Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review 2021 – What’s Special?

Galaxy Buds Pro Two-minute Review

For the new S21 series of Samsung phones, the Galaxy Buds Pro may be compared to the Apple AirPods Pro. Despite this, these truly wireless earbuds have a lot to offer.

Active noise cancellation is included in both the new AirPod and Galaxy Bud Pro headphones. With spatial audio, you can make your favorite TV shows and movies seem even more real. Both devices’ batteries last for five hours before requiring recharging.

These are only some of the primary features of the Galaxy Buds Pro, but they go well beyond them for those who already possess Samsung smartphones or tablets. They see these earbuds as the missing link in Samsung’s ecosystem, which is why they’re so excited about them.

For those who already own a Samsung phone, the Galaxy Buds Pro is the best option. If you’re an Android user, you’ll need the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app to get the most out of your Buds, since it’s the only way to get the most out of their capabilities.

Samsung’s Scalable Audio is also used in the Galaxy Buds Pro. This supports SmartThings Finder, UHQ audio streaming via Bluetooth, and multi-mic recording enables you to utilize the Buds as a lapel microphone stand-in when you shoot on your Samsung phone with the SmartThings app installed.

The Galaxy Buds Pro’s double-edged sword is that they are highly-tailored for Samsung devices, but other Android and iOS devices don’t yet have an updated Galaxy Buds application. In our Apple AirPods Pro review, we reprimanded Apple for doing the same thing.

Then for whom are these earbuds? That being said, the Buds Pro is an excellent choice if you’re seeking wireless earbuds that sound decent, fit comfortably, and operate well with Samsung smartphones – and don’t mind forking over some more cash. They’re still worth recommending to relatives and friends who like their Samsung cellphones, even if you’re not one of them.

As a result, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is now the newest (and best) thing from Samsung. The Galaxy Buds 2 provides many upgrades over the previous model, including greater sound quality and somewhat enhanced active noise cancellation. The Galaxy Buds 2 are also much less expensive than the Galaxy Buds Pro, making them Samsung’s greatest earbuds ever.

Galaxy Buds Pro – Price and Availability

• Release date: 14, 2021
• It is available for: $199
• Not more expensive as compared to the Galaxy Buds Live

On January 14, 2021 (the day when it was introduced at Samsung Unpacked), the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro went on sale on Samsung’s website and became publicly accessible on January 15, 2021.

It costs $199/ £219/AU$349 to purchase the Galaxy Buds Pro. We understand why they’re more expensive than the Galaxy Buds Live, which retailed for $169.99 / £179 / AU$319 when they were first released. Because of their superiority, it’s a no-brainer to spend the money on them.

If you’re a fan of Samsung’s true wireless earbuds, you’ll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro will be released only five months after the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live was released and after less than a year the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus was released. A traffic gridlock is forming because of Samsung’s urgency to get devices out the door.

The Jabra Elite 75t and Sony WF-SP800N both provide active noise cancellation for USD 50 less if you’re willing to forego Samsung-specific capabilities. New arrivals such as the Philips Audio T8505 and Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro are arriving every day, so you don’t have to search far for alternatives.

Galaxy Buds Pro Design

• Equipped with multiple sensors and mics
• They are long for earbuds and also bulge out of the ear
• Available in 3 colors

For the new Samsung Galaxy S21, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro will be available in Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Black to suit the charging case’s color.

The case itself is designed like a little treasure box, with a concave cover that lifts up and unhinges in the center. With a status LED on the outside and inside of the casing that changes colors depending on how much battery power is left, it’s easy to carry about in your pocket or purse.

Compared to their bean-shaped ancestors, the Buds are a far cry. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro have returned to their normal shape as eartip-equipped sound funnels.

These earphones, which measure just under an inch in length (20.8mm), are best described as “funnel” earbuds. However, the Buds’ sensors, pogo pins, and microphones take up a lot of space.

It has a reflective plastic covering that is touch-sensitive and two additional microphones with a windshield that decrease ambient noise when walking outdoors. In the performance section, we’ll discuss more about the 6.5mm tweeter and 11mm woofer.

How well do they fit? The way the earbuds protrude from your ear, despite their futuristic design, makes them seem big and unpleasant. At the very least, it would be unpleasant to sleep in them. Additionally, since there is no true “lock” mechanism that keeps them in place, they move from time to time, which means that you’ll have to re-adjust them or the seal will weaken with time and noise suppression will decline.

Two extra pairs of eartips are included in the package to aid in the creation of a tighter seal, which is extremely necessary. Additionally, you’ll discover a USB-C cable without a head, which is part of Samsung’s effort to decrease waste (great!).

You don’t need a lot of practice to get the hang of the controls: a single touch plays/pauses your music; a double tap plays the next track or answers/ends the call; A touch and hold enables your preset function, which by default changes between noise cancellation and ambient modes, and a triple touch plays the previous music.

However, if you’d want to change the preset feature command, the Samsung Wearable app is required.

The exterior vent keeps pressure from building up within the earbuds, making them pleasant to use for long periods of time. However, since they protrude from your ear, they’re not the most attractive-looking or most comfy earbuds to wear in bed.

Galaxy Buds Pro Features

• The noise cancellation should be stronger
• Its IPX7 rating is excellent
• SmartThings Find function could be a lifesaver

Both IPX7 waterproofing and active noise cancellation are major selling points for Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro.

Until now, Samsung’s earbuds have only been rated for IPX2 or IPX4. Because of this, they were only suitable for light rain or a little amount of perspiration, but they weren’t ideal for strenuous exercises.

