AirPods 4 vs Beats Solo Buds: Apple's budget buds go head to head

When it comes to wireless earbuds, Apple’s AirPods and Beats are two of the most recognizable names in the game. In this comparison, we’ll pit the latest AirPods 4 against the budget-friendly Beats Solo Buds to help you decide which pair of wireless earbuds is the right choice for your needs and budget.

Editor’s note: This is the first version of this article, which was published on October 3, 2024. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the AirPods 4 compared to the Beats Solo Buds?

The AirPods 4 and Beats Solo Buds offer quite different design philosophies. The AirPods 4 feature Apple’s iconic open-ear design with a stem, while the Beats Solo Buds opt for a more traditional in-ear design with silicone ear tips.

The AirPods 4 have a redesigned shape based on a large sample size of various ears, aiming to improve fit compared to previous generations. However, they still don’t come with swappable ear tips, which means your comfort will depend largely on whether your ears match Apple’s design.

On the other hand, the Beats Solo Buds come with four sizes of ear tips, allowing for a more customizable fit. The Solo Buds have a more secure fit in general, making them a better option for workouts, although they lack any official sweat or water resistance rating.

In terms of durability, the AirPods 4 have an IP54 rating, offering some protection against dust and water. This means they can handle sweat and light rain. The Beats Solo Buds, however, don’t have any official water or dust resistance rating, which is a significant drawback.

Do the AirPods 4 or Beats Solo Buds have more features?

The AirPods 4 clearly lead in terms of features, offering a more comprehensive package compared to the Beats Solo Buds.

The AirPods 4 come with Apple’s H2 chip, enabling features like:

• Adaptive EQ
• Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
• Audio Sharing
• Automatic switching between Apple devices
• “Hey Siri” voice activation
• Personalized Volume
• Find My integration

Additionally, the AirPods 4 offer customizable controls and the ability to shake your head to answer or decline calls.

The Beats Solo Buds, in contrast, offer a more stripped-down experience. Their main features include:

• Quick pairing on both iOS and Android
• Automatic pairing across devices within the same ecosystem
• Basic control customization through the Beats app (Android) or Settings app (iOS)

How do the AirPods 4 and Beats Solo Buds connect?

Both the AirPods 4 and Beats Solo Buds use Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity, ensuring a stable and efficient wireless connection. They both support the standard SBC and AAC codecs, which work well with Apple devices.

The AirPods 4 have a slight edge in the Apple ecosystem, with features like automatic switching between Apple devices and Audio Sharing, which allows two pairs of AirPods to connect to one device.

The Beats Solo Buds offer quick pairing on iOS and Android and can automatically pair across devices within the same ecosystem. This makes them a more versatile option for users who switch between Apple and Android devices.

Both earbuds offer a seamless pairing process. For the AirPods 4, you simply open the case near your iPhone, and a pairing card will appear. The Beats Solo Buds offer a similar experience on both iOS and Android.

Is battery life better on the AirPods 4 or Beats Solo Buds?

When it comes to battery life, the Beats Solo Buds take a clear lead, but with a significant caveat.

The AirPods 4 offer about 6 hours and 21 minutes of continuous playback on a single charge. With the charging case, you can get up to 30 hours of total listening time. The case supports charging via USB-C.

The Beats Solo Buds, on the other hand, boast an impressive 17 hours and 24 minutes of playback on a single charge. However, the case doesn’t contain a battery, so this is the total listening time you get. You can’t charge the earbuds on the go, which is a significant drawback.

Both earbuds support fast charging. The AirPods 4 can provide about an hour of listening time with just 5 minutes of charging. The Beats Solo Buds offer a similar fast-charging feature called Fast Fuel, also providing 1 hour of playback with a 5-minute charge.

Do the AirPods 4 or Beats Solo Buds block noise better?

In terms of noise isolation, the Beats Solo Buds have a clear advantage over the AirPods 4. The Beats Solo Buds, with their in-ear design and silicone tips, offer much better passive noise isolation. They can reduce the loudness of most sounds by more than 50%, which is significant for earbuds without active noise cancelation (ANC).

The AirPods 4, with their open-ear design, provide minimal noise isolation. They’re designed to let you stay aware of your surroundings, which means you’ll hear most environmental noises while using them. This can be beneficial if you want to remain aware of your environment, but it’s not ideal for noisy settings.

