Better value, but nothing amazing

If there’s one thing the A-series Pixel is known for, it’s that it gives you a lot for a little. This means that the signifier “A” connotes valueThis applies to Google’s Pixel phones, but also… Pixel budsthe company’s line of wireless earbuds. In keeping with that Series A reputation, the Pixel Buds A series It was a good value when it was released in 2021. For $99, it’s fairly feature-rich, tends to have an ergonomic design, and offers enough passive noise cancellation to satisfy a lot of people who bought it. there He was However, there’s one thing they don’t have: active noise cancellation, known as ANC.

That may have been fine at the time, but this is 2025, and while companies may have been able to get away with less-than-ANC wireless earbuds a few years ago, even today’s most budget-friendly picks come with both active and passive noise cancellation capability. Clearly, Google knows this, and that’s why pixel buds 2a Add ANC and you still manage to keep the price down. That’s a tantalizing deal on paper, but there’s a lot that goes into making a pair of wireless earbuds worth buying in this day and age, which begs the question: Are Google’s A-series Pixel Buds still a great value?

More money, more noise cancellation

Let’s start from the top. the The Pixel Buds 2a is priced at $129which is a $30 premium over the last generation. This price bump, while not ideal, comes with some notable improvements, including ANC. It’s hard to overstate how important ANC is in a pair of wireless earbuds nowadays. It’s one of those things where, if you don’t have a pair of ANC buds, you might not get them, but once you have noise-canceling headphones, non-ANC buds seem indefensible.

The thing about ANC is that not all noise cancellation is created equal. As for the Pixel Buds 2a, Google claims that their ANC technology is 1.5 times better than the ANC technology on the speaker. Pixel Buds Pro (1st generation), which means you already get it more In this section of the Google Pro series. After using both the Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Buds 2a, I can confirm; Google gives you more ANC than you might expect here.

See Pixel Buds 2a at Amazon

See the Pixel Buds 2a at Best Buy

In my office, I was able to eliminate so much noise that I couldn’t even hear my coworkers talking. On the subway (the obligatory testing ground for ANC headphones), I was also surprised by how much noise the Pixel Buds 2a canceled out. I can still hear some train noise with the Pixel Buds 2a on, but it’s not what I would describe as annoying. They are better in the ANC division than None ear 3 Which I recently tested and are slightly better than the Pixel Buds Pro as promised. They’re not near the same level of ANC as the high-end options Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd generation)but these wireless earbuds also cost $299, so this comparison is a bit unfair.

I have had multiple moments where I felt as if the ANC had momentarily retreated, but it is difficult to pinpoint why; It was noticeable in noisy environments such as riding the subway or walking down the street after construction. For reference, the Pixel Buds 2a do not have the Adaptive ANC feature, nor do they have Adaptive Sound, which is a feature in Pixel Buds Pro 2 Which adjusts the volume in noisy environments. The issue wasn’t enough to scare me away from the Pixel Buds 2a, but it’s something I noticed during testing. If there is He is An issue of some sort, it’s something that can probably be fixed in a software update.

Overall, my impression is that you get a good amount of ANC for the value, and that the overall package feels larger once you start taking into account fit and feel.

The Pixel Buds 2a look and sound great

One area that I’m sure adds to the feeling of better noise cancellation than the competition is the fit of the Pixel Buds 2a. Like previous Pixel-branded wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds 2a are bottomless, which I like. Although they’re as nice as some wireless earbuds, like the Nothing’s Ear series, the stems sometimes tend to feel unwieldy and have a much higher chance of looking wonky once they’re in your ears if they’re not aligned on each side. The Pixel Buds 2a, on the other hand, fit comfortably in your ear perhaps more so than other generations, Pro or non-Pro.

This time, Google is including an “adjustable stabilizer,” which is a small lip under the bud portion. It’s a small design tweak, but the Pixel Buds 2a gets a lot of mileage out of it. As a result, wireless earbuds feel more planted in your ears, and inserting them requires less clamping. I’m pretty sure it contributes to some passive noise cancellation as well, because it makes making sure the buds are comfortable easy, and then it also creates a reinforced seal on the outside, which probably blocks out more noise. I have no way of verifying this, but based on my listening, that’s just it feel that way.

Outside of the stabilizer, the Pixel Buds 2a also look great. The pair I tested came in the “iris” color, which is a light purple color that some might describe as lilac. The Iris and Pixel Buds 2a are the right antidote Airpods“The monolithic white is both iconic and a bit boring at this point. The Pixel Buds 2a are also getting a redesigned case that’s a little thinner than the last generation, which isn’t too important at the end of the day, but it’s very welcome. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the feeling of my pockets being clogged with an unnecessarily thick charging case.”

