Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: Given Samsung’s formidable reputation in the smartphone and tablet markets, it has long surprised us that the company’s Galaxy Buds output has failed to meet expectations. If you’re already buying a Galaxy phone, it’s a reasonable bet, but everyone else should avoid it as a serious sonic proposition.
The big news is that Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and in fact all of the best wireless earbuds manufacturers now need to take a good look at what Samsung has done with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. They’re excellent. No, they’re really good.
The company has clearly turned the corner. These earbuds are smaller, more comfortable, and less ostentatious and are jam-packed with useful features like excellent ANC, voice detection, wearer detection, and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work extremely well – as well as IPX7 water ingress protection.
However, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget), the headline-grabber is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, which allows you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer.
These are viable and slightly cheaper rivals to the Apple AirPods Pro if you own a Samsung Galaxy device, with a standard price of $229 and available in Graphite, White, and Bora Purple – and we pondered this decision for a long time before telling you that.
The improved fit and lightness here – the Buds Pro 2 are 15% smaller than Samsung’s previous effort and 0.8g lighter per earpiece but more importantly, the design fits your ear simply and without the wearer having to master any overly aggressive twist-and-lock techniques. In terms of fit, Samsung has absolutely nailed it with the Buds 2 Pro – and the compliments don’t stop there.
The audio quality is strong, with punchy bass, impactful and textured mids, and sparkling, easily handled highs. You can adjust the EQ to your liking, and a useful Voice Detect feature means that when you speak up, Ambient mode and lower music volume are automatically activated to make your conversation easier. The music simply resumes normally after five, ten, or fifteen seconds of no talky (as selected in the app).
The noise cancellation scope is on, off, or ambient, but it works as well as anything at this price and the extra features for the level are extensive. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can connect to two devices at the same time, and the touch controls cover every function you’ll need – including volume adjustments via a long press of either bud, as long as you tailor it in the app and are willing to forego the option to scroll between noise cancellation profiles.
The only kink in the ointment is the battery life, which is claimed to be five hours of continuous playtime with ANC turned on and up to 18 hours in the cradle. This is acceptable rather than outstanding, and we had hoped for a little more endurance.
Finally, we’re left scratching our heads over the improved sound quality. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support Bluetooth 5.3, and LE Audio “will eventually be supported” by the end of the year. All of this bodes well for the future, as it suggests that Auracast audio sharing could be coming soon.
We’re willing to bet that the sound and design of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro will appeal to almost every ear. The sound quality is now on par with Samsung’s stellar reputation in other areas.
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Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Design
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is noticeably smaller and lighter than most competing options, and Samsung was correct to reduce the size. As a result, you get a stylish, minimalist, secure, and ergonomic fit that almost makes you forget you’re wearing earbuds.
We experienced no fall-out anxiety during our listening, even with our small ears and without switching from the pre-fitted medium ear tips (although you also get small and large tip sets in the box). We discovered that the earpieces never moved, even when we broke into a sprint for the train on our way to work, which is unusual.
We were concerned that the rounded top surface of the earbuds other would make the touch controls difficult to use. We were wrong to doubt them; the on-ear touch capacitive controls on the Buds 2 Pro are excellent. They’re simple to use, registering your touch with small reassuring beeps, to the point where we rarely needed to pull out our phones during our commute.
Features
As expected, USB-C and wireless charging are supported. The earbuds themselves have an unusual IPX7 waterproof rating, which means they can be submerged in fresh water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes, but the case is not water resistant at all.
Wearer detection works, voice detection works, dual connectivity works, the Find My Earbuds feature works, and ANC eliminates noise without adversely affecting the quality of your music – everything works as it should, with no hiccups or dropouts. And, while it may appear that a product’s claimed features will always hold up under scrutiny, this isn’t always the case.
On the subject of cases, this one is small and easily pocketable, with strong magnets to keep it closed, a single LED light on the front, and a finish that will not accept fingerprint smudges.
Until you get to the slightly disappointing battery life of five hours from the buds with ANC turned on, we have nothing but praise for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s design and feature set.
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Automatic Noise Cancelling (ANC)
When it comes to noise cancellation, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is more than delivered. When we first used the Buds 2 Pro with ANC, we had to double-check that the AC unit we were sitting next to was still operational. With three high SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) microphones, Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can track and eliminate more outside sound than any previous Galaxy Bud – even soft sounds like wind – and we’d agree.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 is initially outperformed by the Galaxy product in terms of ANC, but these and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can still lay claim to being the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market due to their more tailored experience – though it’s a much closer race now.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Sound Quality
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro features a two-way driver design, with each earbud housing a 10mm woofer and a 5.4mm tweeter. YoDogg and Cardo’s NIP (streamed in 360 reality audio on Tidal) sounds atmospheric and foreboding while snaking from one ear to the other in a talented display of immersive audio.
When it comes to serving up audio between each ear as you turn your head, it’s a subtler performance than LG’s Tone Free T90, but it’s fun and effective nonetheless – and make no mistake, the sound is expansive and realistic throughout.
We’re happily nodding our heads to Sheryl Crow’s Soak Up the Sun as we seek out backing vocals that other earbuds can’t deliver as cleanly or with as much space around each singer. They are shown here against a pleasing backdrop of keys in our right ear and guitars in our left.
DJ Snake’s reggaeton journey Taki Taki is zealous, with whirring synths jumping across the soundstage and unapologetic drums crashing in the center. The soundstage is expansive for a pair of in-ear headphones, and as we move on to Daddy Yankee and Snow’s Con Calma, we realize it’s the most energetic and agile performance of the track we’ve heard in a long time, thanks to the grippy bassline.
Because of the new ‘Samsung Seamless Codec,’ Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro includes Bluetooth 5.3 and high-quality 24-bit music support when used with compatible Samsung devices. Although we don’t yet know exactly what this codec is capable of, Samsung’s slightly older Scalable Codec is capable of handling 24-bit/96kHz audio streaming, with bitrates of up to 512kbps, so that’s likely the bare minimum we’re talking about here – and regardless of the numbers, the resulting performance is impressive, with high-frequency treble instruments coming through with clarity and nuance, alongside a rock-solid midrange.
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The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro pack a lot of punch into its small package for the price. OK, you might still want ANC that you can adjust in increments on a slider in the app, but forgive that and it’s difficult to argue with the sound-per-pound value.
The sound quality is surprising given Samsung’s mediocre track record, and while we had hoped for a little more endurance for those long listening sessions, there’s a lot to like here.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Price and Release Date
On August 10, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro as part of its Unpacked event, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Watch 5, and Watch 5 Pro. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is $229 and comes in three colors: Graphite, White, and Bora Purple.
To put that pricing in context, it’s in the middle of the Apple AirPods Pro, which costs $249 at launch, and the AirPods 3, which costs $179 – but keep in mind, those cheaper ‘Pods don’t have active noise cancellation.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is now available for pre-order, and it will be available in stores on August 26.
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