Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 test – grow up to the big ones –

Google recently started making earphones, and as expected, there were some complaints about the first generation. However, the engineers did not give up, they learned from their mistakes, looked at what made competing models successful, then added their extras and released the 2024 Pixel Buds Pro 2.

The new earphone corrects several of the faults of its predecessor, there is no shortage of practical and imaginative extras, but you have to carefully consider what kind of mobile phone you plan to use it for, and it still has some painful drawbacks.

Audible differences

Genuine TWS earbuds Google Pixel Buds Pro 2among them is a particularly small (23 mm, 17 mm thick), light piece (4.7 g/earphone), which does not have a stem design, but has a round earplug shape that protrudes slightly more from the ear. The two earplugs can be easily removed by snapping open the plastic case, which resembles a flat egg (although such a thing doesn’t really exist, but it might be easier to imagine). Three different sizes of silicone bells can be placed on them (they can be found in the box, arranged in an ingenious way).

Even smaller and lighter than their predecessors, the earplugs fit into the ear canal with an oval sound opening and a rubber fixing tab. The latter fits nicely into the ear cup and holds the earphone surprisingly firmly in place – it didn’t move even during intense movement or running, which is a really big word for models with this design.

To keep it stable, it is of course also necessary to use a silicone bell of the right size, which also ensures passive noise filtering. You can also test separately in the Pixel Buds mobile application to make sure that you have put the plugs in your ears correctly and that you are using the right bells. According to Google, you insert the earplugs correctly if you turn them a little after plugging them in, this way the “rubber tooth” is fixed in your ear cup, thus ensuring a stable hold.

Staying with sports, it is also an advantage that the earphones have an IP54 classification, which means that they are resistant to dust and splashing water, and of course, a little sweat is not a problem for them either. Of course, this refers to the earplugs, you should take better care of the IPX4 rated case. Taking it out of the case and putting it back in is helped by magnets, which worked almost perfectly. At the bottom you will find a Type-C port and a barely noticeable pairing button. There’s another slot here, which might look like a miniature Kensington lock slot, but that wouldn’t make much sense. It’s actually a mini speaker that’s the perfect complement to the new Find My Device service. If you can’t find your earbuds, you can “ring” them using your mobile phone, so you can find your Pixel Buds Pro 2 by following the sound squeezed out of the small speaker of the case. In addition to cable charging, wireless Qi charging is also supported, but it is good to know that in the 100% paper box you will not find a charging head or a Type-C cable.

Hello, Gemini!

One of the most important innovations of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 – at least that’s what Google says the loudest – is the Tensor A1 chip. This has enough computing power to even be Gemini AI compatible with precise active noise suppression and audio processing (although it’s not entirely clear how much computing this requires in the earphones).

You can use the capacitive surface of the two earplugs for control, and luckily the various commands can also be reprogrammed. With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the volume control has also been solved if you swipe horizontally forwards or backwards along the surface of the earplugs. During the test, this worked surprisingly accurately and with a short reaction time. You don’t have to tap too hard on the outer surface to control it, which wouldn’t feel good on your ears (and unfortunately, it’s a serious problem with some TWS earbuds).

The mandatory AAC and SBC codecs for the Bluetooth 5.4 data connection are supported by the Pixel Buds Pro 2, unfortunately not LDAC or AptX HD. This is the first serious shortcoming of the headset, as evidenced by the missing “Hi-Res Audio Wireless” sign on the box. Of course, it comes with an application, but it is integrated into the BT settings page, which is convenient and easy to access (therefore, it also has an icon that you can use to get there with a flick). Here you can specify all the features of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in detail: you can set the controls, there is an equalizer, a fit test, you can switch to mono sound, you can see how harmful or normal the current volume is, you can activate the spatial sound, the low delay mode, the wearing detection, the multipoint connection, you can update the firmware, and if you lose it, you can also start the Find My Device Google service from here.

For spatial sound, you can use Spatial Audio technology (for Pixel 6 or newer devices) – provided that the app and video support it. In this case, by moving your head, the direction of the sound changes, creating a more natural effect.

You can choose between two types of noise suppression while wearing it – or you can turn it all off. In the case of transparent ANC (Ambient Sound), external, unwanted noises are filtered out by the earphones, but those deemed more important (such as loudspeakers, sirens, etc.) are allowed to pass through and even amplified. Full noise cancellation is quite effective, provided you choose good silicone bells and the fit test shows no problems. At the same time, competitors also have an adaptive and fully controllable ANC mode – not here.

