Apple - AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

For calls the AirPods are going to be your best bet. For calls I prefer the AirPods over the AirPod Pros. They are more comfortable over the course of a day as they let your ears breathe, and you can better regulate how loud you talk because you can hear yourself. I’ve had just about every version, plus Sony, Bose, and other, but I recommend the new AirPod 4 with noise cancelling.

Look. I had a big concern of whether to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 2 or the AirPods 4 having owned the AirPods Pro 1 for a long time. The AirPods Pro 1 are a very good AirPods but my seller asked me to just test the AirPods Pro 2s and if I did not like then I could return. We did a bet. Results: The transparency mode on the AirPods Pro 2 is miles….miles …..miles better than the AirPods Pro 1s. For get noise cancelation. These AirPods Pro 2 sit on my ears like I am wearing nothing. Another thing. When I was wearing the AirPods Pro 1 with the transparency set in accommodation mode I would bang the car door and want to remove the AirPods. The bang was so loud because of the sensitivity. The AirPods Pro 2s removes that completely. Finally the hissing that came with transparency is gone. In short. AirPods Pro 2s are far ….far better than the AirPods Pro 1s. As for the AirPods 4s what I hear is the noise cancellation is not as good as the AirPods Pro 2s. Of course this is the case because they have no proper seal the the ANC algorithm keeps having to work hard to compensate.

I recently got the AirPod 4 ANC as the AirPod Pro keeps falling out of my ear and the mics are definitely better on the AP4 compared to all the other AirPods I have used. Very comfortable for long use and works great with the Mac / iPhone. I mainly use it for Teams calls on my Mac mini / MBP.

Most of the AP4 ANC reviews on YouTube have microphone comparisons with the other AirPods - worth checking out - the difference is quite noticeable. One of the main reasons I switched to those.

I actually like the new airpods 4. Theyre not the pros but they do offer active noise cancelling. I like them mostly because I dont like the rubber tips on the Pros and even if you "turn off" the ANC on the pros the tips still block a lot of noise. I dont want FULL ANC from airpods, especially running. Purely personal preference for me because the standard airpod tips have always fit me really well. HOWEVER - I have randomly had weird charging issues where on bud just doesnt charge. No rhyme or reason, not consistent. Otherwise i like them

any noise cancelling headphones will do - it's up to you which to choose. people report that the new airpods 4 work great by removing extra noise from the street (even though on paper their ANC implementation is not so great)

This gets asked probably 3-4 times per week - easy to find answers in the search. If you're using Android, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the better options due to using a mixture of bone conduction mics for voice and MEMS mics for noise reduction. Unfortunately this incurs cost over using just MEMS mics, which is why every other cheaper set is simply balancing environmental noise reduction with not muffling your voice to the point you're incoherent, and thus falling short of those aforementioned models. If you're using iOS, then go for Airpods (admittedly I've only tested the Airpod 4 ANC). IOS features noise reduction processing on the device itself that makes them outstanding when used with an Apple phone, and completely ordinary on Android.

THIS! I switched from the JBL tune235 to airpods 4 anc just because it was too big in my ears and looked goofy. None of the airpods look bad, especially the 4s imo, they look good in everyones ears.

The AirPods Pro 2 are a software mess right now. To the point I ditched them for AirPods 4 ANC. But any Apple or beats earbuds can take advantage of apple’s safe listening volume limits and db meter in the control centre under “hearing”.

Had airpods 2, today was my first training with airpods 4 anc. Everything sits in place. I don’t have pro version, because my ears don’t like that silicone thing. And i had jabra elite previously, and earbuds falled of during walking.

I have been running with the Airpods 4 and they fit wonderfully for me, but it sounds like it depends on your ears.

See if you can try them out. The AirPods 4 don’t stay in my ears. I tried them for 40 seconds and they fell out, so I didn’t try them for longer. I’ve never tried the One Plus Buds. Like I said, there are multiple reviews for each one. Go through, watch the videos, and see which one has the features you want for the price.

I have AirPods and the clear Beats. I just have to flap up my diath before putting in my bud.

