The Best Pair of AirPods to Buy in 2024 Might Surprise You

Apple’s AirPod lineup has been confusing for a while. At one point, the tech giant was selling three different versions of wireless earbuds with AirPod in the name, and that doesn’t even count the over-ear AirPods Max.

With the launch of the new AirPods 4, it seems that Apple will no longer directly sell the older 2nd or 3rd generation AirPods as it did in the past. This simplifies the company’s wireless earbud lineup in some respects.

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Now, as of September 2024, if you want to buy a pair of Apple-branded wireless earbuds directly from Apple’s online store, the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 are your only two options.

But there’s a new wrinkle to the lineup that still muddies the shopping waters a bit. The AirPods 4 line now consists of two separate models instead of just one.

The entry-level AirPods 4 cost $129. For $50 more, users can buy a version of the AirPods 4 equipped with Active Noise Cancellation.

But for anyone who isn’t extremely budget-constrained, there’s really no need to debate over these various choices.

The premium version of the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is hands-down the only pair of AirPods worth upgrading to right now, at least for those planning to pay full price.

All AirPods 4 models offer several practical benefits

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All versions of the AirPods 4 boast several improvements over previous models that anyone interested in wireless earbuds can appreciate.

The AirPods 4 charging case is 10% smaller and lighter, making them easier to carry without impacting battery life. It also supports USB-C charging.

Apple has also emphasized “a brand-new fit” for the AirPods 4 “that naturally fits even more users around the world,” which should intrigue buyers who took issue with previous interpretations of the headphones’ open-ear design.

Internally, the AirPods 4 have been upgraded with a new acoustic architecture and Apple’s most advanced H2 chip. This component unlocks what Apple calls Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Voice Isolation, in addition to support for high-quality 16-bit, 48kHz audio.

Compatibility with Siri interactions allows users to silently nod yes or no to answer specific Siri prompts. The stems of both earbuds include a new force sensor for pausing, playing, muting media, or ending calls with a press.

The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation hit a compelling sweet spot between features and price

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Paying $50 more for the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is clearly worth it for anyone with some budget wiggle room.

They’re the cheapest Apple-branded headphones to offer Active Noise Cancellation and Apple’s Transparency mode, which helps amplify certain environmental sounds intelligently to keep users aware of their surroundings. Previously, these features were exclusive to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, which cost $70 and $370 more.

It’s hard to know how the Active Noise Cancellation on the AirPods 4 will sound compared to Apple’s more premium offerings, especially since the AirPods 4 are open-ear by design. Still, it’s safe to assume that any reduction in environmental noise will make these headphones better for commuting and travel.

They’ll also support Apple’s upcoming Conversation Awareness capabilities, which intelligently lowers the volume of whatever you’re listening to when someone starts speaking nearby.

Paying the premium for the AirPods 4 with ANC nets users two other additional features unrelated to sound quality, making the added expense even more worthwhile.

This more expensive pair is certified for Qi wireless charging and charging via the wireless charging puck included with the Apple Watch. Apple claims that the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation case is the smallest in the industry with wireless charging capabilities.

The cherry on top is that the case includes a small speaker for playing back an audible ping to help users locate a lost pair more easily via Apple’s Find My network.

The AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max are also overdue for replacement

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The AirPods Pro 2 are still excellent earbuds. Apple announced a variety of new features coming to the premium earbuds this fall, including the ability to monitor hearing health and use them like over-the-counter hearing aids.

It’s always great to see new capabilities added to existing tech devices. Still, we’re not sure this particular feature upgrade will be a huge selling point for the average consumer just looking for a pair of wireless earbuds to match with their other Apple devices.

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The more significant deciding factor might be that the AirPods Pro 2 offer up to 30 hours of audio playback with ANC turned on compared to the AirPods 4 20 hours. Apple also says the pro models offer “up to 2x more Active Noise Cancellation.” Still, it’s hard to say if these differences will be worth $70 for anyone looking for headphones to use during a daily commute.

Given that the AirPods Pro 2 have also boasted the same form factor for two years, they’re increasingly likely to be replaced by a new version in the next twelve months.  

Strangely, choosing between the AirPods Max and the AirPods 4 ANC feels even more obvious, even if you ignore the $370 price difference.

While we’ve long considered Apple’s premium over-ear headphones to be some of the best active noise-canceling headphones on the market, competing headphones from longstanding ANC headphone makers like Sony and Bose, as well as newcomers like Sonos, have chipped away at Apple’s performance lead. The flagship ANC headphones from these brands are also significantly cheaper, usually by at least $100.

The real nail in the coffin is that even the lightly refreshed version of the AirPods Max lacks Apple’s most advanced H2 chip, which means they aren’t compatible with Apple’s most advanced audio features.

This includes Adaptive Audio, which intelligently blends noise cancellation and transparency modes based on your surroundings, as well as personalized volume, which will allow headphones like the AirPods Pro 2 to learn your volume preferences in certain conditions over time and automatically adjust your listening experience accordingly.

Combined with the fact that the general form factor is four years old and rumors of an update continue to build, it makes little sense to pay $549 for an audio product that’s already technically outdated and will only grow more in the months ahead.

And if you must have the deep integration of Apple’s AirPod line and an over-the-ear form factor now, it’s very easy to find the original version of the AirPods Max equipped with the original lightning port for $400 or less, which is otherwise identical to the lightly refreshed version with USB-C connectivity.

Expert tech reviewers are on the same page too

Tech experts testing Apple’s new AirPods lineup seem to be reaching the same conclusion regarding the AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation. Here’s a sample of quotes and links to their detailed reviews for reference.

“The AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation are worth springing for compared to the regular pair. Both sound good, but the ANC works surprisingly well — most of the time.” – Allison Johnson, The Verge

“But AirPods are still the real deal. They’re a kind of Platonic ideal most of us picture when we think of fully wireless earbuds. They sound great and fit like a glove with the rest of Apple’s hardware offerings. As for that price gulf between the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC, $50 goes a long way here.” – Brian Heater, Tech Crunch

“The AirPods 4 do sound better than the previous generation. And the AirPods 4 with ANC sound even better by nature of the fact that they so successfully remove outside sounds from the sonic canvas… They do indeed have prodigious bass with a significant amount of punch. Vocals were open, clear, uncongested… When an earbud is too sharp, you’ll hear it with the consonant T on a lot of recordings, and I didn’t get that.” – Caleb Denison, Digital Trends

“The AirPods 4 have done a shockingly good job dampening noise. From quieting the hordes of chatty journalists at Apple’s recent California launch event to putting up a strong fight against the New York City subway… More difficult-to-muffle noise such as piercing construction drills made me miss the tight seal of my AirPods Pro, but the AirPods 4 largely proved to be a good Pro substitute when it comes to drowning out the chaos.” – Mike Andronico, CNN

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