Google Pixel Buds 2a vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Budget or best?

Google Pixel Buds are fresher than ever, with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 just turning a year old and the brand-new Pixel Buds 2a fortifying the lineup. To top things off, Google recently refreshed the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a new Moonstone colorway and a few new features. It's a great time to be in the market for a pair of Pixel Buds as a result, but which model should you buy?

The company hasn't made it easy, because both the Pixel Buds 2a and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are excellent earbuds with strong value propositions. Of the two, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are unsurprisingly the better option, with crisper sound, stronger ANC, and all the features. The Pixel Buds 2a tries to hit all the basics, including ANC and solid sound, while priced competitively at $129.

There are key differences to know before choosing, so let's compare the Pixel Buds 2a against the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

Google Pixel Buds 2a vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Design and fit

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 deviated from the Pixel Buds A-series design, ditching the wingtip design in favor of a silicone stabilizer. This made the Pixel Buds Pro 2 tiny and secure, without a large wingtip in the mix. Now, the new Pixel Buds 2a borrow the Pixel Buds Pro 2's general design.

This reduces the overall footprint and improves comfort by removing the wingtip. Like the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the cheaper Pixel Buds 2a have a silicone stabilizer with four sizes of ear tips included. There are tiny design differences between models, with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 appearing slightly smaller.

Additionally, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 have a tiny "G" logo carved into their plastic surface, whereas the Pixel Buds 2a logo is flat and painted. The main portion of the earbud is glossy on the Buds 2a and matte on the Buds Pro 2. Only the Pixel Buds 2a are completely colored — the Pixel Buds Pro 2 will sport a matte black finish apart from the outward-facing portion of the earbuds.

These are purely superficial design differences. In terms of fit, both the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Buds 2a will feel comfortable for those who prefer small earbuds. Without a stem, neither earbud will gravitate toward falling out of your ears. At 4.7 grams each, there's no weight difference between these pairs of Google earbuds.

A neat trick that'll help you find the perfect fit is to insert the buds and rotate them until the "G" logo is upright. When it's aligned straight, you know either the Pixel Buds 2a or Pixel Buds Pro 2 are fitted correctly. Both earbuds also support an ear tip seal check that will use a software test to determine whether you're using the right size ear tip.

Compared to older models like the Pixel Buds A-series, the Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Buds Pro 2 should be more comfortable and secure for most people. However, the difference between the Buds 2a and Buds Pro 2 will feel minuscule, if noticeable at all.

Google Pixel Buds 2a vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Hardware and specs

On paper, the Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Buds Pro 2 look surprisingly similar. Both earbuds have custom 11mm dynamic speaker drivers and the Google Tensor A1 chip for audio and active noise-canceling (ANC) processing. They each have capacitive touch sensors, an IR proximity sensor for automatic play and pause, and Hall effect sensors in the case.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 separate themselves by adding swipe support for on-earbud volume control, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a case speaker.

The case also supports wireless charging and is noticeably taller than the Pixel Buds 2a case. That's likely because the Pixel Buds Pro 2 case has a larger battery, supporting up to 48 hours of total listening time with the case and earbuds with ANC off.

Although both earbuds have the Tensor A1 chip, that only tells part of the story. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have more features, like Adaptive Audio, which dynamically adjusts ANC and transparency based on your environment.

It also has Conversation Detection for times when you need to briefly speak without taking out your earbuds. These aren't available on the Pixel Buds 2a, but both earbud models have active in-ear pressure relief.

Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Buds Pro 2 both feature Google's Silent Seal ANC tech, but the former uses the 1.5 version and the latter uses the 2.0 version. This means the Pixel Buds 2a has ANC that's 1.5x better than the Pixel Buds Pro, while the Pixel Buds Pro 2's ANC is 2x better than the Pixel Buds Pro.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also have three microphones per earbud, compared to the Pixel Buds 2a's two, which helps with ANC and call quality.

Google Pixel Buds 2a vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: ANC and sound quality

In the real world, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 do beat the Pixel Buds 2a, but the experience is similar across both earbuds. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 will block even more sound than the Buds 2a, handling a pressurized airplane cabin, a loud coffee shop, or a busy street without issue. The Pixel Buds 2a will do their best, and it's usually good enough when music is playing. Still, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 clearly have an edge.

The lack of Adaptive Audio on the Pixel Buds 2a isn't a dealbreaker for me, because I mostly use stock ANC or transparency modes anyway. If you use your buds similarly, you won't need to splurge on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for that feature.

Sound quality is pretty great on the Pixel Buds 2a, as long as you don't listen to them at the maximum volume setting. At low and midrange volumes, these earbuds have decent balance with a bass that makes its presence felt without overpowering mids and highs. That starts to change near max volume, where the soundstage starts to blur and the sound becomes muddied.

Everything sounds crisper on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, especially at high volumes. The earbuds manage to provide detailed reproduction and separation of songs across genres, and the sound is customizable across a five-band EQ. Put simply, if you need the best sound quality, Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the definitive option from Google.

Google Pixel Buds 2a vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Which should you buy?

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the complete package, with major perks like better sound quality that shines with crispness all the way up to maximum volume. There's better active noise-canceling and exclusive modes like Adaptive Audio, too. You even get nice-to-have features built in, such as a case speaker for Find My Device, wireless charging support, and on-earbud volume control.

At the right price, they're nearly impossible to beat among the best wireless earbuds. It's not hard to find the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for under $200 — at the time of publishing, they're just under that threshold at Best Buy. We've seen more aggressive sales around deal holidays, and expect to see the same when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around.

If you can wait, snagging the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for around $150 would be a better value than buying the Pixel Buds 2a at full price. The cheaper buds do nail the essentials, but at $129, they're too close to the price of higher-quality earbuds — especially when the latter are on sale. The Pixel Buds 2a are a solid set of earbuds, although you should probably wait for a sale if you want the best value.