KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Fake AirPods are everywhere on Malaysian social media, like those random foreign YouTubers going on about how good our food is.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a pair of knockoff wireless headphones, they’re still called “AirPods” because no other wireless earbuds have become this ubiquitous.

When Apple announced the AirPods 4 in two versions — with active noise cancellation (ANC) and without, I suppose it was about offering people a choice.

Still the most important thing about headphones — earbuds, over-ears, whichever — is how they sound.

Aural adventures

I just spent the first week mostly listening to music, which is something I do daily anyhow, and though I’m not an audiophile by any means I think the AirPods are not mindblowing but at the same time, it’s hard to fault them for much.

For casual everyday listening, the AirPods 4 are decent.

At the very least they are an improvement over their predecessors.

I had put them aside once the AirPods Pro with the USB-C case arrived and though generally I do not like IEMs due to sensory issues, because the sound was good enough for me to put up with the invasive feel.

The AirPods 4 is a nice compromise as it does offer a step up audio-wise to the point I keep the AirPods Pro at home for longer audio sessions or when a new music drop I’m excited about happens, while taking either of the AirPods 4 out on errands.

I find the bass more solid than I’d expected though I’d rate the midrange “just OK” and the higher frequencies a hit or miss depending on what you’re listening to.

Still they didn’t grate on the ears and had enough dimension for most modern pop but for more complex productions, I would probably prefer the AirPods Pro.

Day-to-day

The fit is a lot better I feel than previous generations of AirPods though of course you won’t get that seal that helps block out the music.

Still on especially hot days and during workouts I did need to readjust the AirPods occasionally so they wouldn’t slip out but they were a lot less prone to just falling out, as I’d experienced with past AirPods.

Battery-life is fine, not spectacular, with four hours or less depending on whether I’m using ANC more (on the ANC model).

To tell the new AirPods apart, just look at the bottom, where you'll see the extra built-in speaker. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

It took a bit of time for me to get used to things such as Head Gestures but it’s nice to have features like that and Personalised Spatial Audio on the ‘cheaper’ model.

I found the force sensor responsive enough when I needed to switch between modes and honestly, it’s just one of the things I like about AirPods — not having to fiddle with my phone to adjust settings.

What’s also nice is that with the ANC model you also get to use Find My to locate it but sadly it’s not on the non-ANC model so you best pray your buds stay in your ear.

As for the ANC - it’s surprisingly good for an open ear model though of course not quite as effective as the AirPods Pro.

For instance, in a quieter room, the ANC will mute noises such as the turning of a ceiling fan or the hum of air conditioning but in a Grab ride, the ANC won’t be enough to block out what your driver is playing on the radio.

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem and want something that’s not too fancy but plays well with everything (iPhone, Mac, iPad) then the AirPods 4 without ANC is fine for the price, if you want the extra functionality and easy connectivity.

However it doesn’t come with wireless charging on the case though that’s not necessarily a deal breaker.

The problem with the ANC model is the difference in pricing with the AirPods Pro 2 is negligible enough you might as well go for the latter, especially as it tends to go on sale frequently with third-party sellers.

If battery life and sound quality are important to you then the AirPods Pro 2 is better value but if you don’t mind a small compromise for a tiny bit less, then maybe the AirPods 4 with ANC would be enough but it feels too much of a downgrade for not enough savings.

The AirPods 4 are currently available at the official Apple store and retailers for RM599 and RM829 for the non-ANC and ANC models respectively.