Soundpeats Air4
Intro
Hello, we are back with another review of a Soundpeats product, the Soundpeats Air4. It is always a good thing to see Soundpeats labeled across any box that lands on my desk. I want to first thank the fine people of Soundpeats and Ellen in particular for being so very gracious and helpful. So, thank you! This is a company that creates truly solid products at a low cost to the consumer, and they really seem to believe in their products and the performance of those products. Soundpeats is one of those companies who never seems to make wrong moves and always stays in the forefront of the wireless scene. Whether that be newer tech, design, R&D, you name it. One thing seems to be a forgone Conclusion though… Soundpeats will surely produce products that are affordable and rank high in the eyes of reviewers.
Good track record
I reviewed the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS (Review HERE) recently and I was actually thrilled that a “semi-open” set of True Wireless earbuds actually fits my ears. That turned out to be a very positive review by the way. Beyond semi-open sets, I also reviewed the Soundpeats Capsule 3 Pro (Review HERE), Soundpeats RunFree Lite (Review HERE), Soundpeats Mini Pro HS (Review HERE), Soundpeats Engine4 (Review HERE). My partner Mahir also was able to check out a fine set in the Soundpeats Opera05 (Review HERE). Out of every one of these tws iems we have yet to report a negative review. This is quite astonishing actually. Soundpeats seems to have the secret sauce and I would encourage other tws manufacturers to follow suit.
Something Special!
Folks, Soundpeats has been at this wireless gig for a long time. Surely just as long as any other predominantly “wireless” company still standing today. They worked themselves into the Audioverse by starting small and letting the price to performance of their products carry them. You don’t stick around as long as they have on a fluke. This is not some beneficial accident that every wireless device seems to be ‘at’ or ‘near’ the top of the food chain in their respective price points. I actually still have the Soundpeats H1 and I still think they are absolutely fantastic. Friends, I purchased those when they came out! The battery still lasts all day long and actually hasn’t seemed to fade at all. I know I sound like a fan boy but what I’m saying is more than that. I can respect something special when special is right in front of me.
Benefits & Drawbacks
Again, the Soundpeats Air4 are actually semi-open earphones rather than in-ear earphones as they sit just outside the ear. There are upsides and downsides to this type of listening device. On one hand the isolation is not very good… obviously, and if a decent seal or fit cannot be made then the bass rumble is generally all but gone from the listening experience. Also, semi-open earbuds lack any kind of solid isolation like you’ll find on in-ear sets. On the other hand, they are great for hearing your environment around you and usually have a very open sound, airier sound, or less congested sound when listening to music, along with a handful of other benefits that I will cover later in the review. I will say this, I have really enjoyed this set. Let’s get into it friends… The Soundpeats Air4…
Purchase Link:
Amazon US “Air4” Early-bird Offer:
–Early Price: $43.20 (MSRP: $79.99)
–Coupon & Code: $20 off coupon +21% code: SPAIR4PR
–Limited Time: Aug 22th-30th
–US Amazon Air4 Link:
Air4 Pros
-Solid Build Quality
-Nice appearance, the look is dope
-Very comfortable and easy on the ears
-Great charging case, perfect for carrying around
-Hybrid ANC (works if you have a good fit)
-Call quality is very nice
-88ms low latency game mode
-Multi-point Connection
-EQ works very well on the Air4
-Snapdragon sound
-Fantastic Soundpeats App (Android/IOS)
-Clean, airy, & resolute sound overall
-Great low-end for a semi-open set
-Midrange has nice presence in the mix for vocals
-Nice texture, bite, & air in the treble region
Air4 Cons
-Will not fit everyone
-Battery life isn’t the best
-ANC does have a noticeable effect on the sound
-Can be shouty on more shouty tracks
-Volume is not the loudest (very subjective)
Packaging
The box and contents within that box are fairly simple as with any semi-open set of True Wireless earbuds. Other than the simple image of the earbuds themselves on the front of the box as well as some specs on the back there really is nothing flashy here. I happen to like this. Inside the box you’ll find the case and the earbuds centered in the middle and wrapped in plastic. Under the charging case you’ll find some reading material as well as a short usb type-c charging cable. Nothing crazy to report here friends, business as usual.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Case
Build / Design
The Air4’s carry a striking resemblance to the Air3 Deluxe HS in build with some design accents differing. The Air4 is a stem style design like its predecessor and has the same emblem on the top of the stick too. However, the main similarity is the size and weight. Folks, the Air4 are truly feather lite. The Air4’s are made purely out of a hard and durable feeling plastic material with a matte black finish. The touch surface has a golden Soundpeats “S” imposed in the middle of it. You’ll notice three different mics per earbud, all at strategic places on the earbuds as well as a very slick looking bronze alloy nozzle grill.
