Review: Google Pixel Buds 2a

It’s hard to speak exuberantly about products that perform the way they’re designed to but don't boast high-end finishes. A bathroom faucet that leaks is a broken faucet, regardless of whether it is gold-plated. Reviewing wireless earbuds in 2025 can sometimes feel the same way: If you can’t get good battery life, decent noise canceling, and a good, life-proof fit for under $150, you’re simply buying broken headphones.

Sure, Google’s Pixel Buds 2a don't have multiple drivers, don't have the best noise canceling ever put in earbuds, and there's no wireless charging case. They do, however, do everything you need from a modern pair of wireless earbuds, and they do it marvelously well. The Buds 2a offer all the important bells and whistles of expensive “Pro” models from Apple and even Google itself. They pair instantly with Android phones, work well with Google Translate and Gemini AI on your phone, and have an impressively comfortable fit. They also work decently with iPhones.

If a pair of AirPods 4 were this good, nobody would buy the AirPods Pro 3. The Pixel Buds 2a are my favorite earbuds for Android, and for anyone looking to spend under $129. They’re a high-quality (and leakproof) musical faucet for the masses.

Less Flash, More Fit

Photograph: Parker Hall

The Pixel Buds 2a are some of the cutest and most comfortable earbuds I’ve used this year, thanks to a slightly smaller iteration of the in-ear design I enjoyed on the Pixel Buds Pro 2. They look like little buttons that twist into your ear canals, with little silicone shark fins that help keep them steady once inserted.

As usual, I love the matte white case that comes with these buds; it feels less sticky than the shiny cases from Apple and others, and it makes it slide into pants pockets like a puck on ice. One thing the case doesn't come with is wireless charging; you'll have to stick to USB-C. Battery life is a pleasant seven hours, with a replaceable (!) battery in the case, combining for 20 hours with active noise canceling on and 27 with it off.

Google via Parker Hall

I like the slimmer profile of the new buds, but I have to admit I didn't notice much of a difference in fit in my average-size ears. Google's app immediately asked me to do a fit test when I paired the headphones with my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the already-installed medium eartips fit perfectly in my ears. If you have a Pixel phone, you won't even need to install the Pixel Buds app, as it comes preinstalled.

App-based features allow you to adjust everything from EQ settings to what the buttons do on each side of the earbuds. It's all simple and intuitive, essentially identical to the experience Apple users have with AirPods, just on a different ecosystem.

Touch controls on the outside of each bud are simple. I made one side of the buds call up the Gemini assistant, and the other work for playing and pausing tunes. One oddity is that there isn't a way to adjust volume on the buds themselves; you'll have to press the side buttons on your phone or the volume slider on your laptop to change volume. Depending on how much you like to adjust volume on the fly, this can either be a mild annoyance or a total deal-breaker. I personally find myself using my phone most of the time anyway, so it was merely a quirk.

Great Sound

Photograph: Parker Hall

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 have long been some of my favorite headphones to take with me, thanks to the pebble-y charging case and excellent sound quality. The Buds 2a fit those much more expensive shoes quite well, with similar prowess in the bass and treble, especially. The soft beater thumping the kick drum in The Harmaleigh's “Don't Panic” feels like a heartbeat, with the quiet but rhythmic acoustic guitar sitting just below a horizon of synths and a distorted vocal.

The soundstage is a few inches outside of each ear, especially noticeable on hard-panned recordings like Tortoise's “It's All Around You,” where different guitars, drum kits, and other percussion instruments play on each side of your brain. It's a distinctly “scooped” hi-fi sound in the mid range, but one that I enjoy the energy of, particularly when working out; great bass like this tends to help me push through those last few minutes gasping for air on a treadmill or lifting those last few reps.

Google was smart to give these buds an IP54 rating, which makes them dust and water-resistant enough that you can take them to the beach, woods, or desert without fear. You can't take them swimming, but otherwise you're good to go.

Photograph: Parker Hall

Microphones and noise cancellation are about as good as you can get at this price; you won't get complete silence like you can with earbuds that cost twice or three times the money, but you get 90 percent of the way there with the Pixel Buds 2a. Transparency mode and calls are the same deal; higher-end buds might have slightly nicer mics or processing, but precisely zero people I interacted with in person or on the phone noticed or cared about my fidelity. I could hear them fine, and they could hear me fine.

When I first started reviewing wireless earbuds, then in their “we can't even connect reliably to your smartphone via Bluetooth" days, I would have been utterly amazed at the multi-point pairing that these buds can do. You can pair them to your phone and laptop at the same time, allowing you to switch without re-pairing. It works great and is awesome for folks who sometimes need to take a call while working on their laptop.

The Pixel Buds 2a are convenient listening fixtures you don't really need to worry about. I can't really think of a pair of earbuds that offers the same mix of design, features, and reliability for $129. The fact that they are made by Google means that they will have reliable software support, but even if you don't own a Pixel phone or other Android variety, these are definitely worth considering. There isn't another name-brand pair of earbuds that offers the same value right now.