Airpods 4 Review: Unbelievable ANC!

I've been using the AirPods 4 & AirPods 4 w/ANC for the past week and I have some thoughts. There is a lot these get right and one or two drawbacks you should be aware of.

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Disclaimer: This video is purely based on my experiences, research, and opinions. You and only you are responsible for your actions. I made this channel to advise viewers and I truly hope to help you all out. I love making these videos and connecting with my viewers!
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ADDITIONAL REVIEW NOTES:
AIRPODS 4

INTRO - AirPods 4 are way smaller, have massive audio improvements, and actually have ANC despite the open design of them. These also have some wild new features that feel very futuristic

Now people ask all the time why you would ever get these. Comfortable and hygenic and less pressure feeling

And the ANC on these…

Tease ANC test in the intro
Tease nodding for siri

Also… this may be confusing but there are two models. The ones I’ll be showing in this video, which are $179, and this second pair I have which are $129 and are basically identical except for the lack of ANC and a few other features. We’ll get to that but the main difference is the lack of ANC.

DESIGN
Way smaller!!
Smallest case ever

Charging case has usbc
Added a speaker to the case
MagSafe and wireless charging and Apple Watch charging works

More comfortable now?
Controls = force sensor, no touch controls

IP54 water and dust resistant

Unlike the pros, these have an optical ear detection sensor

ANC TEST

You really cannot compare these to the AirPods Pro 2, but I will anyway

With ANC off, you can easily hear ambient sounds at 39dB or even lower. When ANC is on, however, that threshold increases to about 52dB for me. For reference, the AirPods Pro can increase that to about 60 or 61dB

TRANSPARENCY TEST

AirPods 4 with vs without ANC
$50 cheaper
ANC, Transparency, Conversation awareness, adaptive audio, wireless charging case

FEATURES
Simply nod yes or no in response to Siri
4/20 hrs with ANC, 5/30 hrs total battery life
5 min charge = 1 hr listening - honestly a weak quick charge

Personalized spatial
Conversation awareness

These DO NOT Have the new hearing aid features that the Pros have.

Normal airpods stuff like seamless switching, siri, and audio sharing

MIC TEST
Voice isolation on calls

In several bad real world cases, the other end of the line didn't hear anything. Anecdotally, very very impressive!

SOUND QUALITY ANALYSIS
Massive improvement in audio quality
Adaptive audio too
Reasonably forgiving in the placement and orientation
Tough to get as much detail and clarity with open buds.

Better than most other open buds.

Decent balance. Highs aren't overbearing. Bass is warm and full

Instrument separation is the catch. Some sounds blend together

Not particularly loud. I keep turning the volume up to hear details

Listening to moon hooch, saxophone is bold and rich. Best when there aren't tons of instruments simultaneously

When listening to a band like the war on drugs, there are a lot of tracks and it can get tough to differentiate

Are audiophiles buying these? No. The form factor isn't optimal for that. But given this form, the sound quality is actually very good. Nice balance, full and rich sound. These sound good with most genres I've tried

AIRPODS PRO 2 also have new features
Prevention
Hearing test
Hearing aid feature
Expecting clearance soon. Coming this fall

PROS
Price is competitive and we are getting a smaller case, lots of great features, and a comfortable design
No silicone tips = more accessible to more users who hate silicone tips

CONS
No slider for volume
No UWB finding because the case does not have the U1 chip
No magsafe on the cheaper case (both cases?)
No lanyard loop
No pairing button on the case
The usual drawbacks. No EQ. Only one color available.

PRICE $179 for the ANC model, $129 for the regular AirPods 4

[colt]

One thing about buds with silicone tips is the tips easily get gunked up with ear wax. So you have to clean them a lot and your ears. And the wax makes them want to push out making you have to press them in. Whereas I never had that problem with open end designed buds. Only thing is every so often you'd have to clean the wax that gets in the speaker grill.

[shalomzharnest]

the comparison should clearly be the Galaxy Buds 3- both are open ear tips with ANC

[robertq]

Mike, great information. I really enjoyed and appreciate your candor review. Your reviews don’t seem ‘rushed’ and yet aren’t very long but still contain a lot of valuable content. Love this!

