AirPods 4 Review (Lab Tested) : You Will LOVE It or HATE It!

We tested and reviewed Apple's newest earbuds: the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and you are going to either really LOVE or really HATE the new AirPods. Find out why in our lab-tested review!

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00:00 You'll either LOVE IT or HATE IT
00:22 Testing the new design and fit
02:31 Testing the active noise cancelation
03:14 Active Noise Cancelation Simulation
04:12 ANC lab results
05:14 Possible fit issues
05:41 Testing sound quality
06:05 Adaptive EQ
06:25 Sound quality lab results
06:34 Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score
06:54 Personal listening experience
07:14 Apple Spatial Audio
07:32 AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelling features
07:53 Android limitations
08:04 Swiper, no swiping
08:13 Shake and nod
08:19 AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
08:33 Charging case differences
08:49 Battery life
09:00 Should you buy the AirPods 4 or AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?

[SoundGuys]

Hey all! Quick correction at 5:39. We meant to say “unsealed design”, not “open-ear design.”



[Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.]

[MaxMax-oxdl]

My new AirPods 4 with ANC fit perfectly in my ears, and the noise cancellation is exceptional. Unlike silicone tips, which are uncomfortable and don't work well for me, these don’t create the pressure that causes headaches or the suffocating feeling of something being shoved into my ear.

[kailron]

Actually bought these, they address every issue with AirPods 3: way more bass, ANC is goated and you can hear music perfectly in a gym, perfect fit (many ppl including myself complained about AirPods 3 fit vs AirPods 1/2). Unexpected bonus feature is their immediate switching between MacBook and iPhone while AirPods 3 take like 5 seconds and often times require manual clicking.

[kingskater]

This design is perfect for me. The tips on the pros kept falling out of my ears no matter what size I used, it was frustrating. I was so relieved when I got these and they remained in my ear without any slipping out

[rodbriggs]

Excellent review. I received my AP4 w/o ANC and I am very impressed with the fit and sound quality. I typically lean towards higher end earbuds but I like the sound the AP4 produce given that they are an open air design.

[ThatPixelGuy]

I find them ridiculously comfy, have had them on all day and no discomfort at all

[lamar]

I own the Pro 2’s but prefer unsealed earbuds in a crowd or at the grocery store so I bought the AP4 with ANC. These are the first unsealed earbuds that fit in my ears snug and don’t need constant adjustments. I was surprised these have good bass, they get loud, and the ANC actually works in certain situations. I tested the Spatial Audio with movies and it sounded really good. The sound is full and good for gaming too. The Pro 2 do everything a little better overall but these aren’t a bad option for those who prefer no tips

[weekend_art]

Wow, your noise simulation is very accurate! I am one of the lucky ones for whom airpods 4 fit perfectly up to forgetting that they are there, and I love the ANC with some transparency and less pressure

[jennifertiffany]

The 2nd gen was perfection for my ears. They finally died and my husband bought these for me for Christmas and I hate the shape. 😭

[Mekilinc]

Here is the video I was looking for! I have been researching this topic for days and almost no video has satisfied me. You guys are great!

[dadadadada]

Wow, that was a great point about the issue with ANC when used by someone with different fit in each ear, where one ear would get more outside noise than the other, making it actually distracting/annoying. What a great in-depth review.

[wifi-YT]

What about latency? What is the latency (in milliseconds) for the cheaper (without noise cancellation) AirPods 4? My music source would be my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

[georgebausewein]

I’m an AirPods Pro fan. However, the AirPods 4 fit my ears better. The ones with the silicone tips loosen up and even fall out of my ears on occasion. The AirPods 4 stay in with no problem. The ANC is acceptable, but not as good as the Pros. In short, I am impressed with my new AirPod 4 earbuds and they may replace my Pros.

[douglasbaxter]

I get a set in a few days I am half deaf one ear is good other ear is at about 20 percent I’m hoping it will help me

[brian]

How’s the audio on between the two, I seen that the ones without anc sound better and louder

[gummy]

I got mine yesterday, I have the AirPods 2 before but it’s quite uncomfy in my ears and often falls off. I got the ANC version and it’s totally the opposite. Great fit on my ears and ANC is good too! I tried it while I’m vacuuming it’s not that bad at all.

[scootrodellabutro]

That’s a fair and excellent review! I absolutely love mine and the ANC meets my needs. Definitely a must for the Apple ecosystem.

[solsang]

I really like my airpods 4, it is the first airpod i have wanted, since i need noise cancelling and cannot use in-ear plugs, this video is spot on, and i am lucky they fit my ears really well :)

[darshananand]

how good is it for windoes, and gaming ?

[Bethos-Arne]

I got mine yesterday. I find the sound somehow more dry than the Airpods 3, however the soundstage gets better resolved with the new Airpods. A had two screw-in the Airpods 3 quite a bit, with the Airpod 4, I just plug them into the car. Because I commute by bike, I am happy about limited ANC so I still notice what is wound me. Somehow the adaptive mode which recongizes speech works well, too.