Google Pixel Buds A-Series Review: TOO GOOD for $99?

Google brings back the a series but it's not in a phone anymore this time it denotes a more affordable version of their budding audio segment no pun intended but in making the pixel buds a little more accessible did they also make them less capable let's explore 

These are the somewhat awkwardly named pixel buds a series for the most part the design of the a series mirrors the original pixel buds the case is still egg-like in both shape and color with the color splash just being on the inner portion and of course on the earbuds themselves now these are supposed to be like a green color but even I think that's a little bit dubious given what we actually got the case has the USB C charging port down below and then a feature that I actually love seeing on truly wireless earbuds a button for triggering the pairing mode since I tend to connect audio products to so many different devices this button here is really convenient to use other than the method where you have to put both earbuds in and then press and hold on both as a more affordable pair of earbuds the case does lack in one feature wireless charging and on that note battery life is a little bit of a gripe for me I was able to get at or kind of close to the claimed five hours after which time I was always able to just switch to the other earbud in my use case scenario but I would have appreciated more longevity now charges from the case can get the buds to 24 hours of total usage 

But the pixel buds and now these a series have one thing really going for them their small size they're like super tiny versions of the old google home jelly donut shape with a small bit sticking out as a security hook I think these two features together the small size and the hooks really make the pixel buds a series an easy recommendation for anyone that has ever had comfort issues with truly wireless earbuds audio products can be an intimately personal experience and I've heard many people say that either discomfort or slippage can break the experience with products that people like me might consider incredible sounding but on top of their fit the comfort also comes down to a design cue that's slowly becoming more common in truly wireless earbuds there's a little vent that alleviates some of the pressurized feel that can bother some users now anyone that has followed my thoughts on earbuds knows that I like to use one earbud at a time as a way of having my audio and the smart features pretty much always available and the comfort of the pixel buds a series makes them an easy go-to for that very scenario after all google is always about making their products useful yet simple and often that comes down to removing as much of the complication as possible 

You can argue that this leads to an omission of certain high-end features like active noise cancellation and ambient sound and I would tend to agree with you see if you want world silencing immersive audio experiences this just won't be it and on the other end of that spectrum although the air vent does help with the comfort the seal from the silicone tip will still block a fair amount of the environment instead google opts for a feature called adaptive sound which will adjust the volume levels according to its perceived surroundings if the surrounding environment is loud the volume will increase in order to try and drown some of that out it's definitely no replacement for actual noise cancellation and it doesn't provide anything like the ambient sound modes that I usually use not to mention all of those times when I personally wanted to adjust the volume which cannot be done anymore because the swipe control's capability has been removed so maybe it's a little too simple but at least it's got good sound google kept the same 12 millimeter drivers that were in the original pixel buds resulting in plenty of clarity especially in the upper half of the sound spectrum 

Now bass is the only thing that's kind of lacking but a simple toggle in the app allows for a bit of a boost it's actually quite good adding in an enjoyable amount of lower register richness deep voices and podcasts are rendered the way they should be while the bass boost evens out the crisp highs and leads to a great media consumption experience overall whether you're doubled up or you're like me and you like using single earbuds the results have been pretty good even if you have very little control over the EQ and now here is your microphone test using the pixel buds a series now normally I would get them connected to something like a galaxy S21 or a galaxy S21 ultra and use the pro video mode to get Bluetooth audio recording done that way but I thought it would be a little bit extra get it connected to adobe audition here on my pc of course I used the button here on the back of the pixel buds to get it connected via Bluetooth of course to my pc now as far as call quality and everything is concerned I've used these for plenty of video calls and I've never had any complaints from anybody regarding how I sound on those lines 

Of course the pixel buds a series have to retain the most google feature of them all the google assistant as the reference point for this level of access to a voice assistant the pixel buds and now these a series are now the easiest way to get what I believe is the best way of interacting with google assistant on either earbud you simply press and hold until you hear a chime after that you can let go and then google assistant will read out your notification so that you don't have to get fully distracted by a phone or even somewhat distracted by a smart watch or you can keep that press down and dictate a query to the assistant walkie talkie style you've heard me say this a lot of times before this method is way better than hoping that the google assistant knew when you stopped talking so yes this feature hinges on whether or not you're already a big google assistant user and if you are you'll be familiar with this usefulness already but now it's just more convenient by virtue of you having an earbud or both in at any time you can get voice dictated navigation you can trigger smart home products adjust the volume levels via the assistant because you can't do that with the swipes you can set timers receive reminders and it's all just for you in your ear buds 

I would also argue that the pixel buds a series at this very price point can be a great introduction into the world of google assistant the accessible design and the good sound get you in the door but when the pixel buds then come in for the assist you might find yourself using it more often than ever before after all very few other truly wireless earbuds have this specific type of integration and often they're the expensive pairs but here it's available on a pair of earbuds that is easier on the ears and easier on the wallet the truly wireless earbud market is absolutely full of competitors with all different types of combinations of features that can easily raise the price points but enthusiasts are probably aware of what features they are looking for many of which may not be available on the pixel buds a series instead I find these somewhat oddly named earbuds perfect for an abundant group of other users who just want something small simple to use and yet still capable of pretty good sound and yes I would gravitate personally towards high performing earbuds that easily double and triple the price of these a series 

But lately I have found myself reaching for the pixel buds because they are one of the easiest pairs to wear for long periods of time I mean recently I did have just one in during a long road trip where I was driving it was a long road trip but I wanted to listen to my podcasts while allowing my parents to listen to music via the car's sound system and then having both of them in during workouts in the gym might not have completely silenced the clanging and banging happening around me but the IP rating means that they can withstand my sweat and I have a way of getting my notifications without getting lost in my phone when I really should be focusing at $ 99 the pixel buds a series do have a ton of competition many of which might have similar sound quality and maybe even better battery life but google did make sure to hit their targets of simple and helpful both underscoring a sound profile that manages to hit all of the right notes.