Wireless earbuds really have become a commodity product, so the expensive ones have to be really good to justify their price. Almost 6 months ago I purchased Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro, the headphones that Samsung has tried to make the default high end Android earbuds. I use these headphones every single day, so it is time to talk about what I like and what I don’t like in these headphones. Basically, it comes down to fit.
Fit and Comfort
This isn’t normally where I’d start a device review, or even a long term review, but this colours my entire experience with the headphones, so I think it is worth talking about right away. These headphones don’t fit me very well. They’re not badly shaped. They aren’t some weird design that we’ve never seen before. But they don’t fit me very well. This is especially true in the left ear, which I have had a very difficult time finding the right size of ear tip for the best fit. That’s not to say they’re uncomfortable, or that they are bad headphones. In fact I use these headphones literally every single day, usually at least for a couple hours. I’m listening to them right now as I type this. That’s how much I like them, even if they don’t fit as well as I want. I find with the Galaxy Buds Pro that I can’t wear them as long as other wireless earbuds I’ve owned. After a couple hours with these in I generally have to take them out for a while, as my ears start to get a little sore. I could keep my previous headphones, the Galaxy Buds+, in for significantly longer, and I have used other pairs of wireless earbuds with similar success
Headphones are really individualized, with earbuds being even more so. Everyone’s ears are shaped differently, and there can even be differences between ears on one person. It really comes down to finding something that works for you and sticking with that design. I generally prefer earbuds with wingtips that help secure them into my ear. I think this helps keep them in place, but also means there isn’t as much pressure on the ear tip in my ear to keep the buds secure. The Galaxy Buds Pro are not designed with wing tips and are in fact designed precisely so the ear tip does most of the work in keeping them secure in the ear, and that doesn’t work best for me. If it does for you, that’s great, and you’re probably going to find these earbuds very comfortable.
Again, I wear these earbuds for multiple hours every day. If they were really hurting me, or were so uncomfortable I couldn’t tolerate them, they’d be banished to a drawer. But the features and sound are so good that I continue to use them.
Feature Set, Sound and Battery
So, with the caveat that I don’t like the fit out of the way, the Galaxy Buds Pro have to be otherwise excellent for me to continue to use them, and that is exactly the case. The transparency mode on the headphones are fantastic, allowing me to keep them in when I still n eed to hear the outside world, and I’ve been able to have conversations with people with the headphones still in. The active noise cancelling is also very good, though I imagine I would have a better experience if the fit was better. I do still hear some of the outside world with these headphones in.
In terms of device connectivity, the earbuds feature fast pairing to Samusng phones, and users with multiple Samsung devices can quickly switch between them. But they do function as any other regular pair of Bluetooth headphones, and I use them with my iPad Air on a regular basis.
The sound is also excellent. From podcasts to music with deep bass, these headphones are easily the best sounding earbuds I’ve ever owned. There are others out there that will likely sound better, but they’ll all cost significantly more than the Buds Pro do. For the price, the sound and features cannot be beat.
Battery life is average for the category. The 5 hours of battery life in the buds with noise cancelling or transparency mode turned on is about right, and I can generally go 2-3 days between needing to charge the case via either a USB-C cable or wireless charging, which is rated for up to 24 hours of battery life. The Galaxy Buds really don’t stand out here, as 5 hours of active noise cancelling battery life has turned into the standard for wireless earbuds.
The case is small, and features the afore mentioned USB-C and wireless charging. The LED indicator light on the outside gives a battery life indication when the case is first closed, and a LED light inside the case is there to show if the buds are charging, or fully charged. The size is a big advantage here. The case is small enough that I don’t mind having it in a pocket all the time, with the entire package being only a little larger than AirPods or AirPods Pro. And, most importantly, mine is purple.
Value and Competition
The competition I Wireless earbuds is fierce. Almost every tech company you can think of, and many you’ve never heard of, makes wireless earbuds. A quick search on Amazon yields dozens of results (though fewer now since Amazon’s crack down on companies trying to buy reviews). These earbuds can be had for anywhere from $25 to $500. At the very low end are headphones with 2-3 hours of battery life, cheap cases, and little extra functionality, but they work. I own a couple pairs of headphones that were around $30 each and while they work well enough, I’m not reaching for them first. At the other end, $500 is a lot to spend on earbuds, which you have to be certain will fit your ears properly. Even still, at that price, you need to *really* want earbuds, as that kind of money can buy over ear headphones that will blow any earbud right out of the water.
At $220 the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are shooting for the sweet spot. They definitely feel premium, and have a feature set that feels worth of the price. As the name suggests, they are AirPods Pro for Samsung devices, and the AirPods Pro cost $100 more than these. There is a lot of value for what you pay here, if you’re willing to pay that much for headphones.
Final thoughts
I hate that these headphones aren’t as comfortable as I wanted. They sound fantastic, have the features I want and work well with my devices. Most importantly, they’re an awesome shade of purple. These are the headphones that are always in my pocket, and go with me everywhere. They are the headphones I use the most by a wide margin. If you know the shape of these headphones fit you well, these are some of the best headphones you can buy. If you aren’t sure about the fit, I’d recommend buying them, trying them, and then returning them if you find them uncomfortable. They are good enough for me that I’ll continue to use them even though they aren’t the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned. They’re that good. I just wish they fit me better.