JOIN USSamsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro review: Really good pair of TWS earbuds
Samsung's latest premium True Wireless Stereo(TWS) earbuds Galaxy Buds2 Pro comes with a refreshing design and promises to offer a better user experience not just over the predecessor but also with competitors from brands such as Apple, Google and Sony.
I have been using the Galaxy Buds2Pro for a little over a week switching between an iPhone and an Android device and here are my thoughts on Samsung's flagship TWS earbuds.
Design and build quality
The new Galaxy Buds2 Pro's pebble-inspired design language of the earbuds and the case are more refined and compact, almost 15 per cent smaller compared to the predecessor.
Also, the finish is matte against the dual-tone smooth surface we see in the first-generation Galaxy Buds Pro.
Our review unit is bora purple and it really looks pretty to the eyes. The earbuds are all-purple with a small black-hued air vent with mesh on the top. Even the soft silicone earbud tips are of the same colour. Samsung offers Galaxy Buds2 Pro two other options-- graphite and white. This way the South Korean technology company has ensured there is a uniform colour combination among premium Galaxy devices' ecosystem.
The earbuds also come with an IPX7 rating, meaning can survive accidental water splashes. If they do get wet due to rain or a sweaty workout, users are advised to clean them with dry cloth only then, put them back in the case.
The Buds2 Pro comes under the in-ear class of buds. They perfectly fit into my ears and are lightweight with just 5.5gm a piece. I never felt any discomfort while wearing it for hours during my long commute between the house and the office.
Also, the most important aspect I always look for in TWS earbuds is how firmly they stay in the ears. I am happy to note that I never felt any anxiety about losing them while walking or even during rush hour standing inside the bus. The earbuds just stayed in their place.
User interface
The top part of the smooth earbuds has touch sensors and is really sensitive too. They flawlessly registered and responded fast to tap gesture inputs during the entire review period. A single tap pauses the music and a double tap will let you receive or hang up the call. And, with a triple tap, you can go back to the start of the current song or to the previous track.
If you touch and hold, you can reject the call. And, while listening to the music, you just press hold any of the earbuds to switch between ANC and Ambient sound modes.
User experience
Setting up the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is as easy as it gets for Android phones and an even smoother process for Samsung device owners.
Users have to install the Galaxy Wearable app and just follow the on-screen instruction. It will take less than 10 minutes to complete the procedure. Once done, the earbuds automatically connect to the companion device whenever the case lid is opened.
However, for Apple products, users have to manually pair the earphones via the Bluetooth devices list feature. Once done, they too automatically connect with iPhones.
But, you won't be able to get customization options such as equalizer, earbud fit test, read notifications aloud, and other features. All the mentioned above and the in-ear detection for calls are available only for Android devices compatible with the Galaxy Wearable app.
As far as the sound quality is concerned, it delivers the goods as advertised. The tiny earbud houses 2-way speakers, a woofer, and tweeters in addition to three high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) microphones. It supports Hi-Fi sound (24bit) and 360-degree audio tuned by AKG and Dolby Atmos sound systems.
Also, users can adjust the equalizer to match their taste with customisation options such as Bass, Soft, Dynamic, Clear, and Treble Boost.
With Treble Boost, users can make the vocals in the music more articulate to listen to and chime along with lyrics clearly audible. And with bass, you make the song sound heavier. I tried listening to numerous genres of music from classics of SP Balasubramanium to Linkin Park's pop rock and Eminem's rap songs. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro does a terrific job.
The stereo surround sound effect and Head Tracking Response feature are good too, and users should try watching an action movie with this feature on to feel the immersive sound experience. The new earbuds support Direct Multi-Channel [5.1 and 7.1] feature to deliver a more full, rounded sound experience.
Also, the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) of the Buds2 Pro, which is said to be 1.4X better than the predecessor, is good too. Despite the compact design, Samsung's latest earbuds do an excellent job controlling the outside sound creeping into the ears.
I was able to clearly hear the voice coming from the other side of the call and most importantly, the other person on the call too was able to hear me, with less distortion.
With Bluetooth v5.3 support, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro has a sturdy wireless connection with a companion device. You can wear just earbuds and leave the phone in the bedroom, freely roam around listening to music, the entire floor of any regular house.
Also, the Voice detect feature works great too. Earbuds can detect the user speaking with a person in the front and automatically switches from ANC to ambient mode. With this feature, he/she need have to pull out the earbuds to clearly understand the person in the front.
Users can even set the timer for 5, 10, or 15 seconds, after which, the earbuds' mic, if it doesn't sense any more voice, will go back to ANC mode.
Battery life
As far as the battery life is concerned, each earbud comes with a 61mAh battery. The Buds2 Pro can deliver up to five hours with ANC and without it, can go for up to eight hours.
And, the case has a 515mAh capacity and can deliver up to a total of 18 hours of music playback time or around 14 hours of talk time.
It's physically at least for me, exhausting to listen to music or attend calls for several hours. I usually use them during my long commute between home and the office. On an average day in Bengaluru, I spend around two and a half hours of time traveling. During this time, I listen to music or watch food vlogs on YouTube. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro excels in delivering sound with clarity and also showed no lag-ness in terms of audio sync with the video.
Thanks to the smart features of Galaxy Wearable, I was always aware of battery life and whenever it reaches under 20 per cent I used to charge the case with the earbuds overnight. It should be noted that the Galaxy Buds2 Pro case supports both wired (Type-C) and wireless charging.
Also with the SmartThings app, users can track and find the misplaced case and even earbuds too. You can even make them beep louder for easy tracking. But, I wished Samsung incorporated this with Galaxy Wearable. The latter instantly loses connection with the case once the lid closes.
Final thoughts
I love the cute pebble-inspired Galaxy Buds2 Pro's design language of both the case and the earbuds.
However, given the smaller form factor compared to the predecessor, I had my doubts about the ANC and call quality. I am surprised how well the earbuds were able to deliver a very good listening experience and the customisation on offer on the Galaxy Wearable app, makes it even more enjoyable.
On other hand, Galaxy Buds2 Pro lacks such personalisation option for the Apple device ecosystem. But, this can't be a deal breaker as Apple does the same for Android devices with regard to AirPods.
Must read | Google Buds Pro review
Overall, Samsung's latest Galaxy Buds2 Pro is a really good TWS earbud series and is one of my top three recommendations for Android phone users.
Also read | Sony WF-1000XM4 review
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro costs Rs 17,999 in India.
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