SoundPEATS Air4 Pro

SOUNDPEATS is a brand that does not shy away from releasing TWS....more than 10 models just this year, probably close to 20!

With such a prolific model release , some will be hit or miss, however the focus of today's review the Engine 4 and Air4 Pro, are two excellent examples of what SOUNDPEATS is capable of and proof is that they are both the best sounding and more technical/feature packed of all models.

The Engine 4 re-defines the standard of sound quality with exceptional fidelity and an ability to captivate you in every nuance and detail of your favorite music.
LDAC codec delivers clearer and more realistic audio performance, allowing you to experience high-quality wireless music.
It comes equipped with a coaxial DD comprised of a 10mm and a 6mm driver, delivering unrivaled audio performance.
The Engine 4 features 5.3 Bluetooth and a truly impressive battery performance of 12.5 hours, with the charging case providing 2.5 additional charges, resulting in a total battery life of 43 hours

As for the SoundPEATS Air4 Pro, it features 5.3 Bluetooth, with Aptx Classic and Lossless codecs.
The selected driver is a high-fidelity 13mm DD, that is tuned very similarly to the Engine 4, but with the EQ from the app, can be fine tuned to sound on par with the Engine 4, maybe even surpassing it at times.
SoundPEATS Air4 Pro ANC noise cancelling is adaptive, intelligently adapting to your surroundings, ensuring that ambient noise is effectively eliminated.
The design also incorporates wind noise resistance, making them ideal for outdoor activities.
Finally with a total battery life of 26 hours, (6.5 from the earbuds) you can enjoy extended listening sessions and uninterrupted Low-Latency Gaming (
88ms).

Soundpeats Air4 Pro Review​

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Soundpeats Air4 Pro​

Intro​

This is an exciting set that I’m reviewing today from the good people of Soundpeats, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro. Soundpeats seems to just get better and better with every true wireless iteration of each series, and they do so at a very quick pace. I think it’s fair to say that they’ve got this tws thing down. I want to thank Ellen as well as Soundpeats for providing the Air4 Pro in exchange for a full review & feature at Mobileaudiophile.com.

Soundpeats​

Friends, Soundpeats has been around for a long-time. At least in terms of true wireless earphones that is. In fact, I’ve reviewed a number of them myself and can attest to the continued success in every set I review. All very well built with great functionality and features and all of Soundpeats sets hover around the top in class moniker. For instance, I reviewed the Soundpeats Capsule 3 Pro (Capsule 3 Pro Review), Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS (Air3 Deluxe HS Review), Soundpeats RunFree Lite (RunFree Lite Review), Soundpeats Mini Pro HS (Mini Pro HS Review), Soundpeats Engine4 (Engine4 Review) as well as the Soundpeats Air4 (Air4 Review). Each and every one of these sets perform very well for their intended purpose and usage. I feel the Air4 Pro is no different.

The truth is I’ve been sitting with this set for a very long time now and I have grown very fond of the Air4. I find the Air4 Pro to have a very stylish look, a nice build and great functionality. With that said, let’s break this down further. The Air4 Pro…

Gear used for testing​

-Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

-Shanling M6 Ultra

Full Review can be found HERE

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Packaging / Accessories​

Unboxing​

Well, this will be rather quick. The Air4 Pro comes in a smaller box that is normal for a Soundpeats product. Nothing too fancy but not cheap. Once you open the box you will be greeted with the handsome looking case which is wrapped in cellophane. Once you lift out the charging case and look under it, you’ll find the eartips as well as the short charging cable. That’s about it, nothing too crazy to report.

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Eartips​

The eartips provided by Soundpeats are actually of pretty nice quality. They give you three pairs (S, M, L) of shallow fit silicone tips. Unfortunately, I could. Not for the life of me get a good seal with these tips. I find that almost all true wireless eartips will give me some fit issues. This is where I want to give Soundpeats a huge round of applause !! Yes, I just used emojis in my review. Let’s never speak of this again. Anyways, the reason for my cheering is that once again… the wonderful engineers or designers of the charging case saw to it that the Air4 Pro has the unique ability to house just about any 3rd party tip that I use! With the exception of very long and deep fitting tips. Because of this, I actually was able to use a pair of wide-bore tips that gave me a perfect seal. Also, these tips really opened up the upper mids while adding air into the sound up top simultaneously.

Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Case​

Build Quality / Design​

This is one of many areas that Soundpeats seems to always excel in, that being the build quality. The Air4 Pro is made out of a nicely dense and hard plastic that doesn’t feel cheap in hand at all. The Air4 Pro is actually a stem style tws earphone and I love how they hug my ears so well. My pair actually came in white, but you can also get them in black. The look is awesome! I really mean that. I am very particular in what I will allow myself to go out and about wearing and the Air4 Pro fits that bill easily. This type of stem style isn’t like some antennas protruding from your head. Instead, they perfectly run the contour of the ear and sit perfectly. Also, the design is simple, sleek and classy. The touch area is the logo which is easy to feel. The nozzle is rather short so tip rolling may be necessary to you. There are very few issues that one could drum up over this set folks. Honestly, they are one of the better-looking pairs of tws in the price point.

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Internals​

Soundpeats chose upon a mammoth single Dynamic Driver of 13mm. I have no idea what the Driver material is. Inside you have the SOC chipset among many more high-tech gadgetries to make the Air4 Pro what it is. Soundpeats also added a number of mics which I’ll comment on further into the review.

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Chipset​

This is where things begin to get interesting. Soundpeats actually uses a fantastic SOC Chipset in the Qualcomm QCC3071. Truly a great chipset which has a whole host of advantages over previous chips or inferior chipsets. I will explain later in the “Features” section what all is included with this chip but will just let you know now… It’s a good one. Obviously, ANC is one key feature with Bluetooth 5.3 and Snapdragon sound Aptx-lossless.

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Fit​

Fit is always a very subjective and personal thing. For me personally, I don’t think the Air4 Pro could fit any better. Like I said earlier, the Air4 Pro hug my ears very nicely and the units themselves are so light that I forget I have them in. The fit is great, but I must mention again that I did tip-roll to some very wide and shallow wide-bore tips which makes getting a good seal pretty easy for me. I could probably venture to say that the majority of people should have no issue with the fit.

