‘Sound by Bose’ earbuds for this money?! I’ve never said ‘Hello Moto’ with so much conviction! | Tech Radar
Overview
‘Sound by Bose’ earbuds for this money?! I’ve never said ‘Hello Moto’ with so much conviction!
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Details
Motorola just unveiled Moto Buds 2 and Moto Buds 2 Plus at MWC
Expect 'Sound by Bose', ANC, spatial audio, and up to 48 hours of battery life
Only £69.99 (which is around
Hello, Moto! I love a set of earbuds that offer flagship perks for budget money, and Motorola's new propositions — that is, the all-new Moto Buds 2 and Moto Buds 2 Plus — do just that, on paper at least.
It's not the first time we've seen Bose offering its audio tuning mastery out for a fee. Skullcandy took Bose up on the offer for its Skullcandy Method 360 and, more recently, the flagship Method 540 with excellent results, sonically speaking.
But while those buds were cheaper than anything with Bose's own branding on the headsets and box, they're still positively pricey compared to what Motorola's planning on charging.
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Tech Radar is on the show floor for this year’s MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain, and we’ll be covering the latest news from some of the biggest names in mobile, computing, fitness and more
Moto Buds 2 and Moto Buds 2 Plus: what you need to know
So, will these little beauties be heading into our best cheap earbuds guide any time soon? Possibly, although it's important to say that so far, Motorola hasn't suggested a global rollout beyond the UK and Ireland.
First off, both options offer dynamic Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but it's the Moto Buds 2 Plus (main image) that come with 'Sound by Bose' technology baked in.
The Moto Buds 2 Plus also tote a Hi-Res Audio badge, thanks to Low-Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC) support and Spatial Audio, provided you're using a Motorola handset and streaming source material presented in Dolby Atmos. You're also getting an 11mm driver per earpiece, "complemented by Knowles balanced armatures", according to Motorola.
For clearer calls, the Moto Buds 2 Plus sport six mics in total, which users can further tweak through the Moto Buds app, including the deployment of Crystal Talk AI (which apparently uses advanced AI noise reduction to clarify the wearer's voice in loud environments).
The Moto Buds 2 Plus' stamina claim is up to 9 hours of playtime on a single charge and up to 40 hours of total battery life with the charging case (i.e., impressive). For additional flexibility, you can connect to two devices simultaneously, or turn to Audio Share when you're with a friend and connect two sets of Moto Buds 2 Plus to one phone, to enjoy the same music, movie, or podcast. The Moto Buds 2 Plus also feature Wear Detection, to automatically pause and resume playback depending on whether you're wearing them, plus the option to customize on-ear controls.
The firm is really trying to get you to buy into the ecosystem here, too. On compatible Motorola devices, the company states that activating Moto ai 4 with a simple press and hold deploys AI features, including 'Catch me up', for a roundup of recent notifications, or 'Pay attention' to record, transcribe, or summarize meetings.
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Users can also, says Moto, access AI-powered translation through their buds on select devices (read: a moto ai compatible phone) for those awkward "Help – which platform for Cadorna please?" moments on work trips.
The Moto Buds 2 are available in three delightful Pantone shades ('Violet' might be my favorite) (Image credit: Motorola)
The cheaper set actually offer better stamina — and novel acoustic architecture
The Moto Buds 2 (above) are, says the company, "built for students, young professionals and music-lovers alike", but despite my advancing years (and the fact that I'm no student), I like the sound of these buds a lot.
The Moto Buds 2 feature 11mm dynamic drivers and 6mm "Micro Planar Magnetic" drivers, again with Hi-Res audio LHDC support and Spatial Audio, as long as you've got the Motorola source device and correct content.
Again, there's dynamic ANC (claimed at up to 55d B) and a Transparency mode, also with six microphones in total.
Battery life? It's actually better still! The Moto Buds 2 can allegedly offer up to 11 hours of playback and a total of up to 48 hours of battery life with the charging case. And when time is limited, a quick 10-minute charge should provide up to 3 hours of playback.
Dual Connection, Bluetooth 6.0 (for stronger connectivity and improved speeds), a Gaming Mode to reduce latency, and access to the Moto ai 4 features on compatible Motorola devices is also here, which means the aforementioned Catch me up, Pay attention, and Remember this (with a quick hold and press of the buds) is here too.
So, better battery life and an interesting driver array for less, just with sound not tuned by Bose? I mean, I'm not not interested…
The Moto Buds 2 Plus are priced at £129.99 / €149.99 (which is around
The Moto Buds 2 will cost just £69.99 / €79.99 (or around
How good are they? We can't say yet, but I for one would love to get hold of the cheaper set — ideally in Violet — for a test-drive…
➡️ Read our full guide to the best earbuds
- Best overall: Technics EAH-AZ100
- Best mid-range: Cambridge Audio A100
- Best budget: Nothing Ear (a)
- Best for noise-cancelling: Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds Ultra 2nd Gen
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Becky became Audio Editor at Tech Radar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, Four Four Two and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.
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Key Takeaways
-
‘Sound by Bose’ earbuds for this money
-
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission
-
Motorola just unveiled Moto Buds 2 and Moto Buds 2 Plus at MWC
-
Expect 'Sound by Bose', ANC, spatial audio, and up to 48 hours of battery life
