Rumour has it a new pair of Google wireless earbuds are about to break cover. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 have leaked, and look like an improvement on their predecessors. Which is good news, as the original Pixel Buds Pro only scored three stars in our review.
Google has a lot to do if it wants to compete with the best wireless earbuds around. This is a fiercely competitive market – there's no room for also-rans. Let's see what it needs to work on.
1. A better fit
When it comes to earbuds, a good fit is pretty crucial. And sadly the Pixel Buds Pro fall way short in this regard.
We certainly noticed them in our ears during longer listening sessions, which is not something you want from a pair of earbuds – ideally, they should be so comfy you forget you're wearing them. But worse than that, they just don't feel like they sit right. This was a problem that multiple members of our review team found, so it wasn't just one person with odd-shaped ears.
This issue doesn't only make them uncomfortable, it also means they're more likely to fall out during a run or head-banging session. And it impacts the active noise cancellation (ANC), as without a good seal, the effect is very limited.
It's not that Google hasn't tried. The earbuds come with three sizes of eartips and an eartip fit test within the Pixel Buds app. But it's in the execution that the Big G falls flat – the fit test said we had a good fit with all three sizes of eartips, yet none felt right. Back to the drawing board please, Google.
2. Longer battery life
The original Pixel Buds Pro are also a bit lacking in the battery department. The issue isn't uncommon – ANC is a real battery drain – but rival pairs do give you more runtime both from a single charge and overall.
The Pixel Buds Pro offer seven hours of playtime from the earbuds, and 20 hours in total including from the case (that's with ANC on). The Sony WF-1000XM5 give you eight and 24 hours, respectively. But that's nowhere near the industry leaders.
That honour goes to the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, which manage a whopping 16 hours of runtime from the buds and a total of 52 hours with the case, and that's with noise cancellation activated. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 also manage six hours and 30 hours, respectively. Both of which make the Pixel Buds Pro look a little underwhelming.
3. A more balanced sound
This was the real surprise for us. Google's entry-level pair, the Pixel Buds A-Series, sound very good, which helped them earn five stars in our review. But the Pixel Buds Pro aren't the step up we were hoping for.
First, the good. They are certainly upfront and energetic, with plenty of pace. And detail is passable but unremarkable. There's not an abundance of nuance and subtlety, but for the money, that's to be expected.
What's less acceptable is the balance, and it's an issue at both ends of the frequency range. The bass bloat can make the presentation overly warm, while the treble isn't nearly refined enough for our tastes. They're a lot less expansive than the AirPods Pro 2, dynamics are lacking, while the midrange struggles for definition between two harsh extremes of the frequency range. Must do better.
4. Support for higher-quality codecs
We don't pretend that the sound quality issues could be fixed by supporting higher-quality Bluetooth codecs. But it might help. The treble in particular could benefit from a better-quality Bluetooth connection.
It's a puzzle as to why the Pixel Buds Pro don't support more advanced codecs like aptX HD, when Android phones do. These are supposed to be 'Pro' buds, after all. Hopefully Google can right this wrong with the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
5.Better call quality
This is no one's priority when considering a pair of wireless earbuds, but nevertheless it's an important aspect. If you're using them a lot – be it to listen to music or just cocooning yourself in silence using the ANC – then you'll doubtless use them to field calls. And it helps if you can hear what the caller is saying.
While a still day posed no problems, we found that windy conditions caused some issues for the Pixel Buds Pro. When a gust blew, the person on the other end of the line reported that our words became clipped and difficult to understand. Not ideal. Fingers crossed Google gives this area its due attention for the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
MORE:
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: price leaks, release date rumours, possible features and more
Best wireless earbuds: top pairs tested by our experts
And the best cheap wireless earbuds
