while still having the option to handle noisy environments is absolutely worth it IMO. They are my "every day carry" ear buds now.
 
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Do they sound better than APP1? I find them uncomfortable after a short amount of time so AP4 might be a better upgrade for me than APP2
 
Ages ago I was a Bose person.

Then the best they could manage without a cable was a set of earbuds that made it look like you has an extra set of ears!

Went to AirPods Pro. Went through 3 sets with various issues and ANC was crap.

Now on Bose ultra buds. Glad to be back.

Not everyone, but that is me.
 
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This review inspired me to confirm that my Apple Store has AirPods that can be tested in the store, which it does (they provide sanitizing wipes and an iPhone to listen to), and I was happy to learn that the AirPods 4 fit my ears very nicely and provide a good sound. (Original Airpods were not good for me and I went to AirPods Pro 1 eventually). Being one of the victims of rattlegate with APP 1 (outside of Apple Care and the extended replacement program), I had a bad taste in my mouth about them and ANC, so I use Beats Fit Pro for the gym, but the BFP for phone calls and TV at home is not comfy and easy as AirPods. And the BFP case is like carrying a bar of bath soap, so I would never think of putting it in my pocket in case I'm expecting a call when I'm out and about. I LOVE the small size and very light weight of the new AirPods 4 (without ANC) case. It's much lighter (and noticeably smaller) than the AirPods Pro 1 case I recycled.
 
I’m still using my first gen pros which I bought when they released making them 5 years old which is pretty great. Battery isn’t great and for some reason the ANC seems like it’s no longer working. If I was to buy a new pair it would be a tough choice between the 2nd gen pros or the standard 4th gen.
 
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Wasn't planning to upgrade but bought them for my daughter. Trying them out they ruined my AirPods 3.

Big jump in sound quality. More and deeper bass, beats are super tight even at high volume. Very punchy, even without a good seal (unlike the 3's which require a good push in the ear). A lot more sound separation. Switched back and forth with the Pro 2's of my (other) daughter and they are definitely on par.

No need for transparency mode as they let through almost all outside noise. That is until you enable noise cancellation. ANC not as good as the pro's but not far off.

They feel quite a bit smaller in the ear and now match my ears perfectly, very comfortable to wear for hours. Takes a different technique to get them out of the (smaller) case though.

For someone who doesn't like in-ears like me this is a no-brainer!
 
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According to this article the sound quality is identical because they use the same H2 chip. This seems the same as saying that a system that uses the same amplifier but completely different speakers would sound the same, which is, of course, nonsense. So to make this statement true are the transducers in the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 identical and the only difference is the use of flexible ear tips? It sounds like an awful lot of money to pay for that difference (ignoring Amazon discounts and looking at Apple's MSRP).
 
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I have the AirPods Pro first generation, and was wondering if it was time to think about replacing them.

My main issue with them doesn't seem to have been solved: random battery loss, a pain to keep the lid closed so I had to deactivate the automatic connexion and music start/stop...

I'm thinking of switching to something else like the Sony's or what. I just use them with my phone anyway.
 
I just flew for 12h and found the AirPod 4 noise cancellation great for the plane, audiobook and film audio was super clear. My over-ear Sennheiser’s at x3 the price remained untouched for the flight because the form factor of the AirPods is so much more convenient. It’s not perfect, but the combination of easy fit and not having the silicone tips is a definite win. Also love the USB C – at long last! So it’s a single cable for iPad, iPhone, AirPods, laptop. Definitely a win in my book!
 
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SoldOnApple said:
Would like to see if they perform better than the Pro 2 for ANC when some kind of rubber seal is added somehow.
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Comply makes covers for the AirPods non-pro that have foam inserts to block sound. Hard to know if that would improve or if the ANC calibration would be thrown off by the seal. I doubt that they would end up better than the pros as there isn’t anything in the 4s that is better than the pros.
 
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How comfortable are they when sleeping? I find that sleeping on airplanes is nice with the noise cancellation, but as soon as I roll to the side, one ear is suffering with my airpods pro2.
 
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antiprotest said:
Not necessarily subjective. When I go to the same places with the same noises, I used to didn't even hear the engines, machines, and music, now I distinctly hear them. I took off the AirPods and the noises were not louder than before.

But we can both be right, since the same software sometimes have different effects. Perhaps there are other variables. Just like how Apple bricks some iPads and HomePods just this month, but not all of them. There is already another thread on MR saying the ANC got worse.

I certainly wasn't looking for the ANC to get worse. In fact, I was surprised by it and checked several times if I had the correct mode on. Just like the other guy likely wasn't looking for it to get better either.
Click to expand...
I would recommend bringing them to Apple and telling them the noise cancellation got worse. They'll put them in a machine and do a test, and if it fails they'll replace them for free if you have Applecare.

Also, try factory resetting them by forgetting them in bluetooth settings and holding the button on the case for 20 seconds.
 
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roblin said:
How comfortable are they when sleeping? I find that sleeping on airplanes is nice with the noise cancellation, but as soon as I roll to the side, one ear is suffering with my airpods pro2.
Click to expand...
I don't know if I would be comfortable falling asleep with airpods in my ears, and I don't mean physically comforable lol. I'd be paranoid of them falling out and not realizing it before I leave the plane.
 
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