AirPods 4 OVERHYPED! An Audiophile’s Perspective…

The AirPods 4 have received near-universal praise; however, I’m *not* as convinced…

In this review, we take a deep dive into the Apple AirPods 4, exploring both the $180 Active Noise Cancellation model and the standard $130 version. We discuss improvements in fitment, sound quality, and the new adaptive audio features, but also address some overlooked shortcomings like the lack of a skin sensor and volume controls. We also compare the AirPods 4 to the previous AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2, evaluating everything from ANC performance to microphone quality. Tune in for a full breakdown of whether these upgrades justify the price.

0:00 Everybody else loves AirPods 4
0:43 $130 vs $180 AirPods 4
1:48 The case size is tiny and buttonless
3:19 Speaker and Qi on $180 model
5:00 AirPods 4 fitment is all-new
6:26 Sensors have been downgraded!
7:10 MORE ABSOLUTE B.S.!
7:54 ANC is new and impressive
9:09 But there are some REAL problems….
10:58 Battery ain’t stellar
11:19 Let’s discuss sound quality….
12:37 Specific song examples
14:21 Volume/gain is really wonky
15:20 Who are these for…?

#airpods4 #apple #audiophile #esr #esrairpod4 #esrairpod4case #esrairpodspro2

[beesharp]

Audiophile Quinn should make more appearances. Been wanting a follow up on your hi-fi system for a while since its been a while

[craigmurdock]

What Apple considers Pro:
Volume control or 120Hz displays

[MingRose]

I don’t like silicone ear tips and the old wired earpods fit me perfectly, but I do want a little bit of ANC. These have been perfect for me.

[Ashanmaril]

How is this the first review I've seen mention that they went back to their old, inferior system for in-ear detection?! That was one of the most annoying parts of the earlier models.

[coder]

For those of us who hate silicone eartips, the AirPods 4 are a nice step up over the AirPods Pro 2. I've only had the AirPods 4 ANC for about a week now, but they seem comfortable enough that I will probably sell my AirPods Pro 2, even if I still find myself reaching for over-ear headphones when those are an option. But, the convenience factor of having AirPods in your pocket is hard to miss out on, since I never have over-ear headphones in my pocket.

[dinosoup]

Considering your "apple fan boy" status, you have been covering apple with surprisingly more scrutiny than most for quite some time now. Other reviewers have just been so lazy lately

[Refaulu]

1:48 you shouldn’t press there 😅
You suppose to double tap the led and it works 100% of the time

[Rickyp]

This is really validating my $189 AirPods Pro 2 purchase

[dylanwhite]

For group A, which im a loud & proud member of, these are revolutionary. I bought and retuned AirPods Pro 4 times. 2 times with the V1, two times with V2. I did buy AirPods Pro v1 a third time and forced myself to deal with it, but after 6 months I just couldn’t stand it anymore and bought myself a pair of AirPods Max. The day those came in was the last day I used my pros for more than 15 minutes. They were sold for half of what I paid and I never regretted that, I only regret buying the stupid things in the first place. AirPods Pro 2 anc and transparency mode were FAR worse than AirPods Max is for me. Two separate sets and both sounded just as awful. All I really wanted was anc on the classic AirPods, and these are it. Even for the exact same price I’d still take ap4, thought I would bitch about the volume control

[edwinangeli]

Hi Quinn, valid remarks for sure. But for me the AirPods 4 are perfect. I am a runner and completely sealed in-ears cause a drumming noise in my ears with every step I take, during workouts. I like the AirPods 3 since they are open back and a comfortable fit. The fact what I don't like is that I have to set the volume very loud because of external noise (wind, ...). The AirPods 4 are atm my perfect companion, comfy fit, no drumming in my ear and thanks to the noise cancelling I'm able to run with music on a lower volume, which is very nice.

[seanki]

The issue is not the price and comparing them to the APP2 does not make sense to me since I and many others can't wear silicone ear tips comfortably. I think this is the main reason why someone would choose them, moreover the Airpods 4 ANC fit me perfectly whereas the 3 did not. They have all the awesome qualities I'm looking for in this type of headphone, good sounding microphones, great portability, active noise cancellation (even if a bit limited) and good transparency. I do agree that the volume controls would've been nice to have though, but all in all, they really deliver and thanks to no silicone design I can finally also enjoy the practical utility from AirPods.

[sammm]

7:29 why, is that 2024 AOTY Imaginal Disk

[grouchyfluff]

I can always count on you to teach me something I didn’t know, like the angle-dependent auto-playback-resume feature to mask the ear-detection’s shortcomings. That’s just not something that other reviewers would ever even consider thinking about.

Regarding AdaptiveEQ, I must offer a correction. I do not believe it is H2 dependent, as it was advertised on both Airpods Pro 1 and Airpods 3. However, Adaptive EQ on both Airpods 3 and Airpods 4 is MUCH more sensitive than other Airpods models. I speculate this is due to the vast array of ear shapes and fitment positions, warranting a more sensitive (more “adaptive”) frequency response adjustment. Seriously, sometimes if I open my mouth and point my jaw to the side, I can trigger a massive change in EQ as the shape of my ear canal changes.

USB-C Airpods Max review when??? 🤪

[jeinnerabdel]

Is it just me or the term "Audiophile" is like saying "art critic" which is the old version of "trust me bro, if I don't like it, you won't either"?

I'm a musician and I've recorded some stuff in studio and what I find bad, the producer loves and viceversa. It's all about taste and even how you perceive sounds which is nearly impossible to "standardize". If not, we would have one universal, perfect headphone and nothing more.

[SimplyPops]

AirPods 4 is for people who still rocking the AirPods 2

[velvetrooster]

The $129 AirPods 4 also lack several Find My features. The locking feature when lost is not available but it is available on the same $129 priced AirPods 3 which are still available for purchase new on the Apple Store. I feel like that an important feature that no one is talking about.

[conthejas]

Can we just talk about how much Quinn’s videos improved. This was an awesome review and loved the use of all the songs to describe how AirPods 4 sound.

[MatsueMusic]

This is why I wait for your audio reviews

[kingskater]

My only reason for getting these is because those silicon tips on the pro’s never stayed in my ears. These however, fit in my ear much better and I’m satisfied

[heptacon]

I love my AirPods Pro 2, but in-ear silicone tips have always made me kinda uncomfortable. I bought these just to try and figured I'd return them if I didn't like them. I will not be returning them.