Head to head

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC vs Nothing Ear

Both scored on the same six factors, priced on what you actually pay including delivery, and each claim linked to the source it came from. Prototype data — prices and retailer stock are a fixed demo snapshot from 28 July 2026, not a live feed.

Verdict

The Nothing Ear wins on both score and price.

Across these 2 earbuds, the Nothing Ear has both the highest Worth Score (8.1) and the best score per euro at 149,00 €. That is unusual — normally you trade one for the other. Its weak point is ANC trails Sony and Bose.

Best overallNothing Ear — Highest Worth Score here at 8.1, 1.0 ahead of the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC. Best for getting flagship sound without flagship pricing.

Skip this oneApple AirPods 4 with ANC — Lowest Worth Score here at 7.1, 1.0 lower against the Nothing Ear and no cheaper. Open fit limits how much ANC can do

Side by side

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The value of a comparison is the differences.

Comparison of Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, Nothing Ear
What matters	Apple AirPods 4 with ANCAppleMedium confidence	Nothing EarNothingMedium confidence
Worth Score	7.1	8.1 (best in this comparison)
Best price	179,00 €	149,00 € (best in this comparison)
Price fairness	6.9	9.6 (best in this comparison)
Build quality	7.8	8.4 (best in this comparison)
Performance	7.6	8.8 (best in this comparison)
Longevity	7.4	7.9 (best in this comparison)
Repairability	2.2	4.2 (best in this comparison)
Support & warranty	9.0 (best in this comparison)	7.6
Battery (ANC on)	4 h	5.2 h
Noise cancelling	Good for an open fit	Adaptive, up to 45 dB
Water resistance	IP54	IP54 buds / IP55 case
Codecs	AAC, SBC	LDAC, AAC, SBC
Best for	People who cannot stand in-ear tips · iPhone owners · Awareness of surroundings while cancelling noise	Getting flagship sound without flagship pricing · Android owners who want LDAC · Commuters on a budget
Avoid if	You want maximum isolation · You are on Android	You need best-in-class noise cancelling · You are deep in Apple's ecosystem
Main drawback	Open fit limits how much ANC can do	ANC trails Sony and Bose

2 identical rows hidden. They are the same for every product here, so they cannot help you choose.

What each score is based on

5 published sources between them

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

AirPods 4 Repair HelpiFixit · informs repairability
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation reviewSoundGuys · informs performance, price fairness
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Truly Wireless ReviewRTINGS · informs performance, build quality

Nothing Ear

Nothing Ear reviewSoundGuys · informs performance, price fairness
Nothing Ear ReviewRTINGS · 15 July 2024 · informs performance, build quality

Confidence is computed from those lists, not asserted: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC is medium on 3, Nothing Ear is medium on 2. A factor with nothing behind it says so on the product page rather than borrowing a citation that does not speak to it.

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Prototype. Prototype data — prices and retailer stock are a fixed demo snapshot from 28 July 2026, not a live feed. Prices are the cheapest delivered price we recorded — 179,00 € and 149,00 € — not a live quote. How we score products.