Daniel Bader is a source.
The life cycle of a hardware product from a company such as Google is either full of bugs and slowly with software updates, ends up being a solid product with a whiff of reputation damage, or it starts seemingly flawless and loses its luster as small issues crop up.
2020's Pixel Buds were the first true wireless earbuds from the company. Early reviews praised the earbuds' sound quality, comfort, and general ease of use, as the Pandemic started raging across the country. It became apparent that users would discover issues with their new buds as they spent more time wearing them. Even after several updates, the problems have not been fixed, and even today, the support forums are full of posts about the choppiness.
I waited as long as possible to review the new Pixel Buds A-Series because I wanted to make sure that it was safe. The A-Series, despite their lower price, have yet to experience so much as a crackle or dropout, even after more than two weeks of daily use in and out of the home. The good news is that the Pixel Buds A-Series are almost identical to the Pixel Buds in all of their positive attributes.
These earbuds are one of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy, as long as you are okay with a few notable compromises.
The value of the Pixel Buds A-Series is reflected in the reputation forged by the phone line. A lack of wireless charging and active noise cancelation is forgiven by the excellent sound and comfort combined with useful features.
Superb comfort for most people.
Excellent sound quality for the price.
It's always-on the Google Assistant.
Solid connection, unlike more expensive Buds.
Glossy plastic is cheap.
The battery life is ok.
Daniel Bader is a source.
On June 3, 2021, the Pixel Buds A-Series was announced and released in the US and Canada. More countries will be added in the future. The older, more expensive model of the Pixel Buds A-Series is available cheaper at some retailers.
You can get the A-Series in two colors: Clearly White and Dark Olive. The Dark Olive is the better-looking of the two colors, in our opinion, because it has a ring around the exterior and a hint of grey inside the case.
Hardware and design are part of the A-Series.
Daniel Bader is a source.
The A-Series of the Pixel Buds look very much like true wireless earbuds, which is why they are called the Pixel Buds. Unlike last year's model, the rounded plastic exterior is touch-sensitive, allowing for single, double, and triple taps.
The A-Series has a less contrast-heavy color scheme, which is fine, but I'm not fond of the cheap-looking plastic on the buds and the case.
Daniel Bader is a source.
Daniel Bader is a source.
The buds fit in my ears perfectly, and I'd venture to say they're going to fit in yours as well. The placement of a permanent fin that sits inside the ear concha is what keeps the bud from shifting around. The earbuds I wore were among the most comfortable I've ever worn, with no pain or fatigue.
The ear bud's semi-open design and vent on the underside of each bud make it easier to open and close, which in turn makes it less likely to cause traditional pressure in the ear canal. It's a compromise, though, because the vent means the Pixel Buds let in more outside noise than many of its competitors, which makes them less suitable for loud environments. The buds are IPX4 rated, which makes them appropriate for workouts and other outdoor activities, but I wouldn't risk a dip in the pool or any other form of immersement.
The case is still a great toy thanks to the satisfying magnetic clunk of the lid, though a few grams lighter. The earbuds rest in their charging cradles and top up quickly over the internet.
Sound quality and features are included in the A-Series of the Pixel Buds.
Daniel Bader is a source.
The sound quality was not compromised despite the A-Series' price point. I asked the company if they used the same drivers as the more expensive ones, but they didn't say if they used the same ones. I'm glad I'm not the only one who experienced this, though I wouldn't say the earbuds sounded "hollow" like I read at a few other places.
The neutral sound signature of the A-Series can make it seem like it's boring, even if it's not. The A-Series ships with the same "Bass boost" feature that came to the regular Pixel Buds last August, and they're not fatiguing. I wouldn't recommend these if you're concerned with big, thumpy electronic tracks.
In December of 2021, there were few new features to the Pixel Buds A-Series. There is more bass available if the bass boost is adjusted from +4 to -1.
Daniel Bader is a source.
The A-Series was designed to save a few dollars, but one of the microphones was removed. You lose out on the traditional transparency mode of the Pixel Buds, which is called Attention Alerts, because you lose out on them. According to the August 2020 documentation, attention alert are limited to " baby crying, dog barking, and emergency vehicle sirens."
