Apple AirPods 4 with ANC review: Excellent open-style earbuds

Note: This review was first published on 16 September 2024.

The AirPods 4 are Apple’s newest earbuds with an open-ear design. These fourth-generation AirPods will be available in two versions, one regular version, and, for the first time, one with ANC. Apart from ANC, the latter also gets loads of other features previously only available on the AirPods Pro. Is this the AirPods you should buy now?

The TL;DR version:



The AirPods 4 with ANC has surprisingly good ANC, a pleasant sound signature, and useful listening modes. It’s not cheap, but it’s easily one of, if not the best open-style earbuds you can buy.



You can find the AirPods 4 on Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. If ANC is important to you and you want the quietest earbuds money can buy, the AirPods 4 is not for you. Though it has ANC, its open design naturally puts it at a disadvantage. Clever ANC can only do so much, earbuds with an open design will inevitably let more noise through than one with an in-ear design like the AirPods Pro.

That said, the ANC performance of the AirPods 4 is impressive. Powered by the H2 chip – the same chip in the AirPods Pro 2 – the amount of noise it could cancel out was amazing. It won’t cocoon you in absolute silence, but at least it’ll make noisy environments bearable. In less noisy places, the ANC was so effective that I thought I was wearing my AirPods Pro. 

With ANC activated, I could barely hear my air cooler, which was sitting less than two metres away and directed straight at me. It’s the best implementation of ANC I’ve seen in an open-style earbud. For users who prefer open-ear earbuds because they don’t like sticking things into their ears, there are finally earbuds that you can have that come with a decent amount of noise control.

ANC aside, the AirPods 4 with ANC also gets the AirPods Pro’s Transparency and Adaptive Audio modes, and Conversation Awareness feature. Given the AirPods 4’s open design, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that Transparency mode is excellent. Adaptive Audio does a good job of suppressing loud noises whilst still allowing you to hear what’s happening around you, while Conversation Awareness quickly lowers the volume of the AirPods and reduces background noise to let you have quick conversations.

In saying all this, I should also point out that all of the above will depend greatly on how good a seal you can achieve. If you can’t get a good seal, then I’m afraid you might find the ANC to be lacklustre. This has always been the biggest downside to open-ear earbuds and it’s no different with the AirPods 4. 

According to Apple, it has scanned and studied thousands of ears to arrive at the final design of the AirPods 4. They fit me well enough, though I wish they could be more snug. At least they don’t fly out whenever I move my head. The stems feature force sensors that you can use to control playback and switch between the earbuds’ various listening modes. There is, however, no way to adjust the volume – that requires the AirPods Pro's touch controls.

Apple is coy about the specifics of the AirPods 4’s acoustic system, but the important thing is that they sound good. The tuning is consumer-friendly, which is to say it’s V-shaped with elevated bass and treble. The amount of elevation is well-judged, enough to create the notion of dynamism and clarity without being overly muddy or overbearing. 

But holes can be picked if you listen with a critical ear. The bass could use more control and doesn’t quite extend to the lowest frequencies, the treble is uneven, and detail retrieval is lacking. But then these are issues that plague all open-style earbuds I’ve heard – they are inherent weaknesses of this type of design.

There’s no question the AirPods Pro are sonically superior. Compared to them, the AirPods 4 doesn’t sound as full-bodied and it’s noticeably less detailed. If it’s any consolation, the AirPods 4 supports spatial audio with head-tracking too. I’ve said before I'm not fond of spatial audio in music and that hasn’t changed. However, I do enjoy it for movies and TV shows. 

AirPods have always been tightly integrated with other Apple devices and it’s no different with the AirPods 4. Setting up is super easy. Open them next to an iPhone or iPad and a pop-up will appear asking if you wish to pair them. If you use multiple Apple devices, the Automatic Switching function will automatically connect the AirPods to the device you are using. It’s like multipoint but on steroids. There’s seemingly no limit to the number of devices it works with – I managed to get it to work with three iPhones, a Mac, and an iPad.

Unlike third-party earbuds, there’s no need to download any app too. To customise your AirPods, simply go to the Settings app and you’ll see your AirPods there. Admittedly, there’s not much in the way of customisation. At least the app gives you a better understanding of your AirPods capabilities and lets you control certain aspects of it, like how much noise Adaptive Audio should cancel out.

