Google Pixel Buds Pro review: Noise-canceling earphones disappoint

Having headphones become an extension of your phone is probably half the success of Apple's AirPods, and having the right integration from the operating system has proven to make a big difference.

Google has tried several times before with varying degrees of success, but the Google Pixel Buds Pro are the company's first foray into the noise-canceling wireless earbuds market, and are sort of Android's answer to the AirPods Pro.

For Pixel smartphone owners, the smartphone of the same name is especially attractive. Thanks to several features, Pixel smartphone owners are especially attached to the smartphone of the same name. But is the sound quality good? And how does the noise cancellation work? Let's find out.

price

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

The Pixel Buds Pro launched at £189 / $199 / AU$299, but have since dropped in price considerably – available for £149 / $139 / AU$179 at the time of writing, putting them up against products like the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 and right in the middle price range between the £259 / $299 / AU$419 Sony WF-1000XM5 and its lower-priced sibling, the £100 / $120 / AU$200 Sony WF-C700N.

Someone considering the AirPods Pro 2 is unlikely to also be considering the Google Pixel Buds Pro, and vice versa, but it still feels like a fair comparison: the AirPods Pro 2 retail for £229 / $249 / AU$399, but you can often find them for under £200 in AirPods sales in the UK.

design

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

While it's understandable that Google wants to completely move away from the design that the AirPods have become known for, the design that has been adopted for the Pixel Buds Pro is a bit odd.

Resembling a bit of a curved pebble case, the earbuds are a smooth, rigid square shape with an earbud that tapers at an angle and a colored circle on top. This is the part that faces the outside of your ear and doubles as a touch control pad. Tap to play, swipe to adjust volume – super handy. They are available in six colors: bay (powder blue), porcelain, coral, charcoal, fog, and lemongrass.

However, getting the fit right can be a bit of a challenge. From the get-go, they don't seem particularly comfortable, and you'll find yourself wearing them inside your ears for longer listening sessions. But the bigger problem is that they just don't fit very well. I've had a few people try them out, and they all reported the same thing. While an IPX4 rating means they're unlikely to slip out during workouts or runs, making them ideal for a commute or office environment.

There are three different ear tips included in the box, and you can test the fit of the ear tips in the Pixel Buds app, but I was happy with all of them, even the ones that didn't fit me at all, so the results don't seem all that convincing.

The case charges wirelessly or via USB-C and provides 7 hours of ANC-enabled music on a single charge (11 hours without ANC), for a total of 20 hours with the case (31 hours without ANC). There are two fast-charging options, with 5 minutes of charging adding 1 hour, and 15 minutes of charging adding 3 hours (with ANC on).

Features

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

While we're not hugely impressed with the design, feature-wise the Google Pixel Buds Pro offer plenty, especially for Pixel users who can take advantage of head-tracked spatial audio and all the controls built into the operating system.

Android users can access most of the same features (except spatial audio) via the app, but iPhone users should probably skip the purchase (though some may be considering it). There's no app for iOS, so there are no firmware updates and you can't change any settings, including toggling on/off things like conversation detection, which are off by default. You also can't use the normal listening mode without ANC, only toggle ANC on/off and transparency.

Google Pixel Buds Pro technical specifications

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

Bluetooth version 5.0

Finish 6

Battery Life: Up to 31 hours (from earbuds and case)

Dimensions (H x W x D) 24 x 22 x 22mm (earphones) 63 x 50 x 25mm (case)

Weight 6.2g (each)

But for Android users, the app is feature-packed, with a “Find My Device” feature that can send sound to lost earbuds, adaptive sound options, a five-band equalizer, a low-latency mode for gamers, hearing wellness features, Bluetooth multipoint control (which is also turned off by default), and more.

It also gives you access to the Google Assistant settings, allows hands-free use when connected to your Android smartphone, and can translate conversations between languages ​​in real time when used with Google Translate.

As mentioned above, the Pixel Buds Pro feature active noise cancellation, which works reasonably well considering the fit isn't particularly sound isolating. I compared it directly with the noise cancellation in the AirPods Pro 2 and found Apple's earbuds to be better at blocking noise above low-frequency vibrations, but when playing music, the Pixel Buds Pro's performance was entirely acceptable.

But while Google claims that the doubled bandwidth has further improved call quality, we believe there is room for improvement in call quality, especially in windy conditions. Our friends say they can hear us well when we're talking at home, but when we go outside, things start to get a bit choppy. When the wind picks up, our words get choppy and callers report that they sometimes have trouble hearing us, which is far from ideal.

sound

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

We liked Google's push into the cheaper end of the truly wireless market with the Google Pixel Buds A-series, but what we've heard here doesn't make us feel all that positive.

It's definitely positive, energetic, fast enough and reasonably detailed – it doesn't offer a ton of nuance or subtlety, but for the price it's a satisfying read.

But there are issues with balance at both ends of the frequency range: for bass-heavy listeners, the first issue probably won't be an issue at all, but the bass bloat is definitely there.

Listening to Del Fuego by Fat Freddy's Drop, the pulsating bass range steals the spotlight from the vocals and brass instruments, making the overall presentation overly warm and definitely not for those with more neutral tastes.

But what bothers me more here is the unrefined, jarring high notes, from the finger snaps to the sibilant “s” sounds. It's not harsh, but it's on the borderline and not exactly comfortable to listen to. I found myself skipping through Tame Impala's Let It Happen because it sounded too harsh.

Compared to the AirPods Pro 2, there's also a lot less sound spread out, and when there's a lot of stuff in the mix, they can sound a bit squashed. This isn't helped by the mids struggling to hold up against the two boosted frequencies on either side, meaning they sound very flat and thin. The bass is big and snappy, but the mids don't have the same amount of body and confidence, so they get lost when there's a substantial bass line thrown into the music.

You don't even get great dynamics here: Sergei Prokofiev's Knights' Dance has a sense of light and shadow, but it's not as clear as you hear it on the AirPods Pro 2, and the build-up to the big finale begins and ends with almost no fanfare.

While it doesn't completely solve these issues, it's disappointing that the Pixel Buds Pro don't support more advanced Bluetooth codecs like aptX HD that Android phones support, and I can't help but think a higher quality Bluetooth connection could tame the treble a bit.

verdict

(Image courtesy of What Hi-Fi?)

The Pixel Buds Pro are a disappointing entry for Google into a crowded market. The price is attractive and the features are great (at least for Android users), but the sound quality is hard to enjoy, especially for those who prefer a more neutral listening experience. You can find cheaper, better sounding headphones if you're willing to give up some features.

Score

more:

Read our review of the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100

Also consider the Sony WF-C700

Read our review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2

Best wireless earbuds: the best pairs tested by experts

And the best cheap wireless earbuds

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Price comparison

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/google-pixel-buds-pro The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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