There's no feeling quite like the anticipation of a new tech product that promises to do something pretty wildly different, and then having that anticipation paid off by the product actually delivering the goods.

For the first time ever, the entry-level AirPods have active noise cancellation (ANC). Apple unveiled the new AirPods 4 on Sept. 9 at the "Glowtime" event where the Cupertino-based tech giant debuted the new line with two variants: one with ANC and one without ANC.

The AirPods 4 with ANC and the regular AirPods 4 introduce the H2 chip, Apple’s new processor that enables features like Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode, and Conversation Awareness. The chip also helps the regular AirPods 4 with voice isolation and Personal Spatial Audio, which are a part of the package with the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Despite their open design, Apple's AirPods 4 feature active noise cancellation. An interview shows how this was achieved.