Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: Which should you buy?

To be king of the wi-fi earbud hill, an organization should overthrow Apple. Many have tried to outperform the Cupertino firm, however none have taken away its lion’s share of the market. In our Google Pixel Buds Professional vs AirPods Professional 2 comparability, we see how nicely Google’s earbuds examine to Apple’s and if proudly owning an Android cellphone prohibits you from utilizing the AirPods Professional (2nd technology).

Let’s get the largest distinction out of the best way: the Pixel Buds Professional price $50 lower than the AirPods Professional 2. With the Pixel Buds Professional, you get lots of the similar options because the AirPods Professional 2. Most Android units can use the Pixel Buds Professional options, whereas the AirPods Professional 2 lock you into Apple units. That mentioned, you may nonetheless join the AirPods Professional to an Android cellphone and use the Pixel Buds Professional with an iPhone. Doing so would simply prohibit you from accessing lots of the following options.

With the Pixel Buds Professional, you should use the Pixel Buds app from the Google Play Retailer. This allows you to customise the tap-and-hold command of the buds, choose your listening mode, and toggle automated put on detection on or off. The AirPods Professional 2 have an analogous listing of choices within the iOS/iPadOS Settings app. Not like Apple, Google lets listeners create a customized sound profile and join to 2 units concurrently. Apple’s AirPods Professional 2 lack each of those options.

Google’s five-band EQ got here after the earbuds’ launch. Listeners who don’t wish to putz round with the customized equalizer bands can use six EQ presets to alter the sound as an alternative. Within the app, you’ll additionally discover a Quantity EQ for the Pixel Buds Professional, which adjusts the bass and treble on the fly. Equally, Apple has an Adaptive EQ, which is at all times enabled throughout working techniques. This adjusts the bass and mids in actual time based mostly in your ears. The mechanisms differ, however the purpose of Google’s and Apple’s automated EQs is to breed constant sound high quality in numerous circumstances.

Sound high quality and noise canceling are a good bit higher with the AirPods Professional 2 than with the Pixel Buds Professional. However once more, you may simply regulate how the Pixel Buds Professional sound from most Android units. In the meantime, Apple doesn’t even let iPhone house owners take management of their earbuds’ sound high quality.

So far as design goes, nicely, it’s like evaluating apples to oranges. The AirPods Professional 2 and Pixel Buds Professional don’t look alike. Apple’s buds have the corporate’s signature stemmed design and power sensors for controlling media playback and calls. In distinction, the Pixel Buds Professional have a stem-free construct with commonplace faucet and swipe gestures for controlling playback and such. Each units of buds help quantity controls, which isn’t a given amongst wi-fi earbuds. I discovered the AirPods Professional 2 supplied a extra comfy, secure match than the Pixel Buds Professional. Making quantity changes on the Pixel Buds Professional loosened the match, which wasn’t a problem with Apple’s buds.

Apple and Google’s earbuds share the identical IPX4 water-resistance score, that means they will endure water splashes from any course. The instances are each waterproof, however the AirPods Professional 2 case has an IPX4 score. This makes it a bit extra resilient than the Pixel Buds Professional case’s IPX2 score.

You get spatial audio and head monitoring with both set of earbuds when paired to a suitable gadget. For the Pixel Buds Professional, which means utilizing the earbuds with a Pixel 6 or Pixel 7 collection cellphone working Android 13 or later. For the AirPods Professional (2nd technology), accessing customized spatial audio with head monitoring requires an iPhone with iOS 16 or later. To reap the benefits of these buds’ spatial audio capabilities, you have to stream suitable content material from sources like Disney Plus.

Pixel Buds Professional vs AirPods Professional 2: Noise canceling

For one of the best lively noise canceling (ANC) efficiency between these two earphones, we advocate the AirPods Professional 2. Apple’s ANC edges out Google’s. Low frequencies will sound a contact quieter with the AirPods Professional 2 than the Pixel Buds Professional. When reviewing the AirPods Professional 2 and Pixel Buds Professional, I may inform that Apple’s ANC canceled extra neighboring building in comparison with the Pixel Buds Professional.

We will dig into the noise canceling particulars with the comparability chart above. The cyan line represents the Pixel Buds Professional, and the dashed pink line represents the AirPods Professional 2. The upper every line, the extra noise the earbuds’ ANC blocks out. As you may see above, the AirPods Professional 2 line is constantly increased than the Pixel Buds Professional line.

With regards to noise canceling and isolation, the 0-2,040Hz vary is what you wish to pay probably the most consideration to. In case your earbuds can’t block out this frequency vary, chances are you’ll discover poor audio high quality in loud areas. As a reminder, the Pixel Buds Professional vs AirPods Professional 2 noise canceling comparability chart exhibits the earbuds’ ANC with a super match. You could expertise sub-optimal efficiency in case your earbuds match loosely, so it’s essential to make use of the earbuds’ respective ear tip match checks.

Out of the field, the Apple AirPods Professional (2nd technology) sound significantly better than the Google Pixel Buds Professional. Apple’s sound profile works nicely with all music genres. The AirPods Professional 2 deal with busy choruses nicely. The earbuds’ bass response nonetheless permits vocals and higher-pitched devices to sound clear. This isn’t the case with the Pixel Buds Professional.

