If you momentarily set aside the Echo Buds’ seamless Amazon integration and built-in voice assistant, you are still left with a pair of true wireless earbuds that sound good, feel great in your ears, and block outside noise exceedingly well. Conceivably, you could mute Alexa in the earbuds’ accompanying app and refrain from interacting with the assistant for the lifetime of the product. They would still be an outstanding value.

Amazon took an already good product in the original Echo Buds and made it even better with a host of improvements and upgrades. The Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are smaller and lighter, come in a second color option, have USB-C and wireless charging, and added true active noise cancellation. They're still not the most premium earbuds you can buy, but they are an absolutely fantastic value.

Though Amazon promotes hands-free Alexa as a flagship feature of the Echo Buds, I think it’ll be a negligible value add for some buyers: the price, comfort, and sound are still enough to make these earbuds quite enticing. You’ve also got the choice of using your phone’s native assistant instead of Alexa, which is another option for the long-press command on the outside of a bud. So at least Amazon isn’t forcing anything on you.

With the Echo Buds 2, Amazon has addressed several of the weaknesses of the original Echo Buds while actually dropping the price by $10 if you don’t need wireless charging. And though they don’t knock it out of the park on every feature (ANC and battery life come to mind), they’re still a superb option for those who want to take Alexa everywhere they go.

Amazon went back to the lab for its second iteration of Echo Buds and came out with a really solid pair of noise-cancelling earbuds that will go easy on your wallet.

Amazon's Echo Buds (2nd Gen) are well-positioned to take on the Apple AirPods in terms of price and specs. They add creature comforts like an adjustable fit, ANC, and even top Apple's 'buds in some respects. We can happily recommend them if you want some serious bang for your buck.

We’re big fans of this updated design language, which puts minimal pressure on your ears and stays comfortable for long listening sessions. We have no issues with the battery life or charging quality either. And the sound quality is really quite superb here. Our one qualm would be that the ANC was a bit of a letdown, especially when compared to other buds.

The second-generation Echo Buds improve upon Amazon's original true wireless earphones with a smaller, lighter design and active noise cancellation.

Amazon's second-gen Echo Buds have improved in several ways, including their design and noise canceling, and now cost a little less.

Amazon has made a number of improvements to the new Amazon Echo Buds, including a reduction in size and weight as well as bolstering its noise cancellation technology. The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) might not be able to compete with the top-tier noise-cancelling earbuds from Sony and Sennheiser even after all the new improvements, but they’re a significant improvement upon the previous generation.

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) have good sound and hands-free access to everything Alexa has to offer. You'll even be able to use your voice to control the music. On the flip side, the battery life leaves a lot to be desired and the ANC isn't that effective but even so, they're great value for money.

The 2021 Echo Buds are good true wireless earbuds for the money, but they don’t offer best-in-class sound or noise cancelling. If you want hands-free Alexa, though, they’re a great buy.

Amazon’s second-gen Echo Buds are improved in nearly every way. A new design makes the smaller buds more comfortable to wear for long periods of time and the sound quality is noticeably better. However, you’ll likely still need to make some EQ adjustments across genres and battery life hasn’t improved at five hours. Conveniences like optional wireless charging, Sidetone for calls and new Alexa skills make these earbuds an attractive option for anyone who has bought into Amazon’s ecosystem. Plus, the company managed to make a better product without raising the price, which is always a welcome surprise.

The Amazon Echo Buds 2 grants you many features and stronger performance for a lower price than the original.

Amazon's $120 second-generation Echo Buds are cheaper than Apple's standard AirPods and Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro but still offer solid sound quality and noise cancellation. They don't sound as good as some pricier wireless earbuds, but they provide plenty of value for the money.

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) improve on their predecessors but are held back by poor battery life and limited audio customisation options

Even if you don’t want to use the hands-free Alexa stuff, it’s there if you decide you do and works really well. Chuck in Bose’s clever noise reduction and the mostly adequate audio, and you have quite a package.

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) is a very solid set of true wireless earphones that is priced to compete with the Apple AirPods. However, it offers a number of user features like ANC, several fit options, and better performance in some regards. If you're looking for bang for your buck, this is the better pick between the two for most users.

Out-of-the-box, their mid and treble response is reasonably well-balanced, so instruments and vocals are present and clear, although a little veiled. However, their default sound profile lacks bass, so mixes lack thump, punch, and warmth. They deliver sound consistently, but like most closed-back, in-ear headphones, they have a bad passive soundstage. Fortunately, you can customize their sound with a graphic EQ in the companion app.

They are lighter than their predecessors, offer more effective noise-cancelling and a different driver configuration. For me, the new model sounds somewhat more balanced, but they also have weaknesses. However, the main selling point is not the sound but the immense functionality that can be achieved by using the Alexa app. With the Echo Buds 2nd Gen. you are constantly and effortlessly connected to the ecosystem of the Echo network with additional access to the internet. Whether you need this depends on the situation, the application and your own choice.

Everyone's ears are different, but I think the shape of the Echo Buds is inherently flawed. Unfortunately, I just don't expect this design to be comfortable to most users, even with the interchangeable tips and wings. The plastic frame is just too hard and unforgiving without any sort of slope to provide a proper fit.

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) is an impressive pair of true wireless earphones in many ways, offering an all-round competent experience with everything it sets out to accomplish. Like other Echo products, the core capabilities revolve around Alexa, and if you're already invested in Amazon's ecosystem, this could be the ideal pair of true wireless earphones for you. You get a lot for the price, making this a value-for-money option.