The Galaxy Buds have been Samsung’s go-to premium headphones for years. Maybe it’s because they’re usually introduced as an afterthought, lagging behind more eye-catching phablets and foldable. Perhaps it’s because they’ve never really been given much of a chance to shine and have instead always been reliable, unlike, say, the Pixel Buds, which are constantly getting attention for being revolutionary.
They are designed to work only with Samsung products, so you have no grounds for complaint there. That sums up the current state of the market. In general, I advise customers to buy headphones made by the same firm that produced their phones. Generally speaking, the performance of interconnected devices improves when they are designed to do so.
The Pixel Buds are a perfect example of this. Fantastic headphones optimized for use with Galaxy devices. You can pair them with any phone via Bluetooth, but then you won’t be able to make use of their newer, more advanced capabilities like automatic device switching and 24-bit audio.
In fact, the latter is one of the primary reasons to choose the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro over the base model. The brand-new Pros cost $230. Right now, on Samsung’s site, the regular Buds 2 can be purchased for $100 cheaper. As always, if you own a Galaxy device, and you want the smoothest possible life, I highly recommend picking up a pair of Galaxy Buds.
That leaves us with one essential question: Is there enough here to warrant paying the additional $100 to upgrade to Pro? This is not a trivial sum considering all the benefits you gain from these cutting-edge buds. It’s difficult out there right now, so please listen. Get rid of a hundred bucks if you can.
The similarity between the Buds 2 and the Buds 2 Pro in appearance is striking. That fits in with the firm’s approach to the category as a whole, which is one that is easily grasped.
Aside from the purple color choice, the design seems to be aimed at minimalism, which is fine for a set of wireless headphones in the year 2020. However, the manufacturer claims that the new Pros are 15% thinner and lighter than their forerunners.
Although sound quality is highly subjective, fit and comfort are even more so. Everyone’s size and shape are distinctive. It’s a miracle of this wacky little existence we call life.
The headphones fit snugly but comfortably in my ears. They have a comfortable weight and a nicely sculpted design, making them ideal for extended listening sessions. Though, Sony‘s Link Buds S remains the most palatable headphones available to me.
The Buds Pro held steady enough during a run, but if you plan to use your headphones primarily for physical activity, you should probably spring for something like the Beats Fit. There are benefits and drawbacks to every possible layout.
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These are some of the most adept at staying out of trouble. When jogging and sweaty, the rounded form makes it more difficult to make the proper movements because of the reduced touch surface area.
The small form factor makes for a convenient carrying case that can fit in your pocket alongside your enormous foldable phone. Using the case’s built-in wireless charging capability, you can extend the life of your headphones by an additional 18 hours (if you turn off the active noise cancellation feature after the first 5).
A few hours will be lost while wearing it, but it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most things. No matter how you look at it, the case gives you a lot more listening time than the 20 hours advertised by Buds 2.
The earbuds have rock-solid sound quality. It would be even better if you could get 24-bit audio running, but that, once again, necessitates a Galaxy device. Additionally, only a small number of streaming services, including Tidal and Qobuz, support the technology, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you use Spotify. In all honesty, the quality of the audio streamed has never been a top priority.
Highlighting this product is the enhanced “intelligent” active noise suppression. The built-in microphones allow the technology to adapt to your environment and filter out unwanted noises. It’s effective, actually. As far as active noise cancellation goes, it’s not the best I’ve tried, but it does a decent job of canceling out the sounds of the street.
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The Samsung Buds 2 Pro is a great upgrade over the original Buds. Would you pay an extra $100 for them instead of the regular Buds? For the most part, I would have to say no. Better ANC, audio, and battery life are what you receive for your hard-earned cash. Those are all very positive shifts, but if I had to put a price on it, I’d say the cumulative effect of those improvements is about the same as paying $50 more.
However, they remain close friends despite everything. It’s a good idea if you have a Galaxy phone and can spare the cash.