Wireless earphones can make phone calls much more comfortable, however they are typically best utilised for music. But typically, that results in a decline in voice quality. In a recent microphone test, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro fared unexpectedly well against the AirPods Pro, the market leader, and Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
In our assessment of the Pixel Buds Pro, we discovered that both indoor and outdoor microphone quality was generally good. However, The Verge recently had the opportunity to put the Pixel Buds Pro through a real torture test of microphone quality and compare it to some other top choices.
The microphone test puts the latest Galaxy Buds 2 Pro from Samsung, Sony LinkBuds S, AirPods Pro, and Pixel Buds Pro through a range of demanding scenarios involving a boat in New York City. The test was divided into the following phases:
The sounds of Manhattan, boats, and a nearby helicopter pad may be heard while waiting for a ferry (Pixel Buds Pro was not used for this test owing to time constraints).
on board a boat, next to the engines
the ferry’s top, which is exposed to strong winds and other loud noises
Each of these situations presents a challenge for the microphones in terms of their ability to provide noise suppression as well as their ability to even pick up a speaker. The short version is this, but you can listen to the whole audio tests in The Verge’s story.
In the initial test, there wasn’t much of a difference between the AirPods Pro and LinkBuds, but the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sound very, very different—and not in a good way. The voice quality of Samsung’s choice continues to deteriorate in the second test as it tries to make up for it. Here, AirPods and LinkBuds triumph once more handily, but the Pixel Buds Pro hold up reasonably well, sounding overall better than the Galaxy Buds while still obviously finding it difficult to balance the voice quality.
The Pixel Buds Pro appeared to excel outside the ferry because, when compared to AirPods Pro, they obviously held onto the voice better and with significantly less distortion and breaking up than Apple’s.
A few recorded clips clearly demonstrate the differences between the two.
The results of this test showed that, despite fierce competition, Pixel Buds Pro definitely match or even surpass the top in terms of microphone quality. A “cut above the rest,” to say The Verge.
Of course, everything depends on the circumstances. The AirPods Pro have “much superior microphones than the Pixel Buds Pro,” according to a recent comparison by reporter Kyle Bradshaw, with the Pixel Buds Pro sounding “tinny” and collecting less audio depth. Even if earbud microphones never provide fantastic sound, it is undeniable that Google has taken attempts to remain competitive with the best of the best, and it is also undeniable that in all cases, it is succeeding.
Details about Google Pixel Buds:
Review of Pixel Buds Pro: We’ve all been waiting for this.
Are there any apps for the Pixel Buds Pro? How to manage ANC, multipoint, and other things
Comparing Apple’s and Google’s AirPods Pro and Pixel Buds Pro.