Neither of these earbuds offers ANC or a transparency mode, which you can find on the AirPods 4 with ANC or on more premium models. If you frequently use earbuds in noisy environments like public transit, you might want to consider other options with ANC.

Do the AirPods 4 sound better than the Beats Solo Buds?

Both the AirPods 4 and Beats Solo Buds offer decent sound quality for most users, but they have different sound profiles that may appeal to different listeners.

The AirPods 4 use Apple’s Adaptive EQ technology, which adjusts the sound based on the fit in your ear. They offer a relatively balanced sound profile with good detail across the mids and highs. Bass response is present but not overpowering, though due to the open design, there’s a noticeable absence of deep sub-bass. The AirPods 4 also supports Spatial Audio, which can provide an immersive listening experience with compatible content.

The Beats Solo Buds have a sound profile that’s more typical of the Beats brand, with a noticeable emphasis on bass and upper mids. This can make vocals and certain instruments stand out, but it may not be ideal for all genres of music. The Solo Buds also suffer from an under-emphasis on the higher frequencies, which can make elements like cymbals sound quieter than they should.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

According to our panel of simulated listeners, most people will prefer the sound quality fo the Beats Solo Buds.

Objective Measurements

The AirPods 4’s frequency response closely follows our target curve, with a slight emphasis on the bass around 100Hz and a dip in the 3-6kHz region. This can result in a warm sound with slightly less perceived clarity in some tracks.

The Beats Solo Buds focus strongly on mid-range frequencies from 1-5kHz, which is the most sensitive range of human hearing. They also boost the lows, giving that characteristic Beats bass sound. However, they under-emphasize the low mids around 400Hz and the highs above 10kHz, which can make some elements of music sound quieter than they should.

Do the AirPods 4 or Beats Solo Buds have a better microphone?

When it comes to microphone quality, the AirPods 4 have a clear advantage over the Beats Solo Buds, especially in challenging environments.

When paired with an iPhone, the AirPods 4 uses advanced signal processing to effectively filter out background noise. This results in clear voice reproduction in most environments, making them a good choice for voice calls and video conferencing.

The Beats Solo Buds, on the other hand, struggle with noise rejection. While they perform adequately in quiet environments, their performance degrades significantly in noisy settings. The noise-learning algorithm often cuts out the voice along with background noise, making it difficult to understand the speaker in challenging conditions.

AirPods 4 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Solo Buds microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

AirPods 4 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Beats Solo Buds microphone demo (Office conditions):

AirPods 4 vs Beats Solo Buds: Price and availability

The AirPods 4 are priced at $129 at Amazon, making them the most affordable AirPods to date. They are widely available through Apple’s website, Apple Stores, and various third-party retailers.

The Beats Solo Buds are even cheaper, at $79.99 at Amazon. They are widely available through various retailers and the Beats website.

While the Beats Solo Buds are significantly cheaper, the AirPods 4 offer more features and better overall performance, which may justify the higher price for many users.

Should you get the AirPods 4 or Beats Solo Buds?

The choice between the AirPods 4 and Beats Solo Buds largely depends on your priorities, budget, and the ecosystem you’re invested in.

All in all, we think the Considering the Beats Solo Buds offer better value for money. They provide impressive battery life, good sound quality, and isolation. While the AirPods 4 have some unique features, particularly for Apple users, the Beats Solo Buds are likely the better choice for most consumers, especially those looking for the best bang for their buck.

Alternative options

If neither the AirPods 4 nor the Beats Solo Buds seem like the right fit for you, consider these alternatives:

1. Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99 at Amazon): These earbuds offer active noise cancelation, good sound quality, and up to 50 hours of total battery life at a similar price point to the AirPods 4.
2. Apple AirPods Pro 2 ($189.99 at Amazon): These are worth the premium if you want the best of Apple’s features, including excellent ANC, adaptive transparency mode, and personalized spatial audio.
3. Beats Studio Buds Plus ($169 at Amazon): These offer a significant upgrade over the Solo Buds with ANC, transparency mode and better overall sound quality.
4. EarFun Air Pro 4 ($89.99 at Amazon): These budget-friendly earbuds offer features like ANC, high-resolution audio codecs, and good battery life at a price similar to the Beats Solo Buds.

Frequently asked questions