Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: Are these $229 headphones worth it?

Less than two years after release Galaxy Buds ProSamsung is back with a sleeker, more sophisticated, and more expensive sequel to its most premium version. wireless headphones. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a great addition to the company’s ever-growing audio lineup, offering an attractive, comfortable design; good active noise cancellation and lots of extras, including high-fidelity audio support for Galaxy devices.

Can not deny that Buds 2 Pro very good, but with so many great noise-cancelling headphones on the cheap these days, are they any good? I spent a week with Samsung’s new premium buds to find out.

I’ve always felt that Samsung’s Galaxy Buds are among the most appealing and comfortable earbuds around, and that hasn’t changed for the Buds 2 Pro. They have the same sleek, egg-shaped design as last year’s standard Galaxy Buds 2, is only slightly heavier, and a new soft-touch matte finish replaces the glossy finish of their predecessors. Personally, I like the new material – both the buds and the case feel nicer to the touch and are easier to hold – although the case has had some noticeable wear and tear after a week in my pocket.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Black, white and Bora purple are especially gorgeous. I wish Samsung had kept the attractive two-tone case design from the standard Buds 2, but all three color options look good. Like last year’s model, the Buds 2 Pro’s egg-shaped exterior looks sleek and simple at the same time, and doesn’t stick out from my ears (or stick out like AirPods). More importantly, they feel great, with a lightweight design that I often forget during long hours of work, walking, and taking calls. I find myself occasionally rotating the in-ear buds for a more stable fit – and I actually find the Buds 2 cheaper to fit better – but the Buds 2 Pro are still some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve seen. worn.

Very good sound quality and battery life

I’ve used Buds 2 Pro as my primary music headset for a week, and I’m happy to do so for a longer period of time. Samsung’s premium earbuds are a great companion to my daily playlists, producing satisfying (but not overwhelming) bass and crisp guitars while bringing out plenty of tonal detail. small bar that I don’t always notice on cheaper speakers. And while I like the way the Buds 2 Pro sound, there are several equalizer settings that Android users can use if they want to boost the bass, boost the treble, or enjoy a softer overall sound. . This level of customization is on par with competitors like Sony LinkBuds WILL and Jabra Elite 7 Activeand is something you won’t find on Apple buds like AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro.

One of the big new features Samsung is touting for the Buds 2 Pro is “24-bit Hi-Fi audio,” which promises clearer, less affected sound quality than the 16-bit audio you’d expect. will receive from multiple Bluetooth headsets. Whether or not you hear an upgrade in sound quality depends on a number of different factors – you’ll need a discerning ear and a subscription to high-fidelity music streaming, right from the start. – but I did notice a slight difference in parallel tests.

When listening to a recording of Tigers Jaw’s “Follows” on Tidal, I found the overall sound louder and fuller on the Buds 2 Pro than on the standard Buds 2 Pro compared to subtle background sounds, such as tunes. piano and vocals harmonize, which is also much easier to hear on Samsung’s newer buds. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to upgrade this to 24-bit audio support, or the fact that the Buds 2 Pro might just have bigger, louder speakers, but either way, I’m assuming your premium headphones Samsung has better sound than their predecessors.

The Buds 2 Pro also support head-tracking 360-degree audio, another feature whose usefulness will depend on the apps and services you use. It works best with Dolby Atmos tracks in supported streaming services (like Tide and Amazon Music Unlimited), because you’ll hear music coming from fixed points even as you move your head – like when you’re at a live concert. This feature can also convert stereo to 360-degree audio, as I experienced while watching YouTube videos. All works well and is a neat little trick, although I personally find Apple’s Spatial Audio – claim Iphone and a compatible set of AirPods – for a clearer, smoother experience.

Samsung’s latest in-ear headphones are rated for 5 hours of continuous playback with active noise cancellation (ANC) enabled and a total of 18 hours with the carrying case and more than my test. . After almost a week of on and off use – a lot of it with ANC enabled – I only found myself having to charge the case once.

Reliable and feature-rich active noise cancellation (if you’re on Android)

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s active noise cancellation has been a huge boon throughout my daily routine, mellowing out noisy construction sounds when I go for a morning walk and significantly dampening my phone. My bedroom fan was noisy when I was getting through the summer heat. I find Samsung’s latest buds on par with AirPods Pro in terms of noise cancellation and slightly better than the standard Buds 2 and Buds Pro.

