Tag: wireless earbuds

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Android AirPods users need to head to an Apple Store to update

Typically tech devices receive updates that improve their stability or add new features.

With this in mind, if you’re one of the few AirPods users without any other Apple products like a Mac, iPhone or iPad, you’ve probably been missing out on several important updates since Apple’s wireless earbuds require another device to update their firmware.

Now, according to an updated AirPods support firmware document, Apple suggests that if you don’t have a way to update your AirPods, you can head to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Retailer to get your hands on the latest AirPods update.

While going to an Apple Store just for an update is undeniably annoying, most people who use AirPods probably own an iPhone or MacBook, so this method targets a small number of Android users. That said, Apple’s Beats line of headphones and earbuds can receive software updates via Android devices, and the tech giant likely could have done the same with its AirPods if it really wanted to.

If you’re an iPhone/iPad/MacBook user and you’re wondering why your AirPods haven’t updated recently, the document now states that Apple’s wireless earbuds update automatically when they are charging or if there’s a companion Apple device connected to Wi-Fi nearby.

The latest update to hit the AirPods is firmware, ‘5E133,’ brings bug fixes and other improvements to 2nd-Gen AirPods, 3rd-Gen AirPods, AirPods Pro, 2nd-Gen AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.

Source: Apple Via: MacRumors

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Nothing’s Ear (2) wireless earbuds could look a lot like the Nothing Ear (1)s

Carl Pei’s Nothing Ear (1) earbuds were an overall critical success thanks to their great transparent design, decent battery life and a solid accompanying app.

Now, the London, England-based company is reportedly working on the successor to the Ear (1), and leaked press renders of the buds show a rather similar design.

First shared by reliable industry leaker @OnLeaks (via SmartPrix), the Ear (2)s seemingly only feature slight visual changes when compared to the Ear (1).

As reported by SmartPrix, the only external visual difference between the Ear (1) and the Ear (2) is the change in position of the noise-canceling microphone.

The microphone was located at the top of the earbud in the Ear (1), but has seemingly been moved to the side of the earbud, as seen in the image below. Minor internal changes also result in a slightly different look on the stem of the earbud.

 

SmartPrix also revealed that the new earbuds would feature personalized ANC, allowing the user to set the intensity of noise cancellation according to their preference. There will also be a transparency mode, which was also present on the Ear (1), alongside support for dual connectivity, allowing the device to be paired two two devices at once for ease of switching.

“Nothing is also adding support for Advanced EQ with the custom settings and the Find Earbuds Feature,” concluded SmartPrix.

It is currently unknown when the Ear (2) could release, but considering how detailed the press renders look, it could be a matter of weeks until we see the buds announced.

Image credit: SmartPrix

Source: @OnLeaks Via SmartPrix

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Some AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) users report experiencing audio drift issues

I really like Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), but my experience over the last few weeks hasn’t been entirely perfect.

As first reported by 9to5Mac, several AirPods Pro 2 owners have turned to Reddit to outline issues tied to annoying audio drifting and, in some cases, audio randomly increasing and decreasing.

While it’s still unclear, the problem is likely tied to ‘Adaptive Transparency’ and active noise cancellation (ANC). The wireless earbuds’ new Adaptive Transparency feature levels out the volume when Transparency mode is enabled to prevent loud sounds like a car horn from blasting through the AirPods Pro too noisily.

It’s also worth noting that in most of the reports, users have Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking disabled. I haven’t run into audio drifting problems at all.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve encountered the occasional AirPods Pro mild audio spike, but I assumed it was tied to a Spatial Audio glitch or perhaps me not setting up Personalized Spatial Audio properly (I haven’t had the opportunity to troubleshoot the issue much). The main problem I’ve run into is that the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) will sometimes display as connected to my iPhone 14 Pro or MacBook Pro (2021), but whenever I play audio, nothing comes from the buds. Usually, a quick manual disconnect and reconnect solves the problem, but it’s still annoying.