Battery life is only so-so. Apple quotes up to four hours with ANC and that seems just about right. I watched the 2+ hour-long final episode of The Grand Tour and was left with a little under 50% battery life. With the charging case, you'll get about 20 hours listening time in total (with ANC).

Vs. the AirPods 4 with no ANC

The regular AirPods 4 are identical to the AirPods 4 with ANC in every way except it doesn’t have features like ANC, Transparency, Adaptive Audio, and Conversation Awareness. The earbuds have the same design, the drivers are identical, they have the same battery life (if you turn ANC off on the ANC model), and both earbuds feature the H2 chip and support spatial audio. Because of the lack of ANC, it lets in considerably more noise which can negatively impact your listening experience. It costs S$50 less, but I don’t think the savings are worth it. I urge anyone considering the regular AirPods 4 to pay the additional S$50 for the extra features of the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Vs. the AirPods Pro 2

The second-generation AirPods Pro aren’t just AirPods 4 with an in-ear design. There are a couple of other differences. The stems have touch controls, which means they can be used to adjust volume – something that cannot be done on the AirPods 4. The charging case supports wireless charging, MagSafe, and Precision Finding. And because of its in-ear design, the AirPods Pro’s ANC is significantly more effective. 

In terms of sound quality, the AirPods Pro sounds noticeably fuller, more dynamic, and crisper. Furthermore, the AirPods Pro will soon get the ability to work as a clinical-grade hearing aid. Though this feature is still subject to HSA approval, this can be a huge deal since the World Health Organisation estimates that over 1.5 billion people are living with some form of hearing loss.

Naturally, because of its additional features, the AirPods Pro costs more – S$100, to be exact. Whether this premium is justifiable depends very much on your personal preferences and priorities. If you want the absolute best listening experience and don’t mind ear tips in your ears, only the AirPods Pro will suffice. Sorry for your wallet. 

The best open-style earbuds I've heard

I was sceptical when I first heard the AirPods 4 announcement. I’ve always felt that ANC in open-style earbuds was like trying to blow dry your hair under a running shower. Many brands have tried, but the sheer amount of noise leakage meant that no amount of ANC could ever keep up. Consequently, having the ANC feature made little to no difference to the listening experience. 

The new AirPods 4 flips that notion on its head and proves it can be done. It’s hard to tell whether it’s because of the fit or if it’s the level of the ANC afforded by the H2 chip, but whatever it is, it’s hard not to be impressed when you listen to them. The amount of noise it can suppress given that it has an open design is exceptional. In less to moderately noisy environments, it can just about cancel all noises out. It’s only in extremely rackety environments and situations that it struggles. 

And it sounds pretty good too – again, insofar as open-style earbuds are concerned. Open-style earbuds used to mean a torrid lack of bass and wonky frequency response, but the AirPods 4 manages to sound fairly punchy and balanced. In-ear-style earbuds still sound leagues better, but at least the AirPods 4 doesn’t sound completely off-key. 

I wasn’t expecting to like the AirPods 4 as much as I did, and perhaps that’s the ultimate accolade I could give it. Of course, all of the above comes with a huge proviso that you can get a good enough seal. If you can’t, then I’m afraid your experience could be less positive.

The other issue is price. The model with ANC is S$249 while the model without is S$199. Though that's considerably less than the S$349 AirPods Pro, there's no shortage of affordable earbuds these days. OPPO's recent Enco Air4 Pro also has an open-style design, but only so-so ANC and costs just S$129. Nothing's Ear (a) has an in-ear design, sounds good, has ANC, and ChatGPT integration for S$159. Not to forget is Creative's Aurvana Ace 2, which frequently goes on sale for far less than its recommended retail price, making it a great catch for good performance and value.

Regardless, the AirPods 4's overall performance and suite of features still make it the ideal choice for iPhone wielders. iPhone owners who have been waiting for open-style earbuds with decent ANC and sound quality can finally whip their wallets out. The AirPods 4 with ANC is here.

Note: You can find the AirPods 4 on Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.