Review: AirPods 4 owners can mostly skip the AirPods 5

SoundGuys compared the AirPods 5 with the AirPods 4: ANC is now standard on the $129 base model, water resistance improves to IP57, and noise canceling rises from 53% to 59%. Sound differences are minimal (3.7 vs 3.6 MDAQS), so the upgrade mainly makes sense for AirPods 4 owners without ANC.

• ANC is now standard on the $129 AirPods 5; the wireless charging case version costs $149
• Dust and water resistance improved from IP54 to IP57
• Noise canceling rises from 53% to 59% of outside noise reduction
• MDAQS sound score: 3.7 out of 5 for AirPods 5 vs 3.6 for AirPods 4 with ANC