Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) review- Is it worth buying?

Amazon has upgraded its true wireless earphones, but is it actually worth spending your money? Don’t worry, here is a review about the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen), covering everything you need to know about it.

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

Amazon has launched the new Echo Buds (2nd Gen) in the noise-canceling true wireless earbuds range. This time, the casing is considerably smaller and noise-canceling technology and overall audio performance were improved. There are a few other minor modifications here, such as wireless charging via any wireless charging pad and vents. Also, there are some tweaks to the setup procedure to assist you to find the right fit with the accompanying ear tips. Although there are certain flaws when you compare to the best true wireless earbuds available in the market. Although, if you are looking for super affordable, noise-canceling true wireless earbuds Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are the best choice. The audio quality isn’t the finest, but it has improved considerably, and the best part is Alexa’s hands-free functionality.

Pros

• Affordable ANC earbuds
• Can facilitate a perfect fit
• Improved sound quality
• Alexa works well
• Comfortable fit

Cons

• Bulge from the ears
• ANC could be even stronger
• Battery life is on the shorter side

Price and Release Date 

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) went on sale in the United States on May 13, 2021, whereas the UK version was released on November 10, 2021. Pre-orderers also received a free six-month subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited. The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are among the most affordable noise-canceling true wireless earbuds on the market, even at $120. If you like the sound of the Echo Buds but can’t quite afford them, keep an eye out for bargains from Amazon. Amazon regularly puts a discount on its products, so you might get it for even less.

Design

Smaller Size and Lightweight

The new Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are distinguished by their smaller size. According to Amazon, the buds themselves are about 20% smaller than before, while the case is about 40% smaller and has a completely different look.

They are lighter as a result of the size reduction, and hence more pleasant to wear for long lengths of time. The new laser-drilled vent inside the earbuds releases pressure buildup. This is another significant enhancement.

Despite being smaller and more comfortable to wear, the Echo Buds protrude a little from your ears. Although, it is not enough to be unsightly, enough to brush up against a hood if you’re wearing one. This is, however, not a deal-breaker, but can be a key consideration when choosing a pair of earbuds.

Design

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) do, however, contain two essential design elements that make them great workout companions. They are splash-proof, with an IPX4 classification, so they will be fine if they acquire a little perspiration.

Ear Tip

Another thing is that they come with a variety of ear tip sizes and a couple of wings to assist stabilise them in your ear during exercises. This not only creates the perfect seal for excellent sound quality but also keeps the earbuds from bouncing out when you’re running on the treadmill.

Case

The case is fairly light and simple to keep in your pocket for extended periods of time. Although the case’s hinge is fairly flimsy and could snap if dropped from a certain height, you need to be careful.

Features

• There’s a fitting test in the Alexa app, which is used to pair and manage the earbuds. It notifies you if you’ve chosen the proper tips.
• Each bud has three microphones to help you hear yourself and eliminate background noise, and the outer surface is touch-sensitive for controlling playback.
• The ear tips are designed to use external microphones during setup.
• The Amazon Alexa app can check if your earphones have a good seal by playing a few tones and monitoring how much seeps through to the exterior microphones. Although it is a minor feature, it is crucial to get a good fit with earbuds.
• You can either tap on the earbuds or utilize Alexa’s voice controls to use the earbuds. You can tap once to play or pause music, twice to skip to the next song or answer phone calls, and three times to return to the previous song. A long push toggles between noise reduction and audio passthrough modes by default. To operate with Alexa, you can just say “play” or “next song” and Alexa will do the rest. But requests like “Alexa, turn off noise cancellation” can be a little fussier.
• You can enable or disable ANC by tapping and holding, and you can designate a separate function to each earbud.
• You could use it to summon Siri or Google Assistant. However, if you don’t want to use Alexa, the Echo Buds 2 are a waste of money. Alexa requires at least one bud to work, as well as your phone being within Bluetooth range and connected to the internet.
• Another useful feature is worn detection, which pauses whatever you’re listening to when you remove a bud from an ear.

