Pixel Buds Pro in the test: Google’s Airpods alternative for Android The Pixel Buds Pro promise great sound and good ANC. TechStage examines whether Google’s Bluetooth headphones are worth their high price. 2:00 p.m. tech stage

Google wants to supply its customers completely from a single source. You should make calls with a Google Pixel 6 (test report) , work on a Chromebook (theme world) and stream music via YouTube. The only thing missing is really good headphones – and the Google Pixel Buds Pro are supposed to fill this gap. Unlike the Pixel Buds A, which are available free of charge with numerous Google smartphones, the Buds Pro use active noise cancellation.

But this also increases the price – Google is penetrating the realms of audio brands such as Sennheiser or Sony and of course the competitor Apple. Therefore, the Google Pixel Buds Pro have to show in the test whether they are really worth the high price or whether you would rather go for something else.

The Pixel Buds Pro are compact earbuds and not only come in bright colors, but also with a surprisingly large carrying case. This consists largely of a battery, so that the earplugs always have enough juice as possible. The headphones themselves are pleasingly small and fit well in the ear.

Google uses Bluetooth 5.0 for the Pixel Buds Pro. The standard is no longer brand new (current would be 5.2, cutting-edge is 5.3), but still usable for everyday use. It is a pity, however, that sound only comes in high-res via AAC, LDAC support would have been nice here. Why Google uses Apple’s favorite codec of all things and not, for example, aptX, LDAC or LHC is quite questionable. A more modern Bluetooth stack would have been worthwhile here, from version 5.2 you can use the codec LC3. Too bad. More about the codecs in the guide ANC, Codecs & Bluetooth: Good headphones must be able to do this .

The rest of the data is solid. Active noise cancellation is on board, which distinguishes the Pixel Buds Pro from the Pixel Buds A. There is also Google Fastpair and a multi-point function that can be switched on or off in the app. The headphones are protected against water by IPX4. The case can be charged via USB-C or wirelessly via Qi. We show suitable charging stations in the top 10: Wireless Qi chargers from 10 euros .

Thanks to Fastpair, the headphones connect directly to an Android smartphone if they have not yet been paired. This also works wonderfully, during setup you can also have the associated app installed.

It is nice that you can check the fit of the headphones as part of the app. This helps when choosing the right headphone attachments. We also like that you can search for the headphones using Android’s “Find my Phone” app. However, the devices do not transmit themselves, but show the place where they were last connected. If the headphones are not in the charging cradle, you can also let them ring.

The Pixel Buds Pro rely entirely on touch controls, but fortunately they stick to simple standards. One tap stops or starts playback, two taps skips a track forward, three taps skips a track back. You can also swipe forwards or backwards to control the volume. This works conveniently and is easy to remember.

The functions can all be adjusted and tweaked via the Pixel Buds app. There you can also turn multipoint on or off or determine what should happen when you press the touch surface for a long time. We also recommend installing it to check the fit of the earbuds or to update the firmware.

Similar to the Amazon Echo Buds (test report) , the Google Pixel Buds Pro are optimized for use with the virtual assistant, but in this case the Google Assistant is obviously used. The communication via the wake-up word “OK, Google” works well, for example, you can have the title of the song currently playing announced. So if you use the virtual assistant, you can let off steam here.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro play in the upper class when it comes to sound. It’s just fun to listen through your playlist with it. This is especially true if you have a high-quality playback service or high-res audio files. Even without codecs like LDAC, details come into their own. The bass is present, but doesn’t cover the mids and highs. Even without a dedicated equalizer, they offer a balanced sound across all music genres.

Text, such as audio books or podcasts, is clearly audible. This also applies to videos that arrive in the ear without any delay even without aptX.

The active noise cancellation works well, especially in the office or on the subway. This isolates you nicely from your surroundings (or noisy colleagues) and allows you to concentrate on your work. If you are out and about with it, you will quickly notice a clear rushing of the wind. Unlike the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 (test report) or the (much cheaper) Edifier Neobuds Pro S (test report) , there is no anti-wind mode. That’s a shame in this price range. ANC can be toggled on or off with a long press on either the left or right bud, although we would have liked an announcement like “ANC On” instead of a generic sound.

Depending on the volume, the headphones with ANC last between six and seven hours at a time, plus two charges from the case. That’s a good value.

The Pixel Buds Pro cost around 220 euros RRP. However, the street price is already lower shortly after the start.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are good in-ear headphones, no question. However, the high price of more than 200 euros RRP puts it in competition with other high-end devices, above all the Sennheiser Momemtum True Wireless 3 (test report) . And here it is unfortunately noticeable that Google has saved on many small things. It starts with the lack of alternatives to AAC (why no LDAC or LHC?), continues with the ANC (there are anti-wind functions in this price range) and the Bluetooth used.

Google could have dared more, for example to place the Pixel Buds Pro as flagship headphones for Bluetooth 5.3 and the new LC3 audio codec. That would also work with Bluetooth 5.2 – which is also integrated in the new Pixel 6 smartphones (test report) . This is where Google could really have used its technical gimmicks and offered customers real high-tech.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are very good headphones – but they can’t really stand out from the competition in this price segment. Our tip: If you get them cheaply in combination with a smartphone, you can strike. We recommend everyone else to take a look at the True Wireless Headphones theme world. Because there we show some exciting alternatives, such as the Edifier Neobuds Pro (test report) or the Nothing Ear 1 (test report) , which are significantly cheaper, but also offer ANC and good sound.