Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Review

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – Specifications

Pixel Buds Pro 2 is Google’s second attempt at top-of-the-range TWS headphones. The first version debuted 2 years ago and garnered quite positive reviews, so the bar for the new model is quite high. Especially since Google is pricing its new headphones at PLN 1,149, comparable to the Apple Air Pods Pro 2, which many call the best headphones on the market. The previous model can be bought for half that amount today, and there are also a number of headphones on the market that also have a lot to offer at a relatively lower price. How do the Pixel Buds Pro 2 compare to them?

The sound source is an 11 mm transducer, which, thanks to its properties and the Tensor A1 chip, is supposed to offer great sound quality. In addition, we have three microphones, including those dedicated to the noise reduction function – ANC with Silent Seal 2.0 technology, which is supposed to be twice as effective as in the previous model. Google also promises us low latency, support for spatial sound and two sound sources simultaneously. We also have solutions such as ear pressure reduction, conversation detection (the headphones change the mode and turn off the music), and quite large touch fields, which allow, among other things, to control the volume. As if that were not enough, the headphones are supposed to last up to 8 hours of work on a single charge with ANC turned on (12h without ANC), and the case allows you to charge them up to 4 times and has the option of wireless charging. Not bad, but at such a price you can demand more, right?

• Communication: Bluetooth 5.4, LE Audio, Super Wideband;
• Functions: support for 2 devices at the same time, touch control, quick pairing;
• Sound: Tensor A1, 11mm driver, ANC Silent Seal 2.0;
• Certificate: IP54;
• Working time on one charge: 12h without ANC/8h with ANC, up to 48h with case;
• Inductive charging: Tak (Qi);
• Fast charging: Yes (5 minutes of charging is enough for 1.5 hours of listening);
• Colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen, Peony;
• Properties: Find My Device, built-in speaker in case, conversation detection.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – appearance and workmanship

In a small box made entirely of recycled materials, in addition to the headphones, the case contains documentation and additional sets of silicone earphone covers in sizes XS, S and L (M is fitted to the headphones by default). There is no USB charging cable, but this is actually a minor drawback, because the case has a universal USB-C socket. What’s more, the headphones can be charged wirelessly, also using reverse charging in a smartphone. Since these are in-ear headphones, everyone can choose the size of the rubber bands to their own preferences, in order to maintain proper isolation from the environment and at the same time comfort of use. The soft silicone from which the covers are made adapts very well to the ear canal and does not cause discomfort, which is not always so obvious.

The case is oval and opens on the shorter side, which is very convenient. The size of the case itself is quite large, but it has not only a large battery, but also a built-in speaker and functions that allow you to find the headphones thanks to the Find My Device application, which uses Bluetooth location, similar to how AirTags work. The headphones are available in 4 colors – white, gray, green and pink. Their arrangement in the case is very convenient, there are no problems with taking them out and putting them in, and the gray plastic is pleasant to the touch and should not scratch. I have no complaints about the quality of the headphones themselves. They are made of good quality plastic and finished with due care, without the sharp edges characteristic of budget models. Interestingly, they are smaller than their predecessors, but at the same time they are supposed to last longer on battery.

The headphones are IP54 certified, meaning they are splash and dust resistant, so they should also be suitable for more intense workouts, but you have to be careful in heavy rain. I also have to admit that Google did their homework when it comes to fit. According to press materials, they scanned millions of points in different ears to create a universal design. And they succeeded. The headphones have a “petal” made of a slightly harder, rubberized material that blocks the headphones in the ear but does not cause discomfort. Thanks to this, they fit well in the ear, do not fall out even when running and do not protrude significantly. In addition, the technique of reducing pressure in the ear seems to actually work. I do not like in-ear headphones, but these turn out to be very comfortable, even during prolonged use. I am quite impressed.

The headphones also have a large and sensitive touch surface that allows you to control various functions, which we will discuss in more detail in a moment. We have a lot of gestures to choose from, because apart from “slaps”, of which there can be 1, 2 or 3, each assigned to a different function, we also have a longer hold (activates/deactivates ANC) and the ability to control the volume. By sliding your finger on the housing, we can adjust the volume and it works surprisingly well. These are probably the first headphones that I have never had to reach for my smartphone, I could do everything I wanted from the touch panel. But that’s probably how it should be in products from this price range, right?

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – Pixel Buds App

To take full advantage of the possibilities offered by this model of headphones, you need to download the Google Pixel Buds application to your smartphone. Then you gain access to all the settings, and as you will soon see, there are quite a few of them. The headphones can be paired with any device that supports Bluetooth (Android, iOS, Windows, TV, etc.), but without the application they lose a lot of functionality, they only reach their full potential with Pixel smartphones, and that from the 8 model upwards (Clear Calling, Super Wideband). Using the application, you can not only change settings or configure gestures, but also update the headphones’ software. Pairing with it is incredibly simple, the headphones are automatically detected and connect to the smartphone very quickly, and because they are assigned to a Google account, your second smartphone will recognize them without the need for pairing.

