If they love bling, they'll love the Moto Buds Loop. And if they're Pixel users, a pair of Pixel Buds 2a is almost essential to the experience.
A pair of earbuds is the easiest gift for any gadget user in your life. Over the past six months, I've tested a couple of pairs from different manufacturers in the Android ecosystem to get a taste of what's out there, beyond the Samsung Galaxy Buds and Apple AirPods, both of which are sturdy choices in their own right. I've narrowed it down to the two that I keep coming back to: the Motorola Moto Buds Loop and the Google Pixel Buds 2a. Here's a bit about what I like about each and why you might consider them as gifts (or for yourself!).
Other considerations I had for this list included the OnePlus Buds 4 and the CMF Buds 2 Plus. Both offer ANC and cool-looking charging cases. They both promise higher fidelity with LDAC and LHDC support. But they were both too uncomfortable for me to wear long-term.
Men, and I know there are a lot of you out there because I have the demographics to this podcast, if you want to make a big fan this holiday and you have a femme partner who loves blingy things, I urge you to consider the Moto Buds Loops with Swarovski crystals.
These are for the person who values comfort and style, with an emphasis on style, given the jewels encrusted on this set of buds. These are open ear earbuds (I know, it sounds repetitive). They hook around the outside of your ear, which makes them comfortable to wear all day. And not just all day, because I've fallen asleep with these more than a handful of times in the last six months that I've been testing them.
They use Bose technology, which gives them some of the pedigree Moto needs to show that these aren't just for vanity; they also prioritize sound quality. I love wearing these on my morning walks because they let me hear the cars rolling by without taking away from the music I'm listening to. I feel more aware of my surroundings.
Now, there is no noise cancellation here. Although there is some technology to help reduce noise during playback, you're not gonna get the seal that you would get with a pair of buds that go in the ear. On the upside, the sound profile here is more focused on clarity, so dialogue comes through clearly when you're listening to a show or podcast. There's also a little bass rumble that's almost haptic, depending on the content, giving the sound more presence.
The biggest drawback to a pair of headphones like this is that very loud noise can drown out any music or podcast you're playing. And when I'm talking about loud noises, I mean taking a BART ride into downtown San Francisco. The Transbay Tube is known for its screech, and it's the best way to test a pair of earbuds to see how well they block out noise. I was definitely kicking myself for taking these as my only pair of earbuds on BART.
Now, the pick for the earbuds that you should definitely buy if you're considering buying somebody a pair of earbuds, but especially if they're a Google Pixel user. You already know I gave a glowing review of the Pixel Buds 2a, launched only a month or so ago. They continue to be my go-to pair of buds. The addition of active noise cancellation and Google's Tensor A1 chip makes them the perfect companion to the Pixel smartphone. They're very lightweight, and the twist-to-fit mechanism for getting them in works a lot better than the first-gen Pixel Buds.
My absolute favorite ability is using the Pixel Buds with both my Windows PC and my Pixel phone. I feel like one of those Bluetooth headset-wearing nerds, just talking to her ear and multitasking the day away. If I want music, I can easily tap it back on where I was on Spotify. Then, if I get called into a meeting with Ron and Jason, I can come over to my computer, pause what I'm listening to, and select it as the output so I can dial in and get to work.
While the sound quality of the Pixel Buds 2a is good and balanced, and the ANC can help with the loud BART underground, it's not the highest-resolution audio. The buds rely on the AAC/SBC codecs. I realized when I was going into the menu for this in the developer settings the other day that there's a reason these are so affordable: they have to cap out somewhere.