> I’ve been looking at the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but I’m curious if third-party options like Sony or Bose offer better noise cancellation

I would suggest sticking with the Google ones tbh. WARNING: dont expect third-party buds to handle spatial audio or fast switching as perfectly—its often a total headache. Honestly, Ive used Sony and Bose too, but for a Pixel, the ecosystem features are just way smoother. I've been a Pixel user for years and sticking to their brand for buds has made me sooo much happier for travel. gl!

Honestly, be careful with third-party buds if ur expecting full Spatial Audio support. Most brands like Sony or Bose use their own proprietary tech for that stuff, so it wont always play nice with the Pixel's native settings.

I mean, if u want the best technical experience for travel:
* Stick to buds with LC3/LE Audio support for better battery efficiency.
* Avoid anything without "Fast Pair" or ur gonna be digging through Bluetooth menus constantly.
* Check for multipoint connection stability... some high-end brands are still kinda buggy with it.

But yeah, while Bose has the noise cancelling crown, the ecosystem trade-off is REAL. Just my two cents after years of testing this stuff!!

Yo! Jumping in here because I am sooo excited about the Pixel 9 Pro XL! I'm a bit of a newbie with high-end audio, but honestly, I've been doing a ton of research because I'm on a tight budget after splurging on the phone lol. Since you're traveling a lot and want to save some cash while still getting amazing noise cancellation, you should definitely check out these:

• Soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC Noise Cancelling Earbuds - These are like, literally a fraction of the price of the Google ones. The ANC is fantastic for flights and the battery life is highkey insane (up to 50 hours with the case!!).
• EarFun Air Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds - Super budget-friendly and they actually support Multipoint, which is great for switching between ur phone and laptop on the go.

I know people mentioned the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, but if you want to save money for snacks at the airport, these alternatives are amazing! Good luck with the new phone, it's gonna be awesome right??

TL;DR from this thread: Most folks basically agree that staying in the ecosystem is safer for features like Spatial Audio, cuz third-party buds can be kinda hit or miss with Pixel settings.

Before you pull the trigger tho, I've got two quick questions:
* Are you prioritizing a specific battery life range for those long flights?
* Does call quality in loud airports matter more to you than total silence from ANC?

Honestly, I've been on a similar journey trying to find the ultimate companion for my Pixel devices, and after years of testing, I've realized that while the "fast pair" stuff is cool, the technical overhead of the codecs is where the real value is. I’ve been using the Sennheiser+Momentum+True+Wireless+4&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 with my recent Android setups and the experience has been stellar for long-term ownership. Since your Pixel 9 Pro XL is essentially a powerhouse for LE Audio and LC3, these buds actually utilize that hardware better than almost anything else on the market right now (at least that's what worked for me). I travel for work constantly - like, way too many flights - and the comfort level on these is top-tier because of the varied fin sizes. The ANC handles cabin pressure better than most too. If you're an audio purist, you'll love that you can actually leverage the higher bit-rates in the developer options to get a cleaner signal than what the standard Pixel Buds offer!! It’s a bit of a deeper dive into the settings, but for the soundstage you get in return? Totally worth it. What kind of music are you mostly listening to on those flights??

100% agree