Apple hasn’t released a statement about the issue, but based on these reports, the problem seems to be tied to software. Hopefully, the tech giant releases an update soon that solves the issue.

For more on Apple’s new AirPods Pro, check out my review.

Source: Reddit (TutorPuzzleheaded187) Via: 9to5Mac

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Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: These could have been great

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sounds impressive. Very impressive.

Compared to top-end earbuds like Google’s Pixel Buds Pro and OnePlus’ Buds Pro, Samsung’s buds are compelling, but they’re likely still not the best option for most.

This year’s Samsung high-end wireless earbud offering is rock solid, but the company might be doing itself an injustice by trying to replicate AirPods-like features within the Samsung ecosystem. The company needs to step back and realize that its ecosystem isn’t as locked down as Apple’s, and small features like this are often just as much of a deterrent as they are a selling feature.

That said, when the music is pumping, there aren’t many situations where the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro disappoint, and that’s what we’re all here for anyway.

A step up in Samsung’s sound

Samsung has been cranking out above-average-sounding earbuds since it purchased AKG and released the Galaxy Buds+ in 2020. As expected, the new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro continues the legacy of great-sounding buds and are the best yet.

Compared to the existing Galaxy Buds 2, the clarity is a step above and blew me away when I first tested them. The new two-way speaker and enhanced woofer do a good job of providing balance to such a small unit. The bass kick is satisfying, and the vocals are always clear.

The buds’ soundscape also offers great stereo separation. I found myself getting lost in the music easily, partly because of the realistic sound reproduction but also because the ANC (active noise-cancelling) blocks out every annoying sound in my office. You can still hear some noises when you have nothing playing, but once the music kicks in, it provides a very isolating listening experience.

These noticeable audio upgrades are slotted in alongside a natural sound profile that audiophiles will be happy to listen to. If you want to dive into the deep end of wireless earbuds audio graphs, you can learn more in this video from Crinicle+.

Samsung’s marketing for the earbuds hypes up the fact that they can transmit 24-bit audio, but that only works with Samsung phones and most music streaming services charge extra for that, so it’s not something most people really need to worry about. I tested these earbuds on a Pixel 6, OnePlus 10 Pro and a MacBook Pro, and they sounded great on those devices playing regular music on Spotify with the highest streaming quality.

The perks and fallbacks

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro come with Samsung’s excellent wireless earbuds case that fits nicely into most pockets, but this year the case and buds feature a grippier texture that feels awesome, but is a bit harder to slide in and out of tight pockets.

The best software feature these buds offer is Samsung’s ‘Conversation mode,’ which disables ANC when you start talking and smartly re-enables it afterward. This is the same feature that was offered in the last Galaxy Buds Pro. It’s cool and works well for short chats. More extended conversations introduce dead air and moments for the ANC to re-enable. However, talking again will bring them back into transparency mode, and I found this feature extremely helpful. It sounds inconsequential, but not having to take out your earbuds and pause your music to ask a quick question is extremely convenient.

A fairly limited equalizer allows you to choose from some preset sound profiles like ‘Bass boost,’ ‘Dynamic,’ and more. I was so impressed with the default tuning that I stuck with it for most of my listening, but it’s nice to have a few options. It would be cool to see Samsung start to let users adjust the EQ with more granularity since that seems like the next step for this feature.

If you use a Samsung phone, tablet, smartwatch or computer, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pros will also seamlessly connect to your devices, which is a significant plus for these buds since connecting and using them with more than one non-Samsung device is a hassle. Samsung says you can touch and hold on both buds at the same time when they’re in your ears to pair them, but this doesn’t work when the buds are already paired to something, so it’s pretty much useless. This is also an issue I notice with the standard Galaxy Buds 2, and one I’m blown away with, considering it has made it through this many generations of earbuds.

That means to put the buds into pairing mode, you need to simply open the case. The same action also connects them to the last device they were paired with.

