Apple AirPods 4 Impressions: Mute the World

The world can be overstimulating. So, I figured out the best way to test the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC would be to hear how well they can block out the noise. Whereas most people appreciate active noise cancellation because of how it makes their music sound, I prefer to wear it to drown out the chaos and commotion of the outside world. Sometimes, it is the only way I can function.

I took the AirPods 4 with ANC on a hectic day out in the city. I live in the suburbs, so it was a trek. But the adventure featured plenty of encounters with the type of high-decibel noise you’d want to block out: squealing trains, perpetually beeping busses, and people yelling at each other about all sorts of things I wanted to be privy to without anyone catching on. The AirPods 4 with ANC managed the job most of the way, though I remembered why I still prefer the AirPods Pro 2s over this brand-new pair of earbuds with an updated chip. My ears aren’t built for AirPods, but at least now, there’s another choice of earbud with noise cancellation for Apple diehards.

Smaller, smarter AirPods

Apple’s AirPods 4 with ANC are new to its accessory lineup. They cost $180, $60 more than the regular AirPods 4. The extra cash nets a case that can charge wirelessly and has a speaker to help locate it when it inevitably falls between the couch cushions.

The AirPods 4 with ANC and the regular AirPods 4 introduce the H2 chip, Apple’s new processor that enables features like Adaptive Audio , Transparency Mode, and Conversation Awareness. The chip also helps the regular AirPods 4 with voice isolation and Personal Spatial Audio, which are a part of the package with the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Apple shrunk the case on the AirPods 4 by about 10%. All those silly AirPods cases you bought on a whim at Five Below will probably not fit with this pair. But since it’s much smaller, it is easier to tote around. I have this shirt-jacket—a “shacket,” if you will—with pockets on the chest area. The AirPods 4 with ANC case fit perfectly in one of the pockets while I navigated the loud world.

Apple touts the new design of the AirPods 4 with “one shape that naturally fits even more users around the world.” This generation’s pair is much more amiable with my ear canal than the AirPods of the past. But I still felt achy after wearing them for six hours straight. If you use them for personal regulation, have a backup pair of earplugs.

I constantly fear the wind could blow the AirPods out of my ears. I can attest that while it did not happen during my outing with the AirPods 4 with ANC, I still prefer the AirPods Pro 2s with the silicone tip. Regular AirPods and other earbuds with a stem, even Samsung’s new Galaxy buds , always feel like it’s slipping out of my ear canal. It was the same situation for the AirPods 4 with ANC. No matter how much I tried to be chill about where the AirPods were resting, I felt almost obsessive over ensuring they were secured there.

Famous AirPods, now with ANC

The tricky thing about the AirPods 4 with ANC is that if both ears aren’t adequately sealed, the sound will poke through, sometimes piercingly. If you’ve never heard the loud sounds of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), I’ll tell you this much: they are revered for their loudness , especially when they rocket through the Transbay Tube. On the way into the city, I had the AirPods 4 with ANC turned on, along with Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume ticked on in the settings. The loud impact of the BART doors shutting closed managed to hit my ears between muffles. It was enough that I took down notes about the noise startling me.

By the time we hit the screeching Transbay Tube, I had adjusted the AirPods enough they were properly sealed on both sides, and I was much more comfortable. I am impressed with how the AirPods 4 with ANC handled the changing environments. On BART, I was able to eavesdrop on the elderly couple in front of me as they talked about someone committing manslaughter without the high-pitched noise of the tracks seeping through the stream. (To be clear: I wasn’t listening to music. I was purposefully taking in the sounds of my environment to help ease my anxiety. It just so happened that the conversation in front of me sounded juicy from what I picked up.)

The AirPods 4 with ANC helped funnel the noise inside denser indoor areas. At the Japantown mall, I could catch on to conversations near artists tabling their wares without being overwhelmed by it. Then, on the bus ride back to the main transit station, I was listening to music softly while also tuning in to a man yelling at a pair of teenagers for vaping on the bus. Whenever I started talking, either to myself or to ask a question to someone else, Conversational Awareness faded in to let sound through so that I could speak without feeling like I was yelling.

The AirPods 4 with ANC makes sure to tune out noise where it counts fully. At home, with my family upstairs and echoing through the HVAC, the AirPods dampened them out enough that I couldn’t hear the giggling happening. On BART, I enjoyed a quiet ride home at the back of the train. The ANC made space for me to take in the music rather than the deafening sound of the hunk of metal hurling through a tunnel.

The AirPods 4 with ANC offers a new gesture that allows you to nod your head to say yes or shake it to say no when Siri asks a question. Regrettably, I wasn’t able to duplicate that kind of Siri interaction in my few days with the AirPods 4 to be able to test it.

A better way to spend $180

Previous versions of Apple’s AirPods hovered between $160 and $180 without active noise cancellation. With this generation, you’re getting ANC, a case with wireless charging capabilities, and a way to make the case bell out loud so you can find it hidden in the sheets. It’s also nice to know the AirPods 4 with ANC can serve as an environment buffer for people like me who become easily overwhelmed by an unsolicited increase in decibels.

We will thoroughly review Apple’s AirPods 4 with ANC, including how music sounds, whether they perform to Apple’s battery promises, and how they compare to similarly-priced buds on the market coming soon. Stay tuned.