Interesting and enjoyable, but not a segment leader- Technology News, Firstpost

Ameya DalviJan 10, 2023 19:40:08 IST

Strong Points:
– Comfortable sound output, custom equalizer
– Great build quality, comfortable in-ear fit
– Seamless Google Assistant integration
– Impressive battery backup
– Wear detection, multipoint support
– A handy companion app (finally)

Cons:
– Average ANC of segment
– No support for high-end codecs
– Price should be more competitive

price: 18,999 rupees

Rating: 3.7/5

Google launched its flagship true wireless (TWS) earbuds in India a few months ago. But it seemed far from finished, especially on the software side. How ironic! The tech giant has promised several updates in the coming months, and after a couple of rounds, the Google Pixel Buds Pro feel like a good package. It will no doubt face serious competition in India from the likes of Sony and Samsung. Can it outperform them or even match their performance?

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Design and Comfort (8/10)
The earbuds have an unusual design that is difficult to put into words. Best to check the image below. They aren’t the most compact buds I’ve come across, but they don’t protrude too much from the ears. That’s it. The pre-installed medium-sized silicone ear tips worked best for me as they provide a good seal and passive noise isolation.

Different size tips are bundled in case the medium isn’t right for you. As always, we recommend taking a few minutes to choose the right one.The companion app can also help you choose the right tip. The build quality of the Google Pixel Buds Pro is excellent for both the earbuds and the case. The buds have a black matte finish and a large touch zone on the back.

The case has a smooth white matte finish that gives it a luxurious feel. Here you will only get the Charcoal Black variant of the product. That means you have to make do with a black and white combo. No complaints about it. The compact case fits pretty much in your pocket. There’s a camouflaged charging indicator LED on the front, a Bluetooth pairing button on the back, and a USB-C charging port on the bottom.

The earbuds weigh 6.2 grams each, while the charging case weighs 50 grams. It’s not the lightest, but it doesn’t feel heavy thanks to the even weight distribution. The earbuds are IPX4 rated for sweat resistance and can be worn while working out or jogging. However, avoid using it in drizzling rain. The case is IPX2 rated and partially waterproof from certain angles. It is best to keep it away from splashes and sprays.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Features and Specs (7.5/10)
Each earbud is fitted with an 11mm driver and three microphones. It also features a wear detection sensor that pauses audio when the earbuds are removed from your ears and resumes when you put them back on. Being a Google product, it is tightly integrated with the Google Assistant. You can issue hands-free voice commands to perform specific tasks or control compatible smart devices around your home. They are very responsive, just like the Google Nest smart speaker.

Codec support here isn’t that great. Pixel Buds Pro only comply with SBC and AAC codecs via Bluetooth 5.0. This is very little for a flagship product. Given the premium price, it’s only natural to expect support for high-end codecs like aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC. However, multipoint support is available for pairing and using these earbuds with two devices simultaneously.

The back of the earbuds is touch-enabled, accepting single-tap, double-tap, and triple-tap gestures to perform multiple tasks. Even better, you can also use slide gestures to increase or decrease the volume. Something we’d like to see in most mid-range and high-end earbuds in the future.The Pixel Buds app (Android only at the moment) lets you assign some functions to specific gestures, but leaves the default controls completely It cannot be changed.

The biggest addition to the app is the sound tweaks it was missing at launch. The app offers a large number of sound presets and a 5-band equalizer for creating custom presets. Instead of frequency values ​​for each band, Google chose names such as treble, treble, midrange, bass, and bass that each band actually modifies. This is a simple but good approach because most people don’t know what the numbers really mean.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Performance (7/10)
The wireless range is perfectly fine with a stable connection of 10 meters and a clear line of sight between the earbuds and the source device. There was no lag between image and audio when streaming video, no lag issues. ANC does a good job of filtering low frequency sounds like AC hum and outdoor buzz, but it’s not as good as what you get with the Sony WF-1000XM4.

As for the transparency mode, ambient sounds feel natural, but voices, especially outdoors, aren’t loud enough. Moving on to sound quality, the Pixel Buds Pro offer a reasonably balanced and enjoyable sound output across different genres of music. But the audio detail is a few notches worse than other powerhouses in this price range, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Broadly speaking, these earphones offer a V-shaped sound with boosted lows and highs. No, it’s not as pronounced a V shape as what you get with earbuds priced under Rs 5,000. The level of detail resolved is also much better than those, but I would expect better given that these buds cost close to 20,000. Despite the boost, the bass is tight and punchy and does not overly obscure the midrange. Vocals are pretty sharp, though the low-mids are a little masked.

The treble has plenty of sparkle and is well tuned to avoid sibilance. The sound field is moderately wide, there is a sense of space, and the image is good. What it lacks is little detail in the sound. This may be due to the limited wireless bandwidth available here due to the lack of good codecs. increase. Also, as mentioned earlier, there’s a 5-band his equalizer to further tweak the sound to your liking.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Call Quality (7/10)
The Pixel Buds Pro’s call quality is above average, but nothing special. People on calls could be heard clearly and I rarely had trouble hearing what I was saying. However, the transmitted audio sounds a little soft. A little more sharpening or amplification could have been used for a better call experience. ENC works well in noisy areas, and the mic keeps ambient noise at bay without negatively impacting conversations.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Battery Life (8/10)
Battery backup for Pixel Buds Pro is very good. Google shows figures of 7 hours with the earbuds and another 13 hours with the charging case with ANC on. And the estimates are pretty accurate. During the testing process, the earbuds lasted just under 7 hours at 70% loudness with ANC on all the time. With the extra juice from the case, which can recharge the earbuds almost twice as much, the overall battery backup figure with ANC turned on is close to 19 hours. Again, not far from Google’s estimate.

Without ANC, the company claims 11 hours of use on a full charge and about 30 hours with the case. I didn’t test that claim, but looking at the battery performance with ANC on, you should easily get 10 hours with the earbuds and 28 hours overall without ANC. That’s impressive. The case can be charged using a standard USB-C charger, and it also supports wireless charging using Qi-certified chargers. Fast charging is also possible, 5 minutes of charging gives you 1 hour of playback with ANC on. It’s not at the top of the charts, but it’s not useful either.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: Price and Verdict
Google Pixel Buds Pro are available in India for Rs 18,999 and come with a one-year warranty. Given the competition in the segment in India, I feel Google should have been a bit more competitively priced. In terms of pure sound quality and ANC, the Sony and Samsung products are clearly ahead. The Pixel Buds Pro offer tight integration with the Google Assistant and other smart products from the company. Other things in favor of these buds are great build quality, good battery backup, and a 5-band equalizer for customizing the sound.

In terms of alternatives, the top 2 picks for 2022 are under Rs 20,000 and are hard to beat. The Sony WF-1000XM4 offers clean and detailed sound output along with the best ANC under 20K. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro aren’t far behind in terms of sound quality and ANC, and if you’re using or planning to use a Samsung phone, unlock more premium features. It’s hard to recommend the Pixel Buds Pro over these two right now.