This means if you want to pair with your phone, for example, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are already connected to your computer, you need to turn off Bluetooth on your PC so they won’t auto-pair to it when you open them. On the contrary, most wireless earbuds have a button on the buds or the case that can trigger Bluetooth pairing. Samsung does have one, but for some reason, it doesn’t work.

In the end, this is a huge flaw and made using the buds daily for work at my desk, and then with my phone on a bike ride after work, an incredibly frustrating experience. If I lived in Samsung’s ecosystem, it would be fine, but as someone with a Mac and an Android phone, this makes them too annoying to recommend, even if they sound great.

The other issue with these buds is the price. Sure, they sound a bit better and offer stronger ANC than the regular Galaxy Buds 2, but they cost a lot more. At $120, the standard Galaxy Buds 2 are a great deal, but at $289, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pros are a tough sell. Moreover, the high price makes it more annoying when they fail to work.

Compared to the Buds 2, the new Buds 2 Pros do feature a few notable improvements, including stronger IPX7 water resistance compared to IPX2 in the non-pro models. Samsung says you can submerge the new buds for up to 30 minutes in shallow fresh water, but swimming with them is not recommended. That said, enhanced protection from sweat, rain and the odd spill is always welcome.

On top of that, the buds also don’t have a very good internal microphone. It’s passable, but compared to AirPods, Google Pixel Buds Pros and even Beats Fit Pros, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s mic is the worst of the bunch. You can listen to a full microphone test here.

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Do Apple’s AirPods really have the best microphones?

Apple’s AirPods line has always had a reputation for featuring a decent microphone. However, as more companies like Google, Samsung and Beats (which is actually just Apple itself) continue to improve the mics in their buds, we decided to test several buds to see which option truly sounds the best.

For the test, we compared the mic featured in the following wireless earbuds:

You can watch the full video below or on our YouTube channel and listen for yourself. If you want to skip to the microphone test it begins at 2:07.

In the end, the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) sound the best to us, but regular AirPods and most of the earbuds were still passable. The quality changed a bit when we moved outside in the rain, but that’s likely a rare use case for a lot of people.

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Nothing’s next earbuds remove silicone tips and revamp case

Nothing is drumming up its never-ending hype cycle again for its new Ear (Stick) wireless earbuds. And yes, that’s the name the company is going with this time; Not Ear (2), but Ear (Stick).

These buds come in a tube case and don’t feature silicon tips like the previous Nothing Ear (1)s. Nothing says that the new Ear Stick is lighter and more comfortable and offers a moulded design.

The earbuds were shown off at the Chet Lo runway show in London, England, Nothing’s hometown. The tease featured the new buds in models’ ears and stuffed in unique shear bags, which will also be on sale later this year.

The same press release says that Nothing will release specs for the earbuds sometime before the end of the year, but it seems like some high-ranking members of the official Nothing Discord might get information surrounding specs sooner, so ideally, these details will leak soon.

Based on the press images, there seems to be a subtle texture on the white centre tube. This is likely to offer grip as you pop open the case, through the cut-out in the transparent section points at the camera in the picture above.

You can see another angle from a smartphone shot from the fashion show. In this image, the buds look pretty big in the model’s ears, but it’s difficult to tell without more context surrounding their size.

Ideally, the Ear (Stick)s will sound better and offer a more consistent Bluetooth connection than the Ear (1)s. While my review of Nothing’s first earbuds is positive, I emphasized their reasonable cost, beautiful design and comfortable fit. Focusing on a new design instead of making the software and hardware work better together could be risky for Nothing.

Traditionally, most wireless earbuds with silicon tips and active noise-cancelling are more expensive than models without these higher-end features. That leads me to believe the Ear Stick should be cheaper than the Nothing Ear (1)s. At $130, it will be hard to shave that price down, and still offer a compelling answer to wireless earbuds like the AirPods and Galaxy Buds Live.

If you’re still curious to catch a glimpse of the Ear (Stick)s, roughly 30 photos from the runway are available on Hypebae.

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AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) Review: Longer battery life and better sound

Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) are a worthwhile update to what are already one of the best pairs of Bluetooth wireless earbuds out there.

