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Google’s best yet
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
$179 $229 Save $50
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are Google’s newest pair of premium wireless earbuds. They are the company’s best yet, with solid ANC performance, good sound quality, and excellent battery life.
Pros- Clean and crisp sound
- Excellent active noise cancellation
- Great battery life
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An affordable alternative
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
$79 $99 Save $20
The Pixel Buds A-Series, Google’s budget wireless earbuds, offer a compelling value proposition. With decent sound quality and a comfortable wearing experience, these earbuds provide an affordable alternative for those on a budget.
Pros- Affordable
- Clean and balanced sound
- Good voice call quality
Cons- No ANC and custom EQ
- No wireless charging case
Google’s latest premium wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds Pro 2, are here with a ton of improvements over their predecessor. The new earbuds have an updated design, improved active noise cancellation (ANC), and better sound quality. But the Buds Pro 2 are also more expensive. Besides these premium earbuds, the company sells the Buds A-Series for more price-sensitive customers. The A-series earbuds have most of the essentials but lack features like ANC and spatial audio. So, are you better off spending more on the Buds Pro 2 or saving money with the Buds A-Series? Let’s find out.
Read our ranking
Best wireless earbuds in 2024
Your ears deserve the best, so choose the best wireless earbuds
Price, availability, and specifications
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 cost $229, whereas the A-Series cost just $99. It’s been a while since the launch of the A-Series, so the earbuds are often discounted, and sometimes they can be found for as low as $59. Both earbuds come in four colors and are widely available.
Here’s a look at their specifications before we delve deeper.
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Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Google Pixel Buds A-Series Battery Life 8 hours with ANC (30 hours with case) 5 hours (24 with case) Noise Cancellation Yes No IP rating IP54 (Earbuds), IPX4 (Case) IPX4 Charging USB-C, Qi wireless USB-C Driver size 11mm 12 mm Supported codecs AAC, SBC AAC, SBC Wired/wireless Wireless Wireless Dimensions and weight (earbuds) 22.74 x 23.08 x 17.03mm; 4.7g 20.7 x 29.3 x 17.5mm; 5.1g Dimensions and weight (case) 49.9 mm x 63.3 mm x 25mm; 65g (with earbuds) 63 x 47 x 25mm; 53.9g (with earbuds) Spatial Audio Yes No Multipoint support Yes No
Read our review
Review: The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a bright spot in a dull market
A perfect fit with a little extra flair
Read our review
Google Pixel Buds A-Series review: Basic, but not bad
Google’s $99 earbuds are fine
Design and fit
A redesigned stabilizer fin for better fit
Although the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the A-Series share the same design lineage, their actual design is somewhat different. For example, the Buds Pro 2 use a different stabilizer fin design that’s more subtle than the relatively larger ear hooks used in the Buds A-Series. This not only gives the Buds Pro 2 a better fit but also makes them more comfortable to wear for longer durations.
Otherwise, the two earbuds and their charging cases have an overall similar size. But the Buds Pro 2 have an advantage with IP54 dust and water resistance. The A-Series are only rated IPX4 for water resistance. Moreover, while the Buds Pro 2 charging case is IPX4-rated, the A-Series charging case has no water or dust resistance.
Both earbuds are also built well. They are made of primarily plastic and silicone and can probably handle a few tumbles.
Sound and call quality
The Buds Pro 2 easily outperform the A-Series
While the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Buds A-Series deliver decent sound quality, the Pro 2 stand out with their more detailed and balanced sound. Additionally, they support spatial audio with head tracking and custom EQ, features that are not available on the A-Series. However, the A-Series offers a bass boost function. The custom EQ is particularly helpful in the case of the Buds Pro 2, as not everyone will like the default sound profile, but the sound can be customized.
Another significant difference between the Pro 2 and A-Series is the availability of ANC in the former. The latter, being a pair of affordable earbuds, has no ANC. As a result, you also don’t get a transparency mode and conversation detection. And you often have to deal with ambient sounds, particularly if you are in noisy locations. However, there is some passive noise reduction, depending on the fit.
ANC works pretty great on the Buds Pro 2 and blocks out most of the ambient sound. The transparency passthrough also works as intended, and conversations can be had while keeping the music playing in the background.
Voice calls have long been a strong point of Pixel Buds, and that remains true for both the Pixel Buds A-Series and the Buds Pro 2. However, unlike the A-Series, which are primarily reliant on the dual beamforming mics and Clear Calling for good quality voice calls, the Buds Pro 2 also have a voice accelerometer and wind-blocking mesh covers to aid in this effort, resulting in even better voice call performance. Moreover, if you have the Pixel 8 or a newer Pixel phone and Android 14 or a newer OS, the Buds Pro 2 will leverage the Bluetooth Super Wideband (SWB) technology for improved noise reduction, enhanced clarity, and a more natural sound. The A-Series, unfortunately, don’t support Bluetooth SWB.
Features and battery life
The Buds Pro 2 are more feature-rich
The Buds A-Series is pretty bare-bones in terms of features. So, there is a gap in what you get on the Buds Pro 2 and the A-Series, but there are some common features. For example, both earbuds feature touch controls that can be used to play or pause, navigate to the next or previous track, and answer calls. You can also use the touch controls to trigger Google Assistant or Gemini, depending on which is available on your phone. And there is support for hands-free access to the Assistant and Gemini. However, touch-based volume control is only available on the Buds Pro 2, and not the A-series.
Both earbuds even support Google Fast Pair for quick connection with Android devices, have in-ear detection sensors to play or pause the media playback automatically, and support Find My Device for locating the earbuds.
However, features such as low-latency gaming mode and multipoint connectivity are limited to the Buds Pro 2 and are unavailable on the A-Series.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also have a significant battery advantage. They can last up to 8 hours with ANC and 12 hours without ANC. The charging case adds another 22 hours with ANC and 36 hours without ANC. In comparison, the A-Series can only offer about five hours of listening time, which can extend to 24 hours using the case. Remember, this is without ANC, as these earbuds have no ANC support.
Additionally, while the Buds Pro 2 and the A-Series can be charged using the USB-C port in the charging case, only the Pro model supports wireless charging.
Which is right for you?
It’s pretty clear that the Buds Pro 2 are better and much more feature-rich than the Buds A-Series. So, if you have the budget, the Pro 2 are an easy choice, with their excellent sound quality, fantastic ANC, and wireless charging support. You also get dust resistance, multipoint connectivity, and better battery life.
Editor’s choice
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Impressive performance and great battery life
$179 $229 Save $50
The Buds Pro 2 are the best wireless earbuds Google has to offer. They deliver a good sound quality, excellent ANC, and solid battery life.
However, the Pixel Buds A-Series can be a good alternative if you’re working on a tight budget. These are pretty basic but not bad by any stretch. You get decent sound quality, a comfortable fit, and Assistant or Gemini support, depending on your phone. These A-Series earbuds are also sweat and water-resistant.
Runner-up
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
An affordable alternative
$79 $99 Save $20
The Pixel Buds A-Series may not be as feature-rich as the Buds Pro 2. However, they deliver a decent sound quality and have the essentials.