Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review: the best from Samsung
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on March 20, 2021, 12:00 | Write a comment
With the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Samsung launches their latest TWS, which should set new standards in ANC and sound. We subjected them to an everyday test.
The Galaxy Buds Pro are again built in a "bud" design unlike their predecessors (the Galaxy Buds Live). It remains to be seen whether the Galaxy Buds Live - also known as "Beans" - will ever have a successor. The headphones have a matte design on the inside and a glossy design on the outside. Our test device was black, but the headphones also come in white and purple, this year's main color.
The headphones are of very high quality and feel that way. The case is relatively small for the battery and therefore fits in any trouser pocket. This is also a great advantage of the design.
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- The Galaxy Buds charging cradle Pro is small and handy. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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- The Galaxy Buds Pro are small and well made. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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- The Galaxy Buds Pro sit firmly in the case. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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Comfort and sound of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
The Galaxy Buds Pro pressed quite hard in the ears at first, but after changing the ear pads it got a lot better. That's why I always advise all buyers: ProTry out all these top-ups, that can help a lot.
The only thing I noticed while jogging was that the buds wobbled a bit. As soon as you want to press the headphones back in, a touch command is executed. That was quite annoying, but it also depends on the ears. Who with that as well Proproblems, he should probably make provisions for jogging with another pair of headphones.
The Galaxy Buds Pro didn't sit as firmly in my ear as the first Galaxy Buds. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The sound is really good for in-ear headphones. The TWS are well balanced, but as with most in-ears, the strengths are in the bass. Especially in comparison to the competitionprothe buds can produce Pro shine, loud sound, full sound and detailed sound. This is where the Buds play Pro at the top with. What seemed important to me because of the battery life was the switch between stereo and mono sound. If I just wanted to listen with headphones, then I wanted all the sound in headphones. That's what the buds do Pro very good - as soon as headphones are put back into the charging cradle, the stereo switches to mono sound.
The ANC is good and filters out subway noises or car hums well. The only time I had trouble with the wind was walking. This cannot be blocked and is annoying when listening. That's why I issued the ANC, then it went through the good coverage.
Features of the Galaxy Buds Pro
The buds can really shine Pro with their features, they are unbeatable, especially in the Samsung ecosystem. Above all, the conversation mode feature and “Auto-Switch” are new. Conversation mode worked well. As soon as the user starts speaking, the headphones switch from ANC to ambient sound (amplifies the surrounding noise through the built-in microphones). That was especially helpful when you're listening to music while you're working and want to clarify something with a colleague.
The Galaxy Buds app Pro is available for all Android devices. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The auto switch feature is my highlight, but probably uninteresting for most users. Anyone who is connected to the same Samsung account on their Samsung smartphone and Samsung tablet (with OneUI 3.1 and thus only currently the Tab S7) can use the Buds Pro without reconnecting them. So if I listen to music on my smartphone and now want to watch a video on my tablet, the buds switch Pro directly when starting the video on my tablet and I hear the audio. This worked really well in practice, but as I said, it is currently not of interest to many users. However, Samsung has become quick with updates, so it will soon be possible on many other devices.
The Galaxy Buds Pro automatically switch devices with the right devices. (Picture: TechnikNews)
In any case, it should be mentioned that the Galaxy Buds Live and Pro got this feature via update, but it was with the Buds Pro introduced (that's why I tested it extensively here). This will also work with features for future headphones, these should be the buds Pro also get.
Service
The Galaxy Buds Pro unfortunately only have limited service. This works by touch and more reliably than with any other TWS. Press once to play or pause playback, or answer another call. Double tap fast forwards a track and triple tap rewinds. You can only assign the “press and hold” function yourself. You can choose between the Spotify app, the volume, activating the Bixby assistant or switching between ambient sound and active noise cancellation. This should be reworked again so that all gestures can be freely assigned.
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Again, you notice that the buds Pro are made for Samsung devices. Setup is the easiest here. Open the charging cradle and the headphones will be recognized directly. The user is guided step by step through the setup menu and an update was loaded directly.
With other Android smartphones, it is a bit more cumbersome; the “Galaxy Wearable” app has to be downloaded from the Play Store first. Then the headphones can also be used without further restrictions as on Samsung devices.
In the past, the Samsung headphones could also be used with all the features on iPhones, this is now the case with the Galaxy Buds Pro Story. The Galaxy Wearable app wasn't made for the Buds Pro updated so the features cannot be discontinued.
The connection itself runs via Bluetooth 5.0 and it works as it should. Very good, very wide and with little latency. The in-house “Scalable Codec” is used for Samsung smartphones, AAC and SBC for other smartphones. Qualcomm's aptX is not supported.
Battery
The single "Bud" has a battery capacity of 61 mAh. The charging cradle has a 472 mAh battery.
That brings me to around one morning of full use, i.e. around 5 hours with the ANC activated. With the suppression deactivated, you can certainly tickle another hour out of the headphones.
As soon as the headphones are empty, they can be recharged in a total of 2,5 hours, the charging cradle then via USB-C or wirelessly. The battery is not above average, but it was enough for me.
Conclusion
The Galaxy Buds Pro are the best TWS headphones that Samsung has brought to the market so far. They look very good, are of very high quality and sound very good. Even if they didn't always fit me very well, I was able to use the headphones very well. But that always depends on the ears. The ANC is good Proproducts that made this even better, such as the AirPods Pro by Apple. The features make the Buds unbeatable for users in the Samsung ecosystem, and they are also a good option for other Android users in this area. Only the operation cannot be sufficiently adjusted. The connection works very well, but the battery life needs to be improved in a future version.
Can I use the Galaxy Buds Pro now recommend? I would have grit my teeth for an RRP of 229 euros, but the headphones are like all SamsungProproducts fell in price very quickly. For less than 150 euros, I can give the headphones to any Android user, but especially to Samsung buyers, without Prorecommend problems.
Thank you for providing the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.
