Products
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Tested using Methodology v1.8
Updated Oct 14, 2025 07:34 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Oct 28, 2025 05:21 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
TypeEarbuds
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureOpen-Back
WirelessTruly Wireless
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeIn-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
WirelessTruly Wireless
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-3 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
Our Verdict
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Although they share many features in the iOS suite, such as Spatial Audio and Live Translation, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are better earbuds for most people than the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. The swappable ear tips for the AirPods Pro 3 ensure a more reliable and stable fit and class-leading isolation. Their continuous battery life is twice as long, too. Still, for the less invasive fit, you might prefer the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for the combination of an unsealed fit promoting natural awareness and decent noise filtering. Their mic system sounds a bit better with non-Apple devices offering a more consistent performance, while the AirPods Pro 3 sound better with iOS specifically. However, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation's short continuous 4.5-hour battery life is a real detriment for many people's habits.
Variants
- AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (White)
- AirPods Pro 3 (White)
Check Price
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Apple.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEARCH
Apple.com
Main Differences for
Neutral Sound
Neutral Sound
Threshold
Neutral Sound
7.3
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
500 Hz
650 Hz
Bass Amount
-1.0 dB
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Treble Amount
-6.2 dB
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-3 dB)
Sound Signature
Warm
Frequency Response Consistency
9.4
9.0
Consistency L
Consistency R
Std. Deviation
0.13 dB
0.45 dB
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
9.3
9.8
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
2.5 dB
1.1 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20.74 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
-2.81 dB
1.25 dB
Mid Bass
0.47 dB
0.61 dB
High Bass
0.3 dB
0.25 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
9.4
9.2
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
0.81 dB
1.24 dB
Low Mid
0.17 dB
1.55 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.75 dB
0.05 dB
High Mid
-0.48 dB
-1.25 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
3.3
7.6
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
6.55 dB
3.62 dB
Low Treble
-6.97 dB
-3.49 dB
Mid Treble
-5.28 dB
-1.89 dB
High Treble
-3.27 dB
-9.69 dB
Peaks/Dips
8.5
6.6
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
0.8 dB
1.74 dB
Dips
1.51 dB
3.41 dB
Stereo Mismatch
8.8
Frequency Response Mismatch
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.44
0.19 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
0.53
0.69 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
0.78
0.7°
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
PRTF
1.2
0.0
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
N/A
Openness
3.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
1.9
Harmonic Distortion
9.1
Harmonics Levels
THD Ratio
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.239
0.06%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.153
0.23%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
N/A
Bluetooth Max SPL
106.0 dB
Virtual Soundstage
5.0
5.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
On/Off
On/Off
Virtual Surround
Personalized Spatial Audio
Personalized Spatial Audio
Test Settings
Firmware
7B19
8A358
Power
On
On
Connection
Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Codec
AAC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Adaptive EQ
Adaptive EQ
ANC
On
On
Tip/Pad
Default
Silicone (medium)
Microphone
Integrated
Integrated
Imaging
9.3
Group Delay
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.23
Weighted Phase Mismatch
0.78
0.7°
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.44
0.19 dB
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
0.53
0.69 dB
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.6
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.239
0.06%
WHD @ 100
0.153
0.23%
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Earbuds
In-ear
Enclosure
Open-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Truly Wireless
Truly Wireless
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.0
8.0
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.02 lbs
0.02 lbs
Clamping Force
N/A
0 lbs
Controls
6.8
8.2
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Great
Good
Feedback
Good
Great
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
No
Yes
Microphone Control
Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
No
Noise Cancelling Control
On/Off
On/Off
Talk-Through
On/Off
On/Off
Additional Controls
Voice Assistant
Multi function + Voice Assistant
Breathability
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
Portability
9.6
9.4
Portability Picture
L
1.3" (3.3 cm)
1.5" (3.9 cm)
W
1.0" (2.6 cm)
1.3" (3.3 cm)
H
0.7" (1.7 cm)
0.9" (2.2 cm)
Volume
0.88 in³ (14.49 cm³)
1.70 in³ (27.84 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
9.0
9.0
Case Picture
Type
Hard case
Hard case
L
1.8" (4.6 cm)
1.9" (4.7 cm)
W
2.0" (5.0 cm)
2.4" (6.2 cm)
H
0.8" (2.1 cm)
0.9" (2.2 cm)
Volume
2.95 in³ (48.30 cm³)
3.91 in³ (64.10 cm³)
Build Quality
8.0
7.5
Build Quality Picture
Stability
7.5
8.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
6.9
9.7
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Noise Cancelling
Yes
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-17.68 dB
-28.69 dB
Bass
-16.68 dB
-23.84 dB
Mid
-21.98 dB
-32.38 dB
Treble
-14.15 dB
-30.51 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
7.6
10
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-18.69 dB
-26.78 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-17.67 dB
-24.95 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-19.17 dB
-30.01 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
Leakage
8.3
8.6
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
31.95 dB
29.6 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
No
No
Detachable Boom
No
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
6.7
5.5
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
285.09 Hz
236.29 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
4.61 dB
5.83 dB
HFE
4,902.93 Hz
2,873.5 Hz
Weighted THD
1.163
N/A
Gain
27.43 dB
12.21 dB
Noise Handling
6.7
7.0
SpNR
SpNR
31.12 dB
44.04 dB
Noise Gate
No
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
7.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.5
7.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
6.7
7.5
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
4.5 hrs
9 hrs
Additional Charges
4.0
2.0
Total Battery Life
22.5 hrs
26 hrs
Charge Time
0.5 hrs
1.6 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Standby mode
Standby mode
Audio While Charging
Yes
Yes
Passive Playback
No
No
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
App Support
7.0
7.0
App Picture
App Name
iOS Interface
iOS Interface
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
No
No
macOS
Yes
Yes
Windows
No
No
Equalizer
No
No
ANC Control
On/Off
On/Off
Mic Control
No
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
No
Button Mapping
Yes
Yes
Surround Support
Yes
Yes
Connectivity
Wired Connection
0.0
0.0
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
No
No
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
No
No
Length
N/A
N/A
Connector
No Wired Option
No Wired Option
Latency - Analog
N/A
N/A
Latency - USB
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency Connection
No Wired Audio
No Wired Audio
Bluetooth Connection
7.3
7.9
Bluetooth Version
5.3+H2 chip
5.3+H2 chip
Multi-Device Pairing
Yes (Apple Ecosystem)
Yes (Apple Ecosystem)
Quick Pair (Android)
No
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
Yes
Yes
Line Of Sight Range
250.33 ft (76.30 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
Latency - SBC
243 ms
183 ms
Latency - aptX
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
N/A
Latency - LDAC
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
SBC
SBC
AAC Support
Yes
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
0.0
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Latency - Dongle
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
No
Wired USB
No
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PS5 Analog
No
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
2.2
2.2
Type
Charging Case
Charging Case
USB Input
No
No
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C
USB-C
Check Price
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
SEE PRICE
Apple.com
White
AirPods Pro 3
SEARCH
Apple.com
To access
and
Become an Insider
unlimited full product reviews,
product prices
other exclusive site features
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Comments
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation vs Apple AirPods Pro 3: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.