Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review
In this Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review, we test the sound, ANC, and microphone of the Buds Pro. Are they worth buying? Find out in this review.
In this article
Pros and cons
Here are the pros and cons of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. You can see at a glance whether these earbuds are right for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️ Good ANC | ❌Sound could be better |
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro specifications
- Price: ~100
- Chipset: BCM 43015
- Codec: unknown
- Bluetooth: 5.1
- Range: 10m
- Case battery: 472mAh
- Earbud battery: 61 mAh
- Cable: usb-c
- Waterproof: ipx 7
Where better to test a pair of wireless earbuds with noise canceling than on a trip and on a plane? Nowhere! That's why I tested this pair for 3 weeks while traveling in Colombia. You'll find all my conclusions in this review.
A small spoiler: the ANC is more than adequate and really helps on a plane. Are the sound and microphone just as good? Find out in this review!
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro sound quality
The Buds Pro sound a little heavier than the Buds 2. The lower frequencies stand out more in particular. That has to be your thing. To my ears, it gives them a nice, deep sound.
The mids are a little recessed, making the sound somewhat tinny. Voices and vocals in particular get a little lost.
Sound quality score: 7-
After a while, the highs become a little sharp. The Buds Pro struggle with really high frequencies. They sound shrill. Think of the 's' and 'k' sounds in vocals. They don't sound quite right, as if they're missing definition.
And yet Samsung manages to create a professional-sounding result. It feels a little artificial, but it's there. That's mainly thanks to the prominent bass and lower mids, which do sound good.
A proper equalizer in Samsung's Galaxy Wearable app would be a huge improvement. Right now, the app only has an equalizer that doesn't let you adjust the settings yourself.
(Nice to see them side by side: the Buds2 and the Buds Pro)
That's a major drawback of Samsung earbuds right now. Why can't I really choose how my earbuds sound?
Take a look at our list of the best earbuds ever. Some of them sound better than the Samsung Buds Pro. The Buds Pro do excel in other areas, though. You'll find out more later in this review. A small spoiler: ANC.
The image below shows a few screenshots we took in the app. On the left is the main menu, in the middle the equalizer option, and on the right the disappointing equalizer itself.
In short, the app could have helped improve the sound a little. Hopefully Samsung will release an update with a proper equalizer. If that happens, we'll give the sound a slightly higher score.
Microphone: are the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro good for calls?
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro have a decent microphone. People can hear you clearly during calls.
We did have a small problem when connecting the earbuds to a laptop to record a clip. It turns out we're not the only ones with this problem. See this forum thread on Samsung's website.
We had no issues during phone calls, though. In fact, you can even set transparency mode to turn on automatically during calls. That's useful because it lets you hear your own voice clearly.
Microphone score: 7
We expect this problem to be fixed sooner or later. But as you can hear in the clip, you can barely make out what I'm saying when I record. Imagine how frustrating that would be in an online meeting when nobody can understand you:
'The microphone is quiet, then, but hopefully an update will fix this. No problems during phone calls.
Fit: how do the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro feel?
The Buds Pro are in-ear earbuds. They sit inside your ear with a silicone ear tip (included). I'm a fan of that. Less sound loss. More bass than, say, semi-in-ear earbuds.
Curious about the difference between semi-in-ear earbuds (also called half in-ear or simply earbuds) and in-ear earbuds? Take a look at our explanation of the difference.
The Samsung Buds Pro feel comfortable, but start to irritate one ear after about 2 hours. That could be down to the asymmetry of my ears. But I don't have that problem with many other earbuds.
The ear tips are also shaped a little differently from other ear tips.
As you can see, the Samsung Buds Pro ear tips are narrower than usual. Your ears need to suit that shape. In my case, they start to irritate.
The Samsung Buds 2 have slightly thicker, more conventional ear tips. See here:
In my opinion, the Buds 2 ear tips shown above are much better than the new ones Samsung gave the Buds Pro.
Fit score: 6.5
Of course, you can buy a set of foam ear tips for Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. But be careful: we've tried several foam ear tips, and you need to pay close attention when buying ear tips for the Buds Pro.
The opening has a different shape. That's why there are special ear tips made exclusively for the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.
ANC: how good is the noise canceling?
