Galaxy Buds Pro: Samsung Piles Features Into In-Ear Headphones, Keeps Price Reasonable
As phones lose their headphone jacks and commodity silicon makes fully wireless earbuds easier to manufacture, wearables are exploding in popularity. While Apple’s AirPods get more attention, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds line is growing faster than the market thanks to strong design and ties to Samsung’s own smartphones.
Samsung’s first shipped fully wireless earbuds all the way back in 2016, the Gear IconX. Battery life was dismal, but they beat Apple’s AirPods to market. Samsung improved battery life and audio quality in subsequent models, and the switch to Galaxy Buds branding coincided with design changes that improved fit. With the Galaxy Buds Live in 2020, Samsung tried something different – bean-shaped wireless earbuds that wedge into the earlobe rather than extend into the ear canal. For consumers that find typical in-ear headphones uncomfortable, Galaxy Buds Live are great, but the design makes it difficult to deliver much bass or effective noise cancellation. The new Galaxy Buds Pro merge the tiny rounded square case of the Buds Live with the better fit of the Buds Plus and then pile on features: dual drivers, more microphones, head-tracking surround sound, and active noise cancellation (ANC). Pricing is still in the premium range -- $200 – but undercuts Apple’s AirPods Pro by $50. (Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the Galaxy S21 smartphone line; Techsponential has a separate report on those.)
In addition to the reasonable price, the Galaxy Buds Pro have a comfortable unobtrusive design that does not rest on your earlobe like larger earbuds and yet resists falling out when exercising, talking, or eating – a key drawback to the Apple AirPods Pro in my ears. There are three relatively tame color choices; lavender is the only semi-bold option, but offering more than just white or black already differentiates Samsung from much of the field. The design is vented design for comfort even when ANC is engaged. The Galaxy Buds Pro are also IPX7 rated for water resistance, so they should survive a sweaty gym session or run in the rain without problem. You can even wash them off, but you can’t swim in them. Battery life is average for the category, with about 5 hours between charges in the case with ANC on. The tiny case can charge via USB-C or wirelessly, and three minutes of charging brings 30 minutes of music. Setup with a Galaxy S21 Ultra was effortless, and it maintained a stable connection throughout my testing.
The highlight feature is ANC, which is moderately effective at combating recurring background noise. I noticed no difference whether ANC was set to High or Low, but testing ANC right now is difficult; I’m not using airplanes, subways, or coffee shops during the pandemic, and the constant drone of leaf blowers from the fall is gone. I tested ANC using tracks of airplane cabin and traffic noise from YouTube, along with family members playing Xbox and on Zoom calls next door. Under these conditions, the Galaxy Buds Pro were well ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live and Amazon’s Echo Buds, about equal to Jabra’s Elite 85t, and behind Apple’s AirPods Pro. (None of the earbuds were as effective as Sony’s larger, over-the-ear WH-1000MX4’s, possibly because cancelling bass requires physically larger drivers.) Apple still leads the industry with the best Transparency mode, but Samsung’s Ambient mode comes closer than anyone else. The Galaxy Buds Pro can turn Ambient mode on automatically when you talk, and it works as advertised, but it is off by default – probably a good thing for anyone who sings along with their music.
Samsung put a lot of effort into its microphone system, and while I did not test the wind resistance feature, the beam forming mics sound good - clear and natural, without the clipped, artificial-sounding effect of many earbud microphones.
While most earbuds have a single dynamic driver, Samsung advertises the Buds Pro’s “2-way speakers by AKG” with an 11-mm woofer and 6.5-mm tweeter. This driver complement results in a distinctly bright sound signature, which makes some music sound great, but can be harsh on some tracks. In general, orchestral tracks and voices benefit. Podcasts and YouTubers with good equipment sound great – Mr. Mobile’s Michael Fisher is a trained actor, and his voice over the Galaxy Buds Pro sounds extra rich. Fans of EDM and hip hop, however, may wish for more bass, even after invoking Bass boost in the equalizer section of the Galaxy Wear app. The bass response is also partially fit-related. The default medium sized silicone tips are extremely comfortable in my ears, but do not provide the greatest seal for bass and no foam options are available. The large size provides slightly better bass in my ears but were not as comfortable. Like all earbuds, YEMV (“Your Ears May Vary”).
Two of the Galaxy Buds Pro features require other Samsung devices: automatic device switching, and 360 audio, which, at least for now, requires a Galaxy S21. I watched segments of Wonder Woman and Pixar’s Coco on the Galaxy S21 Ultra with the surround feature on, and it added welcome ambience around the on-screen action. The head tracking certainly works, but I did not find that this element improves the experience as currently implemented. It’s just a little weird to turn your head away from a 6.8” screen to the left and have the sound move to your right ear.
There are wireless ANC earbuds from 1More, Jabra, and others on the market with more neutral sound profiles, and Apple users are unlikely to pair their iPhone with headphones from Samsung. However, Android users in general will find a lot to like in the Galaxy Buds Pro, and Samsung phone and tablet owners will find the Galaxy Buds Pro the natural complement.
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