Uses 3-3 microphones a Pixel Buds Pro 2which pick up noise nicely, and if you’re on the phone, your speech too. In the case of the latter, the stem design is more beneficial, the voice can be recorded closer to your mouth in a controlled manner, but in the case of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, after some Tensor A1 post-work, the other party can still hear a clear, noise-free sound. If you connect it to a Pixel 7 or newer mobile phone, you can also activate Clear Calling. This technology filters out noise and distortions coming from the other party, so that you can hear a clear, well-intelligible voice.

During the test, the wear detection, the multipoint connection (2 devices) worked well and the fit test also proved to be useful. If you are logged in with the same Google account on multiple Android devices, Auto Switch works smoothly.

One of the interesting features of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is conversation detection, that is, when you speak, music playback/watching movies, etc. will automatically stop and the headset will switch to transparent mode. As soon as the conversation ends, the music or movie continues from the same place. According to Google, the earphones use AI to recognize dialogue, but our test revealed that if only the wearer is talking in an empty, quiet room, it will still detect it as a conversation and stop playing music. This function can even be useful (Sony, Apple, and Samsung also offer something similar), but before activating it, take into account that you won’t be able to hum or sing along with your favorite artists, because as soon as you speak, your headset goes silent.

The really big bang, which is also highlighted by Google among the novelties of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, is Gemini AI. This function can even be started with simple command words, but you have to be very careful about what and how you start it. The command “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” starts the Google Assistant (or simple Gemini), if you want to chat and use online resources, the first command is “Let’s talk!” you have to issue a voice command. This activates Gemini Live, which opens up a natural-looking chat. According to our experience, it perfectly understands English text and pronunciation that is not completely correct, you don’t have to pronounce the entire sentence correctly for a second, you can even interrupt it during the answer. The chat experience is provided by the fact that the AI ​​here monitors the entire conversation, which means that you can refer back to previous topics, objects or people with several sentences, the generative AI connects it all.

The big problem is that you have to use English to use it naturally, Gemini Live can only speak Hungarian on special (English) instructions, and even then only for a short time. Another disadvantage of Gemini Live is that you can’t control your phone with it, you can’t use in-app functions with it (for example, asking to play your favorite track in YouTube Music or taking a picture with the Camera app). It does not have access to the information available about you online, including your correspondence, the data stored in your Google account, and even your GPS coordinates, even upon a firm request. All we were able to achieve during the test was that it determined where we were based on an IP address, and then gave restaurant tips based on this. Oddly enough, he was the first to use miles here, he had to be told to switch to metric.

Music manager for Android users (but iOS is not an obstacle either)

The Google Pixel Puds Pro 2 has evolved a lot, and thanks to this, it has grown up to the big ones. However, despite the small size and weight, as well as the ergonomic design, it is critically important to find the right silicone bell size that fits your ears, otherwise you will end up with mid-range sound and noise cancellation. Anyway, the ear plugs are really small, they don’t hang out of the line of your ears, so they don’t look weird. The control was lavishly done, the volume control is perhaps the most comfortable ever: it could be controlled precisely even while running. We were also satisfied with the operating time, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 brought the factory values ​​nicely, and when it came to charging, Qi charging proved to be the most convenient (this does not mean that we would not have been happy with a Type-C cable in the box).

The sound of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is rich in detail, but not intrusively powerful – the bass is not overpowered, nor does it boom even with music tuned to that, which some users may miss. The treble is also good, the new treble chamber has done a lot for the balanced sound. The stereo image is good, each instrument can be separated nicely, but these good features can be said about the majority of competing TWS earphones at a similar price. We could also say that the Pixel Buds Pro 2 does what is required, it does not lag behind its competitors, but it does not leave them behind either. The lack of support for Hi-Res codecs is a sorely missed feature, and perhaps with such expensive TWS earphones, it would not hurt if all its functions were available on all modern Android and iOS devices.

The price of Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in Hungary HUF 104,990with which it can be classified specifically in the upper category. If you have a Pixel or want to chat a lot with the Gemini, it’s worth choosing this one, but if you’re looking for “just one” lightweight TWS earphone with nice sound and comfort services, you can find models that are slightly cheaper than this one, or you can also look at offers from other manufacturers with similar prices before the election.