Google Pixel Buds 2a Review: Compact Comfort Meets Budget-Friendly Audio
Google has launched the Pixel Buds 2a, a more affordable iteration of its popular earbuds, priced at £109 (€129/$129/A$239). These compact Bluetooth earbuds borrow the leading design from the higher-end Pixel Buds Pro 2, offering a comfortable fit and noise cancelling at a palatable price point that undercuts many rivals in the market.
Design and Comfort: Small, Secure, and Stalk-Free
The Pixel Buds 2a are among the smallest and most comfortable earbuds available, featuring a disc-shaped design about the size of a Smartie chocolate that protrudes from the ear canal without any stalk to interfere with earrings. Each earbud includes a soft silicone stabiliser that rests against the inside of the ear, securely holding them in place without applying undue pressure on soft tissue. This makes them super comfortable for extended listening sessions, even during vigorous movement, with users reporting they feel secure and unlikely to fall out.
The compact form is complemented by a flip-top charging case that is nice and small, though the white version may pick up marks easily, including stains from jeans and other clothing. The earbuds magnetically clip into the case for convenient charging and storage.
Features and Performance: Solid Everyday Sound
Equipped with the same Google Tensor A1 chip as their Pro siblings, the Buds 2a ensure rock-solid connectivity with any standard Bluetooth device, including Android phones, iPhones, tablets, consoles, and computers. They support Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC and AAC audio formats and can connect to two devices simultaneously. The touch-sensitive disk on each earbud allows for tap controls to manage playback, noise cancelling, and access to Gemini, though it lacks the swipe gesture for volume control found in the Pro model.
Sound quality is very good for everyday use, with solid separation of tones, ample bass where needed, and relatively detailed mids and highs. They perform well with genres like rock, pop, and electronica, though they may lack some nuance in classical tracks. The Buds 2a also support spatial audio with compatible phones, enhancing the experience with film and TV shows, but do not include head-tracking, a feature reserved for more expensive models.
Noise Cancelling and Battery Life
As the first in Google's A-series to include active noise cancelling, the Buds 2a offer a commendable performance for the price. They effectively reduce road roar, engine noise, street sounds, and background hubbub, though they struggle with higher tones like keyboard clicks or office chatter. The cheaper buds lack adaptive sound and automatic loud noise dampening in ambient mode, but these are not considered crucial features for most users.
Battery life is solid, providing around seven hours of playback with noise cancelling enabled. The compact case recharges the buds approximately 1.8 times, offering a total of 20 hours of playback. Notably, the battery in the case is replaceable with standard tools, a step towards better sustainability, though the batteries in the earbuds themselves are not user-replaceable.
Sustainability and Repairability
Google has made efforts in sustainability, with the Buds 2a containing at least 41% recycled materials, including cobalt, plastic, rare-earth elements, and tin. The company provides an environmental impact report and offers free recycling for old devices. However, repair specialists iFixit awarded the earbuds a repairability score of four out of 10, highlighting that while the case battery is replaceable, the earbud batteries are not, ultimately making them disposable over time. Google does not specify an expected lifespan, but similar devices typically maintain at least 80% capacity for 500 full charge cycles.
Comparison and Verdict
Compared to rivals, the Pixel Buds 2a stand out for their compact design and comfort. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 cost £169, the Nothing Ear 3 are £149, the Fairphone Fairbuds are £66.75, the Apple AirPods 4 start from £119, and the AirPods Pro 3 are £219, making the Buds 2a a competitive option in the budget segment.
In conclusion, the Pixel Buds 2a are a great set of Bluetooth earbuds that extend beyond Android users, offering excellent value at a good price. Their compact and comfortable form, solid battery life, and effective noise cancelling make them ideal for everyday use. While they lack some high-end features like onboard volume control, adaptive audio, and wireless charging, and have average call quality, their pros outweigh the cons for budget-conscious consumers seeking reliable audio performance.
Pros: compact and comfortable design, seven-hour battery life, great charging case, good sound quality and noise cancelling, multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, case with replaceable battery, web app for computer use.
Cons: earbuds are not repairable, no volume control gesture, no support for higher-quality Bluetooth formats, average call quality, no adaptive audio or loud noise protection in transparency mode.