Controls / Functionality​

I won’t go into every control at your fingertips, but I will say that the Air4 Pro has a truly excellent response to finger taps. I really mean this and want to highlight it so that you, the reader, understands. The emblem on the top of the stick on the earbuds themselves happens to be the touch pad and it is so easy to find. Each finger tap is very responsive every time I tap, and I couldn’t have been happier with the functionality of the Air4 Pro controls. Now, you can control everything Straight from the earbuds. You have next track, but they excluded Back track for some reason. There’re also volume controls (yes!), game mode toggle, virtual assistant, answer/hang up calls, ANC toggle as well. Soundpeats have been at this game awhile and they know what we want… We want control! So, thank you Soundpeats! The non back track is odd though.

Charging Case​

The charging case is close to perfect. However, it is about as robust as a case in the price point. Nothing that will blow your mind. In truth the Charging case is the perfect size, in that it isn’t too large to fit well into a pocket. Also, it isn’t too small where you are seeing little battery capacity. Another thing that is fantastic is something I’ve already mentioned; most 3rd party tips actually fit inside the case! The case has a gloss white finish and is made entirely out of a fairly durable feeling plastic. A little about me; there isn’t a place I will ever go on planet earth that I don’t have a pair of tws in the little watch pocket within the front pocket of my jeans. Always! Thankfully, the Air4 Pro is quite literally perfect. The gloss makes it so very easy to take in and out and the size feels like it was meant to be specifically for that little pocket.

Case battery & features​

It has been noted in the Soundpeats promotional material that the Air4 Pro’s case can get up to 26 hours of use. Now I don’t know how true this is, but Soundpeats rarely exaggerates specs like this. That’s over a full day friends! And that is good to see. There is also a pairing button on the case which is very beneficial as well and offers easy pairing. Trust me, you’ll love this feature the exact moment you need it.

Specifications​

-Core Specs
Bluetooth: V5.3
Profiles: A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
Chipset: QCC3071
Supported Bluetooth Codec: AptX Lossless/Aptx-Adaptive/Aptx/AAC/SBC

–Onboard Features​

ANC: Up to 45 dB attenuation

Mics: #6 in total (Aptx Voice & ENC)

Multi-point Connection: Yes

In Ear Detection available: Yes

Gaming / Low-Latency mode: Yes

Soundpeats App: Yes

Touch Controls: Yes

-Battery
Battery Capacity: 35*2 mAH(Earbuds) 330mAH (Case)
Charging Time: ＜1.5H (Earbuds）＜1.5H (Case)
Charging Port: Type-C
Total Playtime: 26 hours

-What’s in the Box​

–SOUNDPEATS Air4 Pro aptX Lossless Wireless Earbuds
-Type-C Charging Cable
-Charging Case & Eartips x6
-User Manual

-Package
Single Earbud Weight: 4.53g
Charging Case with Earbuds: 38g
Control Type: Touch
Waterproof Rating: IPX4

Features​

Note: Full disclosure, many of these features will be copy/pasted from my review of the Soundpeats Air4 Review to a lite extent. Thankfully, Soundpeats uses many of the same features which allows me to do so and save some time. Obviously if there are any distinctions or differences I will add or take away to reflect the Air4 Pro earphones.

Snapdragon Sound​

This is one area where you begin to see the fruit of having such a good Qualcomm Chipset. The QCC3071 chip enables the Air4 Pro to have what is called “Snapdragon Sound“. If you don’t know what this is I will try to fill you in as best, I can. Snapdragon Sound is an all-encompassing audio solution to bring lossless (bit-to-bit) sound replay as well as an entire infrastructure that allows crazy low latency for movies, videos and games as well as the most robust connection and high-speed connection too. There is a lot more involved but one of the best features is what Snapdragon Sound does for your music through Bluetooth. Truly it is a game changer once all the wrinkles are ironed out.

Codec Support​

The Soundpeats Air4’s come equipped with Aptx-Adaptive Lossless due to the integration of Snapdragon Sound which provides 24bit/96khz audio transmission. The Air4 also has regular Aptx-Adaptive, Aptx, AAC & SBC. To be honest any of these Codecs will provide good quality sound. However, how good the sound is really all depends on how the driver and components inside the Air4 Pro are implemented. For instance, IOS (Apple) users only have the option for AAC codec which has a substantially smaller bit rate (256kbs) than the others, still it sounds very good. I know this because I used this set with my iPad and all sounds great. The point is, Soundpeats did a good job making sure the Air4 sounds good first.

For a quick refresher so that you have an elementary grasp on bit rates “SBC” codec provides up to 328kbs & 16bit/44.1khz audio at best. “AAC” provides up to 256kbs & 24bit/48khz audio. “Aptx” is where we start to see some higher quality Audio at 356kbs & 24bit/48khz audio. Moving up to “Aptx-Adaptive”, it has a scalable bit rate from 279kbs-429kbs & 16bit-24bit/48khz-44.1khz. “Aptx-Lossless” is an entirely different beast which scales between 140kbs to over 1mbs, which is well over CD quality and operates at a bit-perfect rate. Aptx-Lossless will scale between these bit rates depending on the outside environment to allow the best connection and superior listening in all environments.

Adaptive-Hybrid ANC​

One feature also found on the earlier Air4 tws was ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) which we also find here on the Air4 Pro. Now, Adaptive ANC is a bit different from regular ANC. Qualcomm states that the chip itself will decide the level of noise cancellation depending on the outside environment and does so in “real time”. Working off of six mics in total between the left and right earbuds this adaptive ANC is able to pick up noises from all sides of the listener. Combine that with Qualcomm’s CVC noise-canceling algorithm which I’ll cover later, there is some nice tech involved with this set. Soundpeats says you can get up to a 45db reduction in outside noises. This is quite nice.

How well does the ANC work?​

I have had a multitude of ANC true wireless iems and I have had a number that claimed that the onboard ANC worked as advertised (usually overhyped). I can say with 100% confidence that… most of the time, ANC is a complete gimmick. A selling feature and nothing more with limited ability to perform the function of attenuating the outside environment. Friends, please hear me when I say that the Air4 Pro has some of the best ANC I’ve ever used in a set. I am blown away how well Soundpeats did on this set! The only thing it doesn’t attenuate perfectly is high pitched noises. For instance, when my AC is running in my home, I hear none of the low rumbling but instead only hear a faint higher pitched sound of the air blowing. For the price that Soundpeats is offering I feel the ANC is a huge “Pro”. That is of course if you value ANC in your daily usage.

