AirPods 4 are one of the products that generate the most interest along with the iPhone 16 and the Apple Watch Series 10. And the fact is that The AirPods line has become popular more, especially after the launch of the AirPods Pro, which became the best-selling headphones.
The main advantage of AirPods Pro are impressive noise cancelling that they have. Thanks to their pads and the advanced algorithms that process their H2 chip, they are able to masterfully eliminate any external noise. I have AirPods Pro 2 and they are the device that makes me happiest from AppleHowever, there was still a part of users who could not take advantage of the said cancellation: those who do not like the design of the pads.
More than four years of work behind AirPods 4 with noise cancellation
Do you remember the first Apple headphones? Round, with cable… when you see them today, you wonder, how can they seem comfortable? Apple was aware of this and already in 2012, with the iPhone, it undertook to rethink its EarPods. They sold them under the slogan “ear shaped headphones”
Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, Kate Bergeron, gave an interview to Engadget where she comments on the evolution of These primitive EarPods to today’s AirPods 4. As early as 2023, they started working on human physiology and the shapes that best fit people’s ears. They started doing MRIs… and today, the iPhone itself, thanks to Face ID, scans your ears to give you totally personalized sound.
As Kate Bergeron admitsduring the most difficult days of COVIDA small group of the AirPods team came to him with an offer. They wanted to take the Active noise cancellation with the open design of AirPods “normal”. After the success of the AirPods Pro, they believed that it was possible and that they had to do it to give people the freedom to choose the model without being conditioned between having or not having such an important feature.
At that point and after testing the prototype, we knew: “we have to make this a reality.”
In 2021, the team gathered at one of Apple’s acoustic labs for a demonstration. So, The AirPods team wasn’t even sure it was feasible of this type of AirPods and noise cancellation, because there was nothing “physical” to stop the noise from coming in.
“We were impressed,” admits Kate Bergeron. “We literally said that we had something very good and that we had to go all the way to achieve it.”
The acoustic work and computing power required for a noise cancellation algorithm in this type of headset represented quite a challenge. It’s even more technically advanced
Nearly four years later, the noise-canceling AirPods 4 have been released. The fit and comfort have improved over the third generation, but the real revolution is inside. The H2 chip and microphones enable AirPods 4 to continuously monitor the fit in a user’s ear, updating the noise-canceling algorithm in real time so noise blocking remains effective even when AirPods move.
The “snorkel” design of the AirPods 4 allows for better sound quality
The design of the AirPods 4 has also improved the overall sound quality. The front of the earbuds is very different from that of the AirPods 3. Kate Bergeron takes the opportunity to reveal it internally andHis team calls this design a “snorkel.”. Typically, this is a more open area and oriented towards the ear canal. The microphones also had to be redesigned so that the internal microphone is constantly monitoring the noise coming from outside to “cancel” it.
I would like to take this opportunity now to contribute my editorial part as the writer of this article. I have been using the AirPods Pro 2 since the first day of their launch and I did the same thing with the AirPods 4. After a few days of use, I can confirm that the noise cancellation of these AirPods 4 is impressive.. Not so much in the ability to block noise, but rather in thinking about the technology behind it to reduce it without a physical barrier.
Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation
From my tests and feelings, AirPods 4 cut ambient noise in halfwhereas the AirPods Pro 2 reduce it by 70 or 80%. Obviously, the ear cushions help a lot. In fact, Apple on its website states that the AirPods Pro 2 cancel up to twice the noise compared to the AirPods 4.
The wonderful thing is that Now, any user can opt for noise cancellation in the AirPods lineup. Those who are looking for the best and do not fear (and even prefer) ear cushions can choose the AirPods Pro 2. And on the other hand, if you have never liked this type of headphones and until now you had to “sacrifice” Key functions such as noise cancellation, you can get AirPods 4 and enjoy such a good experience at a lower price and a more comfortable design.
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