The new AirPods Pro still don’t deliver audio as crisp as Sony’s more expensive WF-1000XM4s or support high-quality codecs/lossless audio. However, they make up for these shortcomings with vastly improved ‘Active Noise Cancellation’ (ANC), excellent ‘Adaptive Transparency,’ better battery life, surprisingly responsive on-bud volume controls and, of course, the instant connectivity to Apple devices the wireless earbuds are known for.

Still, the 2nd-Gen AirPods are not a complete reinvention of the 1st-Gen version of the wireless earbuds. They look and fit the same, and include an identical case offering a few new features like precision ‘Find My,’ thanks to a built-in U1 chip.

For me, the new AirPods Pro are a worthwhile upgrade because I use their predecessor every day and count them among my favourite wireless earbuds. I appreciate the subtle, but meaningful quality-of-life improvements Apple’s 2nd-Gen AirPods Pro offer.

Improved audio, better Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Transparency

For what seems like a minor refresh at the outset, there’s a lot to unpack regarding what’s new with the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen).

“While the 1st-gen AirPods offer decent noise-cancellation, their successor features the best I’ve encountered in a pair of wireless earbuds”

First off, a new low-distortion audio driver, amplifier and Apple’s revamped computational audio results in noticeably clearer sound and a deeper bass across a wide range of frequencies. Whether I’m jamming out to Heart Attack Man or reliving my youth with 50-Cent’s Window Shopper, the new AirPods Pro sound stellar.

While working on this review, I frequently shifted between using the original AirPods Pro and the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), and instantly noted sound quality improvements, regardless of what music I was listening to. But is the audio that much better? No, not entirely. Though if you’re the type of person who cares about audio quality, you’ll notice a difference. The level of depth doesn’t match some high-end earbuds, like the WF-1000XM4s I already mentioned, but they’re on par with and surpass Google’s Pixel Buds Pro in the bass department.

Image credit: Bradley Bennett

While the improved sound quality is in part powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, the updated silicon adds other features to the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), including improved noise cancellation. While the 1st-gen AirPods offer decent noise-cancellation, their successors feature the best I’ve encountered in a pair of wireless earbuds, matching even Google’s Pixel Buds Pro.

Whether I was attempting to block out the noise of my partner’s meetings while working in our small at-home office, drowning out chatter at the MobileSyrup office or just walking around my suburban neighbourhood listening to music, the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) do a commendable job of blocking out unwanted background noise. The Active Noise Cancellation still isn’t on par with over-ear headphones, but it’s getting there. The best example I can offer of how good the new Pro’s active noise cancellation performs is my experience at Apple’s fall hardware keynote. I tested the 2nd-gen AirPods while standing in the extremely noisy hands-on area at the Steve Jobs Theatre, and nearly all surrounding background audio disappeared. In fact, I couldn’t even hear the Apple rep in front of me outlining the earbuds’ new features.

But sometimes you don’t always want Active Noise Cancellation to be on, especially when it’s this good. This is where ‘Adaptive Transparency’ comes in, a new feature that processes sound 48,000 times per second to adjust harsh environmental noise, while still allowing low-level audio passthrough. This lets you listen to tunes while still being aware of loud noises around you like a siren, motorcycle or construction. In general, Adaptive Transparency works great, but it isn’t perfect. Sometimes it picks up softer noises as louder than they actually are and reduces them, leading to a strange listening experience. This only happened in a few instances but is still worth mentioning.

AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) case

So far, I haven’t found Adaptive Transparency very useful, but that’s primarily because I use the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) while at home or in the office, and in most cases, I want to block out all background noise so I can concentrate on what I’m working on. If I had a lengthy walk to work through busy downtown Toronto like I used to, I’d likely toggle the feature on more frequently.

On the other hand, mic performance remains disappointingly identical. The original AirPods already featured some of the best mic quality I’ve encountered in a pair of Bluetooth wireless earbuds, but I was hoping for some level of upgrade with the new AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen). As far as I can tell, not much has changed in this department.

