I already owned a pair of AirPods 2, but I decided to buy the AirPods 4 because they support Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio. I figured they’d deliver better sound when watching movies on my Apple TV 4K.
After comparing the two, I was surprisingly disappointed. Although the AirPods 4 produce a noticeably different listening experience thanks to Spatial Audio, I actually prefer the sound of my AirPods 2.
In my opinion, the Spatial Audio on the AirPods 4 sounds too hollow, airy, and echoey. I also find that the surround effects sound louder, crisper, and more pronounced with my AirPods 2.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
Imagine a scene in which a window shatters and pieces of glass fall to the floor all around the room. With my AirPods 2, I can hear the individual glass shards hitting the floor to my left, right, and behind me more clearly and with greater impact.
With the AirPods 4, the soundstage is noticeably wider, meaning the audio feels larger and more spacious. However, the sounds coming from the left, right, and rear seem less pronounced, and the overall audio has a hollow, echoey quality. It kinda sounds like I’m listening to the movie inside a tunnel.
So, while the AirPods 4 create a more spacious soundstage as well as better sounding center channel dialogue (sounds more like it’s coming from the TV), I feel like my AirPods 2 do a better job of delivering clear, impactful surround effects.
Has anyone else compared the AirPods 2 and AirPods 4 (or AirPods 3 w/Spatial Audio) when watching movies with Dolby Atmos on Apple TV 4K? I’m curious whether others have noticed the same differences or if it’s just my personal preference.