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1 / 13@olive_timpani_82 · Owner-reported
Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
They're awesome idk what else to say I wear them all the time. The noise cancellation is very good for earbuds but if u want the best go with headphones like the xm6's
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At 5.3, its noise cancelling beats 9% of wireless earbuds we've measured.
Measured on 91 of the 252 we've cataloged.
A 3.6 puts its audio quality in the bottom quarter of wireless earbuds we've measured.
Measured on 64 of the 252 we've cataloged.
Would buy it again and still uses it daily.
Owned 1–2 years.
below average for wireless earbuds — based on 236 of 252 we've cataloged.
below average for wireless earbuds — based on 235 of 252 we've cataloged.
IP54 appears on 15% of the 232 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 252).
Active is the most common — on 61% of the 172 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 252).
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | -18.2 |
| 25 | -11.0 |
| 32 | -5.7 |
| 40 | -2.3 |
| 50 | -0.4 |
| 63 | 1.1 |
| 80 | 2.4 |
| 100 | 2.3 |
| 125 | 1.1 |
| 160 | -1.2 |
| 200 | -1.1 |
| 250 | -0.6 |
| 315 | -0.9 |
| 400 | -1.4 |
| 500 | -1.9 |
| 630 | -1.7 |
| 800 | -1.0 |
| 1000 | -0.3 |
| 1250 | 1.8 |
| 1600 | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 8.0 |
| 2500 | 7.1 |
| 3150 | 4.7 |
| 4000 | 2.8 |
| 5000 | 1.6 |
| 6300 | 2.6 |
| 8000 | 3.8 |
| 10000 | 3.7 |
| 12500 | 2.4 |
| 16000 | -1.9 |
| 20000 | -23.1 |
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Dashed lines: total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -3.0 |
| 26 | -7.3 |
| 33 | -0.1 |
| 41 | -0.1 |
| 52 | -0.1 |
| 65 | -0.1 |
| 82 | -0.1 |
| 103 | -0.1 |
| 130 | -0.1 |
| 163 | -0.2 |
| 205 | -0.3 |
| 259 | -0.4 |
| 325 | -0.5 |
| 410 | -0.9 |
| 516 | -0.8 |
| 613 | -1.3 |
| 772 | -1.7 |
| 972 | -1.9 |
| 1220 | -2.5 |
| 1540 | -2.3 |
| 1940 | 2.2 |
| 2440 | 9.7 |
| 3070 | 13.8 |
| 3870 | 10.9 |
| 4870 | 10.2 |
| 6130 | 11.8 |
| 7720 | 16.0 |
| 9720 | 14.7 |
| 12200 | -0.5 |
| 15400 | 12.1 |
| 19400 | 28.0 |
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -1.2 |
| 26 | -7.5 |
| 33 | -2.1 |
| 41 | -2.9 |
| 52 | -2.4 |
| 65 | -0.6 |
| 82 | 1.6 |
| 103 | 3.7 |
| 130 | 6.4 |
| 163 | 11.0 |
| 205 | 16.1 |
| 259 | 13.9 |
| 325 | 16.7 |
| 410 | 16.0 |
| 516 | 16.1 |
| 613 | 17.1 |
| 772 | 16.6 |
| 972 | 17.8 |
| 1220 | 16.8 |
| 1540 | 16.4 |
| 1940 | 16.4 |
| 2440 | 24.4 |
| 3070 | 21.4 |
| 3870 | 16.7 |
| 4870 | 8.8 |
| 6130 | 7.3 |
| 7720 | 13.9 |
| 9720 | 17.7 |
| 12200 | 1.4 |
| 15400 | 12.1 |
| 19400 | 26.6 |
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
The verdict
The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is a great effort to bring ANC to unsealed AirPods — though it's still not everyone's cup of tea. AirPods fans will love the new earbuds, though newcomers might not understand the hype.
✓Liked: Improved fit, H2 chip, ANC, Price
✕Could be better: Unsealed design, No stabilizer fin, Features limited to iOS
What a reader who owns the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation reports after living with it. Owner-reported, checked before publishing; ordered photo-verified first, then newest.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
1 owner review
OTEvery author writes under a generated pseudonym; a member can choose to show their name and photo beside it. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Would buy againThey're awesome idk what else to say I wear them all the time. The noise cancellation is very good for earbuds but if u want the best go with headphones like the xm6's
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What readers ask about the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, answered by the people who own it.
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1 of 2 would buy again
2 owners
The battery beat their expectations
Comfort beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Expected more from comfort
2 of 2 would buy again
2 owners · owners report ~10 h per charge vs 8.73 h claimed
Comfort beat their expectations
The battery beat their expectations
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Comfort beat their expectations
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Expected more from the noise cancelling
2 of 2 would buy again
2 owners
The battery beat their expectations
The battery beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · owners report ~7 h per charge vs 10 h claimed
Comfort beat their expectations
