Beats Studio Buds + vs Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Quick take: The Beats Studio Buds + costs $19 less; the Beats Studio Buds + lasts longer per charge (6 hrs).
Which one to buy
Same parent company, opposite answers to the ear-tip question. The Studio Buds+ seal with silicone tips; the AirPods 4 with ANC have no tips at all and rest in the ear like classic AirPods. That one difference drives everything else. If you can't tolerate canal pressure, the AirPods 4 are the rare ANC bud you can wear all day — but their cancellation only touches low rumble, and whether they stay put or sound full is a fit lottery you can't fix with tip swaps. The Beats seal reliably, and owners with small ears and glasses often find their stemless shape more comfortable than AirPods Pro, though their ANC is only average (owners note a $45 Soundcore beats it).
Platform is the second split. The AirPods 4 are an iPhone product; on Android they're open earbuds with no ANC control. The Studio Buds+ are the rare pair that's native on both — Find My on iPhone, Fast Pair and Find My Device on Android — which is why mixed households buy them.
On the spec sheet the AirPods win the conveniences: wireless charging, a Find My speaker in the case, IP54 against IPX4, and excellent calls from the H2 chip. The Beats win endurance: about 6 hours with ANC versus 4, the weakest figure in the class. Neither has EQ. Reliability complaints differ in kind — the Beats draw intermittent one-bud dropout reports and some early left-bud drain, while AirPods owners mostly worry about the usual battery fade around years two to three.
Beats Studio Buds +
If you're comfortable with silicone tips, switch between iPhone and Android, or need more than four hours of ANC per charge. Buy on sale around $100, not at list.
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Best if you're on iPhone, sealed tips bother you, and earlier hard-shell AirPods have stayed in your ears. You'll get excellent calls and a wireless-charging case in exchange for shorter battery.
| Spec | Beats Studio Buds + | Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$100 | ~$119 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Wireless Earbuds | Wireless Earbuds |
| Noise Cancelling | ANC | Adaptive ANC |
| Battery (single charge) | 6 hrs | 4 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | 36 hrs | 20 hrs |
| Quick Charge | Fast Fuel: 5 min = 1 hr | 5 min = 1 hr |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | No | No |
| Driver Size | — | — |
| Weight | 5 g | 4.3 g |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 | IP54 |
| Wireless Charging | No | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| App EQ | No | No |
Pros & cons
Beats Studio Buds +
- ✓Native one-touch pairing on both iPhone and Android
- ✓Find My on iOS, Find My Device on Android
- ✓Genuinely natural transparency mode
- ✓Fast Fuel adds an hour in five minutes
- ✓Spatial audio works with Apple Music
- ✓Frequent $100 sales far below the $170 list
- ✗ANC weaker than a Space A40 at half the price
- ✗No multipoint, wireless charging, wear detection, or EQ
- ✗36-hour case total assumes ANC off
- ✗Intermittent dropout complaints drag the 4.1-star average
- ✗Early units hit by a left-bud drain issue
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
- ✓Real ANC in an open fit — no ear tips required
- ✓Excellent H2-chip call quality
- ✓Featherweight 4.3g buds disappear in-ear
- ✓Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness at $119
- ✓ANC case adds wireless charging and Find My speaker
- ✓Takes the edge off planes despite no seal
- ✗4-hour ANC battery is bottom of the class
- ✗Fit lottery — hard plastic shape hasn't changed
- ✗Bass depends entirely on how they sit in your ears
- ✗Physics caps ANC well below the sealed Pro 3
- ✗AAC only, no EQ app — Apple as usual
Beats Studio Buds + vs Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: common questions
Do the Studio Buds+ or the tipless AirPods 4 block more noise on a train?▾
The Studio Buds+, mostly because they seal. Their ANC is only average for a sealed bud, but the tips add passive isolation the AirPods 4 can't have. The AirPods 4 take the edge off engine rumble while voices and clatter pass straight through.
Are the Studio Buds+ or the AirPods 4 better for a household with both an Android phone and an iPhone?▾
Only the Beats make sense for that. They pair natively with Fast Pair and Find My Device on Android and one-touch pairing plus Find My on iPhone. The AirPods 4 lose ANC control and nearly every feature on Android.
Do the AirPods 4 really last only 4 hours?▾
Yes, about four hours per charge with ANC on, and owners who commute report topping up mid-day. The Studio Buds+ manage about 6 with ANC, and Fast Fuel adds an hour from a five-minute charge. The AirPods case total is about 20 hours.