Amazon’s Echo Buds are back with a new version that’s smaller, lighter, and adds active noise cancellation.
The second-gen Echo Buds will retail for $119. They ship on May 13, but customers can place a pre-order starting today. Amazon says the new product should feel even more comfortable than last year’s version, which earned an “excellent” score in our review. The upgraded product is now 20% smaller, and each earbud weighs 5.7 grams, down from 7.6 grams.
“A shortened nozzle improves comfort and new built-in vents reduce ear pressure during use, making Echo Buds feel natural in your ear—perfect for long periods of use during the day,” the company added.
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The new model also addresses a shortcoming in last year’s model: the lack of active noise cancellation. Instead, we got a noise-reducing mode. Amazon has since added its own ANC feature to the second-generation model, which the company says can cancel twice as much noise as the first-generation Echo Buds.
ANC can be activated by pressing on either earbud, and saying “Alexa, turn on noise cancellation.” There’s also a “Passthrough Mode,” which can throttle down the ANC, enabling you to hear more of the ambient noise around you.
Another change is to the onboard microphones, which can now capture lower sound frequencies compared to the last-generation ones. As a result, call quality on the earbuds has improved, and the Alexa voice assistant should have an easier time hearing your requests, Amazon says.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the IPX4 rating. This means the earbuds can resist sweat and rain, but you shouldn’t be submerging them in water. Expect the earbuds to offer up to five hours of music playback on a single charge when the ANC is turned on. The charging case can extend the battery life up to 15 hours.
The Echo Buds will come in two colors: black and glacier, and they're compatible with both Android and iOS. For a limited time, the company is selling them for $99 before raising the price to $119. The earbuds are also getting a wireless charging model that’ll retail for $139. Stay tuned for our review.