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Apple AirPods 4

Apple AirPods 4

Based on 113 comments across 3 communities
TL;DR
Owners love how comfortable these are to wear for hours with no silicone tips jammed in the ear canal, and most are genuinely surprised by how well the noise cancellation works for an open, unsealed bud, alongside a clear step up in sound and call mics that several rate above the Pro 2. The catch is the fit: with no ear tips they fall out or work loose during movement for a lot of people, and how well they suit you depends heavily on your ear shape. Battery runs short with ANC on, and the noise cancellation, while good, still trails the sealed Pro 2.

58% of 113 verified owners recommend the Apple AirPods 4.

What 113 owners say
1,293 comments reviewed · scored on the 113 clearest verdicts
58%
Recommend
66 owners
15%
Neutral
17 owners
27%
Don't recommend
30 owners
Last 6 months:33% recommend(9 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 28pts vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
58%
107
Other forums
67%
6
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
0%
2

Affiliate blogs here say 0% recommend, while the owner-based score is 58%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, and blogs with no affiliate links. YouTube and affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Very comfortable for long wear, no silicone tips in the ear canal · 30 · 27%
  • ANC is impressive for an open, non-sealed earbud · 24 · 21%
  • Noticeably better sound than older AirPods · 16 · 14%
  • Stays in the ear well for many people, fits ears the Pro never did · 12 · 11%
  • Mic and call clarity, often rated better than the Pro 2 · 7 · 6%
What owners flag
  • Fall out or work loose with movement since there are no ear tips · 16 · 14%
  • Short battery life, especially with ANC on · 12 · 11%
  • ANC is weaker and more limited than the sealed Pro 2 · 11 · 10%
  • Crackling, static, or buzzing/feedback noises · 8 · 7%
  • Ear pain or pressure for some wearers · 4 · 4%

Top quotes, sourced

1,293 reviewed · 115 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▲ recommend

Ended up finally buying the AirPods4 with noise cancellation (gave my husband the Pros 2) and the fit is so much better, closer to my gen 1 AirPods!

Reddit— neutral

I chose AirPods 4 ANC, not the price problem, but I went to an Apple Store and tried them both out. Both sounded amazing, but I hated the feeling of the earbuds in my ear canal.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

the Airpods 4 don't sound that great, (I don't have any previous Apple earbuds experience so I can't compare) there are big issues with some frequency that are way oversent like the "s" sound, it whistles very strongly in my ears everytime.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

returned my airpods4 today because they hurt after 30minutes and cant get used to the pressure from ANC

Reddit— neutral

The AirPods 4 are nothing like that. They sound great, and the ANC is really cool, and they are very comfortable…. WHEN they stay in my ears. Any slight head movements and they fall out quite easily.

Reddit▲ recommend

AirPods 4 with anc is my pick: the anc is pretty good for what it is and the audio quality is really nice if you turn on spatial audio

Reddit— neutral

The new Airpods 4 are very comfy but the noise cancellation is limited, as are the controls, and they are even more flawed if you aren't an Apple user.

Reddit▲ recommend

I just bought the AirPods 4 (no ANC) and they sound really good and are even more comfortable for me than the AirPods 2's.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

Return them and bought AirPods 4 ANC, and it is even worse, so got nothing to do with ear suction.

Reddit▲ recommend

AirPods 4 sound right, bass response is simply more dynamic in comparison. Soundstage is more engaging as well

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I bought the AirPods 4 noise cancellation and my right earbuds are making noise as well

Reddit— neutral

I love the sound and comfort. Battery life is okay for me. Since ANC is not good enough I got another pair of budget brand earbuds with ANC just for traveling with planes/buses.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I tried the AirPod 4 ANC.. they kept falling out of my ears so I returned them..

Reddit▲ recommend

the call clarity on cell calls is about as good as it gets from any wireless earbuds on the market.

Reddit— neutral

Two complaints 1: battery life/ of case is a bit short. 2. I wish they had the skin sensor of the pro2s. Other than that, my favorite earbuds honestly. I use em daily

Reddit— neutral

Coming from the pros 2, I really enjoy them and they are so much “lighter to wear” than the pros. But after 4 months the conversation awareness stopped working. Getting a replacement by tomorrow.

Reddit▲ recommend

I just bought the AirPods 4 ANC today because my APP1 of 4 years won't hold a charge.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

The airpods4 hurts my ears after wearing it for a long time haha

Reddit— neutral

After I used them for like 5 months and used both airpods at the same time, the right one would make a very annoying sound making them unusable. It was like a siren

Reddit▲ recommend

I also own the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC and I think they sound great.

MacRumors Forums▼ don’t recommend

I think the fit for the new buds is not good for me, the shape being more angular than the 3's. They don't hang in my ear as well. After all the hype, anc was a disappointment.

Reddit— neutral

Love them but ANC mode kills the battery fast. Maybe get 3 hours with the out of the box new. I’m afraid they are gonna be a big disappointment for this reason once the charging cycles get up there.

Reddit▲ recommend

The APP2 are still having audio drift and I ditched them for AirPods 4 with anc

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

Returning my second pair today due to the ANC straight up failing and creating a wind tunnel sound in my ear. Will not be replacing and will be getting a full refund.

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