BlueAnt Pump Air 2 true wireless microbuds (2019) review

Should I buy the BlueAnt Pump Air 2?

If you just want a cheap set of true wireless earbuds that can give you something close to the experience of owning AirPods, these will do that. It’s just unfortunate that they won’t do it any better than the original BlueAnt Pump Air did two years ago.

Across design, sound, quality and featureset, the BlueAnt Pump Air 2 are a little too familiar. If you own the original, there’s not really much of a reason to upgrade here. What’s more, if you passed on the Australian brand the first time around, there are plenty of other options. 

Credit: Blue Ant

Unless you’re attached to the idea of owning the lightest set of true wireless earbuds in Australia, it’s not that difficult to find something cheaper or better than these. They're a good local alternative but they're far from the end-all-be-all.

Price when reviewed

In Australia, the BlueAnt Pump Air 2 are priced at AU$169.

BlueAnt Pump Air 2 full review

Price

In Australia, you can buy the BlueAnt Pump Air 2 for a recommended retail price of AU$169. You can buy them through:

• JB Hi-Fi 

• The Iconic

• Officeworks

Design & Build

The new BlueAnt Pump Air 2 do little to amend or rewrite the design found in the original - which is mostly fine. The original Pump Air weren’t as eye-catching as something like the AirPods but they got the job done. They looked like generic sports headphones - minus the wires. 

A second time around and things haven’t changed that much. The new Pump Air earbuds don’t look all that different but BlueAnt have upped their game slightly in the material design department. The BlueAnt Pump Air 2 are a little nicer to touch and to hold. They’re not quite premium in the way that things like the Klipsch T5 (review here) or Sony WF-1000X M3s (review here) are but they’re definitely a smidge nicer than their predecessors were. 

Credit: Blue Ant

As far as true wireless earbuds go, the BlueAnt almost comically compact. They also come with a claim to being the world’s lightest true wireless earbuds and, at just 4g per earbud, they are adorably light to pick up and handle. Even when combined with their charger case - which is more-or-less identical to the carry-case for the first-gen Pump Air buds - they're light enough that I didn't worry about shoving them into a pocket or bag.

The charger case for the BlueAnt Pump Air 2 has a Micro USB port on the back, a set of magnets that hold the earbuds in place on the inside plus a reasonably robust clip-mechanism that keeps things secure in the event that you drop the carry-case. It’s got a very cheap, plastic feel to it but it does a decent job of ticking the boxes you’d want to see ticked. 

Features & Sound Quality

As someone who came away pleasantly surprised by how good the original Pump Air sportsbuds sounded, I came away a little disappointed with their successors. 

At best, both the original earbuds and the new model sounded acceptable. Adequate. The newer earbuds do create a surprisingly effective seal against outside noise without having to deploy any sort of active noise cancellation but they don't really sound all that exceptional either.

Stuff like Abhi the Nomads’ “Yard Sale” and “Do You Remember” by Chance the Rapper sounded no less charming but they definitely lost of the depth and sharpness that I’d get from other, more expensive true wireless options.

Credit: Blue Ant

Of course, the Blue Ant Pump Air 2 make no attempt to sell themselves as the best product in the category. Yes, they’re the lightest and pretty cheap to boot but there’s definitely a sense of you-get-what-you-pay-for about them.

Connectivity was also a little hit and miss. Sometimes one earbud would drop out for no clear reason. Relying on these earbuds day to day felt like a return to a time when the first BlueAnt Pump Air sportsbuds came out and a time when basic connectivity in true wireless form-factors was less of a solved problem.

Battery Life

Disappointingly, the BlueAnt Pump Air 2 offer the exact same battery life specs as the original sportsbuds did - which is a bit lame. 

On their own, the Pump Air 2 earbuds tout a battery life of three hours. However, as per usual, the carry-case for the earbuds doubles as a charger. All told, a full charge on the buds plus the case will net you 15 hours of continuous use. This is well behind where most other modern true wireless earbuds are at, which is disappointing to see.

The Bottom Line

There’s a lot to like about the BlueAnt Pump Air 2. In addition to being incredibly lightweight and relatively affordable, the new earbuds do tick most of the boxes. 

If you just want a cheap set of true wireless earbuds that can give you something close to the experience of owning AirPods, these will do that. It’s just unfortunate that they won’t do it any better than the original BlueAnt Pump Air did two years ago.

Blue Ant’s latest true wireless offer up a familiar refrain but it’s hard not to feel like consumers have moved on. Unless you’re attached to the idea of owning the lightest set of true wireless earbuds in Australia, you can get better and cheaper true wireless earbuds than these.

Credit: Blue Ant