With more body to the sound, more advanced features, and a price that's only very slightly higher than the AirPods 4 with ANC, the newer AirPods are the obvious choice for Apple users.
Pros
- Excellent active noise-cancelling for an open design
- Powerful, weighty and spacious sound
- Flagship-level feature set
Cons
- Battery life still lags behind the competition
- Fit won’t suit everyone
- Could sound more agile, clear and nuanced
The older model do sound a bit more delicate, which might suit more refined genres better. But unless they see a massive price fall, we would opt for the newer model.
Pros
- Clean, detailed, agile, powerful sound
- Impressive ANC
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- Extensive feature set
Cons
- Battery life lags behind the competition
- Fit won’t suit everyone
- Needs more punch
The new AirPods 5 are out now. Like their predecessors, they come in two variants, but unlike their predecessors, both pairs have active noise cancellation (ANC). So what's the difference? Well, the pricier pair have some extra features to set them apart from their cheaper siblings.
We've now reviewed the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case (the pricier of the two new variants), and can tell you how they stack up against their predecessors, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Read on and find out.
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: specs comparison
| Header Cell - Column 0 | AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case |
AirPods 4 with ANC |
|---|---|---|
Bluetooth |
5.3 |
5.3 |
Active noise-cancelling |
Yes |
Yes |
Spatial Audio |
Yes |
Yes |
Battery life |
5hrs (buds); 22hrs (total) |
4hrs (buds); 20hrs (total) |
Finishes |
1 |
1 |
Earbud weight |
4.3g |
4.3g |
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: price
Before Apple's September launch event, price rises were heavily rumoured – the firm has recently upped its prices on certain products, after all. And while the new iPhones got a price hike, thankfully the new AirPods went the other way.
The AirPods 5 start at £119 / $129 / AU$219 for the base model, rising to £139 / $149 / AU$249 for the variant with the wireless charging case. Both of which compare very favourably with the launch prices of the corresponding AirPods 4 models (£129 / $129 / AU$219 and £179 / $179 / AU$299 respectively).
Apple no longer sells the 4 models, but you can still pick them up at other retailers while stocks last. At time of writing, the AirPods 4 with ANC are only £10 cheaper than the new flagship AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, so there really isn't much in it. At those prices, we would buy the new model over the old.
Keep a look out around sales time though, when the price of the AirPods 4 with ANC could drop more steeply to shift stock.
** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: design
The AirPods 5 are virtually unchanged from their predecessors in terms of design, but there are some tweaks.
The pricier variant of AirPods 5 have a slightly recessed area on the stem so you can feel the on-bud volume controls. Otherwise, they are nigh-on identical visually to their predecessors.
Both pairs of AirPods 5 also have improved dust- and water-resistance: IP57, compared to the IP54 of the AirPods 4 range.
Both the AirPods 5 and 4 have an open-ear design with no eartips. That means their fit might be an acquired taste – some people love it, while others struggle to keep them in their ears.
The new pairs weigh the same 4.3g of the AirPods 4, which makes them barely noticeable in your ears.
All in all, it's another winning design, as we found in our review. But do check the fit before you buy.
** Winner: Draw **
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: features
The headline news for the AirPods 5 is that both pairs feature active noise cancellation. Whereas the AirPods 4 come in one variant with the feature, and one without.
Apple claims the ANC has been improved, and is now 50 per cent more effective than the same feature on the AirPods 4. It claims this is "the best ANC in an open ear design".
Transparency mode – which allows in some outside sounds to keep you aware of your surroundings – is also more natural, Apple says. And you can use a slider to adjust the balance between noise cancellation and allowing in outside sounds, which is a neat feature.
Live Translation is now available on both pairs of AirPods 5 (on the 4 range, it's only available on the AirPods 4 with ANC, not the base model). Like the AirPods 4, they will work with the new, more conversational Siri AI.
