APPLE AIRPODS

The AirPods 4 With ANC Is One Heck Of A Product

It’s almost as good as the AirPods Pro

Photo by Rodrigo Tadeo on Unsplash

So I did something last week; I got myself the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to supplement my AirPods Pro 2.

I was contemplating the AirPods Pro 3, but I’ve kinda missed the normal shaped AirPods for quite some time now, yet, still wanting the ANC features that I’ve loved so much over the last 3 years that I’ve been using my Pro 2.

That’s why when my local Apple retailer had a small discount on the AirPods 4 with ANC ($150 from the usual $179), I figured why not get this first and then maybe next year, get the Pro 3 or Ultra (if it launches this year as rumoured) to replace my Pro 2.

So, I did just that, getting my hands on a regular AirPods since I bought my AirPods 2 almost 6 years ago in 2020.

And what a buy it’s been for me, honestly.

I can say that I’ve enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed my Pro 2 and while it’s not as good as the Pro, I think it’s a serious option to consider if you’re in the market for new AirPods and you’re on the fence between a regular or a Pro model.

The ANC is pretty good for earbuds without the normal in-ear suction cups

When ANC first came to the wireless earphones, it was on the ones with the in-ear suction cups as this enabled the conditions for ANC.

So, when Apple announced that the non-Pro 4th generation AirPods will be getting ANC, people were probably sceptical. I know I was.

How could an earbud without in-ear suctions possibly give you good ANC?

I was wrong.

While it’s not at the same level as the Pro 2’s ANC, it’s actually still really good. I would say it’s about the same level as the ANC on the 1st generation AirPods Pro, and that was already very good.

And to be honest, having used the ANC on my Pro 2 for the last 3 years, I’d say that it’s not actually too far off.

Again, for earbuds without the in-ear suctions, the level of ANC it delivers is really amazing.

Middle for price, premium for quality

The starting price for the regular AirPods 4 is $129 and the AirPods Pro 3 goes for $249.

The AirPods 4 with ANC is in the middle at $179, making it $50 more expensive than the regular 4 and $70 cheaper than the Pro 3.

But the quality of the 4 with ANC is so good that you could think of it as a premium product, rather than just a regular one.

And again, this is down to how good the ANC features are.

It’s not just the noise cancellation that’s good, it’s also the others like the Transparency and Adaptive modes.

While not as good as the Pro model, it’s again not too far off.

Rather than pay almost double to get the Pro 3, pay just $50 extra and you’ll get an Apple AirPods that’s almost as good.

The $70 difference does come with a bit of sacrifice

Of course, the $70 price difference between the 4 with ANC and the Pro 3 means you do miss out on a bit of extra features.

For example, you get only 5 hours of listening time with a single charge instead of 8 hours on the Pro.

You can’t swipe up or down on your side ‘stalks’ to change the volume, and it doesn’t monitor your heart rate, nor can you use it as a hearing aid.

But aside from that, everything else is about the same as the Pro 3, and if you can live without the stuff I just mentioned above, you’re good to go.

I’ve really enjoyed my Pro 2 for the last couple of years, but I’ve definitely been enjoying my new AirPods 4 with ANC for the past week that I’ve only used my Pro 2 just once since I got the AirPods 4.

I’ve also forgotten how comfortable a normal earbud feels compared to the ones with the in-ear suctions.

While I probably won’t do it, I can actually see this replacing my AirPods Pro 2 permanently; but like I said I probably won’t.

Still, the AirPods 4 with ANC definitely has reduced my want and need to get the AirPods Pro 3.

Perhaps if the next generation Pro or if the rumoured AirPods Ultra boasts significant upgrades over the 4, then I’ll consider replacing my Pro 2 with either one of them.

But even then, I’ll most definitely be having the AirPods 4 with ANC as a regular companion with me.

If you ask me, this is one of the best Apple products I’ve bought so far.