When one bud is removed, there's still auto-play/pause, which I love, and always-on Google Assistant is still one of the Buds' marquee features. There is no way to completely stop the "ping" that arrives with an incoming notification, but you can change the assistant's behavior to not read them as they come in, but you're stuck with your source lowering in volume for an instant. Not good.
Daniel Bader is a source.
I used a single Pixel Bud for a lot of time, and really enjoyed the experience of listening to a show while walking outside. I don't agree with the sound quality of the calls, but I recorded myself and played it back, and it's close enough to be believable. It's definitely up there with Apple and Jabra.
The more expensive earbuds and even some at the $100 mark have active noise cancelation. If you're using the A-Series in noisy environments, there are probably better options out there.
The A-Series of the Google Pixel Buds have a battery life of over a year.
Daniel Bader is a source.
I got burned when using the Buds a year ago, so I wanted to wait a few weeks after receiving the A-Series. I had a great experience when I first tested them. There were hardware related issues in areas of high 2.4 GHz interference. I can't reliably use the Pixel Buds outside without constant cutouts and sync problems, after half a dozen firmware updates.
The issues were caused by how the Buds connected to their source: the right bud connected to the phone, and the left bud connected to the relay. This used to be the way all true wireless earbuds connected to phones and computers, and while that didn't necessarily pose trouble, it INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals
Daniel Bader is a source.
The problems were fixed by using a stronger amplifier than in the previous-gen model, and by using each bud independently to the phone. I'm happy to say it worked. I have not had a single moment of interference or crosstalk after two weeks of listening.
The battery life of the original Pixel Buds hasn't improved. Each bud is rated for five hours and the case adds 19 hours. I was hoping that they could get an extra hour or two with a more efficient chip. Five hours is all you get.
I want to talk about Fast Pair. The only Fast Pair-enabled true wireless earbuds that work reliably on any phone are the Pixel Buds. You can pair your phone with a Pixel phone, but you have to download the app to change features on another phone.
The competition is for the Google Pixel Buds A-Series.
Daniel Bader is a source.
Over the past couple of years, the low-end of the true wireless earbud market has exploded, as upward pressure from Amazon-first companies in the low-end, like Tozo and Anker, meet downward pressure from last-gen brands like SAMSUNG and Jabra.
The closest well-known competitor to the Pixel Buds at $100 is the Samsung Buds+, which is more highly-optimized forSamsung devices, and offers a similar approach in terms of sound and integration. I find the Buds+ less comfortable than the Buds A-Series, but the Buds+ has a better battery life than the Buds A-Series, and they have a proper transparency mode along with wireless charging.
The Soundcore brand has a lot to offer if you want to keep the comfort but add ANC. The Liberty Air 2 Pro is $100 right now and has a more Air Pod-like stem design, but it also has more customization thanks to the app, and it sounds better than the A-Series. They have a decent noise cancelation.
If you're one of the lucky ones to avoid issues with internet, you can always go with last year's Pixel Buds, which are still great. They're heavier and denser, with a few more features, but are the same product and can be obtained for around $130 if you want to look around.
Daniel Bader is a source.
You want a pair of earbuds that are comfortable.
You want to use the assistant.
You want a sound that is clean and accessible.
You want to avoid the issues of the Pixel Buds.
You need noise cancelation.
You need a long battery life.
You want aptX support.
I didn't think I would like the A-Series as much as I do. Many of its competitors were already jamming in for the same price as the 2020 Pixel Buds, so they stuck out as lacking one feature, ANC. I was wary of a successor because of that and the endemic issues. I should have known that the first budget earbuds release from the same company that made the best phone of 2020 would be a flop.
The 2020 Pixel Buds were so good that I gave them an unqualified recommendation because they retained most of the core features that made them so good, solved the dropouts, and dropped the price to $100.
The Pixel Buds A-Series live up to the reputation of the phone line at $100. A lack of wireless charging and active noise cancelation is forgiven by the excellent sound and comfort combined with useful features.
The article was published in June of 2021. The following changes were made in December 2021.
The features were announced in December.
A changelog has been added.
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