Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Review in Short
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 is one of the most comfortable earbuds I’ve tested to date, with fairly competitive noise cancelling and sound quality to the mainstream brands. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 3, Apple AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st Gen.
Pros and Cons
- Amazing comfort and form factor
- Decent sound quality
- Decent noise cancelling
- Great value
- No native iOS or Apple support
- No high-res codec support
- Not audiophile-level sound quality
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort + Features
Comfort
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 is easily one of the most comfortable pairs of wireless earbuds I’ve tested to date.
It starts with its very small form factor, which is one of the smallest earbuds I’ve tested in terms of dimensions.
Google claims the 2nd generation is “27% smaller and 24% lighter design” versus the previous Pixel Buds Pro 1st generation, and it surely feels that way.
Some earbuds are overly bulky, causing them to press against the other parts of the ear, but that is thankfully not the case with the diminutive Pixel Buds Pro 2.
I was able to easily find a proper fit with the multiple sizes offered in the stock eartips, and the physical seal is one of the easier ones to achieve in the class.
I get asked frequently what is a good earbud for sleeping with, and although I believe that should be reserved for the dedicated “earbuds for sleeping”, this is the one that comes to mind.
Features
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 was originally released in September 2024, so they have many modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX4 water resistant
- Built-in beamforming microphones for taking calls
- Spatial Audio with head-tracking
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Supports Google AI with Tensor A1 chip
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Custom EQ
- Multi-point connection
- Transparency Mode
The most notable features missing from the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are no support for high-res codecs like LDAC, aptX Lossless, or aptX Adaptive, and no native iOS app for iPhone and Apple users.
Overall, I give the Pixel Buds Pro 2 perfect marks for comfort, but take off a couple points for the lack of lossless codec support and Apple-user support, as that alienates a large iPhone user base.
Battery Life
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have 8 hours of battery life on a single charge and 30 hours total with charging case when noise cancelling is turned ON, and 12 hours on a single charge with 48 hours total with noise cancelling OFF.
This battery life is slightly above average for the class.
Comfort + Features Score: 8.0 out of 10
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Performance
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2’s noise cancelling performance is quite solid, and above average for the class.
Google’s marketing touts a lot of “AI” infused into the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and I do believe it plays a role in enhanced active noise cancelling performance.
After all, there is a “Tensor chip” built in that is made for rapid AI calculations, so it’s totally plausible that this would contribute to a formidable ANC performance.
I find the noise cancelling to be above the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen, and about on par with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st gen.
I do believe it has now been surpassed by both the newer Apple AirPods Pro 3rd generation and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, both of which are newer releases from 2025.
In addition, I do believe there’s quite a few over-ear noise cancelling headphones that have better ANC, but a lot of that is due to design and inherent physical advantages.
Either way, I find the ANC to be pretty decent and getting a physical seal quite easy.
Noise Cancelling Score: 7.0 out of 10
Sound Quality
I find the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2’s sound quality to be directly competitive with its most likely competitors in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
The sound signature is quite pleasing and balanced, leaning towards consumer-friendly with a strong bass emphasis and vocals still cutting through the mix nicely.
The bass is nice and full, with a noticeably punchy mid-bass impact and fairly decent sub-bass extension.
I do think that the higher-end audiophile earbuds such as the Technics AZ100, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Denon PerL Pro, and Noble FoKus Rex 5 are in a class above.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 doesn’t support any high-res or lossless codecs like LDAC, aptX Lossless, or aptX Adaptive, so that would be a nice audiophile-focused improvement to see in a 3rd generation.
For the audiophile technicalities, I do think the soundstage is a bit on the narrower side as a whole. This is an area where codecs can add a slight boost to openness and clarity.
The aforementioned “higher-end” earbuds also seem to be more resolving with better dynamics as a whole, but that is probably to be expected.
Overall, there is nothing particularly offensive about the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s sound quality or tuning, but nothing exceptional to write home about either.
Sound Quality Score: 7.8 out of 10
Value
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 currently retails at $229 USD, but is frequently found on sale for around $179, like at the time of this writing.
At current market prices, this puts the Pixel Buds Pro 2 at a cheaper price than most of its competition including the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
Because of this, I find the Pixel Buds Pro 2 to be a solid value as it firmly competes with all of those popular models in every category from sound quality to noise cancelling performance and features.
Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 8.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 7.0 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 7.8 / 10
Value (10% of score): 8.5 / 10
Total: 7.7 out of 10
Is the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Worth it?
I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, and find it a worthy contender to all the big names such as Samsung, Apple, and Sony.
It is arguably the most comfortable earbuds I’ve tested to date.
Although the sound quality is competitive with the mainstream options mentioned above, I would look elsewhere if you’re seeking the absolute peak audiophile-level sound quality.
But as an all-around daily driver and practical wireless noise cancelling earbuds, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 fits the bill nicely.
Except for heavy Apple-ecosystem users, as there is no native iOS app support to fully customize and control the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review
Skullcandy Crusher Evo vs ANC 2 Comparison
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