When I really need to hear what’s going on around me, the Buds 2 Pro’s ambient noise cancellation is reliable for amplifying the sound of nearby cars or allowing me to hold a conversation. without having to take them out of the ear. And just like on the Buds Pro before it, there’s a very useful Voice Detection setting that automatically switches from ANC to ambient once the buds detect you’re speaking – perfect when you need to order a coffee. Get a quick coffee or say “hello” to a friend on the street.

While the Buds 2 Pro’s ANC and ambient noise are both great, it’s a bit confusing that they’re no longer adjustable. The original Buds Pro offer two levels of ANC and four levels of ambient noise – allowing you to customize how much noise you block or emit – while the Buds 2 Pro only lets you turn two features on and off. this. That’s not a huge drawback considering how well the two modes work, but it’s a particular shortcoming.

In addition to noise control, the Buds 2 Pro offers a huge amount of customization options via the Galaxy Wearable app – if you’re on Android. You can use the app to toggle features like voice detection and 360 sound, summon an equalizer to match the sound to your liking, and take advantage of the “Find My Earbuds” tool that uses Samsung’s SmartThings app to help you find lost buds if you misplace them. You can also use the Galaxy Wearable app to customize the controls a bit, but most of the options are vibrant to just turn them on and off. I appreciate that you can choose the press and hold action of either headset – including toggling noise control, activating Bixby, or opening Spotify – although I was a bit disappointed that you specified the volume for one ear, the other will automatically switch to volume down. . It’s a very specific grip (I’d rather have a touch option for noise control and another for quick volume down), but it still frustrates me.

It’s also important to note that certain features – like 24-bit audio and 360-degree audio – are limited to those with Galaxy devices. However, if you have the right hardware, the Buds 2 Pro give you some solid options for tailoring your experience.

While Buds 2 Pro Having the same great physical design as the Galaxy Buds before it, they also retain my biggest annoyance with the Samsung headphones: Inconsistent touch controls. While I could mostly pause and skip tracks with no problem, I frequently accidentally activated the touch controls whenever I lightly tweaked the in-ear buds. On the other hand, I also have cases where buds don’t register my faucets (or register them incorrectly). I found the Buds 2 Pro’s touch controls to be a little more reliable than previous Galaxy Buds’ controls, but they’re still sophisticated – and a big reason why I usually stick to the buds with physical buttons like Beats Fit Pro and Jabra Elite 7 Active.

As with most other Galaxy Buds, you’ll be locked out of many of the Buds 2 Pro’s key features if you’re an iPhone user. There’s no Galaxy Wearable app for iOS, which means no audio customizations or controls (thankfully, you can still use ANC and ambient noise on your iPhone via on-ear controls). And while all Android users can download the Galaxy Wearable app, you’ll specifically need a Galaxy device to take advantage of features like 24-bit Hi-Fi and 360-degree audio. The Buds 2 Pro work well with my iPhone 13 Pro when it comes to listening to music and day-to-day calling, but I would really only recommend these buds to people who use Galaxy phones otherwise you’ll be missing out. how much.

In a vacuum, Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a very good pair of high-end wireless headphones. They look, feel and sound great, with plenty of customization features and Hi-Fi audio support for those in the Samsung ecosystem. If you own a Galaxy phone and don’t mind paying for high-quality sound, you’ll find a lot to like here.

However, today’s great active noise-cancelling headphones have become much more affordable, making the Buds 2 Pro’s $229.99 price point a big hit, especially given some of the downsides. of them. If you are a Samsung user who can live without the best possible sound quality (which you may not notice), the standard Galaxy Buds 2 also offers ANC and can be had for as low as $129.99. For those looking for more powerful noise cancellation, last year Galaxy Buds Pro are still a great option and regularly drop below their $199.99 retail price.

And if you want a more platform-agnostic pair of buds with the same great feature set, the $199.99 super adaptive Sony LinkBuds WILL These are some of the best earbuds we’ve tested. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are worth keeping an eye on during the sale, but for most people, they’re simply too hard to justify the price.