How to make your Pixel Buds Pro sound even better with this simple phone setting

2 days ago 15
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Pixel Buds Pro 2 in Porcelain
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Although the Denon PerL Pro earbuds have become my baseline for how earbuds should sound, the Pixel Buds Pro are certainly no slouches. And with a slight tweak, the Pixel Buds Pro earbuds come very close to the Denons. If your phone is of the Pixel variety, this tweak is built-in and quite simple to complete. 

That's right, unlike many other earbuds -- ones that require the installation of an app from the Google Play Store to adjust the sound -- the Pixel Buds Pro do not require you to install anything. Even connecting the Pixel Buds Pro to a Pixel phone is as simple as taking the buds out of the case and Android takes care of the rest. Google has done a remarkable job with connectivity for this hardware.

Also: The best earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

But what about those sound tweaks I mentioned? Once you've connected the Pixel Buds Pro to your phone, you won't find a launcher in the App Drawer named "Pixel Buds" because there is no app. Instead, everything you need is built into Settings. Let me show you where.

How to adjust Pixel Buds Pro for better sound

What you'll need: To make this tweak work, you'll need a pair of Pixel Buds Pro paired with a Pixel phone. That's it. Let's make those Buds sound great.

Pull your Pixel Buds Pro earbuds out of their case, insert them into your ears, and make sure they're connected to your Pixel phone.

Once you've connected the earbuds, pull down your Notification Shade twice and tap the gear icon near the bottom-right corner.

The bottom section of the Android Notification Shade.

You can also access Settings from within the Android App Drawer.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

In Settings, tap Connected devices.

The Connected Devices entry in Android Settings.

You don't have to connect your earbuds before opening Connected devices, but it helps.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

In the Connected Devices page, tap the gear icon associated with your Pixel Buds Pro.

Pixel Buds Pro listed in Connected Devices.

The listing will also indicate how much battery is left in your earbuds.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

You'll find a number of entries on the next page, one of which is labeled Sound. Tap that entry.

The Touch Controls and Sound options found in the Pixel Buds Pro Settings.

There are a number of configurations you can change here.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

On the resulting page, you'll find a number of predefined EQ options. 

Also: The best headphones you can buy

To customize your own EQ, tap the gear icon associated with Equalizer (EQ).

The Equalizer listing for Pixel Buds Pro in Android 14.

You can opt either for a preset EQ or go the custom route.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Finally, make sure to have some music playing through your Pixel Buds Pro, so you can adjust the EQ to perfectly match your taste. Do this by changing the sliders for Upper Treble, Treble, Mid, Bass, and Low Bass as needed. 

Also: How to record a phone call on Android in 3 easy ways

You don't have to save the changes, as Android will remember them in real time.

The frequency adjustment sliders for the Pixel Buds Pro.

Change the sliders for each frequency until the sound is perfect.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

That's it: You're ready to jam! One very handy thing about the Pixel Buds Pro is that your custom EQ settings will migrate from device to device (as long as each device is associated with the same Google account), so if you've created the perfect sound curve on your Pixel 8 Pro, when you pair those earbuds to your new Pixel 9 Pro, the custom EQ will be there, ready to rock. 

You can now close the Settings app and enjoy the improved sound spilling from your Pixel Buds Pro.

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