Chaos aside, nearly all the commands you need are already there, with even more control options available in the Soundpeats app. Considering the first two pairs of Soundpeats headphones I tested had no app support at all, this is a significant improvement for the brand.
premium economy class
As expected, the Air4 Pro doesn’t offer every feature in the $200 to $300 price range. They skipped over fancy extras like spatial audio or earbud trackers (sadly), but there’s enough good stuff here to make you feel pretty happy with your purchase. The app offers convenience features like a multi-band equalizer, battery display, and even a game mode that reduces audio latency to a claimed 88 milliseconds. You’ll also find controls for ambient sound mode, as well as the ability to turn off the headset’s automatic and touch sensors. The ability to update firmware opens up the possibility for new features or control options in future iterations of the application.
First, you need to set it up, which requires a forced registration process that seems to have bogged down some users due to its (unlisted) password requirement. The first few times I tried to register, my password was rejected. Pro tip: I simplified it to just the letters and it worked smoothly.
Multipoint pairing to the Air4 Pro bypasses the app and simply turns off Bluetooth on the first device, connects to the second device, and then reconnects to the original device. Once completed, the headphones moved very smoothly between my iPhone and a backup Android phone or Macbook.
Battery life is another selling point, with Soundpeats claiming up to 6.5 hours of playback per charge and an additional three charges in the charging case. My testing on the noise-canceling side was reduced, but after using the feature for the better part of 3 hours, I still had over 60% battery left, so you can probably expect 5 to 6 hours of use. The earphones also charge fairly quickly in the charging case, providing plenty of playtime for all but the most demanding use cases.
I had several phone calls with Bud and no real complaints from either party. They tend to get cranky because of the wind, but I’ve found them to be competent in most situations.
The biggest advantage of the Air4 Pro is the noise cancellation feature, which is limited but effective. It does an excellent job of emitting low-frequency sounds such as aircraft drones, traffic, and other ambient noise, especially when playing some music. It’s not as successful as top-notch products like Liberty 4 NC, but you’re also unlikely to pay that much for the privilege.
As expected, the Air4 Pro’s ANC struggled to suppress high-frequency sounds, from children’s screams to keystrokes. Both the Liberty 4 NC and Space A40 surpass them, but you’ll have to upgrade to a premium noise canceller like the AirPods Pro (9/10, Wired recommends) or, more importantly, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 (7/10 Wired Recommended) Recommended) and Bose’s latest QuietComfort headphones can successfully combat these annoyances.