Mobile AirPods vs. Galaxy Buds: The best wireless earbuds are. We tested out Samsung's new wireless headphones against the AirPods to find out which ones have the best sound, most comfortable.
It’s a big year for true wireless earbuds. With new chips promising more compact designs and better battery life finally making it into real-world products, you’ll soon have more reasons than ever to cut the cord on your listening life.
Among the first of the next-gen true wireless headphones to hit the market, Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds showcase the cutting edge of technology. With six hours of battery life, a wireless charging case, and a light, nimble design, there’s a lot to love about the company’s latest set of buds.
What’s more, the Galaxy Buds’ impressive collection of features comes at an affordable $129 price tag and the Buds are even bundled with pre-orders of the S10, S10+, or Fold phones. The combination of technology and value make the Galaxy Buds the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now.
Out of the box
The Galaxy Buds come in a small box with the charging case, a long USB type-C cable, three sets of silicone eartips and sport fins, and a small user guide. Opening the charging case, it’s immediately evident that Samsung’s follow-up to the 2018 Gear IconX are significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessor, allowing them to sit more comfortably in your ears.
An ergonomic triangular design integrates the comfortable rubber earfins and soft rubber eartips, providing a very solid fit and great seal, easily ranking as the most comfortable true wireless earbuds we’ve ever tested. Where Apple’s eartip-free AirPods can be a bit rough on your ears during longer listening sessions, and even Jabra’s Elite Active 65t feel a bit bulky, the Galaxy Buds are nearly unnoticeable once you put them in.
Features
First and foremost, Samsung’s new headphones offer a solid six hours of battery life per charge — an hour more than both the top Apple and Jabra models.
The most comfortable true wireless earbuds we’ve ever tested.
Unfortunately, the impressive playback time is not met with a lot of juice inside the case itself, marking our only real gripe about the Galaxy Buds. While both Apple and Jabra currently offer multiple recharges from their included charging cases, the Galaxy Buds’ case offers just seven hours of additional battery life.
This will be less of an issue for Galaxy phone owners, as the case includes the ability to wirelessly charge from the back of new Galaxy phones (or a standard wireless charging pad), but it does mean you won’t be able to go multiple days at a time without finding a charging pad or outlet. That said, plugging in your headphones after 13 hours of play time isn’t a huge deal for most of us and it’s a small price to pay for all the Buds’ other qualities.
In addition to great battery life and a wireless charging case, the Galaxy buds come with a number of cool features onboard. Changing songs or adjusting volume, for example, is accomplished via intuitive touch controls that can be customized inside the Samsung Wear app. The app also allows you to pick between five different equalization settings, letting you tailor the sound of the headphones for your ears and musical tastes.
Perhaps the most useful feature of the app, however, is “Find my earbuds” which does just what you’d think, preventing you from digging through the couch cushions or jeans pockets when the Buds go missing.
The intuitive touch controls can be customized inside the Samsung Wear app.
The Galaxy Buds are particularly impressive in the way they use the two onboard microphones built into each earphone. When making a call, the headphones can analyze how loud the sounds around you are, using the microphone on the outside of each earphone when ambient sound is quieter, and the mic near the inside of the headphones when it’s louder. The mics also allow you to pipe in the sound of the outside world while you listen using Samsung’s ambient sound mode, which even includes a feature that uses filtering to highlight the sound of human voices.
Both ambient sound mode and call mode worked well in testing, allowing co-workers to be heard over music without taking out the earbuds, as well as calling in both quiet and loud rooms without skipping a beat.
Ambient sound mode is great for situations like runs or bike rides, where you want to jam out, but don’t want to miss a shout or a car horn when you need to hear it. And that’s not the only way Samsung has geared its latest earbuds toward those who like to break a sweat: The Galaxy buds have an IPX2 rating, which means they are protected against dripping water (or sweat). That’s not as good as the IP56 rating boasted by the Jabra Elite Active 65t, but considering they’re $70 cheaper than the Jabra, and considering that Apple’s pricier AirPods offer no water resistance whatsoever, the feature is welcome.
I took the headphones on a 5-mile run on a treadmill and found them to be among the best true wireless earbuds I’ve ever worked out in. Their light weight and compact design means they stay in place, and the IPX2 rating means you don’t have to worry about getting them sweaty.
Audio Performance
The Galaxy Buds’ ergonomic design and soft silicone eartips allow them to seal very well in your ears, presenting warm bass and low-mi response, and allowing them to avoid harsh, tinny sounds up top.
There aren’t a pair of true wireless earbuds we’ve tested that feel so freeing.
I listened to a wide variety of music during my time with the headphones, playing everything from The Beatles to Kendrick Lamar. Overall, the headphones performed well with all music, offering a relatively flat response despite what was playing, even with a huge variation between the genres.
My favorite equalizer mode turned out to be the “Dynamic” setting, which seems to adjust the sound to best suit whatever you’re listening to at the time. “Soft” mode and “Clear” mode were also interesting, with the former allowing you to listen to things with a rounder, less harsh sound signature, and the latter bringing out the shimmer of acoustic guitars and cymbals just a touch.
While I preferred Dynamic most often, it was nice to actually have a choice when it came to adjusting the sound to fit the music, an option I wish came standard on all wireless headphones.
The Galaxy Buds don’t offer the same vibrant clarity we’ve experienced from true wireless headphones like the Sennheiser Momentum, but at well under half the price, they deliver pleasurable and customizable sound that could easily be enjoyed every day. In fact, their sound is as good or better than the more expensive Apple and Jabra models.
The steady Bluetooth 5.0 connection made them magnificent when cleaning my living room and kitchen, too, allowing me to just set your phone on a table or counter and forget about it.
As a way to listen to your favorite music in all styles on the go, the Galaxy Buds absolutely serve their purpose, and the lightweight design really accentuates the luxury of having no strings attached. Frankly, there aren’t a pair of true wireless earbuds we’ve tested that feel so freeing.
Warranty information
Samsung offers a warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship for one year.
Our TakeWith a plethora of great features, six hours of battery life, and a fantastic $129 list price, the Galaxy Buds are currently the most compelling true wireless earbuds out there.
Is there a better alternative?
The closest competitors to the Galaxy Buds — Apple’s AirPods and Jabra’s Elite Active 65t — both come with steeper sticker prices. For just $129, there are no other true wireless earbuds that compete, and even if these headphones matched Apple and Jabra’s higher price, they still outdo them in terms of comfort and battery life.
That said, if you need a more rugged pair of true wireless buds, you’ll want to consider the higher IP56 rating of the Elite Active model, despite its higher price. As far as we’re concerned, there’s very little reason to get the AirPods over the Galaxy Buds, excepting the better iOS integration.
How long will it last?
Samsung has a history of making long-lasting products, and we don’t expect the Buds to be any different. With replaceable eartips and earfins, we expect them to last through years of solid use.
Should you buy it?
Yes. If you’re looking for comfortable true wireless earbuds with great battery life, good sound, and a palatable price tag, these are just the ticket. As far as we’re concerned, they’re the best true wireless earbuds on the market right now.
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