I have to say that I love the simple design and aesthetic of this set. Something refreshing about that. Also, I have to further point out that the Air4’s are very lite and ridiculously comfortable. If comfort means anything to you then I’d suggest you at least take a closer look at this set. The Air4 sits perfectly nestled in my ear which is a nice departure from in-ear variants which can be slightly more intrusive over long periods of time. Even after three hours of office use, I had zero earaches or issues. As far as design and build goes; the Air4 is a well-developed tws Earbud.
Internals
As far as the Internal driver, there isn’t much floating around about it. I don’t know the material of the Diaphragm, but I can tell you that Soundpeats did employ a huge 13mm single Dynamic Driver in each earbud. Most of the time you’ll see tws with much smaller 7mm type drivers which don’t have the same surface area which can affect the overall sound quality greatly. Especially if the earbud in question is tuned well. In the case of the Air4 I feel the Driver does a good job with taking any EQ or volume I give it without distorting which is pretty nice to see.
Chipset
This is where we begin to see a distinction between other semi-open earbuds and Soundpeats semi-open earbuds. Soundpeats actually climbed up the mountain of chipsets and picked one of the best for the Air4 as they used a Qualcomm QCC3071 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 with Aptx-lossless.
Fit
Now, this is an area where you may want to be sure you’ll have a match before you buy. Semi-open earbuds aren’t always for everyone so I would certainly be cautious. Speaking for myself; to get a good fit and a decently good “seal” I have to move these around for a spell. I have to push and twist to get the perfect feel for a good fit. However, I am always able to get the Air4 exactly where I need them, and they stay there as long as I am using the Air4. This is saying something friends. Not all semi-open sets can claim such a victory in my ear holes. Please keep in mind that I am not you, thus I have zero idea how the Air4 will fit your ears. I am assuming that the majority of hobbyists will have no issues, but I cannot guarantee this.
Controls / Functionality
I won’t describe every control at your fingertips, but I will say that the Air4 has a truly excellent response to finger taps. I really mean this, and I want to highlight it so that you, the reader, understands. The emblem on the top of the stem, 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 controls. Furthermore, you can control everything straight from the earbuds themselves. You have forward & back tracks, volume controls (yes!) game mode, virtual assistant, answer/hang up calls, ANC toggle as well. Soundpeats has been at this game awhile and they know what we want… We want control! So, thank you Soundpeats!
Charging Case
The charging case is covered in a nice looking matte black exterior which is great for guarding against scratches and fingerprints. Simply an elegant little case which is perfectly sturdy, not all cheap feeling and it’s quite the looker to. Just simple and classy.
I have to say, I adore this case! I never get too excited about anything within the hobby, but I love a perfectly sized case and the Air4 case is just that. If you’ve read any tws review I’ve ever written than you know I want to be able to slip that case right in the tiny pocket inside the right front pocket of my jeans. Usually this entails me squeezing tws cases in there for safe keeping and looking ridiculous in the process. However, the Air4 is slender, not to bulky at all and perfectly sized for going out and about. There will never be a day that I don’t have a pair of tws on me. Also there will never be a day I don’t have a set of tws squeezed into that tiny jeans pocket in my pants. Basically, I can truly appreciate the design of the Air4 case.
Case battery & features
It has been noted in the Soundpeats promotional material that the Air4’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
Battery
Battery Capacity: 35*2 mAH(Earbuds) 330mAH (Case)
Charging Time: ＜1.5H (Earbuds）＜2H(Case)
Charging Port: Type-C
Total Playtime: 26 hours
What’s in the box
–SOUNDPEATS Air4 aptX Lossless Wireless Earbuds
-Type-C Charging Cable
-Charging Case
-User Manual
Package
Single Earbud Weight: 4g
Charging Case with Earbuds: 38g
Control Type: Touch
Waterproof Rating: IPX4
Features
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 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.
