Using Your Pixel Buds Pro: A Hands-On Review

If you've ever used earbuds before but were unsure about how to use them, don't worry anymore. Most people are familiar with the basics of using earbuds - just swipe up and down to raise and lower the volume. However, some may be unfamiliar with more advanced features such as playing and pausing music or taking calls.

The case itself is nearly identical to the previous Pixel Buds cases, although it's worth noting that there might be slight variations in terms of millimeters off from one another. The case charges wirelessly, which is a preferred method for many users, but you can also use USB-C if that's your preference. However, please note that there is no USB-C cable included in the box, as it assumes you already have one.

The Pixel Buds Pro themselves have undergone some design changes, with the most noticeable being the absence of that little wingtip that helps fit things in your ear. At first, this feature was a bit skeptical, but turns out it fits pretty well. The buds have a looser feel and seem to let in a bit more ambient sound, which might not be ideal for everyone. Additionally, the active noise cancellation (ANC) may not be as effective as that of AirPods Pro.

One unique aspect of using the Pixel Buds Pro is how they make you feel. They're designed to put a negative pressure on your head or sinuses, similar to being in an anechoic chamber. This can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on your preferences. While some may enjoy the feeling of being in a vacuum-like environment, others might find it uncomfortable.

In terms of voice calls, they're not perfect - you'll hear a bit of wind noise if it's windy or you're running around. However, the overall sound quality is excellent, and you'll feel like you're talking over earbuds rather than wearing actual earbuds. The music playback is almost as good as that of AirPods Pro, with clear and crisp sounds at normal volumes.

One of the biggest advantages of using Pixel Buds Pro on an Android device is the availability of more settings and features through the Pixel Buds app. You'll get low-volume EQ adjustments, Android AI audio sharing, and tweaks to tap and long-press actions - all of which can enhance your overall listening experience. However, one notable omission is the ability to update firmware, which might be a deal-breaker for some users.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, the Pixel Buds Pro are excellent earbuds that offer great sound quality, comfortable design, and convenient features like wireless charging. While they may not match the AirPods Pro in terms of ANC effectiveness, they're still an excellent choice for Android users. At a price point of $200, which is significantly lower than the AirPods Pro, it's hard to go wrong with these earbuds. With spatial audio on the horizon, there's even more reason to consider the Pixel Buds Pro as your next pair of wireless earbuds.

Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro are a fantastic option for anyone looking for high-quality wireless earbuds that won't break the bank. They're perfect for music lovers, commuters, and Android enthusiasts alike. With their sleek design, comfortable fit, and impressive sound quality, it's no wonder why these earbuds are gaining popularity among tech enthusiasts.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to give the Pixel Buds Pro a try? Let us know in the comments below!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso when you think about earbuds with the word Pro in the name you're probably not thinking about these just yet but you should so these these are the pixel buds Pro they are the latest and most expensive in the pixel line and they live alongside the a series and they're more expensive because well they're better but how much better and is that extra money worth it I'm Phil Nickerson let's put these pixel buds Pro in the old ear holes and see how they sound and see how they stand up against everything else that's out there but first sure go like And subscribe and all that stuff you know what you're doing you've watched videos before right all right let's go do it all right one more thing first go read our full written review if you haven't already Simon Cohen did a magnificent job with uh just all those deep details on all the audio file stuff you will ever want me I'm a little less highfalutin so what makes a set of earbuds Pro well we can pretty much oversimplify that by leaning into one thing here okay Pro tends to mean active noise cancellation or a and C that's where the earbuds use the microphones to listen to what's going on around you and then cancel out all the background noise you just hear the music or podcast or whatever it is you're doing with your headphones and that's something Google hasn't had in the pixel buds line until now so it's a big deal for Google and it's also a big reason why these things cost two hundred dollars now to put it in perspective that's twice as much as what you would pay right now for the pixel buds a series but it is fifty dollars less than what the airpods pro retail for from Apple so that begs the question are you getting 20 less from what you'd get for buying airpods Pro we'll get into that in a second so here's we get on Google Side Of The Ledger for that extra money first they're available in four colors there's dark gray off-white sort of reddish orange flavor that I have here on loan from Google and there's a sort of weird like Gatorade neon nuclear yellow now you get better microphones and battery life than you get from the pixelbeds a series for sure you also get wireless charging for the case which is great I love that and you get something called multi-point connectivity which is a big deal it makes it super easy to switch from one device to another and if you're really all in the Android ecosystem and nowhere else Google has baked in its own sort of sharing AI stuff don't even worry about what it's called to try to anticipate what you're doing from one device to the next and make switching even easier the bottom line is it works great all right even if you're switching between an Android device and an iOS device uh at worst it's just a couple tabs to get things up and running again pretty much works the way it should now let's talk about ANC the active noise cancellation that's really the big deal here on the pixel bets Pro now on paper Google says you'll get about about 11 hours of playback without ANC and about seven if you turn it on now I don't know about you it's rare that I've got these things stuck in my head for that long at a clip pop them back into the case and it says you'll get 31 total hours without ANC and 20 if you leave it turned on now that by the way is more battery life than you will get with the airpods pro Full Stop on paper speaking of specs on paper one that is missing for now is something called spatial audio if you've ever used it on airpods Pro or the airpods max it's that sort of fancy three-dimensional spatial audio that makes it sound like the music is coming from all directions they use Dolby to help do that and it's pretty cool I can take it or leave it if you love it great if you hate it fine don't use it it is coming to the pixel buds Pro it's not here yet so we can't test it out yet I got nothing to say uh we'll just have to wait and see when Google updates the things now specs or specs right what are these things actually like to use so unbox the pixel buds Pro and you'll find the little earbuds and some extra tip sizes is in a little tube that's kind of cool I've never seen that package like that before there's also some paperwork that maybe you read maybe you won't there are some tips in there on all the little uh Taps and presses that you can do right self-explanatory if you've ever used earbuds before but you can play pause for you know swipe up and down to raise and lower the volume cool now the case itself is nearly identical to the previous pixel buds cases it might be a millimeter off here and there I didn't measure I don't care but it looks exactly the same now the case charges wirelessly which is how I prefer to do it or you can use USBC if that's how you'd rather go just note that there's no USBC Cable in the Box here right they're assuming you already have one and if you're watching this there's pretty good chance you do so the buds themselves are shaped a little different too most noticeably they're missing that little wingtip that helps fit things in your ear I was a little skeptical of that at first but turns out they fit pretty well it is a looser feel and it almost seems like it lets in a little more Ambient sound and on top of that the active noise cancellation maybe isn't quite as good it or tune the same as airpods probe but I'm actually okay with that airpods Pro tend to give me that sort of feeling like I'm in a vacuum or an anech chamber if you've ever been in one of those uh you know as most of us have uh you know it just feels like it