Amazon Echo Buds review: excellent sound quality, comfortable fit, and good Bose noise reduction, but no wireless charging and outdated micro-USB charging port

Amazon's first truly wireless earbuds exceed expectations — Amazon's new Echo Buds are the company's first wireless earbuds.

The Verge 2019-10-29 Chris Welch

Context & Ripple Effects

Amazon's first true wireless earbuds land as a value play: Bose noise reduction and strong sound at an AirPods-adjacent price, with the trade-offs concentrated in the charging experience — micro-USB only, no wireless charging, and a case that first impressions already flagged as significantly larger than AirPods'. Wired's take adds short battery life to the debit column while crediting the hands-free Alexa controls.

What makes this review more than a one-off verdict is how legible the fix list became: when Amazon returned to the category in 2021, the second-gen Echo Buds shipped 20% smaller with enhanced noise cancellation, USB-C, and an optional wireless-charging case — a near point-by-point answer to this review's complaints.

First-order effects

Buyers choosing between these and AirPods are trading convenience for price: excellent sound and Bose ANC, but every charge runs through a dated micro-USB cable.
Amazon's hardware team gets an unusually specific scorecard from reviewers — touch controls, battery life, and the charging port are named defects, not vague critiques.

Second-order effects

The second-generation launch effectively turns reviewer complaints into a product roadmap: USB-C, optional wireless charging, a smaller shell, and stronger ANC all appear as gen-two specs.
Tiered pricing on the follow-up ($120 wired-case, $140 wireless-case) shows Amazon monetizing the exact feature this review found missing rather than bundling it by default.

Third-order effects

If the pattern holds, Amazon treats earbuds less as a standalone product than an iterative Alexa accessory line, where each generation is priced to undercut rivals and patched against the last cycle's reviews — with call quality and battery life remaining the recurring weak points per the gen-two coverage.

The trend: Amazon is running its earbuds line as a fast-review-feedback loop, letting each generation absorb the previous one's criticized compromises while holding a price advantage over Apple.

Discussion

@maxhasadhd Maximilian on x
AirPods Pro have a triple tap and long press gestures! pic.twitter.com/8izROjchN1
@alexjamesfitz Alex Fitzpatrick on x
I'm very sorry pic.twitter.com/QqXLjFjxK4
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
There is literally no way for another headphone company to compete with the advantages Apple gives itself https://twitter.com/...
@patrickmcgee_ Patrick McGee on x
Official pics from @apple of the noise cancelling AirPods Pro, available for order Wednesday. $249 pic.twitter.com/1vIc3aDDnB
@whatthebit Stefan Constantine on x
Guess what also ships October 30th? $AMZN pic.twitter.com/STC4G5api4
@apollozac Zac Hall on x
$999 stand not included https://twitter.com/...
@kalebprime Kaleb on x
String sold separately. https://twitter.com/...
@vladsavov @vladsavov on x
Apple's 2019 Pro releases: - Powerbeats Pro, sensational. - Beats Solo Pro, even better. - iPhone 11 Pro, best phone ever. And now AirPods Pro with the most sought-after addition of noise cancelling. https://www.apple.com/... Only thing left is a MacBook Pro with a good keyboard.
@dangraziano Dan Graziano on x
$250 for Apple AirPods Pro or $130 for Amazon Echo Buds with Bose Noise Reduction. Seems like a no brainer. https://twitter.com/...
@aprilolanoff April Conyers on x
Mine are no longer holding a charge, so this seems like a justifiable expense. https://twitter.com/...
@kaitlin_hatton Kaitlin Hatton on x
so will the old ones now be considered peasant status? https://twitter.com/...
@johnwilson John S. Wilson on x
Wish there were multiple colors. Seems like a missed opportunity. https://twitter.com/...
@alex @alex on x
Airpod Pros look terrible and are stupid expensive and I cannot wait to buy a pair.
@neilcybart Neil Cybart on x
Pressing and holding the AirPods Pro stem will switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode (can hear surrounding environment). pic.twitter.com/oOMos9I6a3
@whatthebit Stefan Constantine on x
noise canceling in-ear ear design smart assistant october 30 release date charging case $AMZN: $129 Echo Buds $AAPL: $250 AirPods Pro
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Apple just announced AirPods Pro. They're coming on Wednesday with a new design, noise cancellation, and better seal in your ears https://www.theverge.com/... pic.twitter.com/roA8jLJOCh
@jamesliamcook James Cook on x
The Ear Tip Fit Test https://www.apple.com/... pic.twitter.com/iDfUomg11t
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Apple has been working on these for about two years, and, as we wrote over a year ago, water-resistance is in as well as noise-cancellation.
@shiraovide Shira Ovide on x
Can I say, i am utterly relieved that Apple didn't have yet another overwrought product launch event to announce an updated version of an existing product.
@pkafka Peter Kafka on x
I lost my first AirPods a couple months after getting them because the carrying case slipped out of my pocket in a theater and I refused to replace them on principle because I didn't want to give Apple more $ but now I'm going to buy new ones that cost $100 more haha joke's on me…
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
Apple going with the element of surprise for the AirPods Pro announcement https://www.theverge.com/...
@abdophoto Abdel Ibrahim on x
Yea, but does it have Tile-like location finding/sound built into the case? It should. https://twitter.com/...
@bzamayo Benjamin Mayo on x
The Studios/Solos go from 40 hours to 22 hours with ANC turned on, so will have to see if the AirPods Pro noise cancellation is the same level of effectiveness.
@panzer Matthew Panzarino on x
Apple's venue for the AirPods Pro launch is pretty killer. Can't decide whether I like this or the Steve Jobs Theater better. https://twitter.com/...
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
AirPods... for Professionals. $249, noise cancelling and a “Transparency Mode” so you can hear music and the environment around you. pic.twitter.com/6r4ef3bC6F
@bzamayo Benjamin Mayo on x
Four and a half hours battery life with active noise cancellation enabled? Not bad. https://9to5mac.com/...
@mikeelgan Mike Elgan on x
BREAKING: Apple officially announces AirPods Pro for sale October 30. https://www.apple.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@carolineha_ Caroline Haskins on x
I was trying to figure out what the new AirPods remind me of. It's this penguin pic.twitter.com/BbSZdlO4Q9
@dcseifert @dcseifert on x
$250?! at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within my ear canal? https://twitter.com/...

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