Time to Upgrade to Snapdragon Sound Premium Experience
Soundpeats Promotional
The all-new SOUNDPEATS Air4 Wireless Earbuds are optimized by Snapdragon Sound™ technology, the only solution designed to deliver lossless music, industry-leading low latency, and more robust connections. It has studio master quality, 24-bit, 96kHz high-resolution Bluetooth music that streams straight from your phone. With SOUNDPEATS Air4, immerse yourself in the very best audio —whether you’re gaming, streaming music, or making voice and video calls.
Enjoy the CD-level Original Sound by Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless Transmission
Mathematically bit-for-bit exact, SOUNDPEATS Air4 semi-in-ear headphones support Qualcomm aptX Lossless, a codec that can deliver bit-perfect CD-quality audio up to 16-bit/44.1 kHz and retain the fidelity of the sound in a stable connection. With a top quality of 24-bit/96kHz, aptX Adaptive also could dynamically adjust the bitrate depending on your content, optimizing it based on audio quality and latency requirements, such as when gaming or watching a video.
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. It really all depends on how the driver and components inside the Air4 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. The high quality and hi-res Audio Codecs are simply icing on the cake.
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 & 16bit/44.1 or 48khz audio. Moving up to “Aptx-Adaptive”, it has a scalable bit rate from 279kbs-429kbs & 16bit-24bit/48khz or 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 not found on the earlier Air3 Deluxe HS was any ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) yet we find it here in the Air4. Now, Adaptive ANC is a bit different from regular ANC as Qualcomm states that the chip itself will decide the level of noise cancelation depending on the outside environment and do 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.
Is it useful?
Now, the real question is whether the ANC is really useful while using semi-open earbuds? The truth is, there is only a slight change from simple passive noise isolation. There is some reduction of sound but let’s face it, these are semi-open earbuds my friends. Quite literally there will always be at least a minor loss of a seal and so it is very difficult to cancel out any noises with this setup.
That said, it does work pretty well if a seal can be achieved. I have to really play around to get that but once I was able to there is a nice reduction in outside noises. Louder sounds don’t get canceled out all that well like higher pitch noises. I don’t know how useful this feature will be to those in the community but it’s there, if you can get a seal in your ear, you will enjoy the Hybrid-ANC.
Good for certain settings
The other questionable trait associated with this set in particular is that there is some pretty invasive wind noise that I get at times when outside and there’s a bit of wind swirling around. This is not uncommon at all friends, but it is something that one may have to deal with if you are outdoorsy or you bike a lot or even if you are doing some athletics with this set. Granted, a semi-open set of buds isn’t the best thing to go with for these actions anyways. Still, I thought it should be mentioned.
Also, I noticed a substantial emphasis in the low-end when the ANC is turned on. No doubt it is to help drown out some noises, but it does somewhat change the tonality of the playback. So, the ANC is probably really good if you can get a seal and you are in an office setting or home chilling and you either really want a warm and bassier sound with a slight veil when listening to music, or you use it for gaming and movies etc.
Adaptive ANC, Effective Denoising Solution
Soundpeats Promotional
With the maximum depth of noise reduction reaching up to 45dB (according to data from Qualcomm laboratories), SOUNDPEATS Air4 Wireless can automatically change the levels of noise cancellation on its own and match the most suitable noise cancellation parameters in real-time. The powerful 6-mic system of SOUNDPEATS Air4, combined with CVC noise-cancellation algorithm, ensures clear communication even in noisy environments, allowing for effortless and smooth conversations. *The closer the fit of the earbuds, the greater the noise cancellation effect.
Game Mode
One great feature of the Air4 is the ability to use “Game Mode” or “Low Latency Mode” and this can be toggled on and off right at the earbud or within the app. Soundpeats states that latency can get as low as 88ms which, if you are timing it is basically nothing. I have yet to have a lip-syncing issue when watching a video or movie. However, it is called “Game Mode” for a reason which would lend you the idea that gaming should be pretty good on the Air4’s. So far I haven’t had an issue other than in very fast paced first person shooter type games. Even then it really wasn’t an issue. Also, name a set that is perfect in that scenario? One of the better game modes or low latency modes at the price point.
