The Google Pixel Buds Pro are to Pixel phones what AirPods are to iPhones
Google Pixel Buds Pro with Pixel 6a. Picture: Noel Campion.
The latest Pixel Buds Pro are over twice the price of their siblings the Pixel Buds A but they have more features that make them a tempting upgrade on the original and A series despite the higher price tag.
The Pixel Buds Pro doesn’t stray too far from Google’s minimalistic hardware design language. The case is almost identical to the original Pixel Buds flat egg shape but it is slightly bigger overall.
The bottom edge has the USB-C charging port and although the Buds Pro support Google’s Fair Pair feature, there’s also a Bluetooth pairing button on the back if you need to pair them with other devices including PCs, Macs, iPhones or iPads.
The buds sport an embossed “G” on the outer capacity pad but there’s no wing tip anymore. The overall shape of the buds is now a little larger and designed in such a way as to fit better in your ear canal. The means more contact with your inner ear and I found they stayed put regardless of what I was doing. I also found them comfortable to wear, even more so than the originals but I do think that if you do a lot of energetic workouts, the wings should provide a little more security. The downside to wings is they can add extra pressure and become uncomfortable after long periods of use.
You get three sizes of silicone ear tips in the box and it’s well worth the effort to try them all to ensure the best fit and optimal sound and ANC performance.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Buds Pro stick out from your ears a little more than the originals do. That said, they still look fairly streamlined while in your ears.
The Buds Pro are mostly black but the outer pad comes in four different colour choices; charcoal, fog, lemongrass and coral.
The outer surface of the buds is touch-sensitive with intuitive gesture controls. To pause or play a track, tap once. To skip tracks, tap twice or three times. Hold to turn on or off ANC. And, swipe forwards and backwards for volume up and down. You have the option to turn touch controls off if you wish but you can only customise the touch and hold gesture. This can be done independently for each bud to toggle ANC and talk to the assistant. You can also choose to have two or three modes to toggle; ANC, ANC off or transparency mode on.
There’s also in-ear detection where the earbuds will automatically play audio when in and pause audio when out.
The case supports Qi wireless charging and you can use ANC for up to an hour after a 5-minute charge in the case. Google says they use a custom processor tuned for power efficiency so you can get more from the battery. You should get up to seven hours of playback on a single charge with ANC on, and up to 20 hours with the charging case.
Something I hear a lot more in the latest earbuds is a leaning towards a more powerful bass. This is also true of the Pixel Buds Pro whose 11mm drivers can produce a large soundstage with lots of great detail with warm mids and deep bass. While imaging and technical details are not as good as the best I’ve reviewed, the overall sound signature is balanced and suitable for a broad range of musical genres.
The listening experience is enjoyable without being fatiguing after long sessions. The Buds Pro are a definite upgrade from the already excellent Buds A with greater presence, clarity and bass.
One neat software trick that can be toggled off or on is the volume EQ which enhances bass and treble frequencies at lower volume levels.
The lack of a customisable EQ isn’t ideal but hopefully, this is something that might be added later in a future update.
The ANC performance is excellent at reducing the lower bass tones of engine sounds and the ever-present fans on my gaming rig. However, it isn’t as good as the best at quietening the sounds from my nosy cafe sound test.
During an off-road cycle, I was able to give them the full wind test and while they’re not bad, they don’t fully suppress wind noise. The ambient awareness mode is excellent but still slightly behind the class-leading AirPods Pro.
The call quality is excellent, sounding natural and clear even in noisy environments.
Like Oppo’s Enco X earbuds, the settings for the Buds Pro are built into the Android OS settings if you’re using a Pixel phone. You can also download the Pixel Buds app for Android if you’re not using a Pixel, but there isn’t a version for iOS. You can still pair the Buds Pro to iPhones and iPads although you won’t get any of the extra features as you would on Android like Fast Pair.
They come with Bluetooth 5 and support SBC and AAC audio formats but not aptX or LDAC. They allow for multipoint connections so that you can connect to two devices at once, such as a phone for calls and a laptop for music.
Another advanced feature that is exclusive to Android is Google Assistant. To let Google read your notifications or messages, reply, manage music playback, change the volume, give you directions from Google Maps, translate in real-time using Google Translate, and do other actions, touch and hold one of the earphones.
The Pixel Buds Pro are what AirPods are to iPhones — seamless integration between your Pixel phone and its software. They’re the complete package with excellent sound quality, ANC, transparency mode and battery life. They also work great with Android devices and while I had no problems using them on iPhone you will lose some of the cooler features.
The Pixel Buds Pro are available now for €219 Google
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