These Google Pixel Buds Have Replaced Over-ear Headphones For Me When Traveling - Here's Why

For as long as I can remember, I've preferred headphones over earbuds for travel. Yes, they're bulkier, but the added weight has always been worth it for the superior sound quality and noise cancellation -- if not the battery life. 

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This year, however, Google introduced a pair of earbuds that not only replaced the headphones in my backpack but did so without compromising any essential features. This makes the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 easily one of my favorite products of late.

This hardware is near-perfect for me

Google claims the Pixel Buds Pro 2 were designed "to be the most comfortable earbuds," and it's one of those rare instances where the marketing material matches reality. While comfort levels can vary from person to person because not all ear shapes are the same, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are, without question, the most comfortable earbuds I've ever used. They're smaller, lighter, and provide a snug fit that stays secure in your ears -- even when you work out.

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Most earbuds of this size and design compromise at least one of the following features: controls, sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), or battery life. But the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are different. Here's how.

Starting with controls, the earbuds support almost all kinds of playback, ANC, volume, and more controls with tap and swipe gestures:

• Single tap for play/pause or answering calls
• Double tap for the next track or ending/rejecting calls
• Triple tap for the previous track
• Press and hold for ANC control
• Swipe forward or backward for volume adjustment

Most non-stem earbuds force you to choose between three of these four control options, but it's incredible to get a full suite of control with gestures on earbuds this small.

The audio is even better

Second, the Pixel Buds Pro 2's sound quality is excellent for their size. Despite supporting only AAC and SBC codecs, the level of detail and clarity is impressive. They sound more natural than their predecessors, with deeper and more precise bass. It's not thumpy but balanced, and the earbuds offer clear vocals and energetic treble. Listening to my favorite music on them has been as enjoyable as listening to it on my headphones.

As for ANC, the Buds Pro 2 use a twist-to-adjust design to create an excellent in-ear seal. The tight fit ensures great passive noise isolation while the software takes care of the rest. On flights, the ANC significantly reduces airplane noise, and playing music at 60% volume or higher fades away the external sounds entirely.  

The battery life is superb, too. I've worn these earbuds for six hours straight without experiencing ear fatigue. Google claims they offer eight hours of playback with ANC on and up to 30 additional hours with the charging case. After three months of use, I haven't had them die mid-session.

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They're also packed with useful features. The conversation detection feature pauses your music automatically when the earbuds detect your voice. Plus, the new Gemini Live feature acts as a conversational Google Assistant. However, this feature still needs refinement before it becomes fully reliable. For instance, if I'm asking for a quick calculation, I'd prefer a result in one sentence rather than knowing the mathematical process to reach the result. 

I've only used Gemini Live for testing purposes and haven't bothered triggering it in day-to-day life. I do wish Google had included a feature like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro's ability to perform basic tasks like volume adjustment without requiring a wake word.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 excel in the basics: controls, sound quality, ANC, battery life, and comfort. I used to rely on headphones for superior sound and ANC performance, and better battery life, but the 2024 Google earbuds have made it easy for me to pack light and leave the bulkier form factor behind.

I no longer feel the need to carry headphones. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer great sound quality and ANC performance alongside unmatched comfort and stellar battery life. Plus, they save space in my backpack, and I can sleep whilst wearing them on flights -- a near-impossible feat with headphones.