Galaxy Buds +: Samsung's AirPod Killers That Are Now For Everyone | Technology

Samsung's second generation Galaxy Buds + fixes some errors and is now fully compatible with the iPhone, making it some of the best standard wireless headphones for almost anyone.

There is no shortage of good wireless headphones in 2020, but the Samsung Galaxy 159 Buds + are looking to take the crown as the best set without noise cancellation.

Launched alongside the Galaxy Z Flip and S20 ranges, the headphones are practically identical to their predecessors, which is a very good thing.

They are exactly the same size and shape as the old ones, but are heavier from 0.7 g to 6.3 g per bud, not that I know of, even side by side. They fit directly into the conch with a quick twist, barely sticking out of my ear, staying in place without the need for wings. You must love the fit with silicone earmold, of course, but they are one of the most comfortable earphones available, making them easy to forget while wearing.

If you need more stability, there are two wing sizes and three sets of silicone tips in the box, but they stayed in place even during the run for me.

Characteristics

• Water resistance: no

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, SBC, AAC

• Battery life: 11 hours of listening, until 10 p.m. with case

• Headphones weight: 6.3 g

• Charging box dimensions: 38.8 x 70 x 26.5 mm

• Charging box weight: 39.6g

• Case load: USB-C, Qi wireless charging

Housing and battery

The case is one of the best. Small, with a pocket pill shape. Its slightly larger than the standard AirPods case, but its volume is similar to that of the AirPods Pro and Jabra Elite 75t cases. The lid closes with a reassuring snap, locking the heads in place. It will slip into a silver pocket of a pair of jeans.

The headphones lasted just over 11 hours of reading between trips in the case, which is much longer than most. The AirPods Pro lasts four hours, while the Elite 75t lasts 7.5 hours. The case then provides a full charge of the headphones for 22 hours combined between charges. The case charges via USB-C or wireless charging, while a quick three-minute charge via cable provides approximately one hour of playback.

Neither the battery in the case nor the earphones are officially replaceable, which ultimately means that they are disposable, but they should last at least several years of daily use. A third party can replace the battery, as it was possible with previous Galaxy Buds.

Earbuds are standard, which means third-party replacements are widely available in the event of a loss, but Samsung does not sell individual replacement earphones or cases.

Connectivity and controls

The Galaxy Buds + supports Bluetooth 5 and the possibility of hot swapping, which means that either one can be used alone. They support standard SBC and AAC audio formats, as well as Samsung's proprietary scalable codec when used with any of the devices from South Korean companies.

There is also a dedicated low latency game mode exclusive to Samsung devices, which has all but eliminated the lag between something happening on the screen and the sound reaching your ears, unfortunately inherent in Bluetooth earphones.

They worked perfectly with a Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy S20 Ultra, but were just as good with a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G and an iPhone 11 Pro. They can only connect to one device at a time, not two like some competitors.

Pairing is super easy. Use the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone or hold the touch panel of both earphones in your ears for five seconds until the tone sounds, then find them in your Bluetooth menu.

Switching from one device to another is just an example of selecting headphones on your device; no need to disconnect another device first, which is a very welcome feature.

Each headset has a touch screen that manages some of the best controls in the business. Press once to pause / play, twice to go forward or three times to go back. On all devices, you can also press and hold the touch panel to do any of the following: adjust the volume, activate the ambient listening mode, or trigger your default voice assistant phone. On Android, you can also launch Spotify, which will immediately start playing the playlist you last listened to or another recommended one.

I have selected the volume controls and have never looked back. There is also the option to activate a double tap on the edge of the headphones to adjust the volume as an feature in a section called Application Labs. I couldn't make it work reliably without accidentally skipping the track every second or third attempt.

Sound

The Galaxy Buds + have improved audio thanks to a new two-speaker system with a separate tweeter and woofer. Overall, they produce a detailed and balanced sound, with a reasonable punch in the bass and clear mids, but need to be increased a bit to really bring out the bass. They sound great with pop music, high energy electronics and even do a fairly complete rendition of something like Miles Davis, but sometimes lack a bit of depth to get the most out of it. A song like Baba ORiley from The Who.

The Galaxy Buds + therefore sound considerably better than most competitors costing less than $ 160. They will not produce the sparkling type of audio you will get from Sonys (RRP) 220 WF-1000XM3, but they are less than half size and much more comfortable.

The only thing missing from the Galaxy Buds + compared to recent competitors from Apple and Amazon is the noise cancellation, which puts them in the same boat as the Jabras Elite 75t. However, they do a good job of passive blocking of the world thanks to the snug fit and a good set of silicone ear tips.

By default, there are three levels of ambient passthrough available if you want to hear the world. The low setting was good for listening to announcements, while the high setting was about the same as my normal hearing. There is a very high setting, which boosted my hearing beyond normal limits, but which seemed to be something that could easily make you deaf.

You can activate the ambient mode in the app, or by a long press, but I would like you to be able to activate the ambient mode automatically when you pause the music.

The quality of calls is also greatly improved. The recipients said that my voice was clear, but that some background noises from a coat had been picked up, while the road and wind noises were effectively suppressed. I could clearly hear the other end of the call, while the side tone is also available as an option.

Observations

• The shiny black case is fairly easy to mark.

• It takes a little practice to insert the earphones without activating the touch screen.

• They are comfortable under a woolly hat because they do not protrude from your ears.

• The music does not stop when you take out a headset, like many others.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Buds + are available in white, black or blue for 159.

For comparison, Apple AirPods cost 159, AirPods Pro cost 249, Jabra Elite 75t cost 169.99, the Libratone Track Air + costs 167, the Sony WF-1000XM3 costs 169 and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless costs 280.

Verdict

The latest Samsung Galaxy Buds + strike the right balance between comfort, battery life, pocket capacity and sound to create some of the best wireless headphones for everyday use.

The controls are good, the connectivity is solid, the call quality is greatly improved and the case is great. They are a no-brainer for Samsung users, perfect for other Android users and, now that there is a dedicated iPhone app for them, they are a great option for most people. They're very easy to live with in a way that only Apple AirPods have succeeded in the past, just with the proper insulation of a silicone earphone tip.

They are not perfect, of course. They don't feature noise canceling – the Apple AirPods Pro or Sonys WF-1000XM3 are the ones you want if that's important to you – but they do a good job of simply blocking noise with an adjustment solid. They are not water resistant, which is a bit disappointing too, but it is not a killer. They're not cheap either, with an RRP of 159, but look for the deals since their predecessors have been cut back for long periods of time.

The Galaxy Buds + are a great set of everyday wireless headphones. Samsung-AirPod-killers, now ideal for just about everyone.

Benefits: small, comfortable, good pocket case, wireless charging, USB-C, long battery life, good sound, good call, solid connectivity, apps for Android and iPhone.

The inconvenients: no water resistance, no noise cancellation, no auto-ambient pause, no pause when removing, no aptX, can not connect to two devices at the same time.

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