Pixel Buds 2a Review: Google’s Best Earbud Features For Less
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The Pixel Buds 2a are a fantastic pair of earbuds as they provide a great fit for comfort, a great seal for noise cancelling, good-enough mics, and long-lasting battery life—all within a small package.
The last time I reviewed a pair of Google earbuds was the original Pixel Buds A-Series, so I missed out on the enhancements Google made for the Pixel Buds Pro 2. I’m looking forward to seeing how well the company has implemented its improvements since then, specifically in terms of design, comfort, audio quality, and battery life.
Enter Google’s $129 Pixel Buds 2a, which takes the best from the Pixel Buds Pro 2. In both visually and feature-wise (mostly), in a relatively smaller size and mildly lower price point. After seven days of using them in various scenarios, let’s dive into our thoughts to see exactly how much Google has learned about making budget earbuds.
The Pixel Buds 2a resembles a smaller version of Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2—down to its case. They are made from recycled plastic, have a matte finish over their outer touch sensors, where the ‘G’ logo is located, and their charging case retains its smooth, matte finish from previous models. The touchpads on each bud are responsive and customizable, with receptive access to hands-free Gemini.
Each bud also has two charging pins within its interior, which align with the pins inside the charging case. Google also made the charging case easy to repair; its battery is replaceable, and it’s trackable via the Find Hub with precise location. It includes an infrared proximity sensor for in-ear detection, which works as advertised. However, the case continues to transfer denim dye onto it, so don’t keep it in your pants pocket for long periods of time, like I did.
The Buds 2a mirrors the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in its design and is comfortable and lightweight enough to wear for hours at a time.
The Buds 2a are pretty lightweight, as they only weigh in at 4.7 grams per bud. As a reference, Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3 come in at 5.5 grams. The Buds 2a also has an IP54 rating, while its charging case has an IPX4 body to handle the elements. In other words, the earbuds can handle a combination of dust and water splashes, as their case can only protect against water splashes. Neither the Buds nor the case can handle being doused or fully submerged in liquid.
These earbuds easily feel like one of the best seals I’ve experienced on a pair of Google earbuds. Thanks to their design and adjustable stabilizers, these earbuds require you to insert them into your ears and twist to achieve a secure fit and seal. The seal was solid enough to run up to seven miles with these on, and the buds didn’t budge or move at all. Google also includes an ear-tip test to ensure a good seal before enjoying your media, as well as four silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, & L) included in the box.
Google armed its Pixel Buds 2a with 11mm dynamic drivers, which do a fantastic job handling the output in the audio department. I spent the majority of my testing listening to R&B music on Spotify, season 2 of Peacemaker on HBO Max, and various YouTube content (from movie clips, interviews, and podcasts). I love my bass output, as I atypically keep the 5-band EQ on the Heavy Bass setting. It does an amazing job of hitting the highs, keeping the mids, and pumping the lows while providing a wider soundstage for being smaller earbuds.
With dynamic 11mm drivers, powerful ANC, spatial audio, and seamless multipoint switching, the Pixel Buds 2a set a new bar for affordable premium earbuds.
While Sony and other non-Apple earbuds have spoiled my ears with the addition of higher-quality sound profiles, these buds omit them yet support Spatial Audio (without head-tracking, though) and produce superb audio—regardless of whether I’m listening to music, gaming, or streaming movies and shows. It also supports Bluetooth 5.4 along with an Apple-like multipoint connection with device switching. The feature allows you to quickly swap connections between multiple Pixel devices. The feature works well, as I was able to quickly swap between the Pixel 10 Pro (where my personal eSIM is) and the 10 Pro XL for media and calls.
The Buds 2a are equipped with two microphones, which are used in combination with Google’s Tensor A1 chip, which handles low-latency audio processing, and Silent Seal v1.5 to handle the buds’ Active Noise Cancelling feature. So what is Silent Seal? It lives up to its name by adapting to the ear to create a more perfect seal, which keeps outside sound from leaking in. In the process, the feature helps the ANC become more effective. The overall result leads to the Buds 2a having some superb noise-canceling on board. Google also added an AI-powered wind and background noise reduction for calls. I took a few phone calls in various conditions, such as driving with the windows down on a highway or at a busy market, and these buds did a reasonable job in allowing me to be heard. Are there better earbuds with ANC out on the market? Yes. However, there aren’t many at this level for under $200.
Google quotes the Pixel Buds 2a to last up to 7 hours with ANC on and up to 10 hours with the feature turned off. But if I’m being honest, the battery life of these buds was difficult to drain. I usually don’t wear earbuds for several hours at a time, maybe two hours at the most if I’m going for a run. However, I really appreciate the current state of battery life of earbuds, where you can wear them that long and still have plenty of juice left. For 4 hours at a time, I tested them over several days with both ANC and Transparency modes on. With ANC on, I put them back in their case with around 44% of juice, and with ANC off, I got around 52%. The Buds 2a case can provide up to 2.5 full charges to the earbuds. In addition to a long-lasting battery, its charging case supports fast charging, where a 5-minute charge provides 1 hour of juice with ANC turned on.
My experience with Google’s earlier earbuds was fine. I felt like they didn’t stay in my ears for long periods of time. The audio was fine, but it didn’t get as loud as I would have liked. This was definitely not the case here. The Pixel Buds 2a are a fantastic pair of earbuds to add to Google’s ecosystem of products. They provide a great fit for comfort, a great seal for noise cancelling, good-enough mics, and long-lasting battery life—all within a small and amazing package. However, I do have one small qualm about these buds.
I feel as if the price point between the Buds 2a and the Buds Pro 2 is too close to make a clear distinction between Google’s budget and premium offerings. At $129, it brings over Google’s Tensor A1 chip, active noise cancellation, and a replaceable battery in its charging case, all well-executed within a neat package. Or for $100 more, you can pick up the top-tier Pixel Buds Pro 2, which offer an additional microphone for enhanced noise cancellation, include wireless charging, and provide longer battery life.
Despite my one criticism, these buds are great. If you’re already in or new to the Google ecosystem, the Pixel Buds 2a would be an amazing add-on.
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