Call quality​

As far as call quality, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro utilizes what I consider a breakthrough in voice quality with Aptx-Voice. First off, the Air4 Pro uses six mics in total and using the algorithm of Aptx-Voice I find voice calls are quite surprisingly awesome. Truly. I use this set for many meetings over Zoom or Teams and I have yet to get a complaint. Many of the people I’m in the meetings with know I review audio devices and they always tell me the truth about how I sound. I was told these are the best yet. Believe me when I say I’ve been through a ton of these earbuds for these meetings. Aptx-Voice works, and it works well.

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Game Mode / Low Latency Mode​

Another nice feature that I actually use daily is the “Game Mode”. Game Mode is basically a low-latency mode for use when playing games or watching videos. I found that the game mode works wonderfully for any video watching and for most games. The only game type that I have played that doesn’t sync up perfectly was many of the first-person shooter games. Really everything else worked great.

Multi-point​

Soundpeats also added in a feature that used to be unheard of in true wireless only a couple years ago and now seems much more prevelant, that is Multi-point Connection. It is a nice feature that you don’t know how much you enjoy it until it’s gone. However, it is a bit finicky on the Air4 Pro. Sometimes. There were times I’d have to pause the one device and play the second device to enact the connection. Those times were few and far in between though. Mostly the multi-point worked like a charm. I’d say they implemented it well. This is one of those features that really pays off when you need it or are very well used to it. Just trust me on that.

Battery​

Soundpeats states in their promotional material that you can achieve 6.5 hours of battery life from the earbuds themselves in a single charge. Of course, there’s a lot to unpack with those figures. Hour ratings depend heavily on listening volume, what audio codec you are using and a few other factors. For instance, using ANC “on” will bring that total down to roughly 4 hours. I haven’t done an actual real-world rundown on the battery life, but I can tell you this; I was able to last three days in my office without needing to recharge the case. So that’s plenty in my eyes. I don’t know how long you all are planning to sit with earbuds in your ears, but most of the time I won’t have them in for more than three hours at a time. Give or take. The one thing I won’t know until a couple years has gone by is how well the battery retains its ability to charge and to hold a charge. This is the one huge drawback of true wireless earphones. However, I never think about it and honestly, I’ve had the Soundpeats H1 since they came out around three years ago and it holds perfect charge.

Capacity​

The earbuds themselves have a battery capacity of 35mah and the case has a capacity of 350mah, so they are relatively decent sized batteries. I suppose it comes down to longer battery life or looks and comfort. Obviously adding a larger battery will increase sizes of both the case and earbuds. I think that even if you can get 5 Hours of battery life then that is perfectly reasonable and acceptable. With all that said, in comparison to other sets on the market (within the price point) the Air4 Pro is lower on average than some. Not a huge “con” but a “slight-con” nonetheless.

Also, remember that much of the battery life will be greatly affected by usage. Using ANC for instance will decrease the battery life a bit more. Listening on higher volumes as well. Any feature which uses the battery to function will ultimately kill the battery a bit quicker. Also, Soundpeats negated the quick charge feature and the wireless charging feature on this set. Not an issue for me but some of you may be used to such features. Just a heads-up.

Soundpeats App​

One of the best features involving any Soundpeats tws or wireless device is its ability to connect to the Soundpeats App. One of the easier to understand, simplest, and more functional apps out there, as far as wireless devices go anyways. It isn’t the most diverse and intricate app out there, but it gets the job done. I should add that if you are using LEAudio, you will not be able to connect to the app. You must first disconnect and reconnect using a different audio codec. Is witch to Aptx and I’m good to go. Moving on.

First, you can obviously make firmware upgrades through the app. You can also play around with the EQ presets, of which Soundpeats provides nine different presets. Furthermore, you can also make your own personalized EQ changes through the Custom EQ and the beauty of that is your personal EQ settings save to your earbuds for good until you change them again. In the app you can toggle Game Mode, ANC Settings, toggle Dual-Device Connection, increase the volume (most of this you can do from the earbuds themselves) and you can reset the earbuds from the app too. I find the Soundpeats app to perfectly fluid and easy to use and it’s a great asset that really does separate Soundpeats from some other audio brands.

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IPX Rating​

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro comes in rated at IPX4 which is something we’ve seen time and time again from any set using ANC. IPX4 will be good for random splashes or moisture from sweat. You can even go running with this set in the rain if that’s what you are into. However, you cannot submerge the Air4 Pro into water, drop them in a swimming pool, puddle or toilet. I don’t know why I added that last watery environment. Moving on…

EQ​

One huge benefit of the Soundpeats app is the ability to EQ your true wireless earphones. Not all tws sets have this ability with a dedicated app. The huge “plus” in my eyes is that whatever EQ settings you change on the app, it saves those settings on the buds or wireless device you are using. This is wonderful folks. This means that any music app you listen to, whether it be a streaming app like YouTube Music, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music etc. Or if you listen to actual music apps which use stored music files to play like Poweramp, Uapp, Neutron, Hiby Music or Fiio Player etc. The EQ settings will save to your buds so that you may use it on any app or any device you are listening to. I realize that this isn’t a new concept and has been done for years now but it is worth mentioning for those who don’t understand it.

EQ cont…​

Now, Soundpeats actually provides up to ten presets in their app if you want to simply use already EQ’d settings. Those include Bass Boost, Bass Reduction, Electronic, Rock ‘n Roll, Folk, Treble Enhancement, Pop, Classical Music, and the Soundpeats Classic setting as well. They also added in an “Adaptive EQ” which will switch up the EQ settings for you, based on the type of music you are listening to and some other parameters like environment noise etc. All things considered I think Soundpeats knocked this one out of the park in providing the listener with many options to to tinker with the sound. Now, does the Air4 Pro absolutely “Need” EQ? No, it doesn’t, in fact this entire review will be based on stock sound, with some commentary about some of the changes I may make using EQ. I think in its stock form… the Air4 Pro sounds better than fine. However, it is always good to EQ to your own liking and preferences.

Full Review can be found HERE

Sound Impressions​

Note: Before I proceed, I’d like to preface the entire sound section with a few things. First, without question the sound ages well and gets better after some hours of usage. This large 13mm Dynamic Driver will reward those who don’t judge too harsh too quickly. Second, I listened using shallow fit wide-bore eartips for all testing. Third, I listened primarily to UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) and Poweramp using flac or better files stored on my devices.