Alexa

You can give voice commands like “Alexa, set a timer for 15 minutes” or “Alexa, what is the weather today” just with your earbuds. She has access to all of your smart home gadgets, as well as the ability to add items to your shopping list, calendar, and make reminders. Moreover, you can even ask her to play music, audiobooks from Audible, and podcasts on your phone. With Amazon‘s headphone functions, you can tell Alexa to “Alexa, activate passthrough” and “Alexa, turn on the noise canceling.” Although, you must be precise or she will not grasp any modifications on those commands.

Find My Device

If you lose an earbud, the Alexa app has a function that lets you view it on a map. It can even play a loud noise when you’re within Bluetooth range to help you find it. However, for this function to work the lid of the case has to be open. This means you need to always leave it open just in case you can’t remember where you left it.

Performance 

In terms of pure audio reproduction, there appears to be a significant boost in sound quality. Although, the bass was heavy-handed and muddy, and the mids lacked definition across the frequency range in the previous model. However, with this model, the issues felt much better, and now you can make out certain essential nuances in the music. There is a noticeable improvement in clarity over before. However, they aren’t hi-res and they don’t support any 3D spatial audio formats. The noise-canceling on the Echo Buds has improved significantly. According to Amazon, the new Echo Buds block out about twice as much sound like their predecessors.

However, noise cancellation is still lacking. It will likely serve when you need to block out domestic noise and have music playing at a modest intensity. But it will not be able to completely block out background noise in a busy environment. Although, the earbuds operate well for making phone calls. The sound quality in calls is terrific and does a satisfactory level of the job. Furthermore, having Alexa embedded into the earphones is convenient and can save time. There was no quicker method to access the default voice assistant without having to go into the settings and set it up. However, Amazon makes the option available through the Alexa app, making it simple to set up.

Also, as with the original Echo Buds, AptX isn’t supported even in this model. As a result, Android users are limited to SBC, which is of lesser quality. If you have an iPhone, AAC support ensures good quality, and there were no dropouts or connection issues in the tests unless you walk far away from your phone.

Battery life and Charging

The battery life appears to be adequate, but not exceptional. With ANC switched on and speech detection activated, Amazon promises that the Echo Buds should last roughly five hours per charge. Whereas, the case should last another ten hours. If you need more battery life, you can get around 6.5 hours by turning off the ANC and always-listening assistant features. Still, the battery life is not as great as its competitors available in the market. 15 minutes in the case without the buds will provide you with two hours of music or other audio playbacks.

With the Echo Buds 2, Amazon has opted for a more typical flip-top charging case rather than a clamshell container. The hinge lacks a spring, thus it closes far too readily. The best part is that there are three LEDs, allowing you to check the battery level of both the casing and each earbud. Also, you can see the exact percentages in the Alexa app.

What you would like?

• Affordable, noise cancelling true wireless earbuds– Normally, you have to choose between price, genuine wireless, or noise-cancelling, but the Echo Buds possesses all three, which is a significant plus.
• Perfect fit with earbuds– It is important that the earbuds fit properly. The Echo Buds have software that can help you find the perfect fit, which is really useful for everyone.
• Better sound quality after the first gen Echo Buds– The first-generation Echo Buds didn’t have the best sound quality. The new Echo Buds have a much better sound quality than previously.

What you might not like?

• No absolute silence or sterling sound quality– Unfortunately, the Echo Buds aren’t class-leading in their noise cancellation abilities or sound quality. Although they are above average, definitely not at the top of the class. If you really want unblemished sound quality or complete quietness, it’s smarter to look somewhere else.
• Durability and Battery Life- The case is flimsy, and while the five hours of play time per charge and 10 hours of extra juice in the case is impressive. The earbuds don’t have a long battery life that you can forget to charge them for two weeks and still have enough life.
• Design- The Amazon Echo Buds aren’t the finest wireless earbuds to wear to bed at night because they protrude from the ear canal.

Conclusion

When it comes to budget, you have to compromise for truly wireless headphones. However, the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are the best affordable truly wireless headphones available in the market. The sound quality has been highly improved than the previous model. However, it provides adequate noise cancellation rather than class-leading noise cancellation. They are a good choice if you absolutely need Alexa in your ears. The best part is the feature to detect the perfect ear tip to fit your ear so that you can enjoy the music to the fullest. Although, the battery life is not that great. So, if you are looking for long-lasting earbuds, you will have to look for some other.

If you have any questions, you can ask in the comments section below.

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