My experience with the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro after a week of use

It is already tradition. With a new family of mobiles, in this case the Samsung Galaxy S21, a new generation of wireless headphones or true wireless, as the most experts call them, have landed. This time it is the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro , and I have been able to test them for a whole week as bedside headphones. Some devices that ensure 99% noise cancellation that is also intelligent. All this boasting of bass and with a correct autonomy of up to 18 hours with all this active technology. But is it worth the jump for 230 euros? I’ll tell you about my experiences below.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, usage experience after a month

This is 99% virtual silence

Samsung has achieved, according to its data, achieve virtual silence to 99% thanks to the noise cancellation technology of your Galaxy Buds Pro. And I can attest that the highest level of cancellation eliminates noises such as the arrival of the subway, traffic and many other similar elements . It’s really amazing the ability to remove your environment from the equation and focus on the music or podcast you’re listening to. So much so that I have become scared. But that’s what ambient mode is for.

The good thing is that Samsung allows to regulate all this . On the one hand I have found the possibility of managing a high or low noise cancellation from the Samsung Wear application. Although it is best to switch between the ambient mode and its different sound step levels. One point that I liked is that you can switch from cancellation to ambient mode with a long press on the headset. The bad thing is that, to manage the four levels of the ambient mode, you must go to the application on the mobile. And here you can choose how much sound from the outside you want to filter in.

The experience is really good and of quality. And, if you really want to isolate yourself, the external and internal microphones of these Buds Pro and all the accompanying software do really well. Only the music you listen to matters. Or even nothing if what you want is to disappear among all the noise. All this without the sensation of beeps or sounds that cancel your hearing abilities and give you a headache. The result is true virtual silence .

Able to talk, but not to hum

One of the novelties of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is the automatic detection of conversations. Not to gossip what you are talking about, but to regulate noise cancellation or ambient mode, as well as playback, and to be able to have a conversation without removing the earpiece from your ear . And it is really comfortable and useful. Except if you like to sing.

During these days I have taken advantage of this function, which must be managed in the Samsung Wear application, with some bumps. On the one hand I have found that it works well. All you have to do is speak a few words and the music level and noise cancellation drop and you can hear the person you are greeting. However, when I have needed it when meeting a contact in the subway, the noise from the environment seems to have made the task difficult for the Buds Pro and I have had to remove one of the headphones to hear the other person. But the worst thing I’ve done has been humming or making guttural noises trying to follow the melody of the song I was listening to and having this function activated. With what I lost almost all the volume of the music and I was left in a musical coitus interruptus .

It is, without a doubt, a basic function for headphones that you have to fit in your ear and that do not remove as comfortably as other types of devices. And it is useful and practical. Although maybe its operation needs to be polished a bit more . Of course, if like me you sing everything that reaches your ear, you better deactivate this feature.

Resounding sound without vibrating your ears

Samsung has improved the sound technology over its Galaxy Buds + with two speakers for each earpiece. One of 6.5 millimeters to reproduce the middle and treble sounds and another of 11 millimeters destined to be the subwoofer for the bass . And it is something that is noticeable during listening.

These Galaxy Buds Pro are not going to make your ears ring as if you were next to a subwoofer in use, but equalize the music to boost the bass from the Samsung Wear app I have had some intense moments listening to music. Reggaeton, R&B or a movie trailer with its unmistakable “bbbbrrrr” of tension do offer that sensation of vibration and power in the ears . The bass is marked and enhances the whole of what you are listening to, and this is already a significant difference compared to other cheaper headphones on the market. It may be somewhat distorted or not as intense as what is enjoyed with larger over-ear headphones, but the feelings are there. And it’s nice to hear them.

With this, in addition to Samsung’s codecs and sound equalization, and of course its noise cancellation, enjoying music or even the texture of the voice in podcast is possible and even recommended. The standards that are being achieved in the latest generations of wireless headphones in terms of sound quality in general is astonishing. And these Samsung Buds Pro in particular are a good bet for it .

By the way, Samsung doesn’t he has forgotten about the phone calls. And it has improved these Galaxy Buds Pro with cameras and air filters that, together with the external microphones, clean the sound of your voice during conversations. In my calls I have not had any problem when it comes to making myself heard, as expected. But now I know that even during a brisk walk wind hiss is not going to be a problem in this situation.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, datasheet

Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound

Qi Certified Wireless Charging

Bluetooth 5.0

Codec: Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC

	Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
Colour	Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver
Dimensions and weight
Headphone: 19.5 x 20.5 x 20.8 mm, 6.3g Charging case: 50 x 50.2 x 27.8mm, 44.9g
Speaker	2-way (11mm woofer + 6.5mm tweeter)
Microphones	3 microphones (2 outdoor + 1 indoor) + Voice Pickup Unit + Wind Shield
ANC (cancellation): reduces up to 99% of background noise, adjustable in 2 levels Ambient sound: amplification up to + 20dB, adjustable in 4 levels Voice Detection
Drums	Headphones: 61 mAh Charging case: 472 mAh
Playing time
5 hours / Total 18 hours ( ANC on) 8 hours / Total 28 hours (ANC off)
Talk time	4 hours / Total 14.5h (ANC on) 5 hours / Total 17.5h (ANC off)
Load	1-hour playback / 5-minute fast charge
Connectivity
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Voice Pickup Unit ( VPU)
Compatibility	Android 7.0 or higher, RAM 1.5GB higher
Resistance	IPX7 (splash resistant)
Release date	January 14, now available
Price	230 euros

Touch control, lightweight body and also resistant

Samsung has innovated in the design of these headphones. That model of a bean is left behind that some, like a server with their little ears, could not enjoy. Go back to the button format with these Buds Pro. And, thanks to the silicone pieces of the grip (with various sizes inside the package), they are really comfortable even if your ears are small. Much better if they are large and fit fully into the auditory cavity. Its 6.3 grams per earphone means that, if you have adjusted them well, they neither move nor weigh. With a couple of days of use I have gotten used to them being there for hours without problems or discomfort.

In addition, Samsung has thought everything (or almost everything) to keep them in the ears during a long time. I’m talking about touch control, which allows playback, switching between noise cancellation and ambient sound, and other details with just the use of a finger. The only but that I find here is that you cannot lower or raise the volume unless you use your mobile. There is a way to manage the volume with the touch control, but it means sacrificing some other function such as switching the noise cancellation to ambient mode. It would be ideal if Samsung allowed some kind of gesture to multiply the tactile possibilities of its control and add volume management to what it already allows to do.

By the way, the design of these Galaxy Buds Pro is not only compact, it is now more waterproof. Its IPX7 certification allows you to use it for training, wash it afterwards or even wear it in the shower. Basically this standard ensures that liquids do not damage the device even if you submerge it for half an hour at a depth of less than one meter. Something that, being a test product, I have not tested to the limit. But it is a positive point to know that, if you need to rinse or clean your rubber or its surface, you do not need to take special care. Just clean it under the water tap and you’re done. A whole point in favor.

More than correct autonomy in a very compact box

The button design of these Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in the form of a button is not only comfortable so that nothing hangs from the ear, it is also so that its container box hardly takes up space. Only 50 x 50.2 x 27.8 mm with a weight of about 45 grams . It’s like a ring box, but more technological and with a more attractive rounded corner design. But the interesting thing is not only that it is small and light, but that in this little body it offers 472mAh to recharge the headphones.

In total, the autonomy of these headphones goes up to 28 hours (20 from the box and 8 from the headphones) music playback in normal mode. That is, without using noise cancellation. A good average considering the sound quality and the compactness of the design. The autonomy is reduced to 18 hours (5 hours of the headphones and 13 hours of the box) if the noise cancellation is used constantly . More than enough to enjoy during this week of use on my trips down the street. Although the most interesting is its fast charging technology, which offers up to an hour of autonomy in just five minutes of charging.

No more losing your headphones … If you have a Samsung mobile

Samsung has lent me the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra along with these Galaxy Buds Pro to test, among other functions, the possibility of searching for the lost headphones. Thanks to Bluetooth and UWB technology, the SamrtThings Find feature lets you search for these headphones nearby. And the surprising thing is that it allows you to do it individually.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung’s most advanced mobile to date

Once linked and configured from SmartThings, the headphones can be located on the map in case they are lost. And, by using this function, the mobile will act as a signal tracker to get closer to its location. As if it were a sensor from scary movies with which you approach the key point. From here you can use your mobile to ring the headphones and find them where you lost them . It is not the fastest and most comfortable process in the world, but the possibility is there and it is to be appreciated. The ultra-wideband technology is very accurate even though the SmartThings interface only shows if you are moving closer or further away from the headphones. The good thing is that it allows you to do it with different Galaxy devices, even if they are disconnected from Bluetooth or turned off.

Conclusions after one week of use

Samsung has been able to enhance the possibilities of its true wireless headphones and has done so by returning to comfortable design for everyone. The button format, its light weight, its IPX7 certification and its touch control are all advantages. Although it is the noise cancellation and the possibility of regulating the ambient noise that makes the difference. Sound quality is not far behind, highlighting the bass for fans of hi-fi or those who miss the rumbling of a bass in an in-ear headphones.

But it is that, in addition, Samsung has provided these headphones with extra functions. Maybe you do not always use the possibility of connecting them to the mobile and the tablet to switch the listening from one to the other automatically. Or take advantage of headphones at home to create the feeling of a home theater as if you had speakers placed throughout the living room. The good thing is that the options are there.

Of course, all this has a price. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro reach 230 euros . Although according to what has been verified during this week it is a more than justified amount for those who want good sound and many possibilities.

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