On-device volume controls

The number of times I’ve been in my backyard mowing my lawn or gardening while listening to music, and I’ve had to go back inside to turn up the volume on my iPhone, is countless at this point (no, I won’t ask Siri to raise the volume). With the addition of the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen’s) new on-device volume controls, this is no longer a problem.

All you need to do to raise or lower the volume is swipe up/down subtly on an easily identifiable concave section on the front of the AirPods Pro. I found myself using a pinching motion with my index finger on the rear of the AirPods Pro’s stem, but you can also just swipe one finger, and it still works (this more easily knocks the earbud out of your ear, though).

In my experience, the new AirPods Pro volume touch controls are extremely responsive and work with subtle changes. If you, for example, only want to lower or raise the volume by a notch or two, you can do that with a brief swipe. The controls are also marked with a slight clicking noise, indicating they’re active and working. I didn’t run into any accidental presses during my several days with the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), even while long-pressing on the stem to toggle Active Noise Cancellation on/off or double-pressing to jump between songs.

On-device touch volume controls are by far my favourite new AirPods Pro feature. The convenience and ease of use of shifting volume levels directly on the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) without the need to take out my iPhone, really can’t be understated.

Upgraded charging case

With the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), Apple has also updated the wireless earbuds’ MagSafe-compatible charging case. First off, it now features Find My’s precision location technology powered by Apple’s UI chip. This means that if you lose the charging case, your iPhone can point you to where it’s located with an arrow and distance estimate.

Though I’ve never lost my AirPods Pro case, I can see this feature being useful for a lot of people. Personally, I’d rather precision Find My work with individual earbuds since I find myself misplacing them more often than the charging case, but that would require a U1 chip in each individual AirPod.

AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) case

Other upgrades include a built-in speaker that can play a sound to help you locate the earbuds’ case, which, like the new Find My feature, is useful if you happen to misplace it. The case also now features a slot for a lanyard, but unfortunately, the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) don’t come with one, and the official Incase loop costs an astounding $17.95 (shipments don’t arrive until mid-October). Of course, you could just use a different lanyard with the AirPods Pro charging case, but given their price tag, they should include one in the box.

The lanyard is a little silly, but it also makes finding the AirPods Pro easier in a backpack or bag, as well as more difficult to misplace accidentally.

“The AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen)’s battery life has also been increased to hit roughly six hours.”

Finally, the case is now IPX4 sweat and water-resistant and can charge via the Apple Watch’s charger. I’m not sure I’ll ever find myself in a situation where I’d use the Apple Watch’s charger to charge the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen), but it’s still a welcome addition I’m surprised it wasn’t already part of the Pro’s arsenal of features.

Everything else

Apple’s ‘Personalized Spatial Audio’ is far less impactful when compared to the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen)’s other new features. Through iOS 16 and the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera system, Apple says that Personalized Spatial Audio tunes the new AirPods Pro’s ‘Spatial Audio’ specifically to the shape of your ear. The somewhat finicky process involves scanning your ear with the iPhone being held to the side of your head, which is difficult to line up. You also need to scan the front of your face.

In theory, I like the idea of audio being tuned specifically to the shape of your ear, but in practice, it doesn’t make much of a difference. It’s also worth noting that while I really like Spatial Audio when watching movies or TV shows on platforms like Apple TV+, I find it hit or miss with music, especially when a track wasn’t originally recorded with the technology in mind and has been remastered.

For those who are unaware, Spatial Audio places sound in a 3D space, with audio coming from the front, behind, above and generally, all around you.

AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) in case

The AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen)’s battery life has also been increased to hit roughly six hours, which is a reasonable increase from the three to four hours (sometimes even less) I typically got with the 1st-Gen version. At this point, six hours is pretty standard for wireless earbuds with noise cancellation, so this upgrade is expected and not very impressive, though still welcome. Talk time comes in at 4.5 hours, and you can get up to 30 hours of charging from the case. I long for a world where Apple’s AirPods feature all-day battery life, but it’s unclear when that reality will arrive, if ever.

