The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the successor to the Google Pixel Buds Pro, and they're the brand's flagship buds targeted to Android and Pixel-device users. Their lightweight and less bulky redesign doesn't sacrifice any features. Google packs plenty of premium nice-to-haves, like active noise cancellation (ANC) with 'Conversation Detection' and Android-wide seamless device switching with 'Audio Switch,' into their smaller form factor.
Our Verdict
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are good for sports and fitness. They've been certified as IP54 to resist dust and water exposure. In-ears they feel stable and comfortable to wear. You can easily fit them in their egg-shaped case into your pockets, and their battery life easily lasts through your workout. Unfortunately, their audio reproduction accuracy is hampered by poor group delay and phase mismatch, which weakens bass definition and hollows vocals.
IP54 rating.
Volume EQ compensates for hearing sensitivity changes at low-volume listening.
Multi-device pairing not locked to operating system or device.
Access to full features is limited to recent Pixel devices.
Disappointing group delay and phase mismatch.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are decent for travel. Their battery life is long enough to last through most regional flights, and they're portable and comfortable. The onboard ANC does a solid job of filtering out annoying background noises, too. All that said, their audio reproduction accuracy is disappointing, with bad group delay and phase issues that negatively impact the fidelity of your content.
Five-band graphic EQ.
Very good noise isolation.
Access to full features is limited to recent Pixel devices.
Disappointing group delay and phase mismatch.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are alright for office work. They feel comfortable and lightweight. Thanks to their effective ANC, they filter out the annoying sounds from your office rather well. The continuous battery life can just barely last through the workday, depending on your volume level. That said, for calls, the mic system struggles with background noise. They also have poor audio reproduction accuracy, which is fine for podcasts, but bass sounds sloppy in music.
Volume EQ compensates for hearing sensitivity changes at low-volume listening.
Very good noise isolation.
Multi-device pairing not locked to operating system or device.
Mic has disappointing noise handling.
Access to full features is limited to recent Pixel devices.
Disappointing group delay and phase mismatch.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are Bluetooth-only earbuds and exhibit high latency unless you own a compatible Pixel device. They don't include a wireless USB dongle, which is the standard for most wireless gaming headsets.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are wireless earbuds and can't be used for wired gaming.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have poor audio reproduction accuracy. While the frequency response is largely warm and balanced, it severely rolls off the high frequencies, imparting a closed-off sound by cutting off upper harmonics. This also affects their peaks and dips, which are smooth in the bass and mids, but the sound profile wildly jumps around in the treble with narrow bands either overly exaggerated or de-emphasized. Their group delay is also terrible, resulting in a sloppy and loose bass response that lacks oomph. Meanwhile, L/R drivers exhibit notable phase issues for the entire treble range, causing vocals to sound hollow and displaced transients within the stereo field.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have impressive noise isolation. While they don't have adjustable ANC, the mode comprehensively attenuates low-pitched noises from rumbling buses and ambient din, while also curbing background chit-chat effectively. They also don't leak much of your audio into the space either, retaining your separation from the environment.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have sub-par microphone performance. The recording quality is unremarkable at capturing your voice, which is fine and intelligible in quiet spaces. However, with the introduction of background noise, the mic system struggles to reject the unwanted sounds and prioritize your voice.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have satisfactory frequency response consistency. With the correct ear tip size, they sound consistent for the most part between wears. However, this can still vary in the treble range.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated May 21, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests.
- Updated May 14, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
- Updated Jan 27, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Jan 16, 2025: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 come in four colors: 'Porcelain,' 'Hazel,' 'Wintergreen,' and 'Peony.' Our unit is 'Hazel,' and you can see two labels with specifications and manufacturing origin.
If you encounter any other variants, please let us know in the comments below, and we'll update the review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the upgraded version of the Google Pixel Buds Pro. Their redesign shaves off a good deal of weight and bulkiness and introduces a unique stabilizer that secures the earbuds using the lower part of your outer ear. Their companion app has also been updated to support premium features like 'Conversation Detection,' which competes with other high-end devices like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless and the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro.
As is becoming increasingly common among flagship devices, certain features of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are locked behind not just the operating system (Android) but also the brand (Pixel) and are only compatible with some of the latest Pixel devices. Similar to the Apple AirPods Pro 2, features like virtual soundstage support are locked behind product-specific ecosystems.
For more recommendations, check out our picks for the best wireless earbuds for Android, the best wireless earbuds for running and working out, and the best noise cancelling earbuds.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are similarly performing earbuds to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in some regards such as noise isolation, but the Sony are also better stereo matched with tighter group delay. The Sony are bulkier and weigh more, but their foam ear tips help them passively mitigate more noise in the treble range, like squeaky brakes. On the other hand, the Google support newer features like 'Audio Switch,' which allows seamless switching of audio playback sources when logged into the same Google account, and 'Find My Device' for both the case and earbuds.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have a similar set of features to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. They both have an acceptable overall microphone performance, no hi-res audio codec support, and ecosystem-locked features like their respective spatial audio and seamless device switching implementation. The Apple have noticeably better noise isolation performance and multi-device pairing exclusive to Apple devices. However, they lack the customizability of a graphic EQ and presets that the Google earbuds offer. If your secondary devices aren't in the Apple ecosystem, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more open, with Android-wide app availability and multi-device pairing that supports PCs. Regardless, Apple have better stereo matching and group delay than the Google.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro are the predecessor to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. As they use the same app, they have similar feature support, ranging from a five-band graphic EQ to Bluetooth Super Wideband for calls using a Pixel 8 or newer phone. That said, the newer Pixel Buds Pro 2 have an updated design that's less bulky, more comfortable, and more secure. They also boast an improved battery life of 8.1 hours compared to the 7.6 hours of their predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro have similar features and performance to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. They're both Android-focused products with semi-closed ecosystem support. Both support seamless device switching but require you to log into a Samsung or Google account for the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Pixel Buds Pro 2, respectively. The Samsung earbuds support a proprietary Hi-Res audio codec Samsung Seamless Codec, which only works on supported Samsung devices, whereas the Pixel have a low-latency mode that only works on Pixel 8 or newer phones. While both earbuds offer ecosystem-agnostic features—such as the Samsung app's virtual soundstage and the Google earbuds' multi-device pairing—compatibility with your current or future devices will ultimately determine which works best for you.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
