Even Better This Second Time!

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 in a nutshell

Better sound, better-wearing comfort, and lots of functions—the Pixel Buds Pro 2 has really improved in the second generation. However, it still lags behind the competition from Apple and Sony in terms of ANC and sound quality. However, if you use a Pixel smartphone and are already paying for Gemini Live, you can get an exciting glimpse into the future with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. If you like, you can fall in love with Google’s AI model for up to 12 hours at a stretch!

Design & wearing comfort

The second generation of the Pixel Buds Pro is 27 percent smaller and only half as light as its predecessor. This means part of the earbuds which are visible when worn is now roughly the size of a coat button. Nevertheless, operating it via its responsive, touch-sensitive surfaces works well. This was made possible thanks to the highly customizable retaining fins and three different silicone attachments, which also means the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is also much more comfortable.

Pros:

• High wearing comfort thanks to the new retaining fins and lighter weight.
• More discreet when worn than its predecessor.
• Easy operation thanks to responsive touch surfaces.

Cons:

• White color variant is very susceptible to dirt.

The devil is in the details with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 because at first glance, it hardly differs from its predecessor. However, shedding its size proved to be a masterstroke in design for everyday use. Thanks to the better fit and lower weight, the in-ear buds tend to feel like it has disappeared into the ear after just a few minutes. As the earbuds barely protrude, you can even take off your sweater when wearing them without risking them falling out.

Google’s charging case remains rock solid. The Mountain View company did not dare to experiment here and decided to stick to the round design with an AirPod-style operating concept. Google has also adopted a speaker from Apple’s in-ear headphones, allowing the earbuds to play a warning tone if you lose them and drop its connection to your phone. However, you can deactivate the speaker’s ability to send notifications if you like.

Google also improved the IP certification level to IP54, which means the earbuds are now protected against dust. Speaking of dust, Google tells us to clean the in-ear headphones regularly. Anyone who is familiar with ear infections will certainly be pleased with this. It is advisable to clean the exterior of the earbuds while you are at it. This part is very susceptible to streaks and dirt, too. Alternatively, there are also colorful color variants called “Porcelain”, “Hazel”, “Wintergreen” and “Peony” aka “brown”, “black”, “light green” and “light pink”.

Operating the Pixel Buds Pro 2 remained the same. Thanks to its swipe gesture recognition, you can change the volume, start/pause playback, control Active Noise Cancellation, and enjoy the voice assistant. Google’s touch surfaces are the most responsive I’ve come across in the in-ear headphones world, making them really fun to use!

App, Gemini & comfort functions

What’s nice about this is if you use a Google phone, you don’t need to install a companion app. Fortunately, Google does not restrict its ecosystem and offers an alternative app for Android. iOS users, however, are left empty-handed. A case of tit-for-tat with the AirPods, perhaps? If you download the app, you will discover a wealth of available functions. Wear detection, spatial audio, and, of course, compatibility with the “Gemini” voice model.

Pros:

• Makes Gemini really useful.
• Wide range of functions.
• All earbuds should be able to display the amount of strain on your ears!

Cons:

• No iOS app for the settings.

The range of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 functions is really fantastic but is largely on par with other models within the same price range. In addition to wear detection and the still redundant (above all, extremely useless) “Spatial Audio”, I was particularly impressed by the extensive lengths it went to protect your ears while listening to music. If you wish, you can check in real-time whether the decibel level exceeds the recommended level or you can look back over the last few days.

What’s unfortunate is how there is no iOS app support for you to change the settings. Although the Pixel Buds Pro 2 saves the settings you made, you cannot adjust them on your iPhone. However, the earbuds are compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled music playback device and there is also a companion Android app.

However, we still recommend using the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a Pixel smartphone. This is because the headphone settings are integrated directly into the system. At the same time, Google links its Gemini voice model to the headphones. We already published a detailed article on “Gemini Live”. I would like to explain a little more about why Gemini is interesting with the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

For example, if you’re riding your bicycle, you can ask Gemini directly via your headphones what time the bakery on your way to work opens. Or you can have an incoming e-mail summarized and ask what the online article is about. These are actions that you would normally have to stop and check on your phone.

While the point of holding your smartphone in your hand is normally to affirm that it works, note that by doing so, you perform additional physical movement which a hands-free option offers an advantage. However, if you want to use Google’s “Advanced AI” functions permanently, it costs $21.99 each month and is currently only available in English.