Finally, Apple has also added a fourth ‘Extra-small’ ear tip alongside the ‘Small,’ ‘Medium’ and ‘Large’ tips. As someone who often finds wireless earbuds uncomfortable, this is a welcome move on Apple’s part, though I stuck with the ‘Small’ tips. Speaking of comfort, since the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) feature the same exact in-ear design as their predecessor, if you didn’t find the 1st-Gen AirPods Pro comfortable, that won’t change with the refreshed buds.

That said, next to my beloved Samsung Galaxy Buds Live — which remains the most comfortable wireless earbuds I’ve ever used — Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) are some of the most comfortable wireless earbuds out there.

You can also now engrave an emoji on the front of the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen)’s case, because of course you can. It’s a subtle, albeit silly addition that lets you add a bit of personality to the wireless earbuds.

One aspect I haven’t mentioned yet is durability. Since the release of the original AirPods Pro back in 2019, I’ve gone through two pairs of the buds that were replaced under warranty. In both cases, the right AirPod Pro started making a strange buzzing noise when noise cancellation was turned on.

Sometimes I was able to get rid of the crackle by cleaning the AirPods Pro, but eventually, it just wouldn’t go away. So far, I haven’t encountered this problem with Apple’s new AirPods Pro, so I’m hoping it’s been solved on a hardware level since it remains a widespread issue with the original version of the wireless earbuds and even forced Apple to launch a replacement program. This review will be updated if I encounter this problem or if it becomes common with the 2nd-Gen AirPods Pro.

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AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) Hands-on: Impressively quiet

When new wireless earbuds are revealed, I typically expect incremental, barely noticeable upgrades.

While I can’t speak to the AirPods Pro (2nd-gen)’s audio quality improvements since that’s difficult to judge based on my brief hands-on time with the wireless earbuds, I can say that Apple’s claims regarding the active noise-cancellation being twice as good seem legitimate.

According to Apple, this improvement stems from the wireless earbuds’ new H2 chip, which has more processing power and better energy efficiency.

On the sound quality side, Apple says the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen) feature new low-distortion drivers, allowing for improved sound quality with more depth. I briefly listened to a few tracks in the busy hands-on area, and the new AirPods Pro sounded great, but I definitely need to spend more time with them.

It’s worth noting that there’s now an extra-small ear tip for people with smaller ears. I use a medium tip in one ear and a small tip in the other, so it’s unlikely I’ll use the smaller tip. Still, this is a welcome addition on Apple’s part since I’ve heard from some people that even the small tip is too big.

Regarding new hardware features, Spatial Audio now supports a more personalized listening experience. The setup process seems straightforward and involves scanning your ears and face, but I haven’t been able to try it yet.

Finally, there are two low-key killer features that didn’t get much attention during Apple’s keynote. First off, there’s the new transparency mode that adapts to the ambient noise around you, allowing more audio pass-through when there’s noise near you. As someone who often uses their AirPods Pro when they’re out and about, this feature has the potential to be very useful.

Next, there are new, intuitive on-AirPod volume controls. A quick swipe up or down of the indent on either AirPod Pro lowers or raises the volume, removing the need to change the volume level via the iPhone. The touch controls are surprisingly precise, and the most responsive I’ve encountered in a pair of wireless earbuds.

There are also upgrades to the wireless charging case, including a new slot to attach a lanyard. However, in true Apple fashion, the lanyard is sold separately (I’m looking forward to the wacky third-party ecosystem of lanyards that will likely appear in the coming months).

AirPods Pro (2nd-gen)The charging case also now features a speaker and support for Apple’s more in-depth ‘Find My’ functionality, allowing you to more easily locate it, alongside the ability to charge on the Apple Watch’s charger. These are two welcome additions to the AirPods Pro, particularly the ability to charge on the Apple Watch charger when it comes to travel.

Other upgrades include six hours of battery life on a single charge, which is an increase from the three to five hours the original AirPods Pro typically receives.

