New Amazon Echo Buds Take on AirPods Pro With Improved Design and Better Noise Cancellation

Amazon has today introduced its second-generation Echo Buds with a 21 percent smaller design and enhanced active noise cancellation.

amazon echo buds 2nd gen white
The second-generation Echo Buds introduce a white color option, and it is difficult to see past the clear design cues that Amazon has taken from the AirPods Pro's charging case, which looks almost exactly the same with an elongated design, a single centered LED, and a long groove to open the lid.

Much like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, the Echo Buds now feature a vented design to reduce ear pressure. There are also other comfort improvements that have been made possible by reducing the size of each individual bud, such as a shortened in-ear tip and reduced external height for a more flush fit.

Noise cancellation is said to be twice as good as the previous model and the buds now feature an AirPods Pro-style sound passthrough mode. Sound quality has also been improved with extended dynamic range and increased bass and treble fidelity. The microphones are also improved for better call quality.

The second-gen Echo Buds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance, and the earbuds can deliver five hours of listening with noise cancellation enabled, with two additional full charges in the case for a total of 15 hours. Like the original Echo Buds, the second-generation model comes with Alexa built-in.

amazon echo buds 2nd gen black
The Echo Buds come with four sizes of oval-shaped ear tips and optional wing tips in two sizes for a more secure fit.

The second-generation Echo Buds are priced at $119.99 with the standard USB-C charging case, or $139.99 with the wireless charging case, undercutting the $249 price of ‌AirPods Pro‌ considerably. They will go on sale on May 13 and will be discounted for a limited time to $99.99 and $119.99.

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Top Rated Comments

anthogag Avatar
55 months ago
Amazon should go back to selling books online.

Sure, Amazon can undercut AirPods with the lower price because copying is much cheaper than R&D.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ajfahey Avatar
55 months ago

What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?

I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods are the best design and I hope they continue to exist.
Yes, they’re there for noise isolation so the cancelation performance is more effective. Better isolation also probably reduces the power consumption that would be required to cancel the added bypass noise leakage.

Don‘t like them? Don’t buy them. not complicated. The original design that you have to jam in your ear is more uncomfortable to me. The old design is actually painful
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
furqan8421 Avatar
55 months ago

What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?

I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods design is the best and I hope they continue to exist or any evolution do not have the silicone tips.
Realistically they are intended to seal your ears better which can improve sound quality and also decrease likelihood of the buds shifting around.

The AirPods are alright but for my own ears they can fall out if I move too much. The AirPod pros improve upon this but they also have tips
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CheesePuff Avatar
55 months ago

Blah! Still too expensive.
What are you expecting, free headphones?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bpeeps Avatar
55 months ago

Man the same can be said about Apple copying other companies in tech trends, I would even argue it is the opposite: Apple is often the last one to arrive to the party on many things, copying/building on other companies' first attempts.
I agree they're often last to arrive to the table. But as soon as they do, every product that comes out after looks strikingly like Apple's design.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
55 months ago
What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?

I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods design is the best and I hope they continue to exist or any evolution do not have the silicone tips.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)