Google Pixel Buds A-series
These new Pixel buds get an A-grade from us
The Google Pixel Buds A-series are the latest entry in the wireless headphone market by the search-engine behemoth. They are small true-wireless earbuds that, while aimed primarily at Google and Android smartphone users, will perform a good job with any device that can handle Bluetooth 4.0+ – so that covers pretty much any smart device from the recent past.
Aggressive pricing policy
As well as performance improvements, the most obvious difference between this, the third iteration to bear the Pixel Buds name, and its two forebears, is with the launch price.
The Pixel Buds A-series are yours for a competitive £99, compared with the £179 figure the Pixel Buds 2 came on the market for last year. That’s an impressive drop in price and brings these Google buds right into a hugely popular section of the market. At this price, they even undercut obvious rivals such as Cambridge Audio’s Melomania 1 Plus (£120) by a significant amount.
Available in two finishes, white and a not-quite-grey ‘Dark Olive’ option, the Google Pixel Buds A-series come in a neat little cardboard box that contains the buds themselves, the tactile little ‘smooth pebble’ charging case, a USB-C charging cable and three different sized sets of eartips.
Comfy and secure
The little rubber fins to stabilise the in-ear fit remain from the Buds 2, and they, combined with correctly sized tips, provide a secure and comfortable experience. The earbuds are light, coming in at just over 5g each, and sit firmly in the ear. They are IPX4 resistant, so should be fine with water or sweat splashes, but the case is not rated.
The earbuds do not have active noise-cancelling – that’s a rare feature in buds at this price – but they offer reasonable passive noise-cancelling with the correct fit. The buds hold enough power for up to five hours of listening time (or, heaven forbid, two and a half hours’ talk time), and the case has enough juice for up to four charges, giving around 24 hours of charge all-in.
Connecting your Pixel Buds A-series to a smart device is either simple or extremely simple, depending on the device. For Android devices with Fast Pair, just open up the lid of the A-series’ case near to your smartphone and the devices automatically find each other.
For an IOS device you just need to find the earbuds on the device’s Bluetooth settings, and pair them from there.
You won’t be able to use the Google Assistant on non-android kit, but for Android users it works nicely, providing easy access to all the feature’s benefits, including Adaptive Sound; an optional neat trick that adjusts the volume of the buds depending on extraneous noise.
Tap in to your music
The buds handle basic controls competently, with the few basic commands administered by a tap (or taps) of a finger on the bud.
We like the performance we get from the Google Pixel Buds A-series. It’s a clean, balanced sound that doesn’t favour any part of the sonic spectrum.
Google says its research shows that, “Most people describe great sound as full, clear and natural. This is what guides our audio tuning process.” We’re perfectly happy to report that this is what we hear from these little buds. There is none of the somewhat harsh and wearing treble for which previous Pixel Buds were criticised, and the bass is decently fast and snappy.
We cue up Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wildside and that familiar bassline greets us warmly, followed by brushed snares and then Reed’s voice, intimate and clear. Each sonic strand is easily and comfortably followed, right through to the breathy sax at the end of the track.
John Martyn’s Small Hours is a fine test of any headphones’ (or speakers’) dynamic ability, with frequent shifts in volume, but the Series-a cope well, delivering the music faithfully. There is perhaps just a touch more detail in the midrange from those Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus rivals, but the Pixel Buds are overall a well rounded listen.
That approachable, entertaining sound is consistent no matter what music we play, and that, combined with the comfort of these lightweight buds, makes them a winner in our book.
Most importantly, the Google Pixel Buds A-series behave impeccably throughout testing. The connection is rock solid, and they never lose signal.
For not a huge outlay, you get everything here the pricier Pixel Buds 2 provided as far as Google Assistant abilities go, but with an all-round sound performance that stands up there with the best in the market at this price.