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro comes across as a slight V-shaped set to my ears. This is of course without any equalization. The sound is warmer yet with nice energy to the sound for a tws and one of the better tuned Soundpeats products to date. The only real issue I have is not really an issue at all for many folks. That is, the volume is not the loudest. In the same breath, it also isn’t low either. If I had my perfect world, I’d like a few more volume steps. We want headroom! We want to turn the earphones down because they are too loud. I don’t know who “we” are in my little spiel, but the sentiment stays. Anyways the sound of the Air4 Pro is smooth over crisp, nicely weighted notes for a tws and a very cozy warmth that doesn’t come across as a veil.

Between the 20’s​

The bass has plenty of oomph and rumble and can get much more “basshead” worthy with some EQ. However, using the Soundpeats Classic preset the bass is very fun and has enough boom to satisfy. The midrange has a little recession, but I don’t hear it being a very large detriment to the overall sound quality. The midrange is lush and rich but also pretty clean for what it is. The treble is slightly laid-back, safe, non-offensive. Again, you can EQ some more levity in the mix but also, I don’t think it necessarily needs EQ. The treble has some decent detail retrieval and comes across with a good emphasis and nice timbre. The sound quality as a whole is about as good as some of the better sets in the price point, I would say. Nothing that will blow your mind, but good. It certainly has areas that could use some EQ but for the most part it’s a solid tuning. Let’s dive in a bit more for each 3rd of the mix.

Bass Region​

The bass region is (in my opinion) very nicely emphasized. Certainly, this is a set that has its greatest emphasis in the sub-bass region. Almost like a subwoofer in its expression. To be honest it sounds somewhat similar to something like the Truthear Zero. There is obviously less of a mid-bass rise than previous Soundpeats sets like the Soundpeats Engine4 or even the Capsule 3 Pro which is a nice tuning trend for Soundpeats. This frees up the midrange and cleans away some of the residual merkiness that can encompass the region. I also find the bass to be more guttural and deep yet retaining the cleanliness of previous sets. Possibly cleaner and more snappy bass, albeit less slam and boom in the mid-bass. You have an obvious mid-bass tuck and there are some distinct advantages to this. In the same token there’s some disadvantages too. Of course, I’ll say this over and over again; you can always EQ more mid-bass into the equation very easily and it will be saved to the buds.

Bass Region cont…​

I actually added about 3-4 db’s in the mid-bass region at 101/192/300hz which really added some weight to the bass, and I truly love it, no distortion even at high volumes. However, that is my personal settings. As far as the actual Soundpeats Classic preset I find the sub-bass to have a deep and nicely penetrating haptic vibration that I can feel. Not the quickest bass but nicely rendered. The mid-bass still has a moderate impact but nothing that will blow anyone’s mind. Again, the mid-bass tuck has its own rewards, and we will get into those.

Real quick, listening to Too $hort “Get In Where You Fit In” I get a decently round bass drop that doesn’t come across pillowy or hollow. It’s a satisfying thump that is a necessity when listening to this track. Or “Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta” by the Geto Boys is actually very nicely separated and doesn’t muddy the waters on the Air4 Pro. There is a melody which runs parallel to the bassline this entire song and the bass hits with some authority but also the rest of the song comes through loud and clear. Nothing veiled or blended really. It isn’t the fastest, tightest, deepest, or most robust bass in the world, but it is well established and relatively clean for a true wireless set. I really don’t hear a huge loss in overall boom from the mid-bass tuck. Both of these tracks sound good on the Air4 Pro.

Downsides to the Bass Region​

If I were to list some downsides, I would say that surely not everyone wants such a beefed-up bass. Even with tws. Some want a more agile low-end that can facilitate quicker passages of music easier. Personally, I love the bass on this set. I do think it’s the most organic and realistic bass from the company. Also, the low-end can flat out BANG when you give it some extra EQ’ing.

Midrange​

The mid-section of the frequency is one that I quite enjoy from a true wireless product. The sound is cleaner than most without any hint of a veil. There is also some semblance of air to the sound and even decent separation.

Lower-midrange​

Beginning with the lower midrange I find male vocalists to have a slightly less robust sound and maybe a hair recessed in this range. However, I do like the presence of male vocals, and they come across very defined for a tws. Listening to “Sand in My Boots” by Morgan Wallen I am very impressed with the way the Air4 Pro replays his southern twang. I don’t hear that metallic sharpness to his voice which can so easily come through. Males generally have a lean-lush presentation on the Air4 Pro. Meaning, they still have good density and weight, but not to the point that I’d call them “thick” or flat-out “rich”. The lower midrange has a more pristine sound much like some other wired earphones of the last couple years in which the bass doesn’t leach I to the midrange but rather stays out of the way leaving better note definition and better resolution.

Upper-Midrange​

Females in the upper midrange have a more forward stance in the mix. There is the slightest bit of shimmer that gives off a nice energy to the sound. Females like Taylor Swift in the track “The 1” have a very gentle and nice sounding timbre and the Air4 Pro picks up her cadence and inflection perfectly. The sound is definitely more organic and natural than it isn’t. Instruments also come across pretty naturally and I find the drawbacks of Bluetooth don’t really come across in the sound to some great degree. For instance, the secondary harmonics of strings, piano, percussion etc. actually sound passable. Cymbals have a nice “chisk” and decent body to them, snares have a very snappy and punchy “pang”. Overall, I’d say that Soundpeats certainly upgraded the sound in my opinion from precious Soundpeats products.

Downsides to the Midrange​

The midrange will likely not appeal to everyone, of course nothing will appeal to everyone. However, for those who desire a much warmer, density rich and weighted midrange they will likely not completely find that here. Obviously, things can be EQ’d into the sound but even with EQ you won’t quite get there. Also, I’m sure there will be those folks who want a more analytical sound with cleaner details. I will say this, the Air4 Pro gets about as much as you can sonically out of the asking price. You can’t please em all, but also, I THINK Soundpeats will please the majority.

Treble Region​

The treble comes across pretty laid-back out of the box. It isn’t the most energy driven and bright. Definitely not brilliant and sheened out in lustery treble energy and sprightliness. The top end of the spectrum leans more to the safe side. Great for long listening sessions. I still find the treble region to bring enough of a rise up top to lift the entire mix and balance very well with the rest of the mix too. Let’s put it this way, the treble is emphasized enough to offset the larger bass of the Air4 Pro. I’ll also add that the top end isn’t devoid of detail retrieval but also isn’t some detail king either. In fact, I think the Air4 Pro is above average in this area for true wireless earphones within this price point. The treble is able to keep up with more complex treble arrangements and the timbre is not bad by any means. It actually sounds quite nice. Tws have come a long way folks and the fact that I’m not ridiculing this set is proof of that. The Air4 Pro sounds good in the midrange.

