In other words, without getting too much into the weeds of things, active noise cancellation works by the device "monitoring" the outside noise and emitting an inverted soundwave, or what Treski calls "the anti phase," to neutralize or negate the external cacophony.

The Apple AirPods 4 deliver strong sound quality and the best active noise cancellation we've experienced in an open-ear design. The $179 Apple AirPods 4 are among the first open earbuds we've seen with active noise cancellation (ANC).

The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation distinguish themselves from their predecessors with a new design that looks similar, but changes enough to sit differently in the ear. Shape is crucial with these hard-shell earbuds since they don’t have gummy tips like the AirPods Pro to create a tight seal and keep them firmly in place.