Multi-Point Connection
Another feature which is nice to have is “multi-Point” which enables the user to be connected to two devices at once. I have yet to use this feature on these earbuds as I simply haven’t needed it yet and wasn’t able to spend time with it but anytime, I do need multi-point it has been an amazing feature. Now, this isn’t new in Bluetooth and has been around for quite some time, but only recently have we seen it accessible to less expensive earbuds. I will circle back and edit this review when I actually test out the multi-point.
All in One, Your Best Companion
Soundpeats Promotional
The built-in Bluetooth 5.3 of Air4 offers faster and smoother multipoint connection and data transmission. Simultaneously connect to two devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, without the need for reconnection. It also comes with a low latency mode of 88ms for gaming and video calls and a long-lasting battery life of up to 26 hours with the charging case, allowing for uninterrupted listening even during extended daily use.
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. I have not done a 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 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 tiger sets on the market within the price point the Air4 is lower on average than most. Not a huge “con” but a “con” nonetheless.
Call Quality
One nnice feature is the Air4’s ability to take clean phone calls that are seemingly easy to hear both ways. Whenever I review a set of tws I always ask those who I am talking to how my voice sounds. Well, those in my family have gotten quite good at discerning either “Good” or “Bad” voice reproduction through earbuds. They always do and always will tell me exactly how I sound. From all accounts the Air4 does a fantastic job at replaying a natural human voice and timbre. I don’t sound metallic, digital or grainy, and I don’t sound processed. I heard, “You sound good!”. So, Chalk slap this one in the “Pro” column. I conducted many meetings as well with the Air4’s in my ears and other people sound nice through them.
Soundpeats App
One of the best features about any Soundpeats wireless device is its ability to connect to the Soundpeats App. One of the easier to understand, simplest and most functional apps out there as far as wireless devices go. It isn’t the most diverse and intricate, but it gets the job done. 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 or decrease the volume (most of this you can do from the earbuds themselves) and you can reset the earbuds from the app too.
EQ
I figured I’d spend a minute on the EQ’ing ability of not only the App but also to explain how well the Air4 responds to EQ. First off, I do believe that all tws are meant to be EQ’d. I truly do. Very few tws rely on traditional tuning methods, but instead wireless devices are tuned digitally through the onboard DSP. Hence why some of the loss in natural dynamics can occur, among other things that I won’t go into right now. Anyways, I do believe that the Air4 is a set which should likely be EQ’d. Not because the sound is bad in its stock form but because to reach it’s pinnacle you should probably do a little tinkering to get it there.
Custom EQ
One thing which is fantastic is that Soundpeats adds a Ten-Band Equalizer within the app that is very easy to use. You simply add or decrease the gain or volume at each point in the spectrum. For instance, I made sure to add some sub-bass while also adding some dBs at the 1.6k mark as there is a huge drop-off at this point in stock form and you miss a bunch of Info in your music. Another quick point is that I find the Air4 to respond very well to EQ. This is not the case with all tws. Many will begin to distort pretty quickly. Of course, there is also a correct and “not” correct way to EQ. The good thing is that the custom EQ works really well and saving those EQ settings to the buds themselves is great.
Soundpeats Presets
At any rate Soundpeats also adds some very useful and well-tuned presets that you can play around using. Those are 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 is basically like a “Hear ID” type EQ in which the app will pick your “best” sound settings based off your actual hearing ability. All things considered I think Soundpeats knocked this one out of the park in providing the listener with many options to tinker with the sound. Now, does the Air4 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. I think in its stock for the Air4 sounds fine.
Sound Impressions
The Air4 is actually a very nice sounding set of earbuds. I do have to preface this entire sound portion of the review with this, all of my impressions are taken only when I actually have a good fit and relatively good seal. Please make note of this. I am able to actually achieve a nice fit and seal, and that does take the music from a thin and bassless sound into a thick and heavy sound.
That said, the Air4 has a nicely stout low-end which surprised me quite a lot. I suppose that I shouldn’t have been too surprised as the Air3 Deluxe HS had a nice low-end as well. However, I think the Air4’s take that up a notch, most likely to try to cover for those who cannot get a perfect seal. The bass is on the atmospheric side, but it is tidy and can get fairly deep as well with a nice slam. The midrange is musical and decently detailed with some shimmer in the upper midrange. The treble has a bit of a roll-off at around 1.6k and then it jumps right back up for some decent extension up top.