Example​

Listening to Billy Strings in “Secrets” and the rapid-fire banjo play comes across surprisingly nimble on the Air4 Pro. I can hear each note, the rise and release, the decently defined notes, the separation. The treble may slightly lack some fullness to it but I mostly find it very well done. I don’t hear a thin and anemic treble that is either dry or analytical, tinsley or metallic. I don’t really hear any sibilance and I don’t hear any peaks that will make you want to rip your ears off. These are all great qualities friends!

EQ fix​

Another thing I noticed about the treble region is that it is nicely smooth but could use a bit more body to notes. I wouldn’t say it lacks treble density either, but it simply isn’t the most physical treble. So, it’s safe and not ultra brilliant, I realize this sounds bad but let me introduce you to true wireless earphones. This is common, especially in stock settings in which the set has an onboard (in app) equalizer. It makes sense for the company to play it somewhat safer in the stock settings. Using EQ certainly helps. Personally, I did add a few db’s into the presence region from 4k to 6k which does provide a nice lift to the sound from the stock settings. A bit more liveliness and vibrance I would say. It certainly isn’t necessary though because the stock settings are well tuned to begin with.

Downsides to the Treble Region​

I wouldn’t say there are really any huge drawbacks here. Perhaps some folks would like a treble with a bit more brilliance out of the box, maybe. Of course, one could always jump into the app and add or subtract up to 6dbs to make the sound work for them. You could also say that the treble isn’t the most detailed out there and you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s more musical, non-offensive, no force resolution up top. All in all, the Air4 Pro is pretty nice, it won’t blow anyone’s mind, but they will compete at their price point and that is what we should expect.

Technicalities​

Soundstage​

The soundstage is actually pretty open and decently wide. Try to remember that true wireless earphones don’t have the exact same components internally involved with the tuning. Much or all of the tuning is done through a DSP and so the soundstage must be graded on a curve. For a tws set the Air4 Pro has a very nice sounding stage. I don’t hear anything off, as I do so often on tws sets. We have nice dimensions in width with sound that reaches past my ears. We also have about average height, which is good enough. Nothing special there. Depth is also decent as there is some layering of sounds from front to back that I hear as well. In my opinion the Air4 Pro has a nice stage

Separation / Imaging​

The quality of separation of instruments and voices when listening to the Air4 Pro will likely come down to the track you are listening to. This is a 13mm Dynamic Driver operating off a DSP and the sound is decently smooth, rich, and lush for a tws. Generally, these attributes equate to a more blended sound on cheaper sets. Not all the time of course. I suppose this is one of those times. The Air4 Pro actually do a decent job of separating elements of a stage and even better at the imaging of those elements. Without question that in highly complicated tracks or tracks with a lot of bass boost or treble sheen it will be harder to distinguish the separation. Imaging on the other hand is the same but to a lesser degree. However, I still would put this set near the top of its respective category and price point. Not the best but very good for what the Air4 Pro is.

Details​

I wouldn’t refer to the Soundpeats Air4 Pro as a detail monster. Soundpeats didn’t tune this set to be that, thankfully. Who wants an analytical and dry sounding true wireless? By-&-large the majority of folks rep’n the Air4 Pro’s, or any tws for that matter would prefer a bit more musicality. You are already losing a bit of acoustic info and data due to the limitations of Bluetooth. Granted, there are those who enjoy that thinner and flatter profile. So, forgive me if I alienated some of you folks. In the case of the Air4 Pro, detail retrieval is decent so long as some parameters are met. I find using LEAudio sounds a bit more resolute and cleaner. I also would advise not to judge too harshly when listening to complicated tracks as well. There is some slight blending happening at times with more congested music, bass dominated music etc. Still, I really don’t think the Air4 Pro are bad at retrieving the minutiae within my music. Maybe average.

Is it worth the asking price?​

For anyone looking for a stem style design with ANC, under $100, and more of a V-shaped sound signature I would say that the Soundpeats Air4 Pro would be my first recommendation. Especially if you value good ANC. Folks, it is one of the best of this style under $100 that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and using on a daily basis. The design is obviously pretty polarizing being a stem design. Not everyone loves a stem. However, it may be polarizing but stem style designs are also very popular so there are plenty who can appreciate the great design language of the Air4 Pro.

The Why…​

For one, the build and design is one of Soundpeats best yet. It’s simple, modern, slick & sleek and is not too bulbous, too long at the stem or too awkward of a fit. It really is perfect for my ears and I’m sure the majority of hobbyists as well. They look cool, built pretty durable but also the Air4 Pro has a ton of functions that actually work! Very well too! They aren’t just gimmicks or sales pitches that will let you down in real life. No sir, the Air4 Pro has many features that work, just as Soundpeats said they would work. I find that reassuring. The final good reason as to why the Air4 Pro is worth every penny (especially at the sales price) is that they sound good. Now, the sound is not some amazing example of tws technology but instead the Air4 Pro is good, passable and will decently compete for your dollar. The bass is big and reasonably tight, fun, the mids have good presence and the treble is elevated enough to bring some shimmer, but dialed back enough to be non-fatiguing. Hopefully you have a device that can play Snapdragon Sound or Aptx- Adaptive (it does make a difference). No the sound won’t be the same as it’s wired counterparts, but the sound quality coupled with the features I’d say the Air4 Pro is worth the money.

Ratings (0-10) ​

*All Ratings are given per the price point as well as the style of earbud. In this case I am rating the Soundpeats Air4 Pro against the field of ANC stem-style tws earbuds under $80 US. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make a set of tws what it is. A “5” is exactly average, and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are garnered against. Under $80 US ANC stem-style earbuds are less in abundance as it’s not a very broad scope of tws earbuds. So, seeing something like a 9 for instance is pretty understandable. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.

Aesthetic ​

Build- 9.8 Very nice build for the price.

Design- 9.5 I don’t usually prefer stem style but I really like the design.

Features- 9.0 They left out a couple features but awesome for the price.

Feature function- 9.9 All the bells & whistles work very well imo.

–Overall Rating 9.6

Sound Rating​

Timbre/Tonality- 9.5 Nice timbre throughout

Bass- 8.8 Subwoofer style bass that sounds. Fun & robust.