By default, the Pixel Buds Professional increase the bass and treble much more than the AirPods Professional 2. When testing the Pixel Buds Professional and AirPods Professional 2 facet by facet, I discovered the Pixel Buds Professional made cymbal hits sound far too loud. The music I Am America by Shea Diamond was troublesome to get pleasure from with Google’s buds. The AirPods Professional 2, alternatively, made dealt with this music significantly better.

As mentioned within the specs part, the customized equalizer is a significant perk of utilizing the Pixel Buds Professional with an Android gadget. Listeners can have an effect on how the Pixel Buds Professional sound and tailor it to their preferences. In the meantime, with the Apple AirPods Professional 2, you’re on the mercy of Apple’s admittedly good tuning.

To dive deeper into our Pixel Buds Professional vs AirPods Professional 2 sound high quality comparability, take a look at the chart above. This visualizes how these units of earbuds sound totally different from each other. The cyan line represents the Pixel Buds Professional, and the yellow dotted line represents the AirPods Professional 2. The pink line represents the SoundGuys Goal Curve; SoundGuys is our audio-focused sister website.

The Pixel Buds Professional deviate way more from the Goal Curve than the AirPods Professional 2. As I heard whereas testing the buds, treble frequencies will sound as much as two instances louder via Google’s earphones than Apple’s. Whereas particular person preferences might stray from the Goal Curve, that is our reference for what most listeners will deem good sound high quality.

In ideally suited circumstances, each microphone techniques are excellent and relay clear audio. The AirPods Professional 2 make voices sound a bit louder than the Pixel Buds Professional. Towards the top of the AirPods Professional 2 microphone demo beneath, audio cutouts accompany that further quantity increase.

Like the best microphone demos, the AirPods Professional 2 relay louder audio than the Google Pixel Buds Professional in our workplace circumstances mic demos. The AirPods Professional 2 suppress extra background noise than the Pixel Buds Professional, which is an effective factor. But, the tradeoff is that the AirPdos Professional 2 additionally suppress the speaker’s voice from time to time. The Pixel Buds Professional don’t block as a lot background noise, which can be distracting at instances, however the upside is Google’s buds by no means drop the speaker’s voice.

The Google Pixel Buds Professional have an official standalone battery lifetime of seven hours with ANC. The charging case gives an additional 13 hours of ANC music listening. Based on Apple, the AirPods Professional (2nd technology) final six hours with ANC, and the case gives an additional 24 hours of battery life.

We ran standardized checks on the Pixel Buds Professional and AirPods Professional 2. After subjecting every set of buds to fixed music playback peaking at 75dB (SPL), the battery outcomes are as follows:

• AirPods Professional (2nd technology), ANC on: 5 hours, 43 minutes.
• Pixel Buds Professional, ANC on: Seven hours, six minutes.

Not like the Google Pixel Buds Professional, the AirPods Professional 2 have battery optimization to increase the lifetime of the AirPods’ battery cells. This function prevents the buds from charging previous 80% till you have to use them. To make use of this function, you want a tool working iOS 15+ or iPadOS15+. It’s going to take a while on your iPhone or iPad to study your listening habits.

Quick-charging Google’s or Apple’s earbuds for 5 minutes will internet one hour of playtime. The Pixel Buds Professional and AirPods Professional 2 instances help Qi wi-fi charging, however Apple takes it a step additional by making its case MagSafe-compatible. For wired charging, you’ll want a USB-C cable with the Pixel Buds Professional and a Lightning cable with the AirPods Professional (2nd technology).

The Google Pixel Buds Professional price $199, making them $50 cheaper than the second-gen AirPods Professional. Google’s flagship buds go on sale round holidays like Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. We’ve seen the Pixel Buds Professional promotional pricing go as little as $149, however you might also see them for $169.

The Apple AirPods Professional (2nd technology) have a $249 price ticket. Whereas that is costly, Apple’s earbuds aren’t the priciest flagship buds round. The Sony WF-1000XM4 ($178 at Amazon) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 ($249 at Amazon) unique costs are increased than the AirPods Professional 2 by $30 or extra. Like Google’s earbuds, the AirPods Professional 2 go on sale across the vacation season. We’ve noticed them on promotion for $199, matching the Pixel Buds Professional retail value.

Should you personal an iPhone, the AirPods Professional (2nd technology) are a greater possibility than the Pixel Buds Professional. Pairing the AirPods Professional 2 with an iPhone makes for a robust, easy expertise. Software program options like battery optimization and customized spatial audio apart, the AirPods Professional 2 have higher ANC than the Pixel Buds Professional. Additional, the sound high quality is significantly better out of the field. Apple’s stemmed design is probably not for everybody, however I a lot favor it to how the Pixel Buds Professional match.

That mentioned, for those who personal an Android cellphone, the Pixel Buds Professional are a greater worth than the AirPods Professional (2nd technology). With the Pixel Buds Professional, you should use virtually the entire earbuds’ options on most Android telephones and tablets. Positive, Google’s ANC isn’t fairly nearly as good as Apple’s, but it surely comes shut. One other win for Google: the corporate permits you to customise the sound.

In the long run, the Google Pixel Buds Professional and AirPods Professional are very comparable merchandise that cater to totally different audiences. Should you personal an Android cellphone, the Pixel Buds Professional make way more sense on your wants. By the identical token, the AirPods Professional 2 make way more sense for iPhone house owners. You get comparable efficiency from every set of earbuds; they only come in numerous type components.