At my desk it’s either PreSonus Eris E5’s, or MDR-7506 cans. When I’m mobile/outside, basic old AirPods or a $30 Amazon special Bluetooth speaker.

I use my airpods

With all my AirPods, AirPods Pro and the new AirPods Pro, there’s about a quarter second of latency, it has to do with Bluetooth not the devices, Bluetooth just doesn’t go fast enough So I’d keep looking for one with a usb c dongle

Have to say I agree. Had mine 4 years and they’ve been through the washing machine twice. I use them every day.

I don’t know, I have done maybe 6 races in the past couple of years and none of them forbade ear blocking ones. I like my air pods. Depend a on where you run.

M50x and AirPods

The only two you need, no question. And I have quite a few different headphones including some high end open backs.

I had the jabra and move to AirPods. Like them better in every way.

Airpods doesnt have the best from my testing, but it for sure is the most comfortable, since there is basically no pressure, and minimal white noise hiss. From my experience I'd say its most likely Bose, but overall airpods are still the nicest to wear

I use Apple AirPods with over the ear things they slide into. My tragus pushes one of my earbuds out.

AirPods or just my phone speaker when going around the house

Apple AirPods honestly work great for this

Hmm I’ve used it on both windows and Mac with success. Are you positive your sound settings are good? IIRC there’s some sound “enchantment” features in windows that makes it sound terrible. Might be worth playing around with those and audio settings in the video meetings apps. Cause even the most basic earbuds should sound fine

Their quality is good but I wish I’d gotten AirPods. Jabari’s don’t listen for hey siri And I use AI and Siri all the time

Apple airpods if you could ,i used both sony wf1000xm5 and senheiser m4 but airpods are best imo

I have JBLs that fall out all the time. Same with apple airpods. Looking into over the ear options. For running, i am thinking that 'open ear' is safer, esp bc i am running in the city. What ear buds do people like?

Airpods and Pro, Status Between Pro But I use Sony IER Z1R and a bluetooth tws module Fiio UTWS5

My AirPods died at mile 24 of my marathon last year. I got Shokz open run mini’s this year and have been thrilled with them. No more constant pushing the AirPod in to make sure it’s not going to fall out. Also more waterproof and WAY better battery life.

I’ve used Apple AirPods and I’ve never experienced lag

I just use AirPods with my phone or watch. Usually my phone so I can log my lifts too. That seems to be what everyone does at my gym, minus the logging.

airpods for me

Airpods work really well for me personally as well. I do have an external mic/dac on my personal pc setup which is hands down better, but for work the best thing is just avoiding background noise and providing a clear voice chat and airpods/teams do that fine together.

As a Casual? AirPods.

I also have never had any problems with AirPods, I have the pros

Very true. I watched loads of reviews saying that the normal AirPods were perfect for exercise and running but for me they constantly feel like they are about to fall out. I actually sleep with my AirPods in my ears and they are still there in the morning when I wake up. I guess a bit of trial and error to see which ones fit different people the best 👍

Is this a serious question? AirPods.

Significantly better. Airpods wouldnt be even remotely worth their price if they were just regular tws earbuds. Supermix 4 and a qudelix 5k. Shove that in your back pocket and run your iems down the back of your neck :)

I absolutely have to use my AirPods. I get up and move around a lot in my office on calls, helps my back and keeps me awake, so I just can’t be chained to the laptop with wired headphones anymore. I’ve only had a couple days where calls have been extreme and they’ve died. On those days I was literally in calls from the moment my day started to the end, no lunch breaks and about two seconds of a bathroom break. If you keep your case charged, you can do one earphones in at a time so the other is always charged. I’ve fine this now when I have higher volume days.

So if they actually work I dont mind at investing because in the end I am making money with the earbuds. My current headset smooshes my glassed into my brain so... I need to change but apple airpods sounds like im in a wind tunnel no matter how quiet my office is.

My AirPods work just fine. When they don’t I use wired Apple headphones.