Sound & ANC

Google is technically upgrading the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a new chip called “Tensor A1”. While Google wants to offer more efficient Active Noise Cancellation known as “Silent Seal 2.0” with AI-supported call recognition, the company also wants to milk the familiar 11 mm driver for all it is worth. I am happy to report both features have actually improved significantly, although only HD codec support is missing.

Pros:

• Really good ANC.
• Sound quality has improved.

Cons:

• Transparency mode is noisy and susceptible to wind noise.
• No HD codecs supported.
• No low latency mode.

With a $229 MSRP, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 want to turn it up a notch in the in-ear headphones hierarchy. The AirPods Pro 2 (review) and the WF-1000XM5 from Sony (review) immediately spring to mind as direct competitors. In terms of sound quality, however, there are also more affordable high-flyers such as the EarFun Ear Pro 4 we reviewed a couple of months ago, which come with a phase linear equalizer. Unlike the first pair of Buds Pro from Google, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can at least keep up with the first two candidates.

Google was able to improve the sound quality even though the same 11 mm equalizers were used. This was made possible by a new chip that Google dubbed “Tensor A1”. Even though Google does not specify a frequency range or other characteristics, the musical tracks played sounded a little fuller and clearer than its predecessors.

I criticized the somewhat spongy sound of the 1st generation Pixel Buds Pro, but this point of criticism has now been eliminated. That’s despite the fact the Pro Buds 2 still come without HD codec support. It would have been interesting to hear the apparently excellent drivers work with AptX or LDAC.

What I also really liked is Google’s equalizer. Although there are still no frequency bands you can make changes to, you can adjust the sound of the in-ears in five areas. If you don’t want to bother with this, there are also six presets that change the sound significantly and perceptibly. There is also the option to output music in mono, such as moments when you only want to wear one earbud. As a special feature, you can adjust the volume of the individual earbuds.

The new A1 chip also improves Active Noise Cancellation. Both Apple and Sony’s competitors boast excellent ANC performance and Google is currently slightly behind them. The strength of the noise cancellation is really good and comes with a technology that reduces the feeling of pressure when ANC is activated but Google’s offering still maintains two disadvantages.

First, you cannot adjust the degree of the ANC. Only “On”, “Off” and “Transparency” are available and the transparency mode is my second point of contention. This is because it comes with a perceptible background noise that no longer occurs with other models. At the same time, it is highly susceptible to wind noise. Open earbuds such as the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo (review) or the Nothing Ear (open) (review) are therefore recommended when cycling.

Last but not least, Google provides its Pro earbuds with Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity including LE. Unfortunately, Auracast support is missing and there is no low-latency mode without the corresponding codecs.

Battery & charging

With a battery life of 12 hours without ANC and 8 hours with ANC enabled, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 still managed to overtake the competition! The runtimes are fantastic and even Quick Charging is on board. A five-minute charge provides 1.5 hours of playback without ANC. You can also charge the charging case wirelessly.

Pros:

• Fantastic battery life.
• Quick and wireless charging on board.
• Nice widget for the battery life.

Cons:

Whether you’re at work or traveling at the weekend, the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s battery life should be sufficient for any scenario. In an open-plan office, you can work for eight hours with ANC enabled. If you’re going away for the weekend, you can use the charging case to extend the runtimes to 48 or 30 hours. Technically, I don’t quite understand how Google packs such powerful batteries into the small earbuds, but that’s not my problem.

The earbuds are charged via the charging case, which you can connect to the socket via USB-C. As premium earbuds, you naturally expect quick charging and wireless charging, which are both available! There’s nothing to criticize here!

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 technical specifications

	Technical Specifications
Device	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Image
Design	Format: in-ear | touch operation
Weight	Weight per earpiece: 4.7 g | Weight of the housing: 65 g
Dimensions	Dimensions of the housing: 50 mm × 63 mm × 25 mm
IP protection class
Audio
Frequency response
ANC	Yes, with transparency mode
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4 | Gemini integration (with Google smartphone)
Codec
Multipoint
Battery life	12 hours playback without ANC 8 hours playback with ANC Quick Charging: 1.5h playback in 5m
Battery life with case
Wireless Charging	👍🏻

Final conclusion