Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling portable ear-insert model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment.
Additional features include:
Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Free Google Pixel Buds app download for Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates.
Sound quality:We found the Pixel Buds Pro 2 delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise canceling mode engaged and set to maximum and the Volume EQ function of the Google Pixel Buds app set to "default" the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is a bit prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is a bit grainy, hazy, congested (think sonic traffic jam) and sibilant, and a touch thin and etched (a bit more sharply outlined then it should be). The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but is a bit prominent and sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying), and a touch smeared. The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Mixed character - warmish bass with coolish midrange and treble. The overall sound can be summarized as a bit bassy, thin and sibilant.
Noise Canceling:
Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation changes the noise reduction characteristic - when the noise is coming from the front more high-frequency noise can be heard. A faint rushing noise can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort and Fit:As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some.
Small
Users with small ear bowls might find that the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their ear bowl and that they stick out just a bit and might feel like they may lever out of place and are mostly held in place by the section of the earphone that is inserted in the ear canal and its integral earbowl support, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are stable even with vigorous head movement .
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that with or without the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are stable even during vigorous head movement .
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that with the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are fairly stable even during vigorous head movement .
Users with larger sized ear canals may find that the largest ear pieces are too small to provide a good seal; if the ear canals are not sealed properly the bass may be reduced and the noise canceling feature will be less effective .
Misc.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional volume level changes, playing, pausing, track skipping, or ambient sound monitoring .
Some users might find pressing the various earphone controls drives the earphones farther into the ear canal and may cause ear discomfort .