puts a little negative pressure on your head or in your sinuses or something these were a lot more comfortable all in all I think I prefer it and even though the ANC isn't quite as good I was getting more high frequencies in especially in the gym it still worked great for things like I live next to an airport totally block the sound of a 737 taking off my yard guy was here cutting the lawn and I could hear the you know of the blades but the overall noise of a commercial grade lawnmower was totally gone which was cool same goes for the recycling truck when it went by I happen to have them in walked outside didn't hear a thing pretty neat so voice calls are fine uh you know there's a little bit of wind noise if it's windier or you're running or something but all in all they sound like they're are earbuds and you sound like you're talking over earbuds so nothing magical there it's pretty normal the big question uh music how does that sound pretty good actually uh almost as good if not as good I think as the airpods pro uh the sound gets maybe a little muddied at higher volumes uh that could also just be my ears and like 10 too many punk rock and metal shows growing up my ears are a little shot but at like normal volume levels and not blasting in my ears sounded great and by the way this is all true whether you're using them on an iPhone or as God and Google intended on Android uh look on the iPhone they work like bluetooth earbuds work right you just connect them and you get audio so yeah you get more options when you're using Android because there is the pixel buds app you get more settings you get the low Volume EQ that tweaks things just a little bit I had to listen real hard to notice anything not a big deal at all you get the cool Android AI audio sharing stuff which again meet when I work works and you can tweak you know what the Taps and the the long presses and all that stuff do really the biggest deal about using an Android phone with all this stuff is being able to update the firmware I think if you don't have an Android device go borrow friends somehow and use that to update your firmware otherwise you're stuck on what they said to you so what's the bottom line on the pixel buds Pro well they are damn good earbuds full stop maybe not quite as good as the airpods pro I'm splitting hairs at this point though I really enjoy both I really enjoy the sound out of both I enjoy the fact that the pixel buds Pro are 50 less than the airpods pro and if you're an Android person and if you know me I've been an Android person from time to time they're almost a no-brainer especially at that 200 price and especially when you consider they're probably going to go on sale at some point so they look good they feel good and most important they sound really good the ANC is real close to excellent the extra androidy stuff is great and the price is pretty competitive for what you're getting now just hang on because remember there's still more coming with spatial audio at some point when Google decides to update things all in all pixel buds Pro excellent excellent option from Google so that's it don't forget subscribe to the channel if you haven't already go like all the things hit the notification Bell so you hit every Digital Trends video as soon as it comes out it's it see you next timeso when you think about earbuds with the word Pro in the name you're probably not thinking about these just yet but you should so these these are the pixel buds Pro they are the latest and most expensive in the pixel line and they live alongside the a series and they're more expensive because well they're better but how much better and is that extra money worth it I'm Phil Nickerson let's put these pixel buds Pro in the old ear holes and see how they sound and see how they stand up against everything else that's out there but first sure go like And subscribe and all that stuff you know what you're doing you've watched videos before right all right let's go do it all right one more thing first go read our full written review if you haven't already Simon Cohen did a magnificent job with uh just all those deep details on all the audio file stuff you will ever want me I'm a little less highfalutin so what makes a set of earbuds Pro well we can pretty much oversimplify that by leaning into one thing here okay Pro tends to mean active noise cancellation or a and C that's where the earbuds use the microphones to listen to what's going on around you and then cancel out all the background noise you just hear the music or podcast or whatever it is you're doing with your headphones and that's something Google hasn't had in the pixel buds line until now so it's a big deal for Google and it's also a big reason why these things cost two hundred dollars now to put it in perspective that's twice as much as what you would pay right now for the pixel buds a series but it is fifty dollars less than what the airpods pro retail for from Apple so that begs the question are you getting 20 less from what you'd get for buying airpods Pro we'll get into that in a second so here's we get on Google Side Of The Ledger for that extra money first they're available in four colors there's dark gray off-white sort of reddish orange flavor that I have here on loan from Google and there's a sort of weird like Gatorade neon nuclear yellow now you get better microphones and battery life than you get from the pixelbeds a series for sure you also get wireless charging for the case which is great I love that and you get something called multi-point connectivity which is a big deal it makes it super easy to switch from one device to another and if you're really all in the Android ecosystem and nowhere else Google has baked in its own sort of sharing AI stuff don't even worry about what it's called to try to anticipate what you're doing from one device to the next and make switching even easier the bottom line is it works great all right even if you're switching between an Android device and an iOS device uh at worst it's just a couple tabs to get things up and running