Samsung recently held their annual August unpacked event. Many devices were announced but the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro never got the attention they so much needed. Samsung has really put a lot of thought into these earbuds from the sound quality to the minute of things such as how well they fit into your ears. These earbuds are now at the top of Samsung’s wireless earbuds and with that comes a lot of pressure from different companies.
The first question that comes in mind when you want to purchase these wireless earbuds is how well they stack up against the likes of the Airpods Pro and the Pixel Buds Pro. I am happy to report that they are on par with these top earbuds and even better in some areas. Without further ado, lets dive deep into these earbud’s design language, the sound quality, Its Active noise cancelling, its battery life and lastly, I will give you my final thoughts.
Specs.
- IP Rating – IPX7
- Bluetooth version – 5.3
- Auto switching – Yes
- Voice detect – Yes
- Ambient Sound – Yes
- SmartThings Find – Yes
- 360 Audio – Yes
- Active Noise Cancelling – Yes with 3 mics
- 24-Bit Audio – Yes
- Case Battery Capacity – 500mAh
- Earbud Battery life – 5 Hours (With ANC) or 8 Hours (Without ANC)
- Battery life with case – up to 30 hours.
- Colors – Bora Purple, White, Graphite
- Price – $229
Design language.
There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have an attractive look to it. The rounded design, in my opinion is far much better as compared to the bean shaped Galaxy Buds live. During the February unpacked event, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds Pro which competed pretty well against the Airpods Pro and the Pixel buds Pro. But with these new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro it’s all about refinement. Samsung claims that they are 0.8g lighter and 15% percent smaller while offering better audio quality. The main reason for the size reduction was to obtain the perfect fit.
The case unlike the one Apple has been using since forever has a clamshell formfactor. This simply means that they are opened the same way you open your laptop. With its square size and relatively smaller footprint, you can easily fit it in any pocket despite the size.
As for color choices; you get Bora purple, White and graphite. If you have a great sense of style, I feel like the Bora purple would be the perfect color for you. Aside from that, these earbuds come with a rating of IPX7. This simply means it can handle sweat during working out as well as light water spills.
Sound quality and battery life.
Let me start off by saying that the sound quality is amazing. The bass is deep, the trebles are crisp, no complains here. After all, for $229, they better be good. When it comes to choosing expensive earbuds, its almost always more than just decent sound quality. What more can they offer? With the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, they have a lot to offer. From 360 audio to top notch Active noise cancelling just to name a few, these buds are the real deal.
As the name suggests, 360 audio, provides an immersive surround sound experience. It works by digitally filtering soundtracks of movies or TV shows which make it seem as if sounds are coming from different points depending on the scene. For example, when a car moves from the left side of the screen to the right, the sound also mimics the motion of the car hence audio will be moving from the left earbud to the right earbuds. Another great example is when a plane flies over you. You get that immersive experience which makes all the difference. It is also worth noting that this feature works only with supported content.
I am also happy to report that the Active noise cancelling on these earbuds are quite impressive. They cancel out most noises giving you a quiet and serene environment regardless of what’s happening outside. It utilizes three high signal-to-noise ratio microphones to achieve this level of active noise cancelling. This technology works when these microphones pickup low-frequency noises and neutralizes it before it reaches your ear.
The earbuds produce a sound that is phase inverted by 180 degrees which results in the two sounds cancelling each other. With the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Samsung claims that it cuts 3db more as compared to its predecessor which ultimately results in 40% more noise reduction.
One of the best use cases of ANC is when studying in a relatively loud environment. Another scenario I found them useful, was walking through a noisy street. They provide a rather silent environment in a chaotic world. If you have never used this feature, you will truly be amazed. It is also worth noting that ANC does not necessarily cancel all noises but it does a good job of cancelling background noises.
The battery life is good as expected. You can get 5 hours when ANC is turned on and 8 hours with ANC turned off. The case comes with a 500mAh battery which can power these earbuds for days or even weeks depending on your usage. With the case you should expect up to 30 hours of battery life with Active noise cancelling off. When on, you should expect a little over 17 hours. These figures are good even when compared to the Airpods Pro.
The case can be charged wirelessly or through USB Type C. One of the best perks of having a case that can charge wirelessly, is that you can reverse charge it wirelessly. Wireless reverse charging is a feature that allows supported phones to charge the case by placing the back of the phone and the case in contact. This is handy more so when you need a quick charge be it when travelling or even when working and there is no nearby by outlet.
Ambient Sound.
Ambient sound is a feature embedded in most of the latest Samsung earbuds. It allows one to be aware of their environment irrespective of what you are listening to. It is very common to listen to some music through your earphones and getting lost in your own universe. This can pose great danger especially when crossing streets. Ambient sound works by using the external microphones in your earbuds to let you hear outside noises while listening to your music at the same time.
This enables you to be more alert to your environment. As a side note, you should ensure that your ear is not touching the microphone or else it won’t work as effective as it should.
Auto switching.
This is one of the best features more so if you are in the Samsung ecosystem. Auto switching means that the earbuds will automatically switch between connected devices for a more seamless experience. Let me explain. Let’s say you are listening to music in your Samsung tablet and you receive a call from your Galaxy phone. The earbuds will automatically switch when you pick up the call and then automatically resume with the music after you finish your call.
Another great example is when you are listening to music through your phone but you open a video in your Galaxy Tab. The audio will automatically switch. For this to work, you need to be signed in to the same Samsung account on your Galaxy devices with One UI 3.1 or above.
The Pop-up Window.
To make usability easier, Samsung has a cool feature that opens a pop-up window once they detect your earbuds. This makes connecting your earbuds effortless without the need to open and configure any settings. This is handy more so when you initially buy your pair of Galaxy earbuds. Pairing is so easy; any one can do it. Props to Samsung for this.
Final thoughts.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are undoubtedly one of the best earbuds in the market right now. If you own a Galaxy phone more so the high-end ones, you will greatly benefit from the wide array of features offered here. If you are a student going back to schools, an Android user or even a Samsung Fanboy, these pair of earbuds will definitely impress you. Th ANC is top notch, the sound quality is definitely superb and it also features a waterproof rating of IPX7. What more can you ask from such a compact pair of earbuds?
Its price of $229 is relatively expensive but if you want quality, you just have to pay the price. If you are looking for cheaper and classy earbuds you can check out our in-depth review of the $99 Nothing ear 1 buds. If you also have any tech related question, you can post it in our forum by clicking the bottom right window if you are using a PC.
