Good enough to be Android’s AirPods Pro killer?

Google’s subsequent era of true wi-fi earbuds they usually’re going “Professional” for the primary time. We’ve been testing the Pixel Buds Professional for a few days and we figured it’d be a good suggestion to provide some impressions of Google’s flagship buds.

Meet the brand new look, identical because the outdated look

The Google Pixel Buds Professional don’t precisely reinvent the wheel, visually talking. These true wi-fi earbuds function the identical rounded Mentos-esque look because the Pixel Buds A-series and 2020 Pixel Buds, solely now they lack the little wing tip nubbins. This implies the buds are rather less safe in your ear, however they might additionally really feel a bit of extra comfy if the outdated design prompted you ache. The Pixel Buds Professional additionally are available new colours, with a pale yellow Lemongrass choice and a pinkish Coral, along with the standard Fog (white) and Charcoal (black).

The case seems to be nearly precisely the identical as that of the Pixel Buds A-series, but it surely’s acquired some additions below the hood. For starters, it’s now IPX2 rated (the earbuds themselves are IPX4), so that you gained’t have to fret about opening it in a rainstorm. Sadly, that new colour choice doesn’t apply to the case, because it solely is available in white.

Really utilizing the Pixel Buds Professional is just about what you’d count on from the common pair of true wi-fi earbuds. There’s on-ear contact controls, and you may deal with playback and toggle between energetic noise-cancelling (ANC) and Transparency modes with faucets or tapping and holding.

Quantity controls are dealt with by swiping forwards (quantity up) and backwards (quantity down), which is an attention-grabbing contact, however I really feel a bit of blended about it. It’s good to not have the uncomfortable suction impact of tapping instantly on one thing sticking into my ear every time I wish to change the quantity. Nevertheless, the touch-sensitive floor has a matte texture, which suggests swiping throughout it could possibly tug at it a bit of — given these new earbuds lack the stabilizing fins of their predecessors, that’s an issue. A handful of the instances I’ve tried to extend the quantity, I’ve pulled the appropriate earbud out of my ear. The Pixel Buds Professional have in-ear detection, which suggests this additionally pauses music, too.

The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.0 and help the default SBC audio codec, in addition to AAC. It’s sort of a bummer that the maker of Android didn’t trouble including an audio codec that Android units can actually thrive with like aptX, however I haven’t run into any points with latency or notably poor connection high quality. If you happen to’re already used to a non-Hello-Res Bluetooth audio expertise, this in all probability gained’t really feel any completely different than ordinary.

If you happen to’ve acquired a Pixel telephone, the Google Pixel Buds app is already put in — simply go to the related units web page of your Settings app, and you may entry all of the software program choices the Pixel Buds Professional have to supply. Everybody with a unique sort of Android telephone might want to obtain the Google Pixel Buds app from the Play Retailer. Whereas you should utilize the Pixel Buds Professional with an iPhone (or an iPad), there isn’t a devoted app.

The options are fairly nicely specified by the app (and the Pixel equal), however the choices are positively a bit of on the sparse aspect. You’ll be able to customise among the controls — including a standard mode choice is sweet, as a substitute of being caught all the time selecting between ANC and Transparency mode — however numerous the fundamental stuff is ready. There’s no method to change the way you management the quantity when you don’t like often pulling your earbuds out.

There’s no direct equalizer, and even EQ profiles, however Google has added a function known as Quantity EQ, which adjusts the bass and treble output relying on how loud your earbuds are. Mainly, it makes the lows and highs simpler to listen to as you scale back the quantity. There’s no method to connect this to an on-ear management, so switching backwards and forwards requires switching apps, and makes evaluating a bit of difficult. Up to now it appears to work nicely sufficient, however the distinction is fairly minimal.

The Pixel Buds Professional are presupposed to help Spatial Audio via its app, however at time of penning this isn’t accessible. In response to Google, that’s coming within the fall.

Google advertises seven hours on a single cost for the Google Pixel Buds Professional with noise-cancelling on. We haven’t carried out any in-depth battery checks but, however primarily based on my expertise that feels proper. I positively haven’t felt like I’m working out of juice all through the times, particularly given how a lot the earbuds go out and in of their charging case. With noise-cancelling on, Google claims 20 hours complete playback time, which might imply round 13 hours within the charging case — once more, that feels fairly correct.

The case additionally helps wi-fi charging now, which is a pleasant addition.

The noise-cancelling is superb

Arguably the largest change between Google Pixel Buds Professional and the Pixel Buds A-series is that Google determined so as to add ANC. This function might be hit and miss with true wi-fi earbuds, but it surely appears fairly good right here. If you happen to don’t have any audio taking part in, there’s a slight noticeable hiss, however I finished noticing inside seconds of beginning to play media.

Nevertheless, on stability, the Pixel Buds Professionals’ ANC appears superb to this point. Low-end attenuation is certainly ok for a bus commute or perhaps a aircraft trip. You in all probability gained’t be fully remoted from somebody speaking proper subsequent to you, but it surely’ll make that loads much less distracting.

How do the Pixel Buds Professional sound?

Our sister website SoundGuys has in-depth testing outcomes forthcoming, however to this point my expertise has been that the Google Pixel Buds ship strong audio high quality. The bass is certainly boosted a bit of greater than I get pleasure from, however rock and pop songs sound nice. Listening to a music like “I Can Fly Away” by Delicate Steve, most features of the music sound fairly good. The hi-hat can really feel a bit of piercing at reasonably excessive volumes, which normally signifies some added treble emphasis. Most rock songs I listened to sounded completely effective, although.

How is the microphone?

The Google Pixel Buds Professionals’ microphone is, in a phrase, effective. I haven’t had any points making calls indoors, however listening to the way it sounds, it’s fairly apparent that is no showstopper. I can’t think about anybody will get something worthwhile making an attempt to report one thing like a podcast with these earbuds.

Must you purchase the Google Pixel Buds Professional?

The Pixel Buds Professional really feel like a good choice when you’re an Android consumer searching for one thing akin to the Apple AirPods Professional — its microphone isn’t pretty much as good, however the battery life and noise-cancelling are positively fairly spectacular. Nevertheless, the unfinished app expertise is fairly disappointing to this point — not even with the ability to EQ the earbuds looks like a evident omission, particularly in comparison with different competing merchandise, lots of which gained’t run you $199.

The Sennheiser CX Plus True Wi-fi ($179) help aptX and may do nearly every part the Pixel Buds Professional can do — minus issues like Quick Pair and multipoint — all for round $80 much less. The extra anonymous-looking Sony Linkbuds S ($198) price much less, and convey a way more complete software program expertise. In the meantime, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Professional ($199) could also be as costly because the Pixel Buds Professional, however they continue to be a preferred choice for Android customers. If ANC isn’t that essential to you, the Pixel Buds A-series ($99) are additionally nonetheless a good choice, and are significantly cheaper than the Professional mannequin.