Googles original Pixel Buds, its first attempt at challenging Apples AirPods, was less than successful.
They werent fully wireless, requiring a cable between the buds.
They were a pain to put in and out of their case.
There was no way to skip tracks without talking to the Assistant.
Pairing didnt work half the time.
Googles 2020 Pixel Buds,available today for $179, fixes all of these problems.
Google finally has a good answer to the AirPods.
Let me be clear what I meany by that.
The Pixel Buds are not the best-sounding wireless headphones out there (though theyre no slouch).
Nor will they fit everyones needs (the lack of active noise canceling is a notable omission).
It starts with the pairing process.
Pop initiate the case, a notification will appear.
Tap on it follow a short tutorial, and youre done.
Re-kick off the case and you’re free to check battery life.
40% off TNW Conference!
Then theres the design.
Its hard to tell from individual photos, but the new Buds aremuchsmaller than the original.
My girlfriend has trouble fitting nearly any wireless headphones but had found the new Pixel Buds comfortable.
This is a welcome detail, as I often use only one bud, such as when Im cycling.
But its also handy if I only have one hand available while cooking or walking the dog.
Its also worth noting that if Im only using one earbud the headphones still pair instantly.
Sometimes, they will also glitch out when I then make a run at go back to stereo.
Ive had no such issues with the Pixel Buds.
And theres another welcome feature: it’s possible for you to ring your earbud if you lost one.
As long as its within Bluetooth range, itll emit a sound to help you find it.
The hotword detection works so well in part due to what seem like high-quality microphones.
Wash your hands, and the headphones will automatically turn up the volume.
Exit the subway, and the headphones will turn the volume back down.
While this seemed to work well enough during my testing, it also highlights the lack of noise canceling.
As for the sound quality itself, its surprisingly good.
Because they create seal with your ear canal, they dig deep down into the sub-bass.
The rest of the frequency range is solid too, presenting natural timbre on most instruments and vocals.
Where they fall short for me is that the treble is laid back to a fault.
Theres detail, but its pushed back.
Contrary to some audiophiles beliefs, EQing headphones does not usually hurt their sound quality.
Theres no harm in giving users some flexibility.
That said, if youre very sensitive to high frequencies, you might appreciate this warmer tuning.
The case can now be charged wirelessly though, which is a nice touch.
Heres hoping Google considers adding ANC, an ambient sound mode, and EQ via software.