Midrange- 8.7 The mids are clean and have good presence

Treble- 8.8 The treble is elated yet not overcooked.

Technicalities- 7.4 Most technicalities are great for the tuning.

P2P- 9.0 Price to performance is fantastic on this set.

–Overall Rating 8.7

Ratings Summary​

The pool of tws stem style true wireless earphones with ANC under $100 is not the vastest of selections. There are some bangers though. I write these reviews for those looking to buy. This is why I do this. What would someone who enjoys a stem style, wants ANC, and $100 US is at the top of their price limitations. How does the Air4 Pro rate (in my opinion) against those sets? I’ve heard many of them, spent time with many of them and I really feel I can adequately rate from experience. I will at least try as I understand that these prices can be a lot of money, and this is an investment for many folks. I really truly do understand this. However, as far as ratings goes, there aren’t many that will serve this purpose abundantly better than the Air4 Pro. Though there is some good competition in this price point.

As far as possible issues that I could see with my ratings; possibly the “Bass” rating would garner some ridicule. I could see those who want a more polished low-end, tighter, snappier and those folks probably wouldn’t give this set a “8.8”. Bass on tws is not always what one would expect. So often the bass feels detached almost. Or emphasized but somehow recessed to the background of the sound field. It happens all the time. Not with the Air4 Pro. The Air4 Pro has a very pretty good sounding bass, albeit a bit too under-emphasized for some, and it could use some more mid-bass, but a very good foundation, nonetheless. Also, remember, you have a great EQ that does an excellent job on the Air4 Pro. Every other Rating is pretty self-explanatory. An “8.7” is worthy of this set overall in my opinion.

Conclusion​

To conclude my full written review of the Soundpeats Air4 Pro I want to thank Soundpeats and a very large thank you to Ellen who is a great representative of Soundpeats. Truly. I am very grateful for these people and their willingness to simply let the “chips fall where they may” as far as the reviewer’s thoughts are concerned. Never under any pressure and always extremely kind and helpful. So, thank you. I also want to thank the reader. Thank you for clicking on the link as every one of them is helpful. I do hope this review is helpful to you.

Different perspectives​

Lastly, please take in other thoughts about this set. Take the time to learn as much as you can from other perspectives. We are not all the same folks and there are many diverse opinions in all thing’s audio. Audio reviewers are just people with their own unique thoughts and ideas and subjective opinions. I hope each person reading is well and good. Take care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!

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Model: SoundPEATS Air4 Pro
Price: £79.99 (Currently £63.99 at Amazon UK)
Review Reference: RC113

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Air4 Pro
• Driver: 13mm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3071
• Mic: 6 mic ENC & AptX Voice
• ANC: Yes - Adaptive up to 45dB
• Codecs: AptX Lossless, AptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC
• App Support: Yes
• Multipoint: Yes
• Customisable Controls: No
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• In-Ear Detection: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 4.53g
• Earbud Dimensions: 34mm stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 39.95g
• Case Dimensions: 64mm {maximum} (width) x 48mm (height) x 24mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 330mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Charge Time: approx. 90 minutes (buds and case)
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 6.5 hours (ANC off) 4 hours (ANC on)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 26 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX4
• Firmware Version Tested: V0.1.1

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
6 x Eartip Pairs (SML)
1 x User Manual

YouTube Review:



Introduction

We knew this was coming, probably before SoundPEATS did! The Air4 Pro is here - SoundPEATS' iterative update to their Air3 Pro, a popular model, but it's fair to say probably not my favourite due to its slightly bloated sound signature, average call quality and rather weak ANC. Put it this way - when the Capsule3 Pro arrived, I called it 'what the Air3 Pro should have been'!

SoundPEATS' product ranges seem to be based on the chipset these days, with the Air4 and Air4 Pro both following the Air3 and Air3 Pro in selecting Qualcomm as their SoC of choice. That brings pros and cons - instead of LDAC, you're handed Qualcomm's confusing smorgasbord of 'Snapdragon Sound' features - from AptX Lossless (which isn't actually lossless, and isn't actually a codec) to AptX Voice (which isn't selectable anywhere - you just have to 'trust' that you're getting it!). But despite these reservations - it does seem to the be the direction of travel for most major manufacturers right now, and the logical progression for SoundPEATS with this release.

But aside the codec questions - there are more important conundrums to answer, such as how do they sound? How is the ANC? How is call quality? What are the features like? I'll aim to answer all of these questions - read on for my thoughts on the Air4 Pro.

Unboxing

The unboxing is a straightforward but smart affair. SoundPEATS have upped their game since the release of the Air3 Deluxe HS, and this one follows a similar pattern, in a harder-wearing enclosure with the visuals on the front and key parameters on the back. Inside the pack, you're getting a USB A-C charge cable, user manual (in seven different languages) and tips in Small and Large to go with the factory fitted Medium.

Charge Case

The charge case is unmistakeably 'SoundPEATS'! In two-tone black/grey with pink-ish gold accents on the back and around the USB charge socket at the base, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Air4 and Capsule 3 Pro cases. It's portable - at 64 x 48 x 24mm, it's around 15-20% smaller and lighter than the Capsule3 Pro case, weighing in at just under 40g.



The finish is nicer than the Capsule3 Pro and Air4 cases - the 'charcoal' effect looks better than the basic colour tone applied to the two former models, and they've also dialled down the amount of pink in the rose gold.



There's also a more contoured lip at the front of the lid to make the case easier to open with one hand. There's also a nice little cutout on the side that displays the 'Hear Your Imagination' tagline - I know some people think this stuff is a bit cheesy, but I quite like it - I think it gives the case a little more character without looking distatesful.



There's a reset button next to the type C charge socket, which you'll probably need if your phone is anything like mine when it comes to dealing with Qualcomm chip earbuds - a bit temperamental - which is surprising given it is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1! The case has hall switch mode, so it begins pairing the moment you open it, but if you want to reset the connection, holding the button down turns the LED on the front to white - it will flash a few times and then you're into pairing mode. The LED otherwise indicates your remaining battery life - Green means the case has above 50%, Yellow is between 49 and 10%, and if it's Red you'd better find a charger sharpish! Unfortunately, there's no Wireless Charging and no Quick Charge - it's around 90 minutes for a full charge.