For 30 minutes, the Galaxy Buds Pro comes with protection against freshwater immersion at up to one meter of depth, so you won’t have to worry if you accidentally drop them in the bathtub or wish to clean them under running water. It’s a major leap forward for Samsung, and it’s up there with the best in the industry.

Is the noise cancellation up to par? Yes, and you will be pleased with that. If you’re looking for noise-canceling headphones, the Galaxy Buds Pro is a step beyond the Galaxy Buds Live. However, they aren’t quite as good as some of the most expensive over-ear headphones with ANC, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4.

They worked well enough for a few days around the home to significantly minimize noise from noisy air humidifiers and purifiers, but they couldn’t keep up with music being played in the house. While you won’t be able to hear what’s being said in the next room, the ANC will pick up anything louder than a person speaking.

You may use the touch-sensitive panel to access audio amplification, which is also known as audio passthrough, by pushing and holding. A 20dB sound boost is possible with the Galaxy Buds Pro, making them ideal for use at airports as you wait for your flight to be announced at the deli counter or over the public address system.

In addition to the hands-free Bixby mode and the SmartThings Find function for locating lost earbuds, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro includes a few Samsung-specific capabilities worth highlighting.

A feature in the SmartThings app called SmartThings Find can give you a map of your devices’ location even if they are unplugged from Bluetooth. If they’re ever stolen, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ll be able to find them again if you forget where you put them.

Last but not least, the Buds Pro has an Auto Transition function that allows you to smoothly switch between your Galaxy devices. When using your Samsung Galaxy S20 to make and receive phone calls while using your Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, If the earbuds are set to “Auto Switch,” they will automatically disconnect from the tablet and reconnect when the phone conversation is over. There are some advantages to this, but a minor one.

Galaxy Buds Pro Audio Performance

• Lacks details and presence
• Overall balanced, pleasant sound
• The sound was tuned by AKG

AKG also helped tune the EQ of the Samsung Galaxy Buds to get a perfect balance.

Did they succeed?

There are a few things to appreciate about the Buds Pro, but they are lacking clarity in the mid and high frequencies, and the soundstage is narrower and more isolated than it should be. The lack of depth and richness in the flat sound is something we’d want to address.

In a song such as Hotel California by The Eagles, you’ll be able to hear the smooth bass lines as well as the hi-hats, however, the sounds will only be having left-right directionality. When listening to music, you’ll be pleased, but you won’t be wowed as you would with more expensive earbuds.

The Samsung Wearable app does let you change the EQ of your buds, but none of them provide a broader, deeper soundstage. On the other hand, this might change when Samsung adds 360 Audio compatibility to the buds later this year, which it claims would deliver a multichannel theater-like sound to the buds. However, this function was not accessible to us while we were testing.

You’ll have to settle with stereo sound for the time being.

AAC or SBC, both of which are lossy codecs, will be used if you’re not using a Samsung Galaxy handset. When used with Samsung’s Scalable Codec devices, such as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, the results are markedly different from when used with a device that utilizes SBC, such as a Google Pixel 3.

For Samsung smartphone users, the earbuds offer another edge; nevertheless, this leaves the headphones in a quandary when it comes to the other platforms. If Samsung had used the newer Bluetooth LE codec or it had a Qualcomm licensed aptX HD, you’d have got widespread HD support, however, we assume that little is better than none.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro was acceptable for phone calls, but our friends and family felt we sounded better when we used our phone’s built-in microphone. As most earbuds don’t sound as nice as a smartphone’s microphone, this is not a negative review of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, but it does indicate you should be wary of purchasing them only for making phone calls.

Galaxy Buds Pro Call Quality

Although call quality on Samsung’s earbuds has always been less than perfect, there has been a significant improvement with the Galaxy Buds Pro. Each earbud is equipped with two outside microphones and one internal microphone. With its less protruding design, the earbud already minimizes wind contact area, and the influence of wind is further minimized by the WindShield chamber, which is covered with a mesh.

The earbuds employ beamforming to separate your speech, allowing it to be clearly picked up during audio calls and other conversations. As a consequence, we get a far better calling experience than we have had with previous Samsung earbuds in the past. The hardware changes have unquestionably played a role in this. Getting absolutely flawless call quality out of completely wireless earbuds is a difficult order, but the Galaxy Buds Pro, however, manages to provide serviceable quality in this department.

Galaxy Buds Pro Battery Life

• Having ANC on: Five hours per charge or 13 hours from the case
• Having ANC off: Seven hours per charge or 20 hours from the case

For active noise-canceling earbuds, the battery life of Galaxy Buds Pro is decent, but a big step down from the Galaxy Buds Plus, which gave 11 hours of listening time on a single charge for the first time. There are still ANC and Bixby, both of which use a lot of battery life.

Samsung claims that the charging case may give an extra 13 hours of listening time with ANC switched on after the first five hours of playback. You may obtain up to 20 hours of battery life from the charging case if you turn it off.

It lasted us around three days of steady usage (5+ hours of listening each day) or a little less than a week while we were merely listening to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in our spare time. / (3 hours a day).

For emergencies, the Galaxy Buds Pro enables quick charging, and after just five minutes of being plugged in, you’ll have enough energy for an hour of music. The USB-C connector is used for fast charging, however, wireless charging can also be used, but it’s a little slower.

So, how does this compare to other earbuds in this price range? It’s a really competitive market, to say the least. As previously indicated, the Sony WF-SP800N earbuds give roughly nine hours of battery life while the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds provide eight hours of battery life while the case adds another 20 hours of charging. There are no obvious victors in this race.