Amazon has announced that it will launch the second generation of Echo Buds headphones with a compact and comfortable updated design, with active noise cancellation and hands-free access to the Amazon voice assistant Amazon. You can pre-order the new Echo Buds now – pre-orders receive a $ 20 discount and will begin delivery on May 13th.
If you’re looking for alternatives to Apple’s AirPods Pro, Echo Buds (second generation) offers some of the same features after Amazon’s previous design was improved, including enhanced active noise cancellation. Amazon claims that this feature cancels twice as much noise as first-generation buds (which are no longer available). Other features include improved sound quality, which reduces distortion while listening to music, talking on the phone, or accessing Amazon Amazon, along with Passthrough mode, which lets you adjust the amount of ambient sound coming through the headphones.
Launching on May 13, these buds will be available in black and white and cost $ 120 for the cable charging option and $ 140 for the wireless charging model. You can currently put them on sale for a limited time – buyers who pre-order the headphones can get them starting at $ 100 for the cable charging model and $ 120 for the wireless charging model.
The new design is 20% smaller and lighter than the first generation Echo Buds, according to Amazon. It also includes built-in vents that reduce ear pressure while using them for long periods of time and multi-sized rubber tips for added comfort. Like AirPods Pro, Echo Buds come in a stand-alone charging case that can be either wired or wireless. Battery life is estimated at five hours while listening to music (6.5 hours if active mute is off) and a quick 15-minute charge can give you two hours of music playback.
You can also access the Amazon Amazon voice assistant without hands by saying the watchword and instructing it to make a call, play music, turn on noise cancellation, and recommend podcasts, among other commands. And if you’re in a hurry, you can say “Alexa, find my buds” to any Alexa-compatible device – or press a button in the Alexa app – and you’ll hear a sound pointing to your headphones nearby.
The Alexa feature can also provide public transportation directions along with real-time updates – based on several regional and local sources, Amazon confirmed to Shopping – for seven major US cities: New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Jersey City and Philadelphia. Amazon says it will expand transit support to other major US cities in the coming months.
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