Google’s new buds pull out all the stops
At last, the earphones I’ve been waiting for!
It’s been a busy year in the headphone and earbud market. I’ve tested almost a dozen pairs of headphones this year, but the Pixel Buds Pro from Google with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) are the ones I’ve been waiting for. These arrived in their attractive, smooth, pebble-shaped case. Unlike some storage cases, this is nicely sized at 50mm x 63.2mm. It opens easily and the buds can be plucked from their case, no fiddling required.
Available in four colours, charcoal and fog are discreet shades, while lemongrass and coral have lovely, fun-looking pops of colour.
They come with three eartip sizes, with the medium attached to the buds. They’re easy to pop on and off, so even if you do need to adjust the size on one or both ears, it’s a quick job.
The case is IPX2 water resistant while the buds themselves are IPX4, meaning they should deal with active workouts or inclement weather.
The case has a USB-C charging port and it is also Qi wireless charging compatible – handy if you have a wireless charger at home or in the car.
Battery life is excellent and, with ANC off, you can get up to 11 hours of listening.
With ANC engaged, you should get about seven hours, so you have enough power for a transatlantic flight and, with the charging case, you can have over 30 hours of listening.
A quick five-minute charge of the earbuds in the case gives up to an hour of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation on – ideal if you’re going out for a run or walk.
Noticeable immediphone
ately when I tried them first, is the fit, which is both secure and really comfortable.
They weigh just 6.1g each, but the excellent fit is down to clever industrial design, rather than just weight.
They’re also very discreet as they don’t poke out like many earbuds do.
They pair with any Bluetooth 4.0+ device, including android and iOS, as well as tablets and laptops and, thanks to Google’s Fast Pair for Android, setting up on Android phones is almost instantaneous. They also support multipoint connectivity so you can switch between, for instance, a smartphone for calls and a laptop for a movie. It’s a great feature, meaning less fumbling when the phone rings, and I’ve found it really useful for home office work.
Each bud has a custom-designed 11mm dynamic speaker driver, and they deliver a good meaty sound but with really nice detail.
For small buds, they provide decent bass, and Google has engineered them so even at lower volumes, there is still a nice punch.
The built-in five-band EQ is customisable, but even with no adjustment sound is good, with nice mid-tones and separation, even with higher notes.
Noise-cancelling on earbuds generally can be hit and miss, but Google has done an excellent job here.
While you do lose a few hours of battery life by engaging the ANC, it’s worthwhile for a pleasing, immersive listening experience.
There’s also a transparency mode, which is one of the best I’ve heard. This can sound unnatural and overamplified
FOR ME, THE FIT IS SECURE AND REALLY COMFORTABLE
GOOD MEATY SOUND WITH REALLY NICE DETAIL
on some earbuds, but the Pixel Buds Pro are a cut above.
Transparency mode is really important, whether you’re cycling or running, or just want some awareness of what’s going on around you as you’re out walking. It’s so well done with these buds, I found myself using it more often that I usually would.
While I really like the fit, some users might have preferred to see the stabilisation wings often used on earbuds designed for active use.
Also, while sound is good, some genres may sound just a little clinical, or crisp for listeners.
Overall, these are the best headphones Google have made.
There’s an excellent accompanying smartphone app for set-up and customisation, easy-to-use touch controls and build quality is excellent.
Music and calls sound good, they look great, so much so that they are probably the new standard for Android earbuds.