I tested Apple AirPods 4 ANC for over two months — is it worth the upgrade?

As a tech reviewer, I get a lot of friends and family asking me what earbuds they should buy, followed by a caveat. “I love AirPods but they fall out of my ears all the time,” or “I’m looking for workout headphones but I also want to use them at work and on my commute.” You get the idea.

A close friend recently said, “I want good noise cancelling earbuds, but can’t stand those little silicone tips in my ears.” For some people those eartips are uncomfortable, and it makes finding a good pair of earbuds difficult. Now I finally have an answer for her and everyone else who hates eartips: get the Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancelling (ANC).

SKIP AHEAD How I tried Apple AirPods 4 | My experience with Apple AirPods 4 | Who are Apple AirPods 4 for? | Why trust NBC Select?

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Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

$168.99 $179.00 at Amazon$179.99 at Best Buy$179.00 at Walmart

What we like

• Impressive noise cancellation
• Compact and lightweight
• Good call quality

Something to note

• So-so battery life

The Apple AirPods 4 are all-purpose wireless earbuds that come in two versions: AirPods 4 ($129) and AirPods 4 with ANC ($179). They replace both the Airpods 2 and AirPods 3 in Apple’s headphone lineup. I’ll be talking about the ANC version for this review, which I tested for over two months.

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are the first non-pro AirPods to offer noise-cancelling technology. This means a noise-cancelling mode, transparency mode and an adaptive audio mode that mixes the two depending on how loud or quiet your environment is. They are also the first non-pro AirPods with IP54 dust and water resistance.

The charging case can now recharge wirelessly and has a speaker built-in you can ping using Apple’s FindMy app — it makes it easier to find the case when it’s under a blanket or in a cluttered backpack.

Like other products from Apple, it syncs seamlessly with your iPhone, Apple Watch and other Apple products.

Noise cancellation: yes | Transparency: yes | Battery life: Rated up to 4 hours (ANC on), up to 20 hours with case | Wireless Charging: Yes | Water resistance: IP54 | Bluetooth Multipoint: No | Works best with: iPhone | Ear tips: no

I tested the Apple AirPods 4 ANC for over two months after the brand sent a sample for review. I wore them on walks, on my commute, at work, around the house and during indoor workouts. I compared the fit, sound quality, noise-cancelling and transparency to other all-purpose earbuds like Apple AirPods Pro 2 ($249), Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 ($249), Bose QuietComfort Earbuds ($179) and Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99).

Apple might have finally cracked the code on good open ear noise-cancelling with these new AirPods. They may not be fully open earbuds, but they still feel open enough in my ears, and should appeal to all the eartip-hating shoppers out there.

Impressive noise cancellation for an open-ear design

I tested the AirPods 4 ANC in some notoriously challenging and loud environments, and was worried that, without ear tips, they wouldn’t be able to effectively block noise. Ear tips headphones, even without ANC, provide isolation from noise because they physically block the pathway to your inner ear. AirPods 4 don’t. And yet their noise-cancelling ability still impressed me.

I first tested them without any music playing. In the office, background noise like air conditioners and far-off side-chatter were effectively muffled. That illusion fell away as soon as my deskmates started talking, or once I started typing on my mechanical keyboard — AirPods 4 ANC don’t handle these sudden bursts of noise as well. It handled consistent loud noise, like incoming subway cars, a little better than office crosstalk.

The AirPods 4 noise cancelling capabilities become a lot more impressive when you listen to music or an audiobook. With ANC on, I found myself turning the volume down by about 33% compared to with ANC off. That’s a big jump, especially without ear tips providing basic noise isolation. Using them in a crowded airport, most shuffling and conversation faded away, though blaringly loud PA noises came through loud and clear.

Easy controls, especially on Apple devices

Apple products work very well with other products in the Apple ecosystem, you can easily connect to an iPad or MacBook. Still, the convenience of things like opening the lid of the earbuds and having them instantly pop up on my phone cannot be understated, especially for the tech-averse.

On ear controls are simple but effective — you squeeze either stem to control media and calls. The earbuds play a digital click with each squeeze that helps you know you’ve done something. You cannot swipe the earbud stem to control volume like on the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Noise cancellation is good, but not as good as eartip alternatives

While ANC is surprisingly good, it isn’t as strong as ear tip earbuds like Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. Both those headphones did a better job blocking out noise of all kinds, especially nearby conversation. This isn’t surprising, just something to keep in mind if a strong ANC feature is at the top of your wish list.

Audio quality is just okay

The AirPods 4 ANC don’t sound as good to me as other (admittedly more expensive) eartip models like the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3. AirPods Pro 2 had a wider soundstage and stronger bass, especially when listening to rock music. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 had clearer, more defined instrumentation and separation in my favorite instrumental albums.

To be clear, AirPods 4 ANC aren’t bad, I never noticed anything egregious from my usual playlists, but they aren’t the best option either.

I, perhaps unfairly, compare the AirPods 4 ANC to the AirPods Pro 2 a lot in this review. At the time of writing, Apple AirPods Pro 2 are on sale for about $199 while AirPods 4 ANC are listed for $169. AirPods Pro 2 are absolutely worth paying $30 extra for — they are better headphones in nearly every way.

But if you are interested in AirPods 4 ANC, there’s a good chance you don’t want AirPods Pro 2 because you don’t want rubber eartips clogging your ear canal. In that case, these are some of the best semi-open earbuds you can get. They are small, lightweight and comfortable, with impressive noise-cancelling and seamless integration with other Apple products.

I am a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including recent stories on smartwatches, running shoes, workout earbuds and more. For this piece, I tested the Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for over two months after the brand sent me one to try. I compared them to other earbuds at a similar price point.

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