It's a nice looking charge case that has improved portability, feels a bit more robust, and the added design features mitigate the generic-ness you would sense with some of their older cases. Here you see it again alongside the Capsule3 Pro case (left) and Air4 case (right), and the smaller profile compared with the Capsule3 Pro case is particularly evident here.

Ergonomics

The design of the Air4 Pro has seen only micro evolutions since the Air3 Pro. At 34mm, the stem length has edged ever-so-slightly longer, and the stem width is a bit thinner, but these are things you would probably only notice if you had each model side by side.



The other minor differences include the look of the inside of the bud, which is now shiny rather than matte (same as the Air4).



The touch control sensor area is very slightly larger than the Capsule3 Pro and Air3 Pro, but otherwise it's only very minor cosmetic differences. Here you see it alongside the Capsule3 Pro, Clear and Air4 (left to right). You'd be hard pushed picking it out of an identity parade without knowing its intimate details!

Touch controls have not changed from previous SoundPEATS 'ANC' releases - you've got volume control (single taps) but there's no option to cycle tracks back. The default controls with SoundPEATS are good, but the inability to be able to customise the controls to your personal preference is long overdue remediation. The sensors are responsive though, and aren't as prone to accidental touches as their semi-in-ear options.



The Air4 Pro, like their previous models, are very comfortable. The nozzles are oval-shaped, but there's enough of a gradient on the inner side to ensure they sit nicely in your ears initiating barely any fatigue when used over a prolonged period of time. They are marginally heavier than the Air3 Pro, but I used them in the gym and even on the treadmill - the stability is very good, but their assumed IPX4 rating means whilst getting caught in the rain won't cause them any problems, you probably shouldn't consider extreme sports with them.



I found the Air4 Pro absolutely fine for using over prolonged periods - they don't feel too invasive due to the shallow nozzle, and they're comfortable and very stable for in-ear stem designs too.

ANC

ANC on the Air4 Pro is the star of the show, and it's probably SoundPEATS strongest performer yet in this department. The Air4 Pro pretty much obliterate fans and air conditioning units indoors, and keyboard taps are also surprisingly a little more muffled. They are also the most proficient SoundPEATS release at dealing with traffic and road noises when you're out and about. You'll still hear something, but it's reduced to a higher frequency, white noise-style sound. Even with voices close-by, they are subdued substantially, and with music playing they're practically inaudible.

Transparency mode is also very good, although it doesn't feel like as big a stride forward as the ANC level. It's very natural sounding - if people are talking to you close-by, you'll be able to hear every word of the conversation, but if someone is talking to you 10-15m away in a busy environment, you may have to guess a few words. There's certainly no obvious lispiness to voices that you get with some transparency modes - everything sounds pretty much as it should.

If I'm scoring ANC on previous models based on Q4 2023 standards, I'd rate them as follows:

Air 4 Pro - 8/10
Mini Pro HS - 7.2/10
Capsule3 Pro - 7/10
Air 3 Pro - 6.5/10
Life - 5.5/10

Audio & Sound Signature



SoundPEATS boast of their support for Snapdragon Sound, which amongst other things ensures CD-quality lossless(ish) sound, with 16-bit, 44.1kHz transmission combining with their 13mm ultra-fine biological fiber, pure wood pulp fiber and PU diaphragm dynamic drivers to deliver a high quality audio experience. Phew!

Both of SoundPEATS new releases have gone with a slightly different sound signature to their previous 'house sound', and the audio delivery is quite convincing, and definitely an improvement from my perspective. Their 'SoundPEATS Classic' sound signature has evolved quite a bit over time, and the new iteration of less onus on bass and a little more attention paid to the mids and highs is reflected in the Air4 Pro

The lower frequencies are, as always, accentuated, but unlike the Life and Capsule3 Pro, it isn't the point of emphasis. Instead, it's a slightly tighter, better textured bass response that doesn't lose that 'subwoofer'-style sound altogether, but it makes for a nicer balanced bass that is faster and doesn't bleed into the mids quite as much. It's less muddy and less boomy than pretty much every previous SoundPEATS release, but the bass doesn't sound disattached, and male vocals have a more balanced, less thunderous nature to them. Still, there is a subbass growl, and whilst the balance is definitely better, I still had to tweak the EQ to my preferred sound, which I'll share below.

The lower mids are also cleaner and leaner. The balance with the upper mids has changed, with the warm, thick sound of the Capsule3 Pro ditched in favour of a more forward upper midrange. As a result, both male and female vocals are a bit clearer, and there's better separation between the bass and low mid range. The more-forward vocal representation gives much more presence to tracks compared with the Mini Pro HS and Capsule3 Pro, but the improved balance means you're getting a more energetic sound without the buds sounding fatiguing.

I think SoundPEATS were hoping to move away from their historical v-shape sound even further by improving the midrange performance whilst still dealing with the driver and transmission constraints, and I think they've achieved that here. Vocals are definitely hotter than previous releases, but for me it's a welcome improvement over their most recent sound, which could feel a bit muffled from a vocal perspective.

Even accounting for the pinna gain at 8k, the trebles are crispier too. This balances really nicely with the tighter bass on pop and house tracks, because you're getting a bit more attack to kick drums giving them more punch and definition.

Like many releases in the sub $100 category, it isn't the most resolving sound. The staging is medium width, medium depth, but you can open up the sound a little with the following tweaks:

20Hz: +1
100Hz: +1
150Hz: 0
320Hz: -1
500Hz: -1
800Hz: 0
2.5kHz: +2
5.5kHz: +3
12kHz: +3

The out of the box sound on the Air4 Pro is far nicer than the Air3 Pro, and it's more detailed and more enjoyable than the Capsule3 Pro. With a few tweaks, you can adjust it to your personal preference using the EQ in the SoundPEATS app too.

Call Quality

The Air4 Pro claim 'crystal-clear call quality with AptX voice' - a Qualcomm-native technology as part of the Snapdragon Sound suite of features, which supports a 32kHz sampling rate and 16kHz flat frequency response. In other words, there's more bandwidth to allow your voice to sound a bit richer, and your voice is meant to sound less peaky and sibilant. This, combined with their environmental noise reduction, should bring better call quality than we've seen previously.

And experience with AptX-voice supported earbuds has indeed been very positive so far. Both the Edifier W220T and QCY T18 performed exceptionally well, and the Earfun Air Pro 3 didn't do too badly either on my 2023 Indoor and Outdoor comparison videos, so I was expecting another good performance here, and I wasn't too disappointed.

