New Pixel buds hit the mark

A pair of well-fitting noise cancelling ear buds are a must-have for any long-haul flight — but picking the buds that are right for you can be a bit of a challenge.

Everyone’s ears are slightly different and what might seem a good fit at first, may not be after wearing them for a few hours.

Google’s new Pixel Buds Pro 2 are designed using 45 million data points from ear scans to come up with the optimal shape size and fit.

The new buds are 27 per cent smaller than the previous model and feature a twist-to-adjust stabiliser that lock the buds securely in your ear.

Google says the built-in Tensor A1 chip is made for advanced audio processing and Google AI, and processes audio 90 times faster than the speed of sound to adapt to you and your environment.

The active noise cancellation feature adapts to your environment up to 3 million times per second to cancel up to twice as much midband noise compared with their first-generation buds.

The buds come in a neat little egg-shaped charging pod and several different sized tips to ensure you get the best possible fit and they immediately feel like a good fit for me.

Until now, my favourite buds are a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort which I’ve had for several years. I love the sound quality and the fit, but my only complaint is that they are a little bulky.

That’s not the case with the Pixel Pro 2 buds. They are much smaller and fit neatly into my ear. First impressions are good. The customisable touch controls work well. I can easily raise and lower the volume by swiping forward or backward or answer a call by tapping the bud.

I can choose between active and transparent noise control mode. If I’m using the buds in the active noise cancellation mode with the conversation detection feature enabled, the buds use AI to pause the music and enter transparency mode when I start a conversation, and to go back to active noise cancellation when I stop speaking. It’s a really cool feature that works very well.

When I take or make a call, the buds automatically reduce the noise around the person you’re speaking to so you can hear them more clearly and vice versa.

The buds are proving very comfortable to wear and I almost forget that I have them in — particularly when I’m using them in the transparency mode. I often listen to live radio while wearing them and find the sound is terrific and blends perfectly with the sounds of my surroundings.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are deeply integrated with Pixel devices, but they can be used with other phones. They start at $379 and are available from the Google Store and electronic retailers.

To find out more, head to Goggle

Disclaimer: The Pixel Buds Pro 2 were lent to Mogens Johansen by Google and they have not seen or influenced this story prior to publication.