Equipment Review // Sound - Pixel Buds

Over the festive period of 2021, I was able to get a discount code for a pair of google Pixel Buds A-Series. It was not a big discount but ultimately got me the tax off. I personally am a big fan of Google, as I use both a Pixel 5 Phone and a Pixelbook to blog with (more on them in the future). I also walk a lot and really do not like over-the-head and ear headsets, so a little in-the-ear setup made perfect sense.

The Pixel Buds arrived the day after Christmas, and I made a cheeky little unboxing video for my Youtube channel: Adventures with Peps.

Now that I have lived with them for a month, I felt it was time for a full review. Here are some details on the buds.

Price: CAD 139 plus tax - not the most expensive market but definitely a commitment.

Weight: Each Bud is 5.06 grams, making them friendly and light in the ears while the case with buds is 53 grams. Easy to throw in your backpack and forget.

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 - Pretty standard.

Additional features: Sweat and Water resistant, but I haven't put it to the test; they have survived the snow of winter.

Sound: 12mm Speaker drive and passive noise reduction.

Charge: 5 hours listening and 2.5 talks. I am getting around those numbers, I am pretty impressed.

Review

The Google Pixel Buds A-Series was, for me, a great purchase. Unboxing it, I knew I made the right choice. I love the design aspect of the charging case, which is clean minimal and reminds me of those silly toys that you had to try and keep alive. The case with buds is light and easy to lose in your backpack (hahaha). While the earbuds themselves come with options for earplug size and are extremely light and comfortable in the ear. I chose Dark Olive for my colour choice and I would describe it more as a greenish grey, I do wish the case had matched the colour of the headset but that is me being picky. I do like the overall matte appearance and they are extremely easy to keep clean. One final nice feature was the magnet, most likely designed to hold in place when wirelessly charging but sticks nicely to metal meaning it won't easily be knocked off the tower unit I charge on. It is also USB-C so connects seamlessly with all my other Google products and hooks up to my fast charger. In all about 15-20 minutes of charging gets me through a day of on and off listening.

Connectivity is easy to set up on all devices. As long as your Bluetooth is on you are good to go. Open the Bluetooth on your device, open the case and boom there it is. Follow the setup and you are good to go. I personally have them set up on three devices, phone, laptop and desktop. With a simple click, I can swap between devices with ease and have had zero issues with connecting. This is great as I can shut my laptop at the end of work and be instantly connected to my phone for m audible walk home. Now as I mentioned I am a google kid, so whether this experience is the same for Samsung or Apple devices I couldn't say.

The final main feature I use is the mics for phone calls and zoom meetings. From what I have experienced they pick up my voice very well. Better than talking directly at the laptop or on the phone, they block surrounding sounds pretty well which is perfect for a busy brewery environment.

Overall I have had a positive experience with these. They are lightweight, comfortable and sound great. The fact that I can quickly switch between devices with a simple mouse click is added bonus. I would recommend to you all for purchase, but I also understand that earbuds is a very personal experience so try out different products, go with what you feel is best and let me know which you prefer.