Companies have profited from wireless headphones for years, but as cheap headphones get better and better, it’s getting harder to justify headphones that push the price up more than people want to pay.
That’s not to say that Google’s Pixel Buds Pro aren’t extremely solid wireless earbuds, it’s just that they cost a bit more than I expected—even for a high-end headset. They’re cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Pro and offer many of the same features, but on the Android side, wireless headphones are often more reasonably priced and there’s fiercer competition.
With that in mind, Google’s latest wireless earbuds don’t stand out as much as they should, but at least the connection seems solid compared to 2020’s ill-fated Pixel Buds.
First class sound
Running the Pixel Buds Pro through my headphone test recordings was great. The sound was thick and offered a soundscape with considerable width, a rarity for most Bluetooth headphones.
This is enabled in part by the Pixel Buds Pro’s 11mm speaker, which should be fine-tuned as it sounds fairly balanced compared to other Bluetooth headphones with larger drivers. Sometimes you can hear the limitations when the bass is absolutely powerful in a song, but I found the Buds Pro to offer great sound quality in most cases.
One new addition that Google is touting is the Pixel Buds Pro’s new “Volume EQ” feature. The concept is that as you adjust the volume, the Pixel Buds Pro will change its setting to ensure that the highs, mids and lows are balanced. However, this feature is difficult to notice in practice. Randomly switching between tracks and toggling the functionality on and off offered no noticeable difference. Maybe that’s part of the magic, or maybe Volume EQ is just over-the-top marketing.
Either way, it doesn’t detract from my overall positive experience with the Pixel Buds Pro’s sound quality.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) on Bluetooth headphones is great. It’s not the loudest performance I’ve encountered, but it’s tuned well enough to keep ambient sound in the background. Google also added a new technology called “Silent Seal” that detects pressure in your ears and relieves it when you use ANC. I’ve never had any problems with ANC pressure, but I can feel it with some wireless headphones and can see how it can wreak havoc on sensitive ears.
The Pixel Buds Pro don’t come with a charging cable, but they do have a USB-C port.
It’s hard to say whether the Pixel Buds Pro will solve all the problems some people have with ANC buds, but there’s no denying they’re comfortable. The stemless design fits my ear well, and because it’s flush with my head, they feel secure when I’m cycling or running.
Google has also added a print detection method to the Pixel Buds app, so you can try out the three different sizes of ear tips included with the headphones to know for sure which ones fit your ears best.
Hidden features
As the gap between great and decent wireless headphones continues to narrow, added features (or gimmicks for some) can help separate good wireless headphones from the pack. Google offers a few features that aren’t related to audio quality, and so far I’m impressed with the added functionality.
My favorite is the multipoint Bluetooth connection with seamless switching. This feature is key to Apple making its AirPods so easy to use, and I’m glad other manufacturers are finally catching up. However, the Pixel Buds deployment was a success. They connect to my Mac/Pixel 6 and jump from one to the other, but the sound quality degrades significantly and the buds struggle to return to normal. Other times I’ll be listening to music on my phone and the Pixel Buds will disconnect and play a notification sound from my laptop. It’s only happened a few times, but Google will need to iron out those kinks to truly compete with Apple’s AirPods.
I even tried this on a Chromebook and ran into a similar situation. You also need to load the Pixel Buds app since you can’t download it directly from the ChromeOS Play Store.
Other features include hands-free Google Assistant and wireless charging. Both work as expected and are useful to have in your primary pair of headphones. Each earbud is also rated for 11 hours of playback, but if you use ANC and Volume EQ, I found I’d get a little less than that. Still, it was always enough for most situations. With the two extra charges you can take out of the box, you get a total of 31 hours.
Volume controls are a rarity to see on wireless earbuds, and it’s even more elusive to see them working well, but somehow Google has introduced an excellent touch panel on the Pixel Buds Pro. A slight forward slide on the buds increases the volume to a reasonable degree, and a backward slide decreases it. I still found myself accidentally touching the touchpads when adjusting them, but compared to other earbuds I’ve tested — like the Galaxy Buds 2 — the Buds Pro performed great.
The Pixel Buds app (left/green) and the Pixel Buds device settings on the Google Pixel 6 (right/pink). Both offer the same features and adapt to your device’s wallpaper if your Android device supports it.
Later in the fall, Google says spatial audio will make its way to the Pixel Buds Pro, offering a more immersive listening experience. I’m a big fan of Apple’s AirPods feature, so here’s hoping Google and YouTube Music join forces to make Android spatial audio an even more compelling feature.
I also tested Google’s conversational translator feature, which works as advertised, but you still have to keep your phone nearby and manually switch when different people are talking (even if it’s just two people). It works, but if I were traveling and needed to use translation as a last resort, I’d just use a smartphone, as headphones make the experience slower and more cumbersome.
Finally, the buds are IPX4 waterproof, so they should be able to withstand a bit of rain, but I wouldn’t take them rafting or get them soaked.
Microphone test
Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro microphone is on par with the rest of the crowd. From what I could gather in my tests, Google added EQ boost technology that allows the sound to be louder, but not necessarily better than the competition. It’s not a perfect microphone, but for the occasional phone call or online meeting, the Pixel Buds Pro do the job.
I still find that holding a phone up to your face in a noisy environment sounds better, but in a quiet room the Pixel Buds Pro mic is more than adequate for what I expect most people will be using them for.
You can watch video and listen to the Pixel Buds Pro, AirPods, OnePlus Buds Pro, and Galaxy Buds 2 above.
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