Google Pixel Buds 2a Review: Cutting all the right corners

Google announced their newest budget earbuds back in August, with the buds finally going on-sale in Australia and across the globe last month, with the Pixel Buds 2a announced four years after the original Pixel Buds A-Series. 

The latest Pixel Buds now offer a range of updated features, including Active Noise Cancellation, as well as jumping in price along the way.

While the original Pixel Buds A-Series sold for $159, the Pixel Buds 2a now start at $239 in either Iris or Hazelnut colour options. 

The Pixel Buds 2a offers a huge list of updated features including ANC powered by Google’s Tensor A1 processor which also run the Pixel Buds Pro 2. There’s also support for multi-point audio, as well as an updated design with a new twist to adjust stabiliser for an improved fit, longer battery life and a new repairable charging case.

I have been using the $379 Pixel Buds Pro 2 since they launched and the spec list on the new Pixel Buds 2a does make you pause when checking out the price difference. So is it worth paying the extra? Let’s check it out.

Features

The Pixel Buds 2a are packed full of features including ANC for the first time – that one feature alone makes it worthwhile, and more so when you get all the other features like Multipoint audio letting you connect to multiple devices and switch, Spatial audio, and their excellent Transparency mode. 

So while there’s great features, there’s obviously some things you don’t get when compared with Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. 

The main features are Adaptive Audio with Loud Noise protection and there’s also no beamforming microphones or voice accelerometer which can improve your audio. Google even restricts Gemini Live in noisy spaces on the Pixel Buds 2a, though you do get Clear Calling – and the call quality on these is good. 

Gemini is present on the Pixel Buds 2a and you can talk using Gemini Live by setting up a long press on your buds, which instantly brings up the Assistant in your ear. You can also have Gemini read out your notifications as they come in.

On the hardware front, you do get a slightly shorter battery life on the Pixel Buds 2a and case when compared to the Buds Pro 2 – however you get up to seven hours of use on the buds, with 20 hours of listening time using ANC when you use the charging case, so it’s a pretty decent time-frame.

More importantly for me, while you do get touch controls like tap to play/pause or answer calls, you can’t swipe to raise or lower volume on the Pixel Buds 2a – a nifty feature I use regularly on the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

Google themselves provide a handy comparison on their online store:

Setup and Pixel Buds App

The star of the setup of the Pixel Buds 2a, indeed any of their buds is Fast Pair. If you open your Pixel Buds 2a for the first time, or put them in pairing mode with a long-press on the button on the rear of the case, your phone will detect them and start the setup and connection wizard to guide you through. 

For Android users, the Pixel Buds 2a also works with the Pixel Buds app which you can install from Google Play. It gives you all the extras, like Silent Seal check, EQ settings, switching controls, changing the tap functions and more. 

iOS users unfortunately miss out on these options, with a Pixel Buds app for iOS unlikely to ever be released – though you can still pair them as bluetooth headphones.

Design

As usual, Google’s Pixel Buds recycled packaging is minimalist. The box simply contains the charging case with the Pixel Buds inside and eartips. 

The charging case has a similar design to previous Pixel Buds, with the flattened egg-shaped case smooth – and it’s also the smallest charging case for Pixel Buds that Google has made to date, making it even easier to fit in your pocket. There’s the usual USB-C port on the bottom for charging, and a sync button just above to initiate pairing.

The case inside reflects the colour of the buds, with Google sending over the Hazel coloured Pixel Buds 2a for review. Hazel is a strong word for what I would call black, though the iris is spot on with the gorgeous light purple hue absolutely stunning.

The case does hold less charge than the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but it also holds a neat new trick – repairability. The case can now be relatively easily disassembled – even by end users, with how-to’s available through iFixit for replacing the battery, USB-C board and even the bottom shell. 

There doesn’t appear to be parts in-stock as yet, however the iFixit/Google partnership is ongoing, so we should expect to see them in-stock soon.

The Pixel Buds 2a adopt the twist-to-adjust stabiliser introduced on the Pixel Buds Pro 2. I do miss the wing from earlier models of the Pixel Buds series, however this new stabiliser has been absolutely rock solid in staying in my ears on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 – and the same design here feels just as comfortable even with long sessions

.There’s four sizes of silicone eartips included with the Pixel Buds 2a, with medium tips pre-fitted on the buds themselves, and extra small, small and large ear tips in a small cardboard tube in the packaging.

The tips are good, and really seal well, with the Silent Seal test available in the Pixel Buds app – and you can buy a new set of ear tips for if you lose one, but better to be careful. You can also buy a whole new earbud if you lose one of those – yes, I’ve been there and later, you can have a new one.

I have been liking the memory foam eartips I got with a previous set of earbuds, so if Google wants to offer those – I’m ‘all ears’!

Audio Quality

There’s an 11mm driver in the Pixel Buds 2a with ‘Immersive Sound’, similar in size to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. The buds also do have the aforementioned ANC, with Silent Seal.

The audio quality to me sounds great. I mainly listen to podcasts and audiobooks, with some music and it all sounded quite good to me. I spun through my podcasts and YouTube Music playlist – which admittedly is fairly eclectic, and it all sounded great. 

If you don’t actually like the audio, you can check out the audio balance and equalizer settings in the Pixel Buds app. 

The noise cancellation is, again, excellent, as is the Transparency mode – with no delay on the incoming audio, so you don’t get any awkward lag.

Google has also included SIlent Seal 1.5 for their Active Noise Cancellation – a slight step-down from the Silent Seal 2.0 on the Pixel Buds Pro 2. It’s a slight drop, which didn’t seem to make a lick of difference. 

I took the Pixel Buds 2a on planes, on train trips and on buses – the ANC works a treat. You can perform the seal check at setup or by jumping into it through the app to make sure you have the right ear tips, but it just works. 

Battery and Charging

One reason I’m behind on reviews is the need to at least run through a full battery cycle on the Pixel Buds 2a – and it took a fair bit to do.

On paper, the Pixel Buds 2a have a slightly smaller battery life than the Pixel Buds Pro 2 but it’s still pretty impressive with seven hours of use with ANC (10 without) and 20 hours of use with ANC including the case (27 without).

In practice, the numbers stack up. I had a solid seven hour session listening to podcasts and started getting alerts for low battery – it just starts disconnecting regularly at around 3-5%. 

Checking the battery is easy, it shows up in your Quick Settings panel or in the Pixel Buds app.

Charging wise, the buds can get back up to full in around 2 hours, with a quick 5-minute charge in the case giving you up to 1 hour of listening time – or a quick trip to the gym. You don’t get a cable in the box which is a little annoying, but most of us have a cable laying about.

And no, there isn’t wireless charging for the Pixel Buds 2a, so you’ll need to plug it in.

Final Thoughts

After being a staunch user of the Pixel Buds range over the last few years, the Pixel Buds 2a add a lot to the conversation. The price has gone up, however the utility of these smaller, lower priced buds with ANC is not to be discounted. 

The big thing for me is the price difference. For 9, you get a brilliant pair of Google Pixel Buds which are lightweight and include ANC, and the majority of the features you actually want from the 9 Pixel Buds Pro 2. 

Unless you’re really after specific features from the Pixel Buds Pro 2, or just want longer battery life, the Pixel Buds 2a are spot on for a great pair of headphones that tick all the right boxes, without including things you don’t need.

You can find the Pixel Buds 2a on the Google Store online, as well as through JB Hifi, Officeworks, Harvey Norman and other retailers as well as Telstra and Optus.