One thing we didn’t hear anything about during the event is the addition of Lossless audio support. Apple could possibly make an announcement in the future regarding Lossless audio coming to the AirPods Pro (2nd-gen), but nothing has been announced yet.

I still need to spend more time with the new AirPods Pro, but I walked away impressed with the wireless earbuds after my brief hands-on time with them.

Apple’s AirPods Pro cost $329 in Canada and are available to pre-order on September 9th. They release on September 23rd.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro feature 24-bit audio and active noise cancellation

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have finally officially been revealed.

However, the Buds 2 Pro earbuds don’t differ much from their predecessor when it comes to design and specs.

Speaker

The Buds 2 Pro’s speaker features a custom coaxial 2-way (tweeter+ woofer) and offers 24-bit Hi-Fi sound quality on devices running OneUI 4.0 or higher.

It also features 360-degree audio with direct multi-channel. 360 audio requires OneUI 3.1 or later, and direct multi-channel is supported with OneUI version 4.1.1 or later

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro also features active noise cancellation (ANC) and a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) microphone. With two outer- and one inner-facing mics, ANC eliminates small noises by accessing lower-level sounds.

The Buds 2 Pro also offers ambient sound and voice detection. The buds can differentiate between noise and human voices. When the user speaks, the buds temporarily switch to ambient mode, reducing media volume so they can hear conversations without having to remove the earbuds.

Battery life

The earbuds have a 61mAh battery capacity and the charging case has a 515mAh power cell.

The Buds 2 Pro provide up to five hours of playtime with ANC on and 8 hours with ANC off. The case has a battery life of 18 hours with ANC on and 29 hours with ANC off when the case and earbuds are at 100 percent.

The earbuds have up to 3.5 hours of talk time with ANC on and four hours with ANC off. The case has 14 hours of battery life with ANC on and 15 hours with ANC off.

Other details

The earbuds include Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, and Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) sensors.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer a water resistance of IPX7, which means they can be submerged in up to 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes. However, this isn’t recommended and the earbuds shouldn’t be used at the beach or pool, says Samsung. The charging case also isn’t water resistant.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are available in ‘White,’ ‘Graphite,’ and ‘Bora Purple’ and cost $289.99, a $100 increase compared to the Galaxy Buds 2.

During Samsung’s latest Unpacked event, the tech giant also revealed its Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4.

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Pixel Buds Pro Review: Google’s best buds yet

Companies have been cashing in on wireless earbuds for years, but as low-cost buds get better, it’s getting difficult to justify buds that push the price higher than people want to pay.

That’s not to say that Google’s Pixel Buds Pro aren’t extremely solid wireless earbuds, but just that they cost slightly more than I expected – even for high-end earbuds. They’re cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Pro and offer a lot of the same features, but on the Android side, wireless earbuds are often more reasonably priced with fiercer competition. With this in mind, Google’s latest wireless earbuds don’t stand out as much as they should.

Top-notch sound

Putting the Pixel Buds Pro through my earbud test tracks was a blast. The sound was full-bodied and offered a soundscape with substantial width, a rarity with most Bluetooth buds.

This is enabled partly through the Pixel Buds Pro’s 11mm speaker driver, which must be tuned well since it sounds quite balanced compared to other Bluetooth earbuds with larger drivers. You can sometimes hear the limitations when the bass is absolutely pounding in a song, but I found the Buds Pro offers great sound quality in most cases.

One new addition Google hyped is the Pixel Buds Pro’s new ‘Volume EQ’ feature. The concept is that as you adjust the volume, the Pixel Buds Pro will change its tuning to ensure that the highs, mids and lows maintain a balance. However, this feature is tough to notice in practice. Switching between songs randomly and toggling the feature on and off offered no noticeable difference. Perhaps that’s part of the magic, or maybe Volume EQ is just overhyped marketing.

Either way, this doesn’t detract from my overall positive experience with the Pixel Buds Pro’s sound quality.

