Review: Samsung Galaxy Buds+ provides superior sound performance

Galaxy’s latest audio wearable, the Galaxy Buds+, are an intriguing prospect in the true wireless earbud market. Samsung bucked a lot of the trends in producing a well-priced headset with a distinctive aesthetic.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review

Overall impressions

Interestingly, Samsung decided against adding in active noise cancellation, unline the folks at Apple and Sony. Having said that, the Galaxy Buds+ come in significantly cheaper than the Airpods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds.

So, if you’re looking for a capable pair of true wireless earbuds and don’t need active noise cancellation, the Galaxy Buds+ will be a great choice.

The design for the Galaxy Buds+ is very similar to the original Galaxy Buds. So much so that you can actually charge your Galaxy Buds+ in the Galaxy Buds case. The new gloss finish on the case is a nice touch, though it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet.

Sound

The Galaxy Buds+ ship with multiple tips to help you find the perfect fit; and as a result, offer good isolation. Along with the choice of the in-ear design rather than Apple’s teardrop helps the earbuds block a fair amount of external noise and focus on the music.

Samsung-owned AKG has tuned the Galaxy Buds+, and the focus is on a more natural sound than the sometimes bass-heavy alternatives on the market.

The sound is clear with crisp treble and expansive sound. If anything the Buds+ can feel a bit sanitised and clinical. They by no means sound bad, but can lack a bit of warmth and punch.

Watch: Samsung Galaxy Buds+ introduction

Playing around with EQ settings available in the Galaxy Wearable app will squeeze a bit more life out of the earbuds, depending on what types of music you’re listening to.

Overall the Galaxy Buds+ makes for a good-sounding pair earbuds that will handle most styles of music capably.

Features

The Galaxy Buds+ have the same capacitive touch panels of its predecessor. Audio can be stopped and started, and tracks skipped by tapping the panels.

In addition, the tap and long-press can be mapped to your AI assistant, Spotify, volume control or ambient sound.

Ambient sound allows you to allow more sound from your environment into the earbuds. This is useful for when you need to be more aware of your surroundings, perhaps when you are running or cycling.

The Galaxy Buds+ have an IPX2 rating which makes it sweat-resistant, so they’ll work fine during your workouts.

To remap the buttons or change the EQ settings you’ll need to download Galaxy Wearable app from the Play Store or App Store. This will also let you set up your earbuds to read your notifications, update your firmware and find your earbuds if you’ve misplaced one.

Battery

The original Galaxy Buds batteries lasted about 6.5 hours with an additional charge coming from the case for just over 12 hours in total.

Image via Samsung

The Buds+ have almost doubled that with the battery life of just under 12 hours for the earbuds with another charge coming from the case for nearly 24 hours in total. It is even better than my Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro.

This is a massive leap forward from the first generation Galaxy Buds and is substantially better than both the Apple Airpods (5 hours), Sony WF-1000XM3 (6 hours), and Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro (20 hours).

Wireless charging

The new shiny case is compact, pocket-friendly and is Qi-enabled for wireless charging. You’ll also be able to charge the case with selected Samsung headsets which have the PowerShare feature.

Like the previous Galaxy Buds, if you do need to top the Galaxy Buds+ up, the case has quick charge and just 3 minutes in the case will give you an hour of use.

If battery life is your biggest concern, the Buds+ is a no-brainer; these earbuds will comfortably survive your workday, plus commute before you need to top it up from the case.

Conclusion

The Galaxy Buds+ are a really good pair of true wireless buds, especially when considering their competitive pricing.

With its class-leading battery life, distinctive looks and AKG-tuned sound, these are an excellent option for anyone who doesn’t need active noise cancelling in their true wireless earbuds.

Also read – Watch: Close-up view of the futuristic Galaxy Z Flip