Pixel Buds 2a battery life and sound

Outside of ANC, the Pixel Buds 2a are further improved in the battery department. This generation of A Series headphones has 7 hours of ANC playback, which is up from 5 hours in the previous generation. Anything around 6 hours of ANC playback is better than average in my experience, and obviously much better than 5 hours, which frankly isn’t up to par.

There is one caveat here, though, and it is in this case. Although the Pixel Buds 2a case has a nice, thinner feel, they’ll get slightly less battery life than the previous generation, but mostly due to the addition of ANC. The Pixel Buds 2a case is rated for 20 hours of battery if you’re using ANC and 27 hours with ANC off, and you’ll likely be using ANC most of the time. The first generation Pixel Buds A series are rated for up to 24 hours of battery life, though there’s no ANC in the equation to compare to.

In my testing, when listening to the Pixel Buds 2a in hourly increments over the course of a few days, I found these estimates to be accurate, putting them in the upper range for battery life among other wireless earbuds in this price range.

When it comes to sound, I’ve never been particularly impressed with the Pixel’s sound (and that goes for the Pixel Buds Pro as well), but I don’t I don’t like it whether. As for the Pixel Buds 2a, I’d say the general stance still applies. I find that the Pixel Buds 2a holds its own in the audio department. These aren’t particularly bassy buds, which is fine by me, but they are solid performers all-round. I listened to Daft Punk’s “Da Funk,” and found the soundstage on the Pixel Buds 2a to be smaller and generally less buzzy than competitors like OnePlus 4 budswhich really turns up the bass and low end in particular.

It’s hard to pinpoint, but I found the sound from the Pixel Buds 2a to be generally more muffled and flatter than competitors, including the Nothing Ear 3. This may also have something to do with the fact that both of the competitors I just listed have a dedicated equalizer, which better adjusts the wireless earbuds to my specific hearing. Whatever the reason, my point is that the Pixel Buds 2a are serviceable in the audio department, but they didn’t wow me. If you’re a fan of high-resolution audio and care about the frequencies you can hear and how good they sound, these probably aren’t the choice for you, even at this price.

Everything else on the Pixel Buds 2a

I wouldn’t say the Pixel Buds 2a are feature-packed, but you have a lot of bread and butter here. There’s a Transparency mode for when you want to use the wireless earbuds without ANC; There are tap controls to activate the voice assistant, play/pause, and track skipping; There’s also a hands-free feature twin And Gemini Live if either is your thing.

I used Gemini Live a bit to explore an album I was listening to (Pavement’s “Terror Twilight”) by calling up a live chat with the command, “Hey Google, let’s talk live,” and then asking when the album I was listening to was released. First, kudos to Gemini for even knowing what I was talking about; I understood that I was listening to a song on Spotify and wanted more context. We had a short chat about the album, when it came out, and whether I liked it, and then Jiminy asked what kind of music I liked, to which I replied, “Grunge and rock.”

Tastefully, Gemini recommended Mudhoney and not Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Who knew Gemini was a lover? Overall, Gemini Live can be kind of fun, although I don’t think I’ll start chatting with a chatbot very often. Maybe you will, though! And if that’s your thing, it’s nice to have such easy access built right into the Pixel Buds 2a.

© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo As always, the Pixel Buds 2a work best with Android devices, especially if you’ll be using the Pixel Buds app, which you still can’t download on iOS. There’s also the ability to use Google Find Hub to locate the buds if they get lost, which is great if you’re the type of person who likes to randomly throw away their wireless earbuds. There’s also spatial audio, which is increasingly becoming a thing in a lot of wireless earbuds, though I’m not entirely sure anyone cares about using it for most things. But hey, it’s there if you want to use it.

The thing is, the Pixel Buds 2a aren’t really about having all the great features. If you’re buying any A-series Google device, you’re looking for value, and this year, for $30 more, you get active noise cancellation (ANC) and much-improved battery life. As a bonus, you also get a pair of wireless earbuds that are very comfortable and nice-looking, and while they don’t win any superlatives from me, they still hold their own in the sound department. So, to answer the question we started with, “Are the Pixel Buds 2a a good deal?” Let’s just say I won’t try to stop you from buying a pair of shoes.

See Pixel Buds 2a at Amazon

See the Pixel Buds 2a at Best Buy