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For its 2024 back-to-school season, Google saw things in a big way by making four new smartphones official. A Pixel 9, a Pixel 9 Pro, a Pixel 9 Pro XL, as well as its first foldable model, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Attractive products that quickly found a wide response from the public, as proven by the latest results of the American company.
After this first salvo, the Mountain View firm unveiled its new pair of high-end true wireless headphones at the end of September. Unlike other Asian manufacturers, who are multiplying releases, Google took its time to refine its recipe. Indeed, two years separate the first Buds Pro of the name from this second iteration.
In truth, Google was mainly waiting for the right moment to be able to make its new headphones unique. With them, it is possible to communicate directly with the Gemini AI. This exclusivity demonstrates that, like Apple and Samsung, Google wants to build a complete ecosystem around its products. Indeed, the Buds Pro 2 offer exclusive features on Android, and even more so if you use a Pixel smartphone.
This differentiation can certainly pique the curiosity of the general public, but it cannot be kingmaker on its own. To stand up to fierce competition, Google must also be impeccable on the rest: comfort, audio and call quality, noise reduction and autonomy. Does the web giant manage to tick most of its boxes? ? After spending more than a month with the Buds Pro 2, here is our full review.
The new Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 headphones have been available since the end of September in four colors: almond green, porcelain, sage green and peony pink. When they were released, they were offered at the price of 249 euros.
A slimming cure for more comfort
Oval case with matte plastic coating, in-ear button format, rounded look and pastel chromatic. At first glance, these Pixel Buds Pro 2 are an exact copy of the first model released in 2022. Which in itself is not a bad thing, since these aesthetic choices were already successful at the time.
On closer inspection, Google has not completely twiddled its thumbs: a miniaturization of the product has taken place. Now, each earphone weighs 4.7 grams and measures 22.74 mm x 23.08 mm x 17.03 mm compared to 6.2 grams and 20.7 x 29.3 x 17.5 mm for the Pixel Buds Pro.
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This slimming treatment is welcome, since it reinforces a comfort and support that were already optimal. The installation gesture remains the same. After inserting the earphones, simply turn them slightly so that they fit perfectly into the ear canal. No discomfort is to be reported, the tip enters without force, while the rest of the structure, in particular the fin, does not press excessively on the tragus and the concha.
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While the design is nothing revolutionary, the execution borders on perfection.The Pixel Buds Pro 2 can be worn for long sessions and they stay firmly in place, even when you're on the move. This is a great point, since their IP54 certification makes them suitable for sports. For its part, the case retains the same measurements as in 2022, to within 2 mm, i.e. dimensions of 49.9 mm x 63.3 mm x 25 mm.
Ultra-complete connectivity, provided that….
With such a small touchscreen, we were initially afraid that our little chubby fingers would be responsible for a whole bunch of mishandling. This was not the case. The slides to control the volume and the different taps have excellent sensitivity.
For more than a month, all of our complaints have been perfectly executed. The only small problem: although the controls are implacably logical, it is impossible to customize them, except for a long press.
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As far as features go, these Buds Pro 2 are impressive. Provided first of all that they are on Android. Indeed, the Pixel Buds application is still not available on iOS. iPhone owners, move on as the user experience will be disappointing. You will be entitled to the bare minimum. Namely, being able to take advantage of the Bluetooth 5.4 chip compatible with the LE Audio standard, as well as with the classic SBC and AAC codecs.
For the others, you will be able to access an equalizer, settings to take care of your hearing well-being, a multipoint connection and the possibility of listening in mono. In addition to this, the “Switch Audio” feature will allow you to take a call directly on your headphones, even if you use them just before on another device, such as a laptop.
Finally, it is possible to locate your headphones via a beep, but also its case, since the latter is equipped with a small speaker. Rather ingenious.
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In the best worlds, if you are the lucky owner of a Pixel smartphone, two new doors open to you. The first contains spatial audio with head movements, while behind the second is a conversation detection.
When this option is activated, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are able to pause the music and activate the “Transparency” mode as soon as they detect your voice. Very useful in an open-space, this allows you to have a conversation on the fly without having to remove the earphones. On the other hand, remember to turn this feature off if you are the type to hum while listening to your favorite songs.
Impressive autonomy
Headphones that are 24% lighter and 27% smaller than their predecessors, while the case itself has almost the same dimensions… This detail had alerted us from the start. Not miniaturizing the Pixel Buds Pro 2 case is not a sign of laziness on Google's part, but a conscious choice in order to add the largest possible battery to its product.
On paper, the American firm announces 8 hours of battery life with noise reduction. Claims that are in line with reality. With a volume between 40 and 60%, an active RBA and a slight boost in the midrange, the headphones were able to last around 7h50 during our timed test. Which puts them right at the top of the pile alongside the Sony WF1000XM5.
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Without noise reduction, the Buds Pro 2 also manage to match the Japanese manufacturer's headphones by displaying a good dozen hours. And it's not over! The case has always been able to recharge our headphones about three times, which brings the total autonomy with noise reduction to around 30 hours and more than 45 hours without. It's simply amazing, Google does better here than Apple, Bose and Samsung.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000A stunning hands-free kit
Let's be honest! One of the big reasons for the success of the AirPods is that most people believe that these headphones offer one of the best calling experiences. Rightly or wrongly.
