Do Samsung's Galaxy Buds Outshine AirPods?
There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
When I bought my AirPods 2 years ago, I didn’t realize how much I would grow to love and rely on them. But now the case is dirty and scratched up, and their battery barely lasts an hour. So, I’ve been in the market for a replacement pair of wireless earbuds.
When I heard about Samsung’s Galaxy Buds, I was excited to try them out because they’re true wireless earbuds that block out ambient noise — something that my AirPods can’t do. I’ve been testing a pair of Galaxy Buds for 3 weeks now. I’ve worn them on a plane, at the gym, on runs, while walking my dogs, and while sitting at my desk listening to music and taking conference calls.
Here's everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Beats.
They're Comfortable and Stay in Your Ears
For me, the most important trait to a good headphone is a comfortable fit. I found the Galaxy Buds to be lightweight and non-irritating. They weren’t as obnoxious-feeling and bulky as other wireless earbuds I’ve tried in the past. When I was on a plane, I even fell asleep with them in — that's how comfortable they are. And most importantly, they stayed in my ears. They come with three different sizes of tips and fins to ensure you have the perfect snug fit. Mine stayed secure even when I wore them on the elliptical or on runs outside.
I own a pair of Beats X earbuds that I wear strictly at the gym, but the neckband gets in the way — especially when bench-pressing. With the Galaxy Buds, it’s been so nice to be completely free from cords. The earbuds effectively block out external noise, so I don’t have to turn my volume all the way up to block out my gym’s playlist that blares throughout the speakers, and I never hear obnoxious gym grunters anymore.
Excellent Sound Isolation, Decent Sound Quality
The Galaxy Buds quickly paired to my Android smartphone, but struggled to correctly identify my iPhone X. It took several tries and power cycles to get it to finally connect. The audio also cut out a handful of times with my iPhone, but never the Galaxy S10 or my laptop.
As far as sound quality goes, the Galaxy Buds sound good — nothing jaw dropping, but they offer a punchy-bass and well-balanced mid-range. If you care most about sound quality, we recommend Master & Dynamic's MW07, which sounds much more top-notch.
Basically, the Galaxy buds leave a little to be desired in respect to their sounds quality.
Charging Couldn't Be Any Easier
I love that Galaxy Buds’ case supports wireless charging — a feature that my first generation AirPods does not have.
It's super convenient to just plop them on my wireless charger next to my nightstand. I even tested Samsung’s PowerShare feature and was able to recharge my Galaxy Buds by laying them on top of my Galaxy S10 smartphone while the phone charged too, which felt like the future.
Samsung says you can achieve 6 hours of battery life with its wireless earbuds. In my tests I got closer to 5.5. Fortunately, the charging case can juice the earbuds up in a jiffy. The case is small enough to pocket, and it has a USB-C port, so I can charge it with the same cable as my laptop and Nintendo Switch. There's an LED indicator inside the case that shows how much charge you have left for the earbuds, and another on the outside that'll let you know when it’s time to recharge the case itself.
Not Without Flaws
Where the Galaxy Buds fell flat was microphone and call quality. Anytime I make calls on AirPods, my friends, family, and colleagues never know that I’m using earbuds. With the Galaxy Buds, they frequently complained that I sounded far away and said the audio quality was muffled.
I kept finding myself reaching for my AirPods when it would come time for conference calls just because I hate being “That Guy” on the call who has to disconnect and re-call because my team can’t hear me.
One more thing: The Galaxy Buds have a touch-sensitive surface on the back of the earbuds for answering calls and skipping tracks. I would have preferred swiping gestures over tapping, because tapping on your ear with something in it is a bit jarring. You know when someone does a sound check, aggressively taps on a microphone three times, and says, “Is this thing on?” That’s what it felt like.
Wrap-Up
Overall, the Galaxy Buds are comfortable, reasonably priced wireless earbuds that have great battery life and good audio quality, but I’d only recommend them for Android users who don’t take many phone calls.
Read More:
Our Full Review on the AirPods
We Put Workout Headphones to the Test
The Best Portable Speakers for Every Taste and Budget
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