The Tensor A1 offers what Google has branded as a “highway lane” for your music. Essentially, this pushes the music outside the ANC system and offers it a direct path to your ears while the audio magic is done elsewhere. Indeed, there’s little difference in terms of the crispness or the tone when switching between the three modes.

I do think the Buds Pro 2 are competitive at their new, higher price point. But anyone looking for Google buds for less today will pick up the Pixel Buds A-Series, a $99 pair of three-year-old earbuds that was very okay by 2021 standards,

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are designed to create the perfect experience for those who are deeply integrated into the Pixel ecosystem.