I ditched my Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for these cheaper buds and I didn’t miss a thing

The Pixel Buds Pro were one of my favorite buds for a couple of years, and then the Pixel Buds Pro 2 displaced them on that throne thanks to their smaller size, more comfortable fit, and the super cool twist-to-fit feature that gives me two different fits with one pair of buds.

I never thought another pair of buds would take over the Buds Pro 2 this soon, but Google has surprised me with its new Pixel Buds 2a ($129 at Amazon). I expected these to become a secondary pair of buds I keep at home for short listening sessions, not the buds I take with me everywhere, but they’re so good that I don’t find myself really missing anything about my Pixel Buds Pro 2. And for nearly half the price? It’s a steal, especially for any Pixel user.

Switching to the Pixel Buds 2a was so incredibly easy because everything about them was familiar. They slot in my ear exactly the same way as the Buds Pro 2 do because, as far as I can tell, they’re precisely the same physical size and shape. Not a fraction of a millimeter off in any direction. Physically, the only difference is their shiny plastic versus the matte of the Pro version, which could be detrimental if I were running a lot and getting sweaty with these on, but at most, I’m just fast-walking.

I’m so glad Google returned to the twist-to-fit design. It’s the most versatile thing about these buds: Point the ear tip down for a loose fit, then twist it to lodge better against the ear canal, and it’s suddenly tighter. They’re perfect for chill listening sessions in a safe environment, and just as ideal for bopping to music while dashing through the Parisian metro. I don’t think I can go back to a pair of buds without this simple trick because it effectively transforms one pair of buds into two.

I am not an audiophile — our sister site SoundGuys will probably have a proper review of these if you care about graphs and numbers — so I only know what I can hear. And the Buds 2a sound good to me. Gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you if there’s any difference between them and my Pixel Buds Pro 2; I’m sure there are some minor differences, but for my untrained ears listening to Pocket Casts and compressed Spotify, I’ll be honest and say it’s insignificant.

I’m just glad to see proper ANC and transparency on the A series buds, finally. If either of these were missing, I’d go back running to my Pixel Buds Pro 2. With my parents visiting for the past three weeks, having a haven away from the constant chit-chat to be able to do some work has been essential. And since I got them, the Pixel Buds 2a took the mantle from the Buds Pro 2 without missing a beat.

Quick access to Gemini and Gemini Live, Spatial Audio (though without active head tracking), a custom equalizer, direct integration with my Pixel 10 Pro XL‘s volume panel and battery widget — all of these are other welcome features. But the ones I personally care about are multipoint support and audio switch. These have become non-negotiable for me because I switch between my phone, tablet, computer, and other devices pretty frequently. I need my buds to follow along and to understand when I’m playing music from one device, taking a phone call on another, or watching a video on another. With these two features in tow, the Pixel Buds 2a carried what the Buds Pro 2 already did, seamlessly.

The feature I thought I’d miss most from my Pixel Buds Pro 2 was swiping for volume controls. The Buds 2a don’t have it, and I dreaded having to use my phone or watch to change volume, but you know what? After a few days, I realized I didn’t miss that at all; turns out I already don’t rely on the swipe gestures and rarely use them. They’re so finicky, especially with long, unruly hair covering my ears, so it’s often just easier to control volume from my Pixel Watch or phone than to attempt to swipe on a tiny surface with hair strands in the way.

With several wireless charging pads around my house, I also thought I’d miss having Qi charging on the case, but then again, I have just as many USB-C cables around the house. I just had to remember to use the cable the one time I needed to fill it up. Because of very decent battery life on the buds (seven hours) and case (twenty hours), I only need to charge the case once a week or so, and having to find a USB-C cable instead of a charging pad isn’t a dealbreaker. Plus, the case is repairable now with an easy-to-replace battery, which I’d take over wireless charging any day.

The case is also missing the built-in speaker, which plays a sound to help you locate the case if you lose it and gives various chimes to indicate charging and proper bud placement. Google has mitigated the first use by playing a sound from the buds while they’re in the case to help locate the entire setup. Only those who often lose the bud-less, empty case will be affected by the missing speaker, and I’m not one of them. As for the chimes, the only one I really miss is the one that indicates proper placement.

Once again, Google’s bud design means you can insert the Pixel Buds 2a correctly in the case, or flip them around and insert them wrong. The magnets and holes align perfectly either way, and I often think I’ve done the right thing until I try to close the charging case and it doesn’t close. Dammit! Invert the buds, try again, and it works. The chime was helpful for this silly design flaw-slash-feature. By now, I should’ve memorized that the G logo should be upright, but I’m forgetful like that.

I’m struggling to think of any other big missing features with the Pixel Buds 2a. There’s no low-latency mode for gaming, something I personally don’t need; no auto-detection of talking to automatically turn on transparency mode; and none of the newfangled adaptive audio and loud noise protection features that just came to the Buds Pro 2. If you really need any of these, you’ll probably miss them, but I don’t, and I don’t notice they’re gone when I have my Pixel Buds 2a in my ears.

Look, I’m not going to tell you that Pixel Buds 2a are better than the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but relatively speaking, on a value-for-money scale, they are a better buy. At $129, they’re $100 cheaper than the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and I’ve been enjoying using them just as much. All my must-have, non-negotiable features are there: long-term comfort, in-ear stability, great sound with ANC and transparency, good battery life, easy Gemini integration, Bluetooth Multipoint, and seamless audio switching between my devices.

Even though the list of missing features is long, it’s not as impactful to my everyday use as I thought it would be. Swiping for volume control will be the most crucial miss for many users, though, especially if they’re used to leaving their phones away or in their pockets and often need to change the volume. Besides that, everything else in the more expensive version is a minor improvement that definitely makes the Pixel Buds Pro 2 better, just not by $100 if you ask me.

Google has distilled the essence of the Pixel Buds into the 2a and made them more affordable, ridiculously so. They’re easily the best way to complete a Pixel phone while staying in the same ecosystem and benefiting from Google’s Pixel-only exclusive features like Gemini Live and Audio Switch.