Hunting for a fresh pair of earbuds for your Android phone? The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are currently marked down to just $169 at Amazon, a $60 markdown from their usual price. I spotted the discounted price in three colors, Porcelain, Hazel, and Peony, with Moonstone and Wintergreen already sold out.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Photograph: Parker Hall
Photograph: Parker Hall
The good news is, these sound way better than the previous generation of Pixel Buds Pro, with upgraded drivers and better processing. They have a wide soundstage, particularly for wireless earbuds, that our reviewer Parker Hall says provides an “energetic and joyous listening experience” and handles a variety of genres with grace.
Google made some big improvements to the active noise-canceling as well, boosting it to levels that almost match Bose and Sony, the current top tier of ANC. It’s great at filtering out barking dogs, neighbor noises, and only high-frequency sounds manage to evade silencing. They have a great transparency mode as well, with a richer sound reproduction than we’re used to seeing on compact earbuds. You’ll get about eight hours of listening with ANC on, and closer to 12 with it off, which beats the Apple AirPods Pro.
While a lot of companies claim to use laser measurements and careful planning on their ergonomics, they often fall short of excellent comfort, but not Google. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are extremely comfortable, particularly for small ears, and have no trouble staying put, thanks to their rounded, flat shape. With an IP54 dust and moisture rating, they’re just as well suited for yoga as they are getting caught in the rain.
They work particularly well with Android phones, which enable a variety of convenience features like easy pairing and multiple connections. All you have to do is open the case near an Android phone and it will ask if you want to pair. The Pixel Buds app provides some extra features as well, but isn’t necessary, particularly since the Gemini AI features are pretty underwhelming.
While these are great for Pixel and other Android owners, there are better options if you have an iPhone, so make sure to swing by our guide and check out our favorite wireless earbuds for other options.
