Design and features:This is a Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling portable ear-insert model. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment.
Additional features: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 2a 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. The
bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is somewhat boomy. The
midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even but is somewhat congested (think sonic traffic jam) and a bit grainy and hazy. The
treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended but is somewhat sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and a bit 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 neutral midrange and treble. The overall sound can be summarized as a bit bassy and somewhat grainy and sizzly. A faint rushing sound is audible when music is not present at that frequency to mask it.
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 too far and 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 the ear bowl, but that they stays in place with no problems for casual use, they are stable even during fairly vigorous head movement.
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use, they are stable even during vigorous head movement, and they are unobtrusive so it's easy to forget they are being worn.
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use, they are very stable even during vigorous head movement . Users with larger sized ear canals may find that the largest ear pieces are a bit 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.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional volume level changes, playing, pausing, track skipping, or ambient sound monitoring.
