Buying a pair of the best noise-cancelling headphones isn't just a case of figuring out which will block out the most sound, you'll also want to consider lots of other factors, like the audio quality, the style and design, the battery life and more.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a pair of in-ear true wireless earbuds that compete against Apple AirPods, but they are built with Android phone users in mind. Unlike Apple's equivalents, they're tiny little buds that you twist into place, there's no stem.
Launched alongside a whole ecosystem of Pixel devices, including the Pixel 9 and the Pixel Watch 3, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 follow on from the first version of the Google Pixel Buds with a smaller design, improved durability, more effective ANC, upgraded connectivity, longer battery life and Google's chatbot-style Gemini Live assistant integrated into the system.
You can buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for £219 at the time of writing, and I think they're worth every penny, especially if you use a Google Pixel smartphones. In fact, they're the wireless earbuds I would buy. Here's my full review.
Pros
- Water resistant earbuds and case
- Up to 30 hours of battery
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Expensive
- Gemini Live needs some work
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 key specs:
| Weight | 4.7g per earbud (52.9g with the case) |
|---|---|
| Battery life | 8 hours (30 hours with the case) |
| Wireless charging | Yes |
| Noise cancellation | Yes |
| Water resistance | IP54 |
| Colours | Porcelain, hazel, peony, wintergreen |
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Design and fit
Google's 2024 device lineup is heavily design-focused, as Digital Spy heard from Google Pixel's design director Claude Zellweger. That applies to everything from its Pixel 9 Pro smartphone to its Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2, which all follow the same style. You can even buy them to match one another.
When I first took the Buds out of the (fully recyclable) box, I was immediately struck by the minimalistic design of the charging case. I received the porcelain colourway, and it literally looks like a pebble. It's tiny and smooth, and has a rounded shape, just like a pebble. The case feels very well made, and the lid snaps shut firmly without feeling flimsy like some other brands. And there's a tiny light placed behind the plastic that lets you know if the battery is running out.
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When you open up the case, you'll find two tiny circular earbuds with the Google G on the outside. The earbuds look super discreet when you have them in your ears, and at 4.7g each, you can barely feel them either. To fit the earbuds, it's a case of pushing them in and twisting them into place.
Usually, I would be sceptical about how secure the twist-to-adjust design is but after having been on multiple runs with them, I can assure you that they will not fall out. The eartip seal check is built in to your Pixel phone's Bluetooth settings and ensures you're wearing the right size eartips (you'll find it in the Google Pixel Buds app if you don't have a Pixel phone). The test takes around six seconds and will let you know if you should try a different size from the box or if you need to adjust how they are placed. There are four sizes included: extra small, small, medium and large.
Thanks to an IP54 rating, you can use the earbuds just about anywhere without worrying about damaging them because they will survive both dust and water. The case is also protected against water damage, although slightly less so with an IPX4 rating.
You won't need to get your phone out to control the music thanks to a set of handy gestures. By default, you single tap to pause or play the music, double tap to skip to the next song, triple tap to skip backwards and a long press switches between noise-cancelling modes. Those are pretty standard, but it's the volume controls I was particularly impressed with. Swiping forward and backwards across the surface of the earbud turns the volume up and down which was very easy to do on the go.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Performance and features
If you're interested in audio quality, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound excellent. They have impressive spatial audio that is automatically applied to music from compatible platforms. Crystal clear and incredibly well-balanced, these earphones are hard not to be convinced by.
Using the default audio settings, the soundstage feels wide and inclusive, offering a solid amount of bass that injects energy without being over the top. On the high end, performance is crisp although it does occasionally lack definition, but I would say that's nitpicking rather than dealbreaking.
I could easily hear the difference between instruments in tracks like Paint It, Black by the Rolling Stones, while Jalen Ngonda's soulful vocals in Come Around and Love Me are compelling and rich. I would happily recommend these earbuds for most genres of music and other types of audio content.
For those who like to tweak the sound to suit them, there are six preset modes and you can create your own custom settings across a five-band equaliser.
Noise-cancelling is another plus – the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 do a great job of cutting out annoying outside sounds. They dulled the racket made by the London Underground (even during extremely loud sections), they cut out traffic noise and I wasn't distracted by conversations happening around me. Some earphones have better ANC, but these aren't a long way off the best in the business.
As we have come to expect, there's a transparency mode to let some sounds through. With it switched on I could hear what was happening right next to me with the music still playing, but not further away, so I did have to pause the song to hear announcements on the train or to speak to someone. There's a setting to switch over to the transparency mode and pause the music when the earbuds detect you talking, and when you stop speaking it'll resume playback. I thought that was really nifty!
Multipoint connectivity is always a welcome feature, allowing you to switch the audio between your devices without needing to disconnect and reconnect the earbuds. You can be streaming a TV show on your Pixel tablet, get a call on your smartphone, and the sound will automatically switch over when you answer.
Access to Google Gemini Live is made easy too, you can call the assistant by voice or using the touch controls. Then you can ask questions, hear Google Maps directions or listen to your messages. Gemini allows you to have a more natural conversation than you could with Google Assistant.
I sometimes had to press the controls a few times before Gemini appeared, though. And it was difficult to stop the assistant mid-flow by voice, it didn't always work the first time. Gemini Live's responses weren't always perfect either and could be quite varied as to whether they were helpful or not, and whether it understood what I meant or not. There's undoubtedly work to be done there but it is still a useful feature overall.
If you're guilty of occasionally losing your headphones, you'll be pleased to know that you can pinpoint exactly where these are on a map using Find My Device. Then you can ring both the earbuds and the case from your phone when you're nearby to hear where they are.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Battery life
Battery life is a big win for the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – you can listen for up to eight hours at a time, and the case will last for 30 hours of music with ANC turned on. If you switch off the noise-cancelling, that increases to 12 hours of listening time and up to 48 total hours with the charging case. That's more than most competing earbuds can offer.
You can charge the case wirelessly, and a quick five minutes plugged into power will give you an hour and a half of music without ANC.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Verdict
I'll get to the point – I really like the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, and if I were shopping for a new pair of true wireless earbuds then these would be towards the top of my list. They sound fantastic, the noise-cancelling is effective, the battery lasts for ages, they're super comfortable and the design is sleek and stylish. Any Android phone user will get on well with these, and they're a good choice for workouts too.
In terms of drawbacks, there aren't many. They are pricey, but they're worth it. The Gemini Live feature could use some work as it doesn't always work perfectly and it's a little finicky to access, but that's definitely not a huge sticking point either.
It's worth pointing out that if you're an iPhone user, you can still use these but you will miss out on some features like access to Gemini Live and the Find My Device function.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Also consider
If you care about design, sound and the quality of noise-cancelling, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a top choice. They are a little pricier than the Pixel Buds but they are regularly discounted during sales.
Bose's earphones offer the best ANC I've tried at the time of writing, cutting out the outside noise almost entirely, even without any music playing. The sound is a little more bouncy and forceful than on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but that will suit some people better, especially those who regularly listen to more upbeat tunes.
Not keen on the in-ear design, or use a Samsung smartphone? The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 are semi-open earbuds that can be used with all Android devices but work best with Samsung handsets. They rival Apple AirPods in that they don't have the silicone ear tip that goes inside your ear canal, instead resting on the outer part. Despite the shape, they still feature noise cancellation.
