SoundPeats Air4 PRO aptX ANC IEMs – Snapdragon Sounds
SoundPeats Air4 PRO is a $89 USD pair of TWS True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds / IEMs, with silicone tips, full contact with the ear canal, and aptX Lossless sound offered by Snapdragon. They also have one of the most effective ANC implementations out there, as they can entirely cut out traffic noise, air conditioning and most background noise totally. Today we will review the Air 4 PRO and see where they stand in today’s crowded Entry-Level TWS Earphone market.
Introduction
Soundpeats is one of the more popular entry-level companies out there, having a wide selection of products, mostly bluetooth and in the entry-level range. They are scoring good sales on Amazon, thanks to their solid price / performance ratio, and reliable products that are known for their sturdiness and sleek design. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. I thank Soundpeats for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – Precise sound, excellent ANC integration, good battery life, solid case and IEM shells, and a beautiful design. They have a strong price / performance ratio, a wide soundstage, and good detail. Low to no audible distortion at maximum volume.
Cons – No LDAC, Low Latency mode can negatively affect sound quality.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/4c0PMY2
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Air 4 PRO is a lightweight pair of IEMS with a modern looking charging case. The company offers around 6 hours of playback at low volumes with no ANC on, but this can be reduced to 3-4 hours if you engage ANC, use aptX Lossless, LE Audio, and especially if you’re using high volumes, which drain the IEMs. There are 4 extra charges in the case, and it takes 1.5 hours to charge the case.
This is one of the first TWS Bluetooth IEMS I am reviewing to be using aptX Lossless, but sadly this does not work with Samsung S23 Ultra, so I can’t confirm what effect it has on sound. This being said, the company uses Bluetooth V5.3, with Multi Point connection, and the IEMs have a sensor which detects when they are inserted in your ear and when they are removed.
At the heart, we have 6 microphones, and a 13mm dynamic driver, to offer the sound. The ANC implementation is subjectively really strong, and the company promises, and actually delivers up to 45 dB of passive noise isolation, although the peak of its power can be found around 100 Hz, which is not very useful in practice. Still, the ANC will cancel all and every noise for normal situations quite well.
The IEMs feel very light, to the point where they feel hollow, but that’s not bad as the comfort is great. The case also feels lightweight and it is scratch resistant. I previously briefly tested the Air 3, but the overall package is far more convincing for Air 4 PRO, thanks to the better price / performance ratio. Call quality is easily one of the best I’ve heard and Air4 PRO will cancel most of the noise happening around you, making your voice clear and clean for the person on the other end.
As the IEMs are lightweight, I would use them at the gym, but I don’t game on smartphones, nor can aptX low latency work with windows PC computers, so gaming is not something I would generally recommend TWS bluetooth earphones for. Using the low latency algorithms will generally reduce sonic quality, so that’s to be expected too.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – The overall signature of the Air4PRO is clean, natural in tuning, with a good balance across all frequencies, presenting a natural amount of bass, treble and vocal presence, having a rich instrument for guitars, pianos and drums, while creating a rather large and convincing soundstage.
Bass – We start from a bass that is mostly neutral, not a lot in quantity, but enough for rock, metal and even pop. With EDM, the bass feels on the leaner side, but it has a good extension down to about 35 Hz. There is a good sense of detail, although the bass can be considered a bit dry and too quick, especially for an entry-level TWS Earphone.
Midrange – The midrange is detailed, a bit grainy, but natural in tonality and presentation. There is more midrange relative to the bass than with most bluetooth IEMS, but the mids don’t feel forward or aggressive, as Air 4 PRO is rather natural in the presentation.
Treble – We have a mostly bright and open treble, good extension up to 13 kHz, with rock and metal taking advantage of it, although as it happens in the bass and the midrange, there is a bit of grain in the whole sound. Overall, the treble brings sparkle and a bit of seasoning to music.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – Air 4 PRO can well be defined by their dry, quick and precise impulse response. Sadly, as the sound is coming through a lossy Bluetooth connection, you can hear the bluetooth compression algorithm quite clearly and it is more noticeable than with most TWS IEMs. Dynamics are good, although the more neutral bass allows music to be more linear.
Volume Control – Volume control is almost perfect, maximum volume has no distortion, and Air4 PRO can get really loud with no trouble. At minimum volume, the sound scatters a bit, but only very slightly, and it is still plenty enjoyable, especially with ANC turned on. I heard no odd noises regardless of the volume, and regardless whether ANC was turned on or off. Passthrough mode will amplify all noise, but that’s normal.
Soundstage – The stage is natural, with a good instrument separation, the only limits for Air4 PRO being the lossy Bluetooth compression algorithm if you’re using a phone that does not have aptX. Bluetooth compression can quickly compress the soundstage when SBC or AAC is used.
Value and Conclusion
I have reviewed a couple of TWS IEMs, and each one of them has strengths, weaknesses, with Air4 PRO having the most effective ANC implementation you can purchase below 100 USD, but also a quick and detailed sound.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a high quality bluetooth earphone that’s lightweight and comfortable, which has a quick sound and works really well with certain smartphones, the ones that do have aptX Lossless support, then I fully recommend Air 4 PRO from Soundpeats and they are a good deal.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/4c0PMY2
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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