Review: Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

I've been a fan of Google's Pixel Buds series of wireless earbuds for a few generations, largely because of their cute, comfortable aesthetic. They fit better than competing headphones, but below the surface, they're just average mid-tier earbuds. They didn't sound better than Apple's AirPods Pro despite sharing a similar price, and the Pixel Buds Pro didn't have the best noise canceling I'd ever heard.

Those issues are largely gone on the new Pixel Buds Pro 2, which have twice the noise reduction, new dynamic drivers, and faster processing than ever thanks to Google's Tensor A1 chip. Added features like conversation detection, Google Gemini onboard, and a clever fit adjustment mechanism make these some of the finest premium buds around.

Buds Version 2

Photograph: Parker Hall

While there are clear physical similarities between the previous Pixel Buds Pro and this new version, the Pro 2 are 27 percent smaller and weigh 1.5 grams less than before. I already thought the original model was comfortable, but this version is among the best wireless earbuds I've ever tested for smaller ears.

Google claims, like every major headphone maker does these days, that it analyzed millions of ears to settle on this new shape—Apple says the same thing about the basic AirPods 4, which are among the least comfortable earbuds I've ever worn, and Samsung says the same with its new Buds3 and copied Apple's design, so take that with a grain of salt.

In any case, the engineers at Google clearly spent time ensuring these buds are super stable in your ears. Little rounded silicone tombstones that stick out of each bud do their job; I had no problem doing hours of tree pruning and going on long sweaty runs in Portland's early fall heat wave. An IP54 rating means you don't have to worry about these buds around dust or liquids, which is nice.

AirPods Pro (left) and Pixel Buds Pro 2 (right)

Photograph: Parker Hall

The case that comes with the buds is about the size of a large floss package and is rounded like an excellent skipping stone. It features USB-C and wireless charging, in addition to a small speaker that can be used to locate the buds' case if you lose it. Compared to the headphones, the case feels a bit outdated and large, but it does slide easily into and out of pants pockets à la the AirPods Pro. I like the matte white color; it's easy to see in a dark bag.

Pairing was virtually instant on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and I assume it's this easy on any other modern phone. Just pop open that case and they show up on the bottom of the screen for quick pairing. You then can download the Pixel Buds app, not that I needed to. Controls on the buds are super easy to learn without menu diving through the settings. Simply swipe left or right to turn up or down volume, tap to play or pause, long tap to turn on or off ANC, or trigger Google's Gemini artificial intelligent chatbot. (This is adjustable in the Pixel Buds app, and you can assign Gemini and ANC a specific side, should you want touch control of both.)

Sounding Good

The biggest upgrade between the two generations of Pixel Buds Pro is the sound. The added processing power and new drivers do a great job of setting these buds above the crowd.

Once you pop them in, the first thing you notice is how silent the world gets. Twist them into the ears, and the noise-canceling quickly masks the vast majority of the world around you, with only a few high-frequency sounds making it through. This provides an excellent backdrop to listen to your favorite music, which is noticeably more clear than the generation before. Google claims that there are multiple fits for these buds based on how much you twist them into your ears, but I found there only to be one comfortable way that they fit well in my ears and sealed the world out. And boy do they seal out the world.

Photograph: Parker Hall

I tested them with neighbors doing construction work, my HVAC sounds, and a crying baby, and I can firmly say few buds offer this level of overall silence. They easily rival Apple's best, and come close to the best from Sony and Bose.

Turn on your music, and you're instantly transported to the studio or stage. The sound stage is wide for wireless earbuds. Sam Beam's “Kiss Me Quick” comes across with a wide soundstage that features strings just at the edge of my musical vision, with a thuddy kick drum and snippy hi-hat right down the middle. His and Jesca Hoop's voices blend perfectly in the midrange, with defining gravel that can get lost in Beam's voice on worse headphones.

Turning to stuff with more bass, I have been enjoying the vibey vintage sound of Remi Wolf lately, and the slightly panned low end on her song “Motorcycle” feels supple and soft, not wompy. New acoustic cavities in the headphones are designed to improve the treble, but they clean up the entire soundstage below that, making for a very energetic and joyous listening experience.

Easy to Use

Another impressive thing is how well the transparency mode works on these. It lets in the full bandwidth of outside sound without feeling like a tinny reproduction, as many cheaper earbuds do. I can type and listen to music and still hear my wife calling my name. I can make sure I'm not going to be hit by some random Dodge Ram when I'm skittering across a major intersection.

Even passive noise isolation without the active noise canceling enabled is pretty awesome on these earbuds. And if you want to eke out more than the eight hours of playback you get with ANC on, turning it off gets you an extra four hours, for a total of 12. Either way, they have more juice than the AirPods Pro, which has an appalling four- to five-hour battery life between charges (with ANC on).

Photograph: Parker Hall

Switch between your computer and cell phone, and the headphones are smart enough to know it. You can answer a call on your phone while also connected to your computer, which is super helpful for multitaskers.

One thing I find underwhelming, as I have with all voice assistants so far, is the Gemini integration. You press the buds to ask every question to standard Gemini, including follow-ups, which is very annoying if you have multiple questions at once. Google has also integrated a wake phrase ("Hey Google, let's talk") to open its Gemini Live conversational AI.

The prompt opens Gemini Live, and you can ask it anything you can think to ask an AI for—from restaurant reviews to a good workout schedule based on your current day's activities. You can even interrupt it if you think it's missing your point, and it will follow context.

I'd rather use this functionality in the Gemini Live app on my phone, so I don't have to speak them out loud, but if you are hard of sight or simply hate typing, the wake word and Gemini Live might be more impressive to you. I'd note that as long as you have the Gemini app, you can open Gemini Live and use it with any other pair of headphones. You don't need Pixel Buds Pro 2 to use Gemini Live, it's just to have the wake word.

I would trade these features in a heartbeat for the myriad hearing assistance tools Apple is adding to its AirPods Pro via a software update. After all, almost any headphones with Android can connect to Gemini Live. If you're looking for a pair of buds that might also help you hear a little better, those are still what I would choose.

As far as a pair of headphones that do everything else you'd ask of them in all contexts, there are very few earbuds I can recommend as highly as the new Pixel Buds Pro 2. They have excellent noise canceling, work great on calls, and have long enough battery life to last an entire workday. I can see why Google raised the price by $30 over the last pair, and they're worth the extra cash. These are probably the best high-end earbuds for Android that exist right now.