In a nutshell…
I’d say that if this is all that you read then know this; the Soundpeats Air4 is a nicely tuned set in its stock form with a mostly balanced replay depending on what settings you have engaged. Also, with a little EQ the Air4 can really be special if semi-open earbuds are what you enjoy the most. I will say one thing, if I were to have one complaint, it would be the overall volume levels. The Air4 could stand to be a little bit louder. We like headroom. Everything else is great from my vantage point, for what the Air4 are, they’re very nice and I enjoy them quite a lot. Let’s check out each 3rd of the spectrum (Bass, Mids, Treble) …
Bass Region
The low-end is certainly elevated and for good reason. Semi-open or “Half in-ears” are notorious for not having a ton of bass due to loss of a seal in the ear. Most of the time you’ll hear anemic bass that sounds attenuated and very weak. Much of the time these frequencies have to be “beefed-up” so-to-speak to compensate. In the case of the Air4 I feel that Soundpeats gave them just enough of a boost down low. The Air4 in its stock form are at good starting point which can be further increased or lessened in the EQ based on your own personal listening preferences.
Sub-bass
When a good seal is had, the sub-bass is not absent at all. In fact, I find the stock low-end is sufficient and sounds nice. I may bump up the sub-bass a few dBs in the app, but all in all… the Air4 has some decent rumble and even some tactile feel to bass drops, bass guitar and kick drums etc. Obviously, this is not a bassheads dream and anyone purchasing a half in-ear for these purposes will likely not be a very happy consumer. However, I find the sub-bass to provide adequate growl and a guttural drone on the song “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard. Do your best to get a semi good position in your ear and the Air4 will reward you with some decent haptic vibration.
Mid-bass
The mid bass carries the most emphasis in the lower regions of the mix, especially with ANC turned on. That said, I don’t like the sound with ANC “on” as much as I do with it “off”. I find the ANC adds a lot of heft down low but it also makes it softer in note definition. Not bad by any means but I simply prefer the stock tuning with a few dB’s added through EQ. At any rate, the mid-bass does have some authoritative slam for a semi-open set of earbuds. Now, don’t expect some huge resonant bass drop that will make your ears bleed or anything. The bass is tighter, snappy, slightly punchy and good enough to represent most genres pretty well. “All My Life” by Lil Durk has enough satisfying boom to carry this song and that is the most we should ask from a semi-open set.
The bass isn’t bad at all and in fact it’s quite good. Certainly, a step up from the last semi-open set of earbuds I reviewed. Remember the Air4 does take very well to some added volume from the EQ if you need some more and also, tinker with the fit a little. Again, the Air4 will reward you with a more fun sound down low.
Midrange
Lower-midrange
I find that Soundpeats give the Air4 a nice emphasis in the lower mids by increasing the mid-bass which does spill over into the midrange a bit. I see this as a good thing. This gives male vocals some added heft and warmth which comes across natural and more organic to my ears. Instruments in this region benefit from it too. There is generally a nice smoothness over the lower midrange and a slight recession as well. Still, I find males to have good enough presence in the mix to not feel distant at all. “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell has a very clean sound to his voice with good resolution for a semi-open earbud. Even in the shouter sections of the chorus I don’t hear anything grating to the ear. I hear a mostly organic sound altogether.
Upper-Midrange
The upper mids come across a hint thinner than males and more vibrant as well. There is definitely some upper-mid coloration to the sound, but I think the Air4 sounds pretty good here. Singers like Jess Williamson in the song “Stampede” have a coarser note outline yet also has a very melodic undertone for a tws. Again, she does come across thinner with less body and texture than I’d like but that doesn’t mean she sounds bad at all. We are talking about semi-open earbuds. In fact, I feel the need to keep stressing this point. The best part about the upper mids is that there is a definite sense of air to the sound. It’s clean. Of course, everything that you have an issue with may be EQ’d through the app if you’d like.
Instruments
My thoughts here will be some rather large generalizations, but instruments come across with decent body and a nice tonal character and timbre. Slightly thinned out in the upper mids but very clean and clear. Perhaps if you get a better seal then you will have a bit more body to instrumentation. Percussion has a nicely crisp and defined ‘chisk’ with cymbals, snares also sound nice. Piano sounds full and melodic enough, violin for the most part is good too. I find pretty much any instrument that I’ve heard to have nice resolution, and separation as well with a very tidy approach to my music. All in all, I think the Air4 sounds very nice, mostly organic and energetic with a nice shimmer when needed. Certainly, one of the better semi-open midranges that I’ve heard as far as instrumentation and vocals are concerned.