On the main screen of the application we have access to the most important information. So there is the battery charge status (case and each earpiece separately when they are taken out of the case) and the current settings of active noise reduction. Unfortunately, there are only three options – noise reduction, noise reduction off and ambient sounds. The latter is a kind of transparency mode, the earphones boost the sound from outside, which allows us to talk as if we did not have them in our ears at all. It works great, I did not have the impression, as in other earphones, that we were talking to ourselves. What’s more, the earphones themselves will go into this mode when we start talking and stop the potentially played sounds at the same time. It works surprisingly well.

What I miss is the ability to control the noise reduction level. Google has its own algorithm, which is managed by Tensor A1, and does not give us any configuration options. The competition allows you to control the level of reduction and even has adaptive settings that adjust the reduction to the intensity of ambient sounds. Google does not offer such options, but the ANC itself works quite well. It copes great with the so-called gray noise, i.e. monotonous sounds (noise on a plane, water in pipes), but it also has its drawbacks. I do not know if it is a safety issue, but it does not eliminate car noise at all. Walking on the sidewalk next to a busy street is not very pleasant. The wind noise while running is also poor, the Huawei Freebuds 6i dealt with this much better. It seems that when it comes to ANC, Google still has some catching up to do.

In the Pixel Buds app, we can also adjust many options regarding the headphones’ settings. Starting with the assistant (which can be Gemini), through touch control or sound settings. Google will also take care of our health and not only measures the current sound intensity, but also examines our exposure to noise during the day and the last week. If you like listening to loud music, you can receive a warning. Pixel Buds Pro 2 are able to generate sound with an intensity exceeding 90 dB, and just a few minutes of such listening significantly increases the percentage of “exposure”. The headphones also support spatial sound, which we can even adjust to our head movements.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – Sound quality and ANC

And so we come to the most important issue, the sound quality, which surprised me very positively. My expectations may not be too high, in the tests I used popular applications (Spotify, YouTube Premium, VOD applications), but I can assure you that Pixel Buds Pro 2 certainly play better than average headphones in this segment. They come out the best among the recently tested headphones (Huawei Freebuds 6i, Redmi Buds 5 Pro). Individual instruments can be distinguished very easily, and by playing with the equalizer settings, you can adjust the sound to your own predispositions or what you are doing (e.g. drawing out speech while listening to podcasts). I am quite impressed with what a single transducer can offer. As I have already mentioned, they are also perfect for phone calls. My interlocutors had no complaints about the sound quality, even when talking outside and walking along a busy street. What’s more, thanks to the Clear Calling function working with Pixels with the 7 model and above, the algorithm also cuts out noise on the side of our interlocutor, so we can hear them without interference.

As for ANC itself, as I mentioned, it has its drawbacks. The fit of the headphones is great, so the “mechanical” cut-off from the surroundings is high. The problem is the active reduction, which does not cut out the entire surroundings so well. Yes, you will not have reasons to complain on a plane, Google technology perfectly muffles such noise, but on a busy road it will not be so comfortable. The solution with speech detection should also be appreciated, which means that we practically do not have to take the headphones out of our ears. We can hear our interlocutor perfectly, even if they speak in a whisper, and I am quite impressed with how well it works.

It’s hard for me to comment on the operating time. 8 hours with ANC seems unattainable to me. Google states that this is the case when only ANC is active, and other solutions such as speech detection, spatial sound or support for two devices at the same time are disabled. My observations show that when we want to use all the advantages of these headphones, the operating time is reduced to about 6 hours, which is still a very good result. During a week of testing, I was unable to run out the battery in the case (it went down to 30%), and that also says something. Unfortunately, while the headphones themselves can be charged for 1.5 hours of operation in 5 minutes, the case charges at about 2W and a full charge takes over an hour.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – Summary

To sum up, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are almost perfect headphones. If it weren’t for the ANC function, I wouldn’t find any flaws in them. They are very comfortable, use modern solutions supported by artificial intelligence, which actually work and make life easier. I didn’t find a single irritating element in their design, and the technique of releasing pressure in the ear is a revelation. Even after 2 hours of listening to a podcast, my ears didn’t protest, and with cheaper in-ear headphones it was different. The sound quality is great, both for listening to music and phone calls. The operating time of 6-8 hours is a great result, it’s hard to ask for more. As if that wasn’t enough, the headphones can be paired with two devices at the same time, and gesture control does not cause any problems related to the sensitivity of the touch surface. What puts me off is the price, PLN 1,149 is a lot. The previous model is half the price and is certainly not twice as bad. Similarly to Samsung or Huawei headphones. However, if I had an unlimited budget, I would choose the Google product, because I haven’t had such comfortable headphones in my ears for a long time.

Approximate price: PLN 1,149