Now for the area where these Samsung earbuds really excel: active noise canceling. I haven't tried any other earbuds that cut out this much background noise when you turn noise canceling on.
You can turn noise canceling on using the touch controls. I took these earbuds on a trip to Colombia, and the Galaxy Buds Pro were a real help on the plane.
One tap on the touch controls spared me the engine noise.
Fit score: 9
To clarify: ANC uses the earbud's microphone to pick up background noise. The earbud then creates an opposing sound and plays it directly into your ear. That's where the word 'active' comes from.
Passive noise canceling exists too. In that case, background noise is reduced simply because the earbuds sit in your ears. Don't underestimate that. Some earbuds make almost all background noise disappear just by wearing them.
Earbud controls
The earbuds use touch controls. Tap an earbud and it performs the action you've assigned.
The problem is that I was hoping for more customization. That's always the issue with Samsung. Why doesn't a multibillion-dollar company make a better app that lets you choose exactly what happens with 1 tap on the left, 2 taps on the left, or 3 taps on the left? The same goes for the right, of course.
But just as with the Buds 2, Samsung leaves that out.
Controls: 6
The touch controls do work very well, though. So while customization is missing, touch input always works. Just as reliably as a button.
It's interesting that a brand like Jabra always puts physical buttons on its earbuds. And they work really well.
Take a look at our Jabra Elite 7 Pro review too. Those have buttons.
Samsung has chosen touch controls here, and they work very well too. But there's plenty of room to improve customization.
Another thing: the earbuds respond to the slightest touch. And for me, they aren't comfortable enough to leave untouched for 2 hours.
In short, I need to reposition the earbuds every so often. When I do, my music pauses. That's annoying.
Apparently other people feel the same way, because Samsung has even added an option in the app to block touches. That stops the touch controls from getting in your way. But touch controls shouldn't be a nuisance in the first place. And once you block them, you can't use them until you turn that option off again.
How do the Samsung Buds Pro touch controls work?
Tap either earbud once to pause your music or video. Tap twice to skip to the next song or video, at least on the right earbud. On the left, it takes you back one track.
The only action you can currently customize is touch and hold. You can choose to turn the volume up or down, or switch ANC on or off. We prefer volume control.
Battery: how long can you use the earbuds?
As we mentioned earlier, the Samsung Buds Pro have a battery capacity of 472mAh. More precisely, the charging case has 472mAh.
The earbuds themselves have about 61 mAh each. Odd numbers rather than round ones, but that does make them seem more believable.
I think a pair of €100 earbuds should offer more than 500 mAh. Compare that with the Eardopes B6 Pro, which has 1000mAh. More than double.
Still, without ANC or transparency mode, the earbuds last quite a while. You get 28 hours including recharges in the charging case, and up to 8 hours per earbud without recharging in the case.
Turn ANC on, though, and they last considerably less time. Expect about 4 hours. The same goes for transparency mode.
Battery score: 7
All in all, the battery is fine. It would have been nice if Samsung had made it a little bigger. Of course, that would also mean heavier earbuds and a larger charging case. Every upside has its downside.
Conclusion: are the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro good?
| Rating | |
| Sound | 7 |
| Microphone | 6.5 |
| Fit | 6.5 |
| Battery | 7 |
| Controls | 6 |
| ANC | 9 |
All in all, the Samsung Buds Pro are decent earbuds with good ANC. The microphone leaves something to be desired, and customization in the app could be much better. But for around €100, you get a solid pair of earbuds for traveling and use at home.
Alternatives
Samsung Buds Pro vs Buds 2
The Buds 2 and Buds Pro are fairly similar in terms of specs. But here are a few differences:
- The Buds 2 microphone gives us no trouble when recording a clip. The Buds Pro microphone does.
- The Buds Pro have better ANC.
- The Buds 2 fit better. They protrude less in your ear, and you can wear them longer.
Take a look at our Samsung Buds 2 review too.
Thank you!
Thanks for reading this Eardopes review of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. We hope it's given you the information you needed.
Others also viewed:
- Explore all our articles about wireless earbuds
- These are the 8 best true wireless earbuds
- These are the best noise-canceling earbuds
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- These are the earbuds with the best microphone
- Also take a look at our article about alternatives to AirPods
- Explore the best earbuds for running or the gym
- Also check out our hands-on review of the Eardopes B6 pro.
