REVIEW: Echo Buds 2, Amazon's wireless headphones

A Amazon is known for its smart speaker and display solutions, such as the Echo Dot e Echo Show, and its latest release in Brazil is also an audio solution: the wireless headphones echo buds 2. Bringing active noise cancellation and the voice assistant Alexa integrated, this TWS-style headset (True Wireless Stereo) competes with other well-established products, such as the AirPods da Apple and the line Galaxy Buds, Samsung.

Check it out at review below is our full review of the amazon echo buds (2nd Generation) with Alexa.

Design and construction

O echo buds 2 it comes in a case with a lid, similar to competitors on the market, and arrives in Brazil only in black – in the United States it is possible to find the model in white.

The headphones are a little bigger than I'm used to, with Galaxy Buds line of headphones, so they fill the entire ear cavity and still be more evident outside the ear. Each earphone weighs 5,7 grams.

in each of earbuds, you can see the logo of the Amazon stamped on the outside of the phone, which has a matte finish and features a pair of microphones, which have the function of capturing the user's voice and ambient noise.

On the inside, we have the contacts for charging the battery in the case, as well as the infrared sensor to detect that the headphones are placed in the ear and the internal microphone. The phone comes with rubber bands to seal the ear canal, and the Amazon sends in the box three other sizes of rubber for you to use the one that best suits your ear. It is worth mentioning that each rubber size has a color, so it is easy to identify each pair.

Another accessory that comes with the echo buds 2 are the rubber attachment hooks, in 3 sizes, to help keep the headphones fixed in the ear during exercise. The model has protection IPX4, which protects against splashing water.

the case of echo buds 2 has the same matte finish as the outside of the headphones, with a ice to indicate that the battery is charging, and features a USB-C charging port on the back — which is also present on the wireless charging model. A point of attention is that the cover of the case has a small gap, which gives a character of fragility to the set. The impression is that if you apply a little more force, it will break in your hand.

Usage and connectivity

To use and configure the echo buds 2 – which has a Bluetooth 5.0 connection — the application must be installed on your smartphone Amazon Alexa, available to Android e iOS (iPhone). By having an Echo Dot, I already had the application installed, and its use is intuitive. As soon as you remove the earbuds from the case and open the app, recognition is automatic and the pairing process can now be started.

During the setup process, the app performs a fit test on the headphones. If it detects that the sound is leaking through the rubbers, it will suggest that you change to a more suitable size, which provides a better seal.

With the headphones configured, it's time to start using them with the touch commands, namely:

• Um touch: play ou pause;
• Two touches: next song and answer/end a call;
• Three rings: previous song.
• Long press: switch to ambient mode or decline a call.

All commands can be done on both sides of the earbuds, and the long press can be customized through the Amazon Alexa app for other functions, such as mutate microphones, change the volume and access Google Assistant or Siri (depending on your smartphone). In addition, it automatically pauses and resumes music when you remove and replace the headphones.

One of the highlights of echo buds 2 it's the voice assistant Alexa integrated. With it, you can make voice commands as if you were using a smart speaker from Amazon, such as checking the weather forecast, activating connected home devices and playing music. As with all Echo devices, the microphones are always on the lookout for voice commands, and if this is inconvenient for your privacy, it is possible mutate the microphones through the app Amazon Alexa – or through the long press, in case you change its function in the same app.

Audio

Each of the headphones amazon echo buds (2nd Generation) with Alexa It comes equipped with a 5,7mm dynamic driver and three microphones, one internal and two external to pick up voice and ambient noise to filter out with active noise cancellation. How does this translate into everyday life?

The sound quality of the headphones was impressive. listening MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name), by Lil Nas X, the echo buds 2 was very competent in reproducing the well-marked bass of the music. already in the song The Devil, from the rock band The Rapture, the sound of the guitar and the vocalist's treble are well reproduced. Of course we are talking about earbuds, then there is a limit to the sensation of sound depth that is reached only with headphones.

The competence of active noise cancellation in this model is very good, it was able to cancel out most of the sounds - to the point that I couldn't hear who was talking in front of me. However, with higher pitched noises - that is, higher frequency - the noise reduced less, and I still noticed that it got a little shrill.

I missed a mode with noise canceling off only, as the echo buds 2 it only has the setting with ANC on or with ambient mode on (in which the headset reproduces the surrounding sound).

In day-to-day use, the headset fits well and with the tips and hooks that come as accessories, it is unlikely that you will have problems such as the headphones coming off and leaking sound from the outside into the ear.

Battery and autonomy

A Amazon discloses that the battery echo buds 2 Holds up to 5 hours of playtime, with an additional 10 hours in the charging case. And during our tests, the headphones corresponded to this autonomy, however, one of them always accused low battery before the other. Amazon also claims that a 15-minute quick charge provides up to 2 hours of extra battery life on the headphones.

The tested model's case supports cable charging USB-C, supplied in the box without the charger. Amazon also sells the echo buds 2 with wireless charging, but adds another R$100 to the price, while simpler models from the competition already come with the feature.

Conclusion

O echo buds 2 It's a great set of wireless headphones, brings good sound quality and has Alexa integration as the main highlight.

And this highlight also weighs against the model, after all, the concern with privacy is growing, and a headset that listens to everything you do and where you go calls for care – although you can disable the microphone, as is done on Amazon Echo devices. . It is also worth remembering that people with smaller ears may feel uncomfortable with the size of the headphones.

for the price of RS 899, you find the echo buds 2 na Amazon – and its version with wireless charging comes out for R$999. For this price, it is worth comparing with models from other manufacturers, which deliver comparable quality at lower values, such as the Galaxy Buds Pro.

Technical specifications

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