The Air4 Pro perform very well on outdoor calls in medium-busy environments, where you're perhaps walking through town with a bit of traffic noise and moderate environmental sound. Your voice comes through very clearly with great weight and tone. Introduce more environmental sound, and it doesn't remove the sound altogether, but it reduces the prominence of it whilst retaining good weight. You'll notice the definition in your voice softening a little, but I'm OK with that as you still sound very coherent. Introduce wind into the scene and you'll definitelty notice the odd gust as the algorithm adjusts to cope, but overall it's a strong performer outdoors, improving from the already pretty decent Capsule3 Pro.

In busy indoor scenes, it's a similar story, without being quite as effective. In my coffee shop tests, the ambient noise is dulled to a very distant sound, with indistinct chatter becoming, well, even less distinct! Again, the weight of your voice is retained and again the sharpness is softened a little. It isn't a revolutionary performance on calls, but it's good for the money, and an improvement from previous releases.

Features

The Air4 Pro have a host of codecs - AptX-Lossless, AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC & SBC. This makes them a great choice if you own a Snapdragon-based Android phone in particular, but if you own a Google Pixel or older phone, you'll still benefit from the presence of AptX. If you're lucky enough to have a newer Snapdragon phone, you'll definitely enjoy the solid latency performance - with gaming mode activated, the Air4 perform well on casual games, only falling a shade short on first-person shooters. Along with the Air4 and Air3 Pro, this is SoundPEATS' best gaming performance so far.
Multipoint is adequate. It's a bit of a faff to set it up (you need to disconnect from your primary device, then connect to the secondary, then reconnect to the primary) and to initiate you need to pause the primary device and the secondary device plays a second or two later. However, if you then pause the secondary device, playback does not resume on the primary device - I found I had to disconnect and reconnect again. There's no ability to see which devices are connected in the app, unlike the Realme/Oppo/OnePlus range, which is a shame - you may find yourself (like I did) hearing the 'Connected' voice prompt twice and wondering what else you're connected to!

There's no quick charge and no wireless charging, but SoundPEATS have re-introduced in-ear detection, and it works ok-ish. There's no selectable mode like you get with 1More for example, who give you the ability to choose between single ear or both ears, pause or pause/play, and it could be a bit random at times, but you can always switch it off if you find it annoying.

The SoundPEATS app is one we've discussed many times before, and having prioritised stability over features, is reasonably mature albeit a bit lacking. Adaptive EQ is back (and again, didn't really work for me). In case you haven't seen it, it's similar to Soundcore's 'Hear ID', with tones generated at different frequencies, requiring you to tap the screen when you hear something. At the end, you get a hearing curve customised to your hearing, but the reality is less exciting - stick to the equalisers and custom EQ.

The custom EQ section is very useful, with ten bands. It isn't parametric, but it does seem to give you the most customisation at the points where you probably need it the most. If you're on Android, you always have Wavelet to fall back on if you don't want to use the app.

The app also gives you the ability to toggle ANC and gaming mode, and you can also switch off touch controls altogether. It doesn't, as mentioned in the ergonomics section, give you the ability to customise controls, which is a little annoying and is perhaps something SoundPEATS should be looking to introduce sooner rather later, since even budget brands like Baseus and QCY can offer this now.

Bluetooth version is 5.3, and when connected to my Sony Xperia 1 IV I got an impressive 15m line of sight - a strong connection performance. Outdoors, even in congested areas, the Air4 seemingly prioritise connection, dropping the quality as opposed to intermittent dropouts when you try and push them to their distance limits.

One problem I did have with the Air4 Pro was compatibility. They wouldn't connect to one of my Windows 11 PC's, and to confuse matters further I had no issue connecting them to the same PC when I dual-booted Ubuntu. It's not a Windows issue because they connected to my laptop without a problem. I also had a few occasional glitches where the 'This device supports Snapdragon Sound' message you get on Android when you connect for the first time would flash up periodically, suggesting random disconnections, although these disconnections were never long enough to interrupt the music. I'm hoping we see a firmware update from SoundPEATS remedying this - alternatively I may have a duff set, let's see what feedback is like from the market.

Battery Life

Battery life has, on paper, not really improved from the Air3 Pro. The headline figure of 6.5 hours with ANC off is reasonably accurate, not least because they are quite loud and don't require the buds being pushed much more beyond 60-70% volume.

Second time around, I tested them in the office, with multipoint connecting me to my phone (using AptX-Adaptive at 96k) and laptop at the same time, and mixing watching YouTube videos with Teams calls and listening to a podcast in the gym, with ANC on the whole time. That time I got just over 4 hours before the 'Battery Low' message appeared, at which point one bud died immediately - so that's actually better than advertised, although I think if I'd been more active with them (i.e. using them constantly rather than intermittently) then you could probably chop 15-30 minutes extra from that. So overall, not terrible, but not great really - especially when you consider you can get much better battery performance from something like the Earfun Air Pro 3 - an inferior-sounding, but same chipset device.

It takes around 90 minutes for a full charge, and that gives you an additional 19 hours (total 26 hours with ANC off), but with ANC on you're talking a total of around 17-18 hours. That's pretty low compared to the EarFun Air Pro 3 (which use the same SoC), and whilst it is comparable to other Snapdragon Sound ANC buds - the likes of Final ZE8000 and Edifier NeoBuds S, for example, those models have a lot more technology to haul around. So overall, a bit of a disappointment from that perspective.

Summary

If you're assessing the Air4 Pro in isolation, SoundPEATS have done a great job of bringing a convincing budget AirPod Pro 2 alternative to the market that ticks a lot of boxes. The sound is enjoyable, ANC is excellent, calls are solid, and they're equipped with the latest technology that ensures you can maximise performance, particularly with newer Android Qualcomm-based devices, today and probably any time in the foreseeable future. They've included useful features like in-ear detection and Multipoint, and their app works on both Android and iOS, giving you lots of control over the EQ. Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

By the same token, SoundPEATS release a lot of products over the course of a year, and we're still waiting for some basic features like Quick Charge and customisable controls to be introduced. For me, acknowledging the need to include these fundamentals is key if SoundPEATS want to truly make a statement to that mid-tier market. Boxing off these basics and improving battery life should be high on the SoundPEATS agenda. Even so, overall, it's a strong release from SoundPEATS, and a big improvement over the Air3 Pro - highly recommended!

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

SoundPEATS Air4
SoundPEATS Engine4
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic

About SoundPEATS:

SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.

The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.