Some people just prefer buds that don't go deep in your ear canal and seal it off. Just a matter of personal preference. I have yet to exprience in-ear buds that have the "barely feel it's there" quality of the regular Airpods.
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Testing Apple's New AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
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It would be nice if the written article actually discussed the results of the ANC testing
Just got the AP4 with ANC coming from the regular airpods gen 2 with just 2 hours of battery life these days. I liked the fit of the new ones and agree the ANC is good.
One question for those that purchased similar, i noticed the case closing sound is a bit plastic sounding compared to the old muffled satisfying click, maybe its just me. Also the opening cover, when shut, it seems like it shifts and does a clicky sound when moving it side to side like its loose. Maybe its nothing. So far i do like it and the in-ear never fit my ears.
One question for those that purchased similar, i noticed the case closing sound is a bit plastic sounding compared to the old muffled satisfying click, maybe its just me. Also the opening cover, when shut, it seems like it shifts and does a clicky sound when moving it side to side like its loose. Maybe its nothing. So far i do like it and the in-ear never fit my ears.
Alongside the iPhone 16 models, Apple launched its next-generation flagship AirPods, the AirPods 4. There's a new design and for the first time, Active Noise Cancellation, so we thought we'd check them out to see how they compare to the prior-generation AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
There are two versions of the AirPods this time around, an entry-level $129 model, and a $179 model that also includes Active Noise Cancellation. ANC has previously been exclusive to the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max, and this is the first time that Apple's used it in an open-ear headphone design and in a device at the sub-$200 price point.
Apple tweaked the design of the AirPods, introducing a shape that's supposed to fit more ears. The revamp took into account millions of scans of different ears to get a more comfortable, snug fit for people. In practice, the design isn't that much different, but if you have had trouble keeping AirPods secured in your ears, you might have luck with the new shape.
ANC typically comes in headphones or earbuds that have some kind of seal with the ear canal, but that's not the case here. Apple did not add silicone tips like it has for the AirPods Pro 2, so the ANC isn't going to cut out sound quite as well as earbuds where you get a seal. That said, the ANC is pretty decent at cutting down on annoying ambient noise like ACs, the drone of an airplane engine, and similar sounds.
Apple upgraded both models with the same H2 chip that's used in the AirPods Pro 2, and it's an upgrade over the H1 that was in the AirPods 3. Sound quality is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2 as a result, and the feature set is the same in terms of support for spatial audio, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Transparency in the ANC version, and other functions. If you're coming from AirPods 3 and upgrading to AirPods 4, you'll definitely notice the boost in sound quality.
Apple slimmed down the AirPods case, and it's tiny. Cutting case size sacrificed MagSafe charging though, so while the $179 model supports Qi-based wireless charging, it does not have a magnet inside. The more affordable model doesn't have wireless charging at all. The button at the back for pairing and setup is gone, but there's actually a hidden button at the front for these features.
Battery life has actually gone down compared to the AirPods 3. You'll get up to five hours of listening time with a single charge instead of six hours, and a little less with ANC turned on. There's still 30 hours of total listening time with the case, even though it's smaller than before.
The case for the more expensive model also has a built-in speaker for Find My, so if you misplace your AirPods, you can get the case to play a sound so you can find them. This isn't a feature of the cheaper version, but it still has general Find My connectivity so you can locate it on a map.
For the $179 price, the AirPods 4 with ANC offer a pretty robust feature set, and at $129, the version sans ANC is competitive with many other cheaper Bluetooth headphones on the market. The main benefit of AirPods with Apple devices is the automatic pairing and device switching, which you can't get with competing products.
Article Link: Testing Apple's New AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
I absolutely love mine. I've used them all weekend and the ANC is almost as good as the pros and the sound quality to me is exactly the same. great base and it doesn't feel uncomfortable laying in my ear instead of forcing it in my ear canal like the pros, plus I get a little bit of the outside noise in case someone approaches me and wants my attention
Alongside the iPhone 16 models, Apple launched its next-generation flagship AirPods, the AirPods 4. There's a new design and for the first time, Active Noise Cancellation, so we thought we'd check them out to see how they compare to the prior-generation AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
There are two versions of the AirPods this time around, an entry-level $129 model, and a $179 model that also includes Active Noise Cancellation. ANC has previously been exclusive to the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max, and this is the first time that Apple's used it in an open-ear headphone design and in a device at the sub-$200 price point.
Apple tweaked the design of the AirPods, introducing a shape that's supposed to fit more ears. The revamp took into account millions of scans of different ears to get a more comfortable, snug fit for people. In practice, the design isn't that much different, but if you have had trouble keeping AirPods secured in your ears, you might have luck with the new shape.
ANC typically comes in headphones or earbuds that have some kind of seal with the ear canal, but that's not the case here. Apple did not add silicone tips like it has for the AirPods Pro 2, so the ANC isn't going to cut out sound quite as well as earbuds where you get a seal. That said, the ANC is pretty decent at cutting down on annoying ambient noise like ACs, the drone of an airplane engine, and similar sounds.
Apple upgraded both models with the same H2 chip that's used in the AirPods Pro 2, and it's an upgrade over the H1 that was in the AirPods 3. Sound quality is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2 as a result, and the feature set is the same in terms of support for spatial audio, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Transparency in the ANC version, and other functions. If you're coming from AirPods 3 and upgrading to AirPods 4, you'll definitely notice the boost in sound quality.
