AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Source

SoundGuys

Key Takeaways

• Open-ear design inherently lacks physical acoustic seal; ANC barely suppresses chatter or high-pitch noises in noisy cafes.
• Excessively sculpted V-shaped frequency response overboosts treble to compensate for bass leakage, creating fatiguing sibilance.
• Pitiful battery life: drops to just 4 hours on a single charge with ANC engaged, sinking below 3.5 hours with Spatial Audio on.
• Fit security is unpredictable across diverse ear conchas; easily slips out during light jogging or jaw movements.

✅ Pros

• No ear-canal pressure or occlusion typical of silicone tips
• Incredibly compact charging case fits anywhere effortlessly
• Voice Isolation microphone processing delivers crisp calls

❌ Cons

• Open fit allows substantial mid and treble noise bleed despite ANC
• Harsh, sibilant upper frequencies induce fast ear fatigue
• Sub-4-hour runtime with ANC turned on is a regression
• Lack of silicone seal causes frequent slippage during exercise

📝 Verdict

"Trying to force ANC into an unsealed earbud defies physics; paired with a pathetic 4-hour battery, it falls flat."

Source

• Video: AirPods 4 with ANC review - 1 Year Later...
• Channel: SoundGuys | Type: Long-term review (about a year, with lab measurements) | Based on: YouTube auto-generated transcript (fetched with yt-dlp)

Key points

• The frequency response chart suggests weak bass, but listening to EDM at the gym or in quiet settings, there's more bass than the chart would predict; the treble isn't as harsh as on the AirPods Pro 3.
• Noise cancellation is better than expected in daily use, but in the lab it reduced outside noise by only about 53% on average, versus about 90% for the AirPods Pro 3 — a gap that comes from the open design without ear tips.
• His biggest complaint is that you can't swipe on the earbuds to adjust volume; he thinks this is a product trade-off, not a technical limitation.
• No hearing-health features, but Live Translation is supported.

✅ Pros

• Sounds better than the chart suggests
• Comfortable open design
• Noise cancellation is serviceable for daily use

❌ Cons

• Noise cancellation clearly weaker than the AirPods Pro 3
• No volume control on the earbuds
• No hearing-aid features

📝 Verdict

Still a good choice if you accept the trade-offs: worth considering if you like the open design, but for strong noise cancellation the Pro 3 is still better.

Source

• Video: AirPods 4 OVERHYPED! An Audiophile’s Perspective…
• Channel: Snazzy Labs | Type: Full review (audiophile perspective) | Based on: YouTube auto-generated transcript (fetched with yt-dlp)

Key points

• Compared with the standard model, the ANC model adds Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, Voice Isolation, and a charging case with a speaker and wireless charging.
• The charging case is the smallest and lightest in the AirPods line, with quality control even better than the AirPods Pro 2; but the physical button is gone, replaced by a double tap on the front to pair, which worked for him about 85% of the time, and it once got accidentally reset in his bag.
• The open design needs the volume turned up to sound good, and at about 80% volume the treble is harsh; he warns that prolonged high volume risks hearing damage.
• At the US price of $179, it's only slightly cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 on sale at the time, which he thinks are better across the board; a lower price would be a different story.

✅ Pros

• An extremely compact, solidly built charging case
• Noise cancellation and Transparency without ear tips

❌ Cons

• Priced close to the AirPods Pro, poor value
• Unreliable touch pairing that can be accidentally reset
• Harsh treble at high volume
• The open design requires turning the volume up

📝 Verdict

A good product at an awkward price: suited to people who can't wear AirPods Pro but want noise cancellation; everyone else has better options at this price.

Source

• Video: AirPods 4 Review: Which Ones To Get?
• Channel: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) | Type: Full review (comparing both models) | Based on: YouTube auto-generated transcript (fetched with yt-dlp)

Key points

• The AirPods 4 come in a standard model and an Active Noise Cancellation model, with identical earbuds; the new shape doesn't help much with his ears, and they still slowly loosen over long wear. IP54.
• The ANC model's charging case is smaller, with a speaker and wireless charging, and works with an Apple Watch charger; but the case is too small to attach magnetically to MagSafe anymore. The pairing button is replaced by a hidden touch area on the front.
• Noise cancellation: he gives the AirPods Pro about an 8 and the AirPods 4 with ANC about a 4–5; without an ear-tip seal, it's more like "noise reduction", most noticeable in noisy places such as planes and trains.
• Transparency mode may be the most natural he's heard on AirPods; battery life is 4 hours with ANC on, 20 hours with the case.
• The H2 chip enables features such as nodding or shaking your head to respond to Siri; the sound is balanced but there's still no EQ. He personally still prefers the AirPods Pro with silicone ear tips.

✅ Pros

• Noise cancellation without ear tips
• Very natural Transparency mode
• A compact case with wireless charging and a Find My speaker

❌ Cons

• Noise cancellation far weaker than the AirPods Pro
• Still prone to loosening for people whose ears they don't fit
• The case doesn't attach to MagSafe
• No EQ

📝 Verdict

For people who hate ear tips: the AirPods 4 with ANC are a good semi-in-ear option, but for real quiet, the AirPods Pro are still better.