[TheMensRoom]

As an Android User I just picked up a pair of the airpod 4 with ANC. I got to say the ANC is pretty good. You hear a little bit of noise but not much. I work in a very loud Warehouse I was on a call the other day the person could barely hear the noise in the background when I had the ANC on

[Redeem_Honor]

Timestamps for main topics, generated using AI

0:00 - Introduction: Overview of AirPods 4 features (smaller case, ANC, audio improvements)
0:20 - Initial thoughts on ANC performance and its surprising quality
1:23 - Explanation of two AirPods 4 models (with and without ANC, price differences)
1:57 - Design and size of the AirPods 4 case (comparison with AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2)
2:25 - Charging quirks: No MagSafe, but wireless charging supported
3:08 - New pairing method for AirPods 4 (double-tap to activate pairing mode)
4:59 - Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance, comparison with AirPods Pro and others
7:06 - Transparency mode performance, praised for natural ambient sound
7:54 - Differences between AirPods 4 with ANC and without ANC
10:07 - Battery life comparison between ANC and non-ANC versions
11:00 - Audio sharing and other features (like switching between devices)
11:39 - Microphone test (indoor and outdoor scenarios)
12:51 - Sound quality analysis: Comparison with AirPods 3, overall good for open earbuds
14:06 - Final thoughts on AirPods 4 pros and cons

[jechuwen]

I just bought this and I’m loving it. No silicone tips is a big YES for me. It fit perfectly in my ears and don’t fall even I’m jumping or nodding my head side to side.
ANC works fine but i don’t used it because i feel like im going to be deaf of how silent it is.

[Kolya-chu]

Other reviews were ecstatic over the noise canceling. Good to get a range of opinions! I ordered mine yesterday but I feel like I should survey more before it’s too late 😬

[OddlyFamiliarStranger]

I honestly can’t wait to experience the anc
A lot of reviews have said it’s incredible

[sharingaccount-wr]

Hi, you’re one of the best in your domain….keep making such informative content… love from India

[GrindingKnives]

Overall amazing overview and review! I pre-ordered mine as soon as they were available. I have both Gen 1 standard AirPods and Gen 1 AirPod Pro and have been waiting for the perfect reason to purchase new ones. I have relatively small ears and the fact the Gen 4 have a MUCH better fit sold me. Can’t wait till Friday, super stoked! Keep up the great content 🤙🏻🙏🏻🫡

[TylerBR]

I hate ear tips and I’m super sensitive to the pressure from ANC. I’d also never use over ears at the gym so this is legit perfect for me

[mohitrashivlogs]

Just received mine I Pre-Ordered they are amazing

❤

[Andrew-ukqd]

Would you please try comparing them to the galaxy buds 3 and any other close buds in some video? I appreicate your insight

[painuchiha]

I’m excited to try these because I hate the tips and the 3 were slightly too big

[fightnight]

I just hate how there's only one color. I got a feeling that Apple will make a colors Airpods but only for the Pros soon. It would have been fun seeing an ultramarine and teal Airpods 4.

[MrPantss]

As per my doctor who looked inside my ears, I have weird shaped ear canals that are shaped upwards, so these open ear are the only ones that I can use, the silicone just blocks my ear. I have just received my AirPods 4, the noise cancelling is amazing! BUT, compared to my last AirPods I find they need more treble, they sound quite muffled when watching films. The new geometry is ok, but does not fit quite as well as my old set which were more rounded and less angular. Overall I am happy with them and glad I can watch my iPad when I am in the lounge now and the TV is on.

[patrickrushton]

Apple nailed it with the AirPods 4 ANC. Noise cancellation is just as good if not better than my original Pros, but without the occlusion effect from footsteps, chewing, etc.

What do you think about the adaptive mode? Seems like something more useful on the Pros than a semi-open earbud.

[craneguy]

In terms of passive noise isolation, the 2nd and 3rd gen AirPods have next to none. What are the 4th gen like in comparison? I think being able to hear almost all of your surroundings is really helpful and a lot safer in certain situations, and I really like that about the previous generations. Now with added ANC these 4th gen could be looking really worthwhile.

[pragunmarella]

I was love to see this early in the day…

[Harsh-]

Which one is a better option for ears health and hearing ability over a longer term?
1) silicon tip, AirPods Pro like design
2) open ears, AirPods 4 with ANC like design