The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first active noise-canceling wireless earbuds, and they still beat most of the competition in this area. In addition, the plugs celebrate with an excellent sound, high wearing comfort and endurance.

Last year, Google delivered a real price hit with the Pixel Buds A. At only 100 euros, they deliver great sound and are among the most comfortable wireless earphones on the market. Although the A-Class is fairly spartan, on top of all they lack active noise cancellation (ANC), which is now common on even cheap Bluetooth plugs. The new Pixel Buds Pro has this feature and much more to offer, but it’s significantly more expensive at just under 220 euros. Tried ntv.de if they’re worth it.

Pixel Buds Pro are pretty inconspicuous earbuds.

Taking the charging case out of its box, you’ll assume that Google hasn’t changed much other than adding ANC, so it looks like an A-class box. However, the case is a bit big and when you open it up and take out the earbuds, you can see that the Pixel Buds Pro are more than just an evolution.

The new earbuds no longer have silicone fins to sit securely in the ear and their bodies are more bulbous and larger. Still, the rounded surface protruding from the ear is slightly smaller, making the new Buds a little more inconspicuous than the A-Class.

The Pixel Buds Pro box (left) next to the A-Class case.

What is more important, however, is that they sit just as comfortably and securely. The condition, however, is that the attachments, which are only available in three different sizes, fit. You can check if this is the case in the app, which also uses animations to demonstrate how to use and operate the earphones correctly. If the app confirms to be the perfect fit, you’ll be rewarded with excellent sound.

The 11 millimeter drivers’ bass is powerful but surprisingly elastic. This means that they have real depth and are always present without overpowering themselves. Instead, they give well-defined mids the priority they deserve. In addition, there are clear heights that provide many details. Like bass, they don’t overshoot the mark and don’t hurt the ears, even at high volumes.

The inner workings of the earphones.

So that the Pixel Buds Pro doesn’t get too reserved when listening to quiet music, you can activate the so-called volume equalizer in the app, which adjusts bass and treble. This is more of a placebo effect, you hear the difference more clearly the quieter you turn down the music.

Overall, the earphones are very adaptable and hit the right notes with every genre of music in the various Spotify test playlists. High-resolution content was not required as the Pixel Buds Pro does not support the associated Bluetooth codecs such as aptX.

Engineers have also done a great job with active noise cancellation, which is supposed to adapt to the size of the user’s ears. Whether this is the case cannot be verified, but one can hear that Google’s algorithms work excellently. ANC not only effectively suppresses persistent background noise such as train hissing or traffic noise. It also reduces office noises to a great extent like rumble of keyboard or conversations with co-workers. The typical background noise of the ANC is kept within limits and the sensors ensure that a specific sense of pressure is not generated in the first place.

Google’s new earbuds come in four different colors.

It’s also pleasant that the Pixel Buds Pro suppress wind noise well, as long as the wind isn’t too harsh. Noise cancellation is also very effective for phone calls, you can be understood well even in very noisy intersections and conversation partners seem clear and distinct. As for the pros, the new Google earbuds also have a transparency mode that amplifies ambient noise when needed.

ntv.de hasn’t been able to do an exciting thing yet, as it won’t be available until autumn: in conjunction with a compatible Pixel smartphone, the earphones can then handle 3D spatial audio.

The Pixel Buds Pro’s touch controls are simple, but there’s little to be desired. To increase or decrease the volume, swipe forward or backward on one of the buds. With one, two or three taps you control playback and handle calls. If you unplug a plug, playback automatically stops. With long touches you can decide whether the assistant is started on the left or right, or you switch between ANC and transparency modes.

To just switch off ANC, you have to switch on the app, which is a bit cumbersome. An update can change this relatively easily. It’s questionable whether an update to the somewhat spartan app will eventually bring an equalizer for individual sound adjustments or other useful additions. Eventually, you can use the app to find lost buds via beeps and activate simultaneous connections with two devices. You can also use the Pixel Buds Pro with an iOS device if you want, but then you’ll have to do it completely without an app.

There is nothing wrong with the endurance of the earphones. Google specifies the Pixel Buds Pro’s runtime of seven hours with Active ANC, which was confirmed in daily testing. The charging box has a reserve for another 14 hours. Without noise suppression, the buds last up to eleven hours, with the case 31 hours. Unlike the A-Class, the Pro Box can be inductively charged.

It’s also worth noting that users don’t have to worry about sticking little spies in their ears with buds. If you don’t want to rely on the convenience of Google’s digital assistant, the plugs don’t go over any data, as a test with DuckDuckGo’s app tracking protection showed.

Overall, Google can live up to high expectations with Pixel Buds Pro, the earphones sport top notch with their strong sound, high comfort, very effective ANC and good endurance. However, they face many tough competitors in their price range that have similar or different qualities.

Among other things, while the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 or Sony LinkBuds S for 200 euros are attractive options, the highly durable JBL Live Pro 2 costs only 150 euros. And if you can do without the ANC and other extra features, the Pixel Buds A is still a pretty tempting proposition. Or you can have both: If you order the Pros by August 1, you’ll get the A-Class for free.

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