Use AirPods and they sound terrible . The cheap Anker 4nc is even better, but still far from desirable, all reviews and tests say that Jabra is the best in your list, also Nothing is good choice, especially now as they are on sale.

I used both AirPods and an other brand (can’t find which one right now). Both lasted well through the night, but to be fair I usually only use them 5 hours max. My only problem is they hurt my ears, because the pillow pushes them too deep. Recommendations for a ‘shallow’ Bluetooth earpiece would be appreciated!

Yeah it would be nice if you could tell the earbuds to silently die instead of beeping… Maybe changing the pillow is an alternative but I was kind of expecting technology to be advanced enough to make the earbud smaller 🤷‍♂️ (my current workaround is sleeping on my hand and/or giving the pillow an extra fluffing..)

I'm a bit disappointed with these as they keep falling out of my ears if I do anything more than a slow walk and when you use the controls it just loosens the fit further Tried my wife's airpods, and they're night and day It doesn't matter how good the features are if they don't stay in your ears.

Our right, It's a pity the shops don't have display buds you can try on before buying. I do feel the airpods have a better design that hooks better to the ear rather than just the angled design on the samsung

My airpods work well but I suppose you wouldn't want to spend that amount of money to use them just on the SD.

Yes and no. AirPods only employ a seamless and trouble free connection and experience. That is it. Otherwise, a true audiophile would never disgrace themselves with the presence of AirPods on any level. If you’re looking for a a great experience, any real audiophile will tell you that only a DAC can deliver the results you want from music. This is why Apple Music in particular says that when using Lossless Audio at the highest setting requires a DAC and wired headphones. Otherwise, the quality is diminished over Bluetooth. However, in my experience, Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony are the top 3 I would choose. Bose being the first choice simply because I have more experience with those over the latter 2. But Sennheiser is a close second with Sony, as both of those brands offer professional studio quality options when using a DAC. The other option I may go for is AKG, in this case, a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds (believe it or not). All in all, Bose or Sony.

Tried different ones but always come back to the apple airpods. Mine never fall out, i've been wanting to try some bone conductor headphones since I started road cycling though.

Airpods anc sucks, im seriously considering replacing mine

I have a conch and tragus and I wear AirPods

Bro its so underrated here. Tried airpod either same or… tak best sangat compared to soundcore 🤣🤣

At home I have some nice vintage AKGs. On the go? AirPods lol.

Are these similar to airpods in terms of fit? If so, I don't see why they wouldn't work well for sleeping. I currently own a pair of airpods and use them every night and I sleep on my side. Anyone know how the ANC works compared to airpods?

Not only do they not fit, they break constantly. My extended family/friends come to me with all their tech problems and all the airpods break regularly. They can't hold a charge, won't sync, or the speakers just die. A basic pair of Bluetooth earbuds off Amazon is a fraction of the price and will work just as well, if not better.

I’ve been using apple airpods but they are almost dead now. Im looking to buy some new ear buds that are in budget friendly. I want something that is easy to connect to iphone and not something with weird bass or sound, like I’ve heard in few copies of airpods. Has Good sound quality

I’ve tried two different sets of AirPods and have had nothing but issues. One getting sweaty which made the speakers muffled happened on two different gens. One earphone charging and the other not was another issue. And then only one connecting and the other not connecting was another. Sometimes I’d be at the gym for 5-10 minutes before my workout trying to get them to connect and work properly and that’s if the charging didn’t mess up. I finally had enough and bought some Jabra Elite 7 pro and love them so much and have never had a single issue. Sucks because I normally love Apple products but will never buy another AirPod

I was a beta tester for those. I ended selling them and buying AirPods…

Sigh, just lost my old earbuds and was planning to get the elite active 8 gen 2 or the elite 10 gen 2. Now I’m dubious at best. I expect 3 year warranty for products I purchase (living in sweden), seems I’ll at most get 2 year decent support and updates will likely be sporadic at best. Maybe better to try finding another brand. I’ve tried some other ones, airpods sit really bad and are uncomfortable. Sony sit decently comfortable but get pushed out easily, when smiling, talking or moving, especially once you get warm/sweaty. Jabra sit really nicely and comfortably and don’t slip out. Therefore they’re worth far more to me and audio quality is better due to a nice fit. I’ll have to consider things carefully. These earbuds aren’t cheap, I can get into the premium earbud category for every brand for this money. Wish it was easier to test a lot of different brands.