Nice Midrange
To finish breaking down the midrange, I find the midrange to be very well done considering what the Air4 are. I suppose this is a testament to the ones doing the tuning. Semi-open earbuds are already an uphill battle to tune, let alone doing so in a manner that is actually well accomplished. Please trust me, half-in-ears are not my favorite but somehow, I’ve really enjoyed this set. Vocals are very well carved-out and emphasized which is nice for anyone who values vocals. Instruments sound just as they should. Perhaps a hair thin in some areas but nothing that would cause you to be let down I don’t think. It’s a nice midrange that certainly beats out those half-in-ears which have come before it.
Treble Region
I find the treble region to be quite good. This is one area which won’t be as heavily affected by loss of a seal. Actually, I find the air up top to be great. If anything, there is a slight peak that can be smoothed out in the EQ but that rarely shows up in any of my tracks. I even hear some decent treble punch and body to notes. Detail retrieval is also pretty nice and honestly unexpected. I’d say as a whole the treble is more smooth and mostly non-offensive. Certainly, treble heads will want more emphasis up top but for everyone else I don’t think anyone will complain too much. Basically, the treble fits the overall tuning quite well. I’d say the treble has enough of a ruse up top to counter the low-end and uplift the entire spectrum.
Examples
The treble is pretty snappy too. Listening to “Don’t Say It’s Over” by Gaz Coombes I found the Air4 is well able to keep up with any instruments in this region while owning a very nice timbre. Or take a track like “Secrets” by Billy Strings, I find the Air4 is very capable to keep up with Billy’s more demanding banjo play. He moves at rapid fire and the Air4 hits just about every note. Really the treble is tuned nicely, and the driver inside must be of good quality as it is able to sound well defined in the process. Another thing, the Air4 actually has nice extension into the upper frequencies for a tws. I don’t hear the secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike sounding shrill or splashy which is nice. The Air4 is able to retain and replay most info past 10k which is great to hear.
Issues?
If I were to find some issues up top, I would say that maybe there is some slight thinness however this should be expected. There are some peaks as well which I have heard on only a few tracks, but it wasn’t anything that I thought was a major issue. Plus, all I have to do is program my earbuds through the app to decrease a few dB’s where needed. To be completely honest I don’t find any glaring and horrible issues with the treble considering that the Air4 is a tws under $100 and a semi-open earbud at that.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is what you’d expect, or would you? I hear a decently wide psycho-acoustically rendered stage. The stage size is average in height and there’s actually some decent depth to the sound. I’d say the stage is well laid out actually. You have to think, the sound is certainly more airy and open sounding. There isn’t anything congested or veiled at all. The sound is pretty dynamically expressive with decent macro-dynamics. You won’t hear a concert hall or anything, but the stage is in front of the listener with a nice half-circle all around me. Again, there is nice depth which I wasn’t expecting at all. The stage is pretty good, and I don’t think it’ll let anyone down. The only time the stage shrinks a bit is with ANC toggled “on”. Everything gets a hint more congested, not veiled either, just more intimate or warm.
Separation / Imaging
Separation is pretty well defined. You have to remember these are True Wireless earbuds and so these will not compete with good iems in this regard. Still, in terms of tws I would have to say that the Air4 does a commendable job of partitioning off elements of the stage. Also, imaging is well done. Left to right, front to back presents a good picture of a stage. There is also nice layering of instruments and voices which is due to the depth in the stage presented by the Air4.
Details
Detail retrieval isn’t usually what hobbyists are shooting for when purchasing a tws. Most simply want something which will replay their music and not sound horrible in the process. However, one of the benefits of the tuning of the Air4 is that you can actually get a decently detailed listen. Certainly, better than many tws sets. I’d say that with ANC “on” you will have a slightly less detailed experience on heavy bass songs but for every other type of track I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised if details are your main focus. The sound is pretty clean throughout with nice separation and a tidy transient response and a good-sized stage as well. All of these attributes to the Air4’s tuning has a hand in helping it to have some pretty nice detail retrieval for a tws at this price.
