I tested Apple's new AirPods for a week - their 3 best features made me a non-Pro believer

• The AirPods 4 are available for $129 (or $179 with ANC).
• The fourth-generation lineup features significant improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfort.
• The headlining improvements are incremental, which may leave some consumers feeling uninspired to upgrade.

During Apple's annual September hardware event, the company released two new AirPods models alongside the highly-anticipated iPhone 16 family. The new AirPods 4 lineup consists of one model with active noise cancellation (ANC) and one model without. The ANC model replaces the third-generation AirPods, and the model without it replaces the second-generation AirPods.

Also: The best AirPods: Expert tested and reviewed

The AirPods Pro 2 are my daily driver earbuds, but I splurged and bought the upgraded Pro model two years ago solely because the base model AirPods lacked noise cancellation and weren't comfortable enough for long-term wear. Apple attests that both AirPods 4 models address these issues, so I ...