The Bluetooth earbuds’ active noise-cancelling (ANC) is great. It’s not the strongest implementation I’ve encountered, but it’s tuned well enough to keep ambient sound in the background. Google also added new technology called ‘Silent Seal’ that detects pressure in your ears and relieves it when using ANC. I’ve never experienced issues with ANC pressure, but I can feel it with some buds and see how it might wreak havoc on sensitive ears.

The Pixel Buds Pro doesn’t come with a cable for charging but features a USB-C port.

It’s difficult to judge if the Pixel Buds Pro will solve all the issues some people have with ANC buds, but there’s no denying they’re comfortable. The stemless design fits nicely in my ear, and since it sits flush against my head, they feel secure when I’m biking or running.

Google also added a seal detection method to the Pixel Buds app so you can try out the three different ear tip sizes included with the buds to know for sure what buds best fit your ears.

Hidden features

As the gap between great and decent wireless earbuds continues to shrink, the added features (or gimmicks to some) can help set good wireless buds apart from the pack. Google offers a few features that aren’t related to sound quality, and I’m so far impressed with the extra functionality.

My favourite is multipoint Bluetooth connection with seamless switching. This feature is key to Apple making its AirPods so easy to use, and I’m happy that others are finally catching up. That said, the implementation of the Pixel Buds has been hit and miss. They connect to my Mac/Pixel 6 and jump from one to the other, but the audio quality degrades significantly, which is annoying, and the buds struggle to return to normal. Other times I’ll be listening to music on my phone, and the Pixel Buds will disconnect and play a notification sound from my laptop. This only happened a few times, but Google will need to iron out these kinks to truly compete with AirPods.

I even tried this on a Chromebook where it was the same situation; plus you need to sideload the Pixel Buds app since you can’t download it directly from the ChromeOS Play Store.

Other features include hands-free Google Assistant and wireless charging. Both work as expected and are useful to have in your primary pair of earbuds. Each earbud is also rated for 11 hours of playback, but if you’re running ANC and Volume EQ, I found that I’d get a little less than that. Still, it was always enough for most situations. With the two extra charges you can get out of the case, you get a total of 31 hours.

Volume controls are rare to see on wireless earbuds, and it’s even more elusive to see them work well, but somehow Google has introduced an excellent touch panel on the Pixel Buds Pro. A soft swipe forward on the buds raises the volume a reasonable amount, and a swipe back brings it down. I still found myself accidentally tapping the touch panels when adjusting them, but compared to other earbuds I’ve tested – like the Galaxy Buds 2, for example, the Buds Pro works great.

The Pixel Buds app (left/green) and the Pixel Buds device settings on a Google Pixel 6 (right/pink). Both offer the same features and adapt to your device’s wallpaper if your Android device supports it.

Later in the fall, Google says spatial audio will make its way to the Pixel Buds Pro, offering a more immersive listening experience. I’m a big fan of the feature with Apple’s AirPods, so hopefully, Google and YouTube Music combine forces to make spatial audio on Android an even more compelling feature.

I also tested out the conversational Google translate feature, which works as advertised but you still need to have your phone nearby and manually switch when different people are talking (even if it’s just two people). It works, but if I were travelling and needed to use translate in a pinch, I would just use a smartphone since the earbuds make the experience slower and more cumbersome.

Finally, the buds are IPX4 water resistant, so they should be able to withstand a bit of rain, but I wouldn’t take them white water rafting or get them soaked.

Mic test

Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro microphone is on par with the rest of the crowd. From what I’ve been able to gather in my tests, Google has added EQ boosting tech that allows sound to be louder, but not necessarily better than the competition. It’s not a perfect mic, but for the occasional phone call or online meeting, the Pixel Buds Pro will get the job done.

I still find that holding a phone up to your face in loud environments sounds better, but in a quiet room, the Pixel Buds Pros’ mics are more than enough for what I expect most people to be using them for.

You can watch a video and listen to the Pixel Buds Pro, AirPods, OnePlus Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2 above.