Airpods and a JBL Flip 6 at the cabin. I spend too much time focusing on the critical things at work, at home I just want it to sound good and be simple to use.

I've had many different models, and love TWS. Airpods, Clone Airpods, Qcy Ht05, etc.. In this moment I own a Huawei Freebuds SE 2 and a Huawei Freebuds 2 Pro and gonna be honest with you, 99% of the time, the "cool features" makes no difference. ANC, Transparency, Multiple controls in earbuds, auto stop when removed... in my experience, in the daily usage - which is GYM + Home Office work, I turn them on, plug in my ears and use them for music or conversation. The only things I would say REALLY matters is battery life and fit. And this last one you can't check through reviewers. You have to check by yourself. TL/DR - go with the one that best adjust to your budget and you like the most. Features you should care about: great fit and battery life.

My company issue Airpods or Jabra headsets depending if you want in or over ear. both work fine for me.

I know what you mean about the AirPods. We hosted a virtual conference a few years back (all speakers on Zoom at home). Most used AirPods and it sounded tinny. I mean, Bose is always going to have the top-tier ANC (for now, anyway)... but they suck in so many other ways that it pisses me off. It's definitely subjective, yeah (plus you have to deal with fanboys - Apple being the worst). I just want the best... period. I'm willing to pay for it, but I'm not going higher than $400 for earbuds (or any headphones).

I have both the Bose QC and Apple AirPods and I find Bose to be better with noise cancelling. Literally blocks out the noise whereas with Apple, I can still hear street noise even with noise reduction at the highest level

I’ve just killed my second set of Airpods. 😡

I’m pretty sure.

Same. I was an iPhone user but switched to Android but kept my Airpods. They work just fine w/o a companion app.

Not just you. I've decided that Airpods and my ears are incompatible.

Apple AirPods don't stay in my ear. Earbuds with silicone tips don't feel right to me (it feels like my ear is clogged / underwater). I'm looking for open-style wireless earbuds without silicone tips but also have wingtips to lock them into my ear. Why doesn't this exist? Years ago, Bose made a wired sport earbud that was PERFECT (the Bose SoundSport), but this line was discontinued. Do you have any recommendations? I've spent hours and hours searching for something but can't find the right set.

I've personally been totally okay with my AirPods for the NYC United Airlines Half and the Real Simple Women's Half.

I had them for a week and returned them cause they were really uncomfortable. I switched to the Bose QCEs and it made me realize how flat sounding AirPods really are. The customizable EQ on other Earbuds helps so much. Only good thing about AirPods is that they are very easy to use on iPhone whereas with other earbuds you’ll need an app to function certain things. But that’s a trade off I’m happy to make for better sound quality.

Air pods sound like shit I don't know what people in this thread are talking about

I vouch for Airpods and Airpods Pro

I use my AirPods and join the audio from my iPhone. Teams and AirPods don’t get along in my experience, so I use the Teams app and connect the audio that way. There’s an added benefit of being able to wander over to the kitchen if someone is screen sharing and you are off camera.

