A week after their presentation, the AirPods 4 were tested by several American media outlets, enough to gather the first opinions on the AirPods 4, whether in terms of sound, comfort or new features.
For the record, the AirPods 4 introduce a more refined design, better sound quality, and for the first time, an option with active noise cancellation (ANC). Priced at €149 for the standard model and €199 for the version with ANC, AirPods 4 offer a range at two different price points, bridging the gap between Apple’s entry-level wireless earbuds and the AirPods Pro. They are now available for pre-order, with availability in stores starting Friday, September 20.
Apple AirPods 4 Reviews
Design
The AirPods 4 feature a revised design, with slightly narrower earbuds for a better fit. The new shape is designed to fit a wider variety of ear shapes, according to the American manufacturer. The charging case has also been reduced by 10%. Despite these improvements, the AirPods 4 retain their open design characteristic, which can make them less stable in the ear compared to models with ear tips, like the AirPods Pro. But that’s also what some customers are looking for.
And in both cases, our friendEngadget explains that they hold up very well:
The revised shape provides a better fit for my ears. The AirPods 4 are more comfortable and stay in place better than their predecessors. I never felt like they were going to fall out unless I turned my head completely. Open-back earbuds aren’t usually the most secure in my ears, but these are, and that peace of mind contributed to a better overall experience.
Sound quality
The AirPods 4 offer improved sound quality, thanks to a low-distortion 11mm driver and a wide dynamic range amplifier. Apple repositioned the drivers to direct sound more precisely toward the ear, reducing internal reflections and improving clarity. Reviews report deeper bass, clearer highs, and better instrument separation compared to the AirPods 3, which is exactly what we found with the AirPods Pro 2. CNET praises the H2 chip:
Apple has improved both headphones by adding a new acoustic architecture and a new amplifier.
It also slightly changed the angle at which the speakers are positioned in your ears, which is supposed to improve sound quality. The combination of the new speakers and the processing power of Apple’s upgraded H2 chip for Adaptive EQ — a feature that optimizes audio quality on the fly when the earbuds’ position changes ever so slightly in your ears — makes the AirPods 4 sound better than the AirPods 3. Needless to say, since these are open-back earbuds, the sound has an open quality.Overall, the sound is a bit crisper (higher treble) and the bass is a bit more present, which gives a bit more depth and breadth to what you’re listening to. The AirPods Pro 2 aren’t quite as good as the AirPods Pro 2, but they’re getting close, and these are easily some of the best-performing open-back earbuds on the market. You still won’t get as much bass as you did with the AirPods Pro 2, but the gap has narrowed. I didn’t feel like I was making a huge sacrifice in sound quality compared to the AirPods Pro 2, at least when listening in a quiet room.
For his part, Digital Trends confirms the thing:
The AirPods 4 actually sound better than the previous generation. And the AirPods 4 with ANC sound even better because they do a good job of eliminating outside sounds from the sound canvas… They do have tremendous bass with a significant amount of punch. Vocals were open, clear, and uncluttered… When an earbud is too sharp, you’ll hear it with the T consonant on many recordings, and I didn’t experience that.
TechRadar also praises the AirPods 4’s Transparency mode:
I’ve long thought that the AirPods Pro had the best Transparency mode, where they intelligently let in ambient sounds and reduced the decibels so as not to harm your ears. I think the AirPods 4 outdo these, though – with Transparency mode enabled here, any sense of robotics or noise is virtually eliminated; with Conversation Awareness enabled, you can also have conversations with people quite naturally, sometimes even forgetting you have these earbuds in your ears. Your own voice, or in this case my voice, sounds a little more natural and less processed.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
THE AirPods 4 are bringing ANC to standard AirPods for the first time. While not as powerful as the AirPods Pro 2, the ANC in the AirPods 4 is impressive for an open-back design. It excels at reducing low-frequency noise like engines and construction, but struggles more with high-pitched sounds. Digital Trends was amazed:
For a pair of earbuds that offer much less passive isolation than a model with eartips, that’s impressive. The AirPods Pro’s ANC is more effective, but if you don’t like eartips, there’s no better noise cancellation in an open-back design like this.
Mike Andronico from CNN adds:
The AirPods 4 do a surprising job of muffling noise, whether it’s reducing the hubbub of journalists at the launch or combating the noise of the New York subway. Louder noises like construction drills made me miss the AirPods Pro’s waterproofness, but the AirPods 4 proved to be a good alternative for muffling the chaos.
Autonomy
The Wall Street Journal was also won over by the sound quality and ANC performance, but notes that it regrets the limited battery life:
On a single charge, the AirPods 4 with ANC can last five hours (the same as the base AirPods 4 model), and four hours in the more battery-intensive active noise cancellation mode. The older AirPods 3 actually had better battery life, at six hours. The Pro models can get up to six hours, with ANC enabled.
This means that the AirPods 4’s battery life is fine for intermittent use between meetings or classes, but less so for long-haul flights.
Conclusion
In short, the AirPods 4 are a success, with just one drawback regarding battery life. If you use them for long sessions, it’s better to opt for the AirPods Pro 2, sold for almost €100 more. Otherwise, buy the AirPods 4. Apple’s new headphones are at €199 with ANC on Amazon For example.
Test video
Finally, here are some AirPods 4 test videos:
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