"If there's one thing an A-series Pixel device is known for, it's giving you a lot for a little less. That's to say the A signifier connotes value, and that applies to Google's Pixel phones, but also to Pixel Buds, the company's line of wireless earbuds. In keeping with that A-series reputation, the Pixel Buds A-series were a good value when they were released in 2021. For $99, they're fairly feature-rich and leaned into a design that was comfortable."
"There was one thing they didn't have, though: active noise cancellation, better known as ANC. That may have been fine for the time, but this is 2025, and while companies might've been able to get away with ANC-less wireless earbuds a few years ago, even today's more budget-friendly picks come with the ability to cancel noise both actively and passively. Clearly, Google knows that, which is why the Pixel Buds 2a add ANC and still manage to keep the price down."
"Let's start from the top. The Pixel Buds 2a are $129, which is a $30 premium over the last generation. That price hike, while not ideal, does come with some notable improvements, including ANC. It's hard to overstate how important ANC is in a pair of wireless earbuds nowadays. It's one of those things where, if you've never had a pair of ANC buds, you might not get it, but once you have ones that cancel noise, non-ANC buds feel untenable."
The Pixel Buds 2a cost $129, a $30 increase over the prior A-series model that launched at $99 in 2021. The 2a introduces active noise cancellation (ANC) while retaining a comfortable fit, an attractive Iris color, and a twist-to-adjust stabilizer. ANC performance exceeds expectations in many situations, but some ANC quirks remain. Sound quality is serviceable rather than exceptional, and there is no personalized EQ. The Pixel Buds app is unavailable on iOS. The A-series positioning still emphasizes value, but tradeoffs in sound and software limit their overall appeal.
Read at gizmodo.com
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