Apple slimmed down the AirPods case, and it's tiny. Cutting case size sacrificed MagSafe charging though, so while the $179 model supports Qi-based wireless charging, it does not have a magnet inside. The more affordable model doesn't have wireless charging at all. The button at the back for pairing and setup is gone, but there's actually a hidden button at the front for these features.
Battery life has actually gone down compared to the AirPods 3. You'll get up to five hours of listening time with a single charge instead of six hours, and a little less with ANC turned on. There's still 30 hours of total listening time with the case, even though it's smaller than before.
The case for the more expensive model also has a built-in speaker for Find My, so if you misplace your AirPods, you can get the case to play a sound so you can find them. This isn't a feature of the cheaper version, but it still has general Find My connectivity so you can locate it on a map.
For the $179 price, the AirPods 4 with ANC offer a pretty robust feature set, and at $129, the version sans ANC is competitive with many other cheaper Bluetooth headphones on the market. The main benefit of AirPods with Apple devices is the automatic pairing and device switching, which you can't get with competing products.
Article Link: Testing Apple's New AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation
Only issue I'm having so far is a slight "plugged up" feeling in my right ear, but that's due to the anatomy of my right ear -- I think the AP4s seal on that side a little tighter due to my ear shape.
I'm mostly mitigated it by slightly adjusting the right bud and its angle
Not a deal breaker -- at least not at this point
I'm mostly mitigated it by slightly adjusting the right bud and its angle
Not a deal breaker -- at least not at this point
Hygiene question. Did the store clean and sanitize those AirPods in front of you before giving them to you? I've had different experiences at different Apple Stores.
You can listen to your own muffled screams as the lawnmower removes your big toe.
Yeah, I'm sure that's a high-quality product that nobodys heard about.
********, the ANC is fabulous and the sound quality is 99% as good as the pros of course the ANC isnt 100% like the pros but it's awful damn close
'Sorry, I can't help you with that, would you like to search from your iPhone?'
Well I was just sharing my real experience with it. And you're clearly exaggerating. Even Apple wouldn't claim they are that close to the Pros.
That wasn't the question. It said is there any others. I personally wouldn't buy them, others may as a lot cheaper.
I looked up the Soundpeats brand and went to their website and the fakespot plugin lit up pointing out low trust in the brand and customer experience -- Same happened on a couple of their product pages on Amazon
Caveat emptor on those
I'll pass
I wouldn't either. The question was is there any others, there is. If they are good or not I've no idea, if reliable no idea.
Got home yesterday after a trip to find mine waiting for me.
Fit: better than my AirPods 3.
ANC: I stood two metres from a running dishwasher and played with the various settings. With full ANC turned on and nothing playing I could barely hear it. Way better than I expected! Currently sitting in an open plan office with a few colleagues, again nothing playing. Background building noises fully suppressed. Speech of nearby colleagues is audible but muffled.
Again, the experience is even better than I expected.
I found the ANC quite competent. Got them for my wife who has been using the regular AirPods without ANC for quite some time. So she was blown away. I've been using the AirPods Pros because I take the subway a lot. So it wasn't mind-blowing for me. Still to do this without either cans or an in-ear seal is amazing.
Shape is good. As it so happens though, the original AirPods fit my wife great. Like she happens to have ears where she could do a summersault and they wouldn't fall out. These don't lock in place quite as well for her, but aren't at all uncomfortable.
Shape is good. As it so happens though, the original AirPods fit my wife great. Like she happens to have ears where she could do a summersault and they wouldn't fall out. These don't lock in place quite as well for her, but aren't at all uncomfortable.
AirPods 4 ANC are the perfect airpods for me. I have USB-C Pro 2's and haven't used them since (I think i'll keep them around for some things though, like flying.)
I don't mind rubber eartips, but most of the time I prefer being able to hear my environment, and by default, the pro's block out a lot of sound. The 4's ANC is much weaker, but still makes it easy to take a zoom meeting or phone call in a crowded place with music playing in the background.
But the major, major benefit that nobody really talks about - the case. The case is amazingly tiny, about 2/3's the size of the Pro case and for me, that is huge. I hate having things in my pockets, and the main reason I started using airpods was to have headphones always available without a cord, and the original airpods case was quite small. Then the pro's came along with much better sound, but the case was relatively massive.
The 4's give me just enough benefit compared to the pro's, but improve portability by a ton, and for me that is the most important metric.
I don't mind rubber eartips, but most of the time I prefer being able to hear my environment, and by default, the pro's block out a lot of sound. The 4's ANC is much weaker, but still makes it easy to take a zoom meeting or phone call in a crowded place with music playing in the background.
But the major, major benefit that nobody really talks about - the case. The case is amazingly tiny, about 2/3's the size of the Pro case and for me, that is huge. I hate having things in my pockets, and the main reason I started using airpods was to have headphones always available without a cord, and the original airpods case was quite small. Then the pro's came along with much better sound, but the case was relatively massive.
The 4's give me just enough benefit compared to the pro's, but improve portability by a ton, and for me that is the most important metric.
I guess if you charge it on a vertical or angled surface? It still has wireless charging, it just won't magnetically stay in place. Every airpods charger I have in the house lays flat, so it makes little difference to me personally.
I have one phone charger in the house, a MagSafe charger that's angled quite steeply. Fantastic for iOS standby mode. Useless for AirPods 4.
I really want to reply that this is a First World Problem but I'm terrified of getting