Aware of this, Google has paid particular attention to its hands-free kit on its new headphones. So that you can see for yourself, we recorded ourselves in a open space quiet and near a crossroads, a very noisy area.
As you can hear, in a quiet place, the voice is intelligible and no artifacts disturb the whole. At no time does it take on a metallic aspect as can be the case on some headphones. In addition, the whistling sounds are well transcribed.
In the midst of a hubbub, the voice is slightly more withdrawn on the high frequencies, without this harming understanding. Muffled or sudden noises (engines, horns, etc.) are well annihilated and do not interrupt speech at any time. In addition, the Pixels Buds Pro 2 manage sibilant syllables and wind rather well. It is a total success.
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Unfortunately, to get this result, we used the Clear functionality Calling… available (again) only on Pixel smartphones. With another phone, the experience will logically be a little less accomplished.
Improved sound quality, but …
Powered by 11mm transducers and a Tensor A1 chip that analyzes audio feedback via an internal microphone, the Buds Pro 2 have an ambitious technological base on paper. The result is an improved score compared to the previous model. It is possible to see this from the beginning of the spectrum.
Round and deep, the bass does not start off with the pedal to the metal, but takes the time to express itself. This has the effect of not swallowing up the low-mids, this starting fortress of many sounds. Thus, the scene is sufficiently wide and the separation of the instruments appreciable.
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Although they are slightly set back, the voices are never muffled. They can sometimes lack vigor, but it is not fundamentally shocking. We advise acoustic music lovers to take a little tour on the equalizer in order to project them slightly forward.
Surprisingly, Google is not too far behind on the high end of the spectrum, a part that is so difficult to manage. The Buds Pro 2 do not fall into the trap of aggressiveness or the ambush of sibilance here. The highs are subtly set back, which gives a soft aspect to listening.
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Despite a clear progression, this audio part still remains a slight notch below the industry leaders. Manufacturers like Sony, Bose or Technics manage to better manage the transitions between the three frequencies. Very important, these areas provide tonal balance and breadth to the listening experience. Two aspects on which the Buds Pro 2 are not totally august. The result is precise listening, but a little generic due to a slight lack of musicality and airiness.
Better noise reduction, but…
Much too average on the first Buds Pro, noise reduction also shows clear progress here thanks to the Tensor A1 chip. The most muted sounds, such as the tracks of a subway or the noise of an engine, are sufficiently emptied of their substance to no longer disturb the listening.
The attenuation is coherent and does not act jerkily, which allows you to stroll on a busy boulevard without unpleasant surprises as soon as a sudden noise rings out. On this part of the spectrum, no problem.
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On the mids, the improvement is noticeable, but there is still a bit of rigor in the execution. On the street, the conversions that are not very far away and in motion are quite muffled overall. On the other hand, in an open space, it's a different story. The Buds Pro 2 lose efficiency on the transition between the low and high mids, where the first harmonics of the voices are mainly located.
As a result, static and close discussions, as is often the case in an office, have a hard time completely disappearing. The feeling of isolation is present, but not total. Here too, a handful of manufacturers (Bose, Sony, even Samsung) remain a little above.
A voice assistant under Gemini Live, but…
This is one of the big new features of these Pixel Buds Pro 2, the ability to interact with the Gemini Live AI within Google's voice assistant. To do this, simply say out loud the famous sesame ” OK Google ” or by making a long press on one of the earphones.
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Overall, the answers are quick and generally well understood. It is possible to ask a general question, ask for their schedule for the next day or a brief summary of the last email received. The whole thing is obviously still improvable, especially in the quality of the summaries, but it is still practical. And above all, the improvement curve of this assistant 'AI will undoubtedly be fast enough.
On the other hand, the Gemini application has recently been available for free on all Android smartphones… As a result, the headphones do not become unique in only one respect: the ability to trigger the assistant via a gesture on the headphones. An exclusivity that is therefore a bit of a flop…
Powered by the Tensor A1 chip, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 improve on all points compared to the previous model. Even more comfortable, still as aesthetic and ergonomic, they clearly manage to raise their levels of sound quality and noise reduction. Enough to rise to the top of the basket, without dethroning Sony and Bose.
In terms of autonomy, Google is undoubtedly the best in the class. On the AI side, if the use of Gemini Live is appreciable, although still perfectible, it is not a selling point in itself.
That’s it for the common technical specifications. For the rest, everything will depend on the smartphone you have. If it’s an iPhone, that’ll be about it. If it’s an Android phone, then the connectivity and user experience will be almost complete.
And if you’re the lucky owner of a Pixel smartphone, then Google rolls out the red carpet for you by adding spatial audio, conversation detection and a Clear Calling function that enhances the hands-free kit. In short, the Google Buds Pro 2 equation becomes clearer. No, with an iPhone. We’ll see, with an Android smartphone. Yes, with a Pixel.
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