In terms of battery life, the AirPods 5 are disappointing. The cheaper model offers four hours of use, while the model with the wireless charging case ups that to five hours (all with ANC enabled). Which is no improvement on the underwhelming figures from the AirPods 4 models.
The total battery life (including the charging case) is 20 hours from the AirPods 5, and 22 hours from the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. The AirPods 4 with ANC only last 20 hours, while the non-ANC model extend that to 30 hours.
The pricier model of AirPods 5 has a wireless charging case that works with Qi and Apple Watch chargers, while the cheaper model relies on wired USB-C charging.
The newer models also have all the features of the AirPods 4 range, including Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness, adaptive audio and Find My features. They also run on the same H2 chip as the AirPods 4 models, and use the same Bluetooth 5.3 tech.
** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: noise cancellation
Apple claims the AirPods 5 cancel 50 per cent more noise than their predecessors. While we aren't able to verify that exact claim, we can confirm that the ANC is very impressive, especially considering there are no eartips to help with passive noise isolation (i.e. bunging up your lug holes so no outside sound gets in).
General background noise like traffic and office chitchat is made much quieter, though higher frequencies do slip through the net. But the lower frequencies are definitely blocked more comprehensively than on the AirPods 4 with ANC.
The effect is much more powerful, too. Again, that's made all the more impressive by the buds' design.
We found the AirPods 4 with ANC's noise cancellation worked very well indeed. They get around the lack of a seal offered by eartips by targeting low-end frequencies. "The rumble of engines on the road, the grinding hum of trains, the exhaust fan in the kitchen – it all disappears. It’s quite impressive," we wrote in our AirPods 4 with ANC review.
While you're not encased in a bubble of silence as with the best noise-cancelling earbuds, they do cancel enough noise to make your music clear without the need to crank up the volume and potentially damage your hearing. It's also a much more natural and comfortable experience than some more suction-y forms of ANC.
In summary: AirPods 4 good, AirPods 5 better.
** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: sound
The AirPods 5's new multi-port acoustic architecture and next-generation adaptive EQ claim to improve sound quality, with "richer, more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries". Personalised Spatial Audio should also be more immersive and dynamic.
So Apple says. But do the claims stack up?
Yes, but the sound is not without fault. You get the same trademark Apple sonic balance (detailed, agile, natural, open), but it's taken on a step from the previous generation. Not a massive step, admittedly, but the improvements are there.
We noted "greater extension and weight in the lower frequencies" in our AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case review. And the amount of sheer grunt these buds deliver is definitely impressive, especially given their semi-open design.
There's detail and spaciousness in spades, while highs have plenty of headroom and never sound hemmed in. The sound is noticeably more heavyweight than the AirPods 4, though sometimes that can tip the balance and obscure some of the finer detail of a track.
The AirPods 4 pleased us with their "clarity and detail, agility and balance, along with a focus on voices that make them immediately appealing to listen to," we wrote in our AirPods 4 with ANC review.
They offer plenty of space between instruments, with plenty of textural detail and depth. High notes soar without a hint of brightness, while they remain dynamically engaging throughout.
They do sound a little lightweight compared to the newer, weightier siblings, though their leaner sound is better suited to certain tracks – lending them a sweeter, more agile presentation.
The new model is an improvement, though some may prefer the delicacy of the AirPods 4's balance, with certain tracks, at least.
** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **
Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: verdict
The AirPods 5 have more features, more power and more punch, which goes some way to overriding the compromises of a semi-open earbud design. They're not a massive improvement on the previous generation, but they do sound more satisfying.
Their weightier sound can tend to overwhelm the more subtle details in some tracks though, so fans of genres like classical might prefer the more delicate balance of the AirPods 4. Especially if the older pair drop in price, which we're expecting them to.
All eyes on the sales...
** Overall winner: Apple AirPods 5 **
MORE:
Read our Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case review
And our Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review
I test headphones for a living but can’t make sense of the AirPods 5 launch