Good timing on the question. all four family members in my house use Airpods. I had Gen2 Airpods up until last week when I had gotten my daughter the latest and greatest Gen4s (not the Pros and not the ones with noise cancelling) to replace her dead Gen1s. Okay, so here's the thing: 1. If you are a woman or someone with small ears, check the fit. My daughter and Wife both HATE the fit of the latest Airpods...they are apparently uncomfortable and don't fit well. However they fit me fine and are very comfortable. They also went to the Apple store to try on the Pros, and hated those even more. My wife actually gave my daughter her Gen1's to use, and now we are in search of replacements for my wife to use. 2. If fit is not the issue, then overall I like the Airpods for exercise. I run and work out with them, including with Apple Fitness. They're actually probably the best choice for AF+, because they quickly sync up to your device and/or your apple TV, and have other features like Siri integration. 3. I ended up trading in the new Gen4s to get the version WITH noise cancellation. I'm not sure how much of a fan I am of it. When ANC kicks on, if I don't have anything playing currently it feels like someone put my head inside a soundproof balloon. Also, while ANC works quite well, the tech is somewhat "reactive". The best example of this is when I tried them out while using a nail gun. The did nothing to cancel the sound of the shot from the gun, because it's an instantaneous, quick sound. They do, however, cancel out (mostly) the sound of the compressor. Overall, if they fit well I highly recommend them for exercise.

transparency mode is incredibly useful

AirPods but there are better options when it comes to sound and noise cancellation but nothing really compares to the seamlessness functionality of AirPods on a iPhone

Shokz are great, but I actually prefer to use AirPods on transparency mode with silicone ear hooks, which solved all my issues with slippage

Yeah I imagine it could vary a bit based on your ear shape and fit, but I have hooks similar to [this style](https://a.co/d/8IycZ3b) and have used them for sprinting and HIIT without them ever falling out

Mic quality on AirPods is great. If you have an iPhone, you can even turn on the voice isolation feature to block out road noise so the other person can hear you even more clearly.

I’m also from an urban area, while I know AirPods aren’t the best for audio, I do think their mics and noise filtering is the best. Particularly if you have an iPhone

I have one of the newer models of Apple air pods and love them. It was the transparency feature that sold me since I run outdoors and prefer having the ability to hear cars or people just in case. It also doesn’t impact sound quality at all, it just opens up what you can hear.. it’s kind of weird to describe.

I lost ones of mine about 2 weeks before a race. I always come home and put them on the counter by my case to dry and one disappeared. Wife had a pair of AirPods but they just aren’t as good for workouts/running

Apple only supports AAC Airpods never supported lossless, I understand apple advertised that they are lossless somehow but they actually which they aren't, my friend with 14PM and airpods, mine with S23 and Buds 3 pro Samsung seamless codec is way better than AAC on airpods, in songs like skyfall there is a treble extension and buds 3 pro which sound better than airpods... Any LDAC codec supported devices can stream at almost 24 bit and 96kz max, but if you have an iPhone even LDAC earphones are useless, couz apple doesn't support anyway..

Apple tuning is good, they don't support lossless Have you ever heard on one of those ?

I have the air pods and they work seamless with both.

AirPods feel like shit with my helmet on, it presses on my ear too much. I got Aleck, a brand similar to Chips

Bose QC if u want ANC or Bose AE2 if you want good sound. if you’re on the budget end try checking out Baseus head phones they do make ANC versions. Overall most suitable for Apple devices is prolly Apple headphones(ie:AirPods AirPodsPro ) wait for a revised Airpods Maxes if u really want them

Go with the Airpods. Makes also sense since she has already an iPhone and Apple earphones work perfectly within their eco system. If you want to potentially end or damage your relationship over broken overpriced audiphile earphones she does not value at all and even not wanted in the first place go with the Sennheiser MTW4.

Mine are borderline. I’ve never had one fall out but I definitely adjust them more than even my most basic Amazon ones. It’s still my recommendation though. Love them besides the slightly less than perfect fit.

Lol.. same!! I dusted off my airpods yesterday just to power-up the battery and make sure they're still good, then back on the shelf 😄

I travelled with them so I had to use them. They also get hot. AirPods or earbuds is the way to go

AirPods never worked for me. They fall out and don’t filter out the noise. I use Jabra Elite 7 Active and they fits perfectly.

AirPods kicked it on a sweaty run. Have had Powerbeats pro for 2 years and no issues. No marathons but have ran a few halves.

Good question, I’m tired of AirPods. One of my AirPods seem to lose hearing fast all the time and I’m done getting new pairs so I’m trying to switch it up

With AirPods, I'm getting 1-2 years at best.

