TLDR:

In reality, the Pixel Buds 2a feel like a half-finished product. The buds themselves, like most of the earbud market, are an unrepairable mess, even if there’s some evidence that the team was flirting with a serviceable design early in the process. However, the charging case is the best we’ve seen. Google’s tracking in the right direction for repairable buds, but they might need a generation or two more to nail it.