Is it worth the asking price?
This is always the burning question. Is the product worth the price that’s being asked? Is it comparable or better than other similar sets around its price point? To answer that, you have to actually look at similarly priced half-in-ears around its price range. To be honest there really aren’t many of this style and even less that have working ANC. The Air4 does quite a lot right and very little is under par. Perhaps, battery life isn’t enormous but it’s still decent. I can’t think of any huge issues. Possibly fit may be an issue if other Soundpeats semi-open earbuds also didn’t fit you very well.
The Why…
To answer why the Air4 IS worth the amount being asked to purchase it begins with the design. From the case to the buds, the Air4 is very well created with a slick design and very good build quality. The hard plastic has a robust feeling and the Air4 looks nice in the ear. The Air4 is one of the only sets like it that has actual working ANC. Game Mode is fantastic, Multi-point Connection is great too, the app is fantastic as well.
Adding to that, what really sets these earbuds apart comes down to sound quality. The entire spectrum is well composed with great bass for a semi-open earbud. We have a nice midrange for vocals and snappy highs which elevate the entire mix. Soundpeats really did an excellent job in tuning this set and I’d say that yes, the Air4 is worth every penny. Even more so during the “Early bird” sale happening in which you can get the Air4 for a ridiculous price of only $43.
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 against the field of semi-open style tws earbuds from $50 -$80 US. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an 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. $50-$80 US half-in-ear earbuds is not a very broad scope of tws earbuds and 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
Design- 9.7
Features- 10.0
Feature function- 9.5
Overall Rating- 9.8 🔥🔥🔥
Sound Rating
Timbre/Tonality- 9.7
Bass- 9.7
Midrange- 9.6
Treble- 9.5
Technicalities- 9.4
P2P- 8.0 (Price to Performance)
Overall Rating- 9.3 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ratings Summary
There’s a little bit of missing nuance in my ratings above, not much but there are a few questionable ratings that I posted. The one which is the most puzzling (I would think) is the “P2P” rating of only an 8.0. The only reason I put this set at an 8.0 is because the original MSRP is actually $79 US. Furthermore, you could pick up the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS for half that price and simply miss out on ANC and slightly better sound quality. Not that I ‘don’t’ think the price to performance isn’t great on the Air4, but there are some sets in the tws landscape which provide a nice performance per the cost.
With that said I do think that the Air4 is probably one of the best semi-open buds on the market right now, at least out of those which I’ve heard. The other questionable rating is probably “Features” as I gave the Air4 a 10.0. This is pretty simple; I don’t think there is another Semi-open set which can do all that the Air4 does. This set is loaded my friends.
Ratings done my way
Each rating took me quite a while to come up with and is always the thing which takes me the longest to garner up. Folks, the only reason I even add them into my reviews is because for some reason you all want them. So, to get around the absurdity of rating on a 0-10 scale… I do things my way. Never simple blanket ratings; it has to make sense to me and what I would think the buying public is looking for. I am not going to rate a semi-open set of tws against similarly priced ‘in-ear‘ tws, that would make no sense. People who are shopping for a half-in-ear “only” want a half-in-ear, and then the ratings would be massively distorted under those parameters. So, the ratings above make sense to me and are correct to me and I do hope it helps you.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Soundpeats Air4 I want to extend a huge thank you to the awesome people of Soundpeats and especially to Ellen. Truly this company is a class act and anyone who has had the pleasure of working with them will tell you the same. Never once have they even hinted for me to give a positive review or skew my verbiage to accommodate the sales of the items I’m reviewing. Quite obviously Soundpeats believes in their product to subject their products to the views and opinions of subjective reviewers. So, thank you again. Also, thank you to anyone who chose to take the time to read any word that I typed. I truly enjoy writing reviews and publishing my thoughts and I love to know that I may be at least partially helping some of you out there.
With that said, I do believe that each of you who are enquiring about the Air4 should also check out other reviewers’ thoughts about this set. Everyone is different folks, none two are the same. We all have different likes & dislikes, different hearing abilities, we may have vastly different music libraries and we all haven’t been down the same audio journey. There’s a lot of variables and it only makes sense for you to get as much info as possible. Thats about it friends, please take good care, stay safe and always…God Bless!