Ease of use for me. I mostly use them for audiobooks.

airpods. i’ve never found headphones that were comfortable enough to hold alllll my piercings for 2+ hours. it gets uncomfortable to have some metal smooshed on my skin and it’s too much work to change my jewelry to make it more comfortable lol i have a conch, daith, tragus and forward helix on my left ear and most brands of ear buds are no problem for me

i just wear airpods

I was AirPods gang until one fell out of my ear into a sewer while I was running 🥴

Recommendations would be great - I'm done with the crappy 2-year shelf-life of Airpods.

For ease of connection, as everyone says here, AirPods. If you’re looking for sound quality there are countless other better options out there.

I just use my AirPods fr, most of the time i use my phones sound tho

Yeah it’s always good to have a pair of decent earbuds, especially if you are in a somewhat noisy environment.

AirPods and then you buy these things: OneCut 5 Pairs Silicone Ear Tips... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098DMLS6N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share And they’re super comfortable- you don’t even notice them. AirPod doesn’t even move during my run. I usually only wear one when I’m running so I can hear what’s going on around me.

I use my AirPods without issue.

Whatever is comfortable for you. I have some in ear ones (like air pods) and some over the ear hook ones for more intense workouts where i risk them falling off. I see alot of people wearing the ear muff style. It's whatever you like.

I use airpods

Don’t get airpods.

I got a pair because of this sub. They’re dogshit.

I had to EQ the bass down to zero in order hear anything else. £20 KZs are way above.

I have both airpods and bose headphones. ever since I bought the bose headphones I’ve barely worn the airpods. they’re quiet comfort 45. if you eq them right they sound amazing

Out of all flagship 15 pairs of earbuds from major brands I've owned and others I've tried. The Soundcore Liberty 4 has been the best sounding for me so far. With the flagship Sennheiser at second place. But for best transparency mode I'd say the airpods (horrible sound quality). And best ANC goes to the Bose imo.

With my experience testing them various times, I couldn't get myself to like it. The sound quality is horrible. At least the sound stage is not bad.

Airpods > Shokz

I’ve used these for many years now but I’m currently looking for something different due to the fact that you can’t charge the AirPods with these on them and I tend to lose them or forget to grab them sometimes. I do really like these though.

In terms of audio quality, many models over $100 beat them. You only have to listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMSHB6cs1-U on a good pair of headphones to realize that Airpods are nothing special. Integration with the Apple ecosystem - sure, they're unbeatable. But not everybody uses Apple devices.

I usually throw on a pair of AirPods and throw a pair of walker razors over them

Airpods or beats, strictly for the Apple specific interface that allows quick pairing and switching between devices seamlessly.

I just wear regular degular AirPods

Pop the ear pads out and you’ll be able to comfortably use any earbuds…I use AirPods and get easily click the button through my bavalclava

I have mine 3-years old, use them daily and battery is so-so. But they made it through sub 3:30 with no sweat.

Having said that, for the first time in like 10+ races that I did in AirPods, one fell off when I was trying to adjust it. I managed to recover it without a problem, but I imagine I could 1) annoy a lot of people or even injure someone, when I would stop suddenly in a more crowded place, 2) lose/get AirPod destroyed, 3) get myself strained with a sudden different move. It was on 30k, the crowd was lose and I surprisingly didn't feel any drop in form after this, but it was a bad moment.

It depends on whether you want those headphones to use their mic. I exclusively take calls from my desk and don’t move my laptop so I have a dedicated mic on an arm. My AirPods only receive sound, they work flawlessly like that on Teams.

Yeah, my original pros still last about 10 hours. So yeah, AirPods.

Yeah, wore them for a 15 hour flight to Tokyo and they didn’t die until the last couple hours. My case isn’t holding the best charge but they’re like five years old at this point and for electronics they’ve lasted longer than my Sony and Bose

Did you find they lasted the entire marathon? My AirPods died about 2 hours into Chicago for me, and I had them charging the whole night before 😅

Aftershocks are good. I use AirPods and they’ve worked fine for the last 6 years.