again pretty much works the way it should now let's talk about ANC the active noise cancellation that's really the big deal here on the pixel bets Pro now on paper Google says you'll get about about 11 hours of playback without ANC and about seven if you turn it on now I don't know about you it's rare that I've got these things stuck in my head for that long at a clip pop them back into the case and it says you'll get 31 total hours without ANC and 20 if you leave it turned on now that by the way is more battery life than you will get with the airpods pro Full Stop on paper speaking of specs on paper one that is missing for now is something called spatial audio if you've ever used it on airpods Pro or the airpods max it's that sort of fancy three-dimensional spatial audio that makes it sound like the music is coming from all directions they use Dolby to help do that and it's pretty cool I can take it or leave it if you love it great if you hate it fine don't use it it is coming to the pixel buds Pro it's not here yet so we can't test it out yet I got nothing to say uh we'll just have to wait and see when Google updates the things now specs or specs right what are these things actually like to use so unbox the pixel buds Pro and you'll find the little earbuds and some extra tip sizes is in a little tube that's kind of cool I've never seen that package like that before there's also some paperwork that maybe you read maybe you won't there are some tips in there on all the little uh Taps and presses that you can do right self-explanatory if you've ever used earbuds before but you can play pause for you know swipe up and down to raise and lower the volume cool now the case itself is nearly identical to the previous pixel buds cases it might be a millimeter off here and there I didn't measure I don't care but it looks exactly the same now the case charges wirelessly which is how I prefer to do it or you can use USBC if that's how you'd rather go just note that there's no USBC Cable in the Box here right they're assuming you already have one and if you're watching this there's pretty good chance you do so the buds themselves are shaped a little different too most noticeably they're missing that little wingtip that helps fit things in your ear I was a little skeptical of that at first but turns out they fit pretty well it is a looser feel and it almost seems like it lets in a little more Ambient sound and on top of that the active noise cancellation maybe isn't quite as good it or tune the same as airpods probe but I'm actually okay with that airpods Pro tend to give me that sort of feeling like I'm in a vacuum or an anech chamber if you've ever been in one of those uh you know as most of us have uh you know it just feels like it puts a little negative pressure on your head or in your sinuses or something these were a lot more comfortable all in all I think I prefer it and even though the ANC isn't quite as good I was getting more high frequencies in especially in the gym it still worked great for things like I live next to an airport totally block the sound of a 737 taking off my yard guy was here cutting the lawn and I could hear the you know of the blades but the overall noise of a commercial grade lawnmower was totally gone which was cool same goes for the recycling truck when it went by I happen to have them in walked outside didn't hear a thing pretty neat so voice calls are fine uh you know there's a little bit of wind noise if it's windier or you're running or something but all in all they sound like they're are earbuds and you sound like you're talking over earbuds so nothing magical there it's pretty normal the big question uh music how does that sound pretty good actually uh almost as good if not as good I think as the airpods pro uh the sound gets maybe a little muddied at higher volumes uh that could also just be my ears and like 10 too many punk rock and metal shows growing up my ears are a little shot but at like normal volume levels and not blasting in my ears sounded great and by the way this is all true whether you're using them on an iPhone or as God and Google intended on Android uh look on the iPhone they work like bluetooth earbuds work right you just connect them and you get audio so yeah you get more options when you're using Android because there is the pixel buds app you get more settings you get the low Volume EQ that tweaks things just a little bit I had to listen real hard to notice anything not a big deal at all you get the cool Android AI audio sharing stuff which again meet when I work works and you can tweak you know what the Taps and the the long presses and all that stuff do really the biggest deal about using an Android phone with all this stuff is being able to update the firmware I think if you don't have an Android device go borrow friends somehow and use that to update your firmware otherwise you're stuck on what they said to you so what's the bottom line on the pixel buds Pro well they are damn good earbuds full stop maybe not quite as good as the airpods pro I'm splitting hairs at this point though I really enjoy both I really enjoy the sound out of both I enjoy the fact that the pixel buds Pro are 50 less than the airpods pro and if you're an Android person and if you know me I've been an Android person from time to time they're almost a no-brainer especially at that 200 price and especially when you consider they're probably going to go on sale at some point so they look good they feel good and most important they sound really good the ANC is real close to excellent the extra androidy stuff is great and the price is pretty competitive for what you're getting now just hang on because remember there's still more coming with spatial audio at some point when Google decides to update things all in all pixel buds Pro excellent excellent option from Google so that's it don't forget subscribe to the channel if you haven't already go like all the things hit the notification Bell so you hit every Digital Trends video as soon as it comes out it's it see you next time\n"