amazon Samsung Galaxy Buds+ reviews
The event that Apple removed the headphone jack on the iPhone and launched AirPods 1 in 2016 created a new trend in the market. At first, users and other manufacturers were confused about this sudden change.
However, over the past year, true wireless headphones (TWS) have gradually asserted their importance. Android manufacturers also followed Apple to eliminate the headphone jack, and the market response to true wireless headphones was great. This field attracts a growing number of participants, including consumer electronics manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi) and audio/ accessories manufacturers (Sony, Sennheiser, Jabra, B&O).
If Apple had a resounding success with AirPods, then Samsung would have gained a foothold in the market with the Galaxy Buds launched last year. This year, instead of a new version, Samsung decided to launch Galaxy Buds+ with an unchanged appearance and they focused on upgrading the internal hardware instead.
Not too different from its predecessor, will Galaxy Buds + be able to compete with other competitors in the market? Let’s analyze some of the pros and cons of this pair of earphones
Great battery life
If only to point out the most valuable and attractive feature of Galaxy Buds+, then that is definitely battery life. Galaxy Buds+ can be used continuously up to 11 hours, twice as long as AirPods (5 hours) and longer than another rival, Sony WF-1000XM3 (6-8 hours). This makes Galaxy Buds+ becoming a truly wireless headset with today’s top battery life.
The battery life of the Galaxy Buds+ will make this pair of earphones extremely attractive in the eyes of some users. For example, if you are a frequent flyer, or have to wear earphones without constant charging, you’ll find that the Buds+’s “great” battery life is perfect.
But not only for users with continuous earphones, but the battery life of Buds+ is also useful even for ordinary users (which only hear about 1-2 hours a day). Because after a period of use, all true wireless headsets, including Buds+, will have a battery drain. However, because Buds+ has a very long battery life, so even with a battery drain, it can still meet the needs of the majority of users for a long time.
Good sound quality even though it doesn’t support ANC
The original Galaxy Buds had a relatively good sound quality and improvement was not overly necessary. Still, Samsung has decided to upgrade this aspect on Galaxy Buds+:
Buds+ is one of the few TWS headsets to feature a dual driver design. Compared with a single driver, the advantages of dual drivers are bass and treble which are performed separately by each driver.
The most unfortunate point when considering the sound quality of Galaxy Buds+ is the absence of active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. However, it’s hard to see this as a disadvantage, because the price of Buds+ ($ 149) is significantly lower than that of TWS earphones that support ANC such as AirPods Pro ($ 249) and WF-1000XM3 ($230). In the Buds+ price range, “regular” AirPods do not have ANCs either.
More importantly, even though Buds+ doesn’t have ANCs, its in-ear design still helps with relatively good soundproofing. When wearing Buds+ under normal environmental conditions, users will be hard to hear the surrounding sound. In fact, Samsung also integrated the “Ambient Mode” feature, a bit similar to the “Transparency Mode” of AirPods Pro, which allows mixing music and sounds of the surrounding environment.
Need to be adjusted to have good performance
Galaxy Buds+ is a good sounding headset, but to achieve this, users will need to adjust a few things to achieve the desired effect. Because, if users use everything by “default” (meaning that the box is finished and use it), they will be disappointed.
The first thing a user needs to do is try two pairs of eartips. A lot of people often skip this step because of “embarrassment”, but with Galaxy Buds+ in particular and in-ear headphones in general, choosing an appropriate pair of eartips is very important. It not only helps the user get the most comfortable wearing feeling but also contributes to improving the sound quality significantly.
Depending on the ear structure of each person, they will choose a pair of eartips that suit them. Personally, when using the default eartips, I was not really sure, but when I switched to another pair of eartips, this was fixed. If the Galaxy Buds+ has the best eartips option for users like AirPods Pro, it is good, but it is hard to ask for anything more at this price.
Second, users need to install the Galaxy Wearable app on the App Store/ Play Store and adjust the EQ. The default sound mode of the Galaxy Buds+ is “Normal” for a “normal” sound, if not worse. However, everything changed completely when switching to the “Dynamic” mode. In addition, Buds+ also has some EQ such as “Soft”, “Bass boost”, “Clear” and “Treble boost”; however, most users should select “Dynamic” as the dominant EQ mode.
If users are Samsung phones, another feature worth considering is “Game mode”. Galaxy Buds+ has a delay of about 0.5s, making the gaming experience with this headset very uncomfortable. “Game Mode” helps to mitigate this situation through the use of Samsung’s own codec, but also brings the limitation that this feature only works with Samsung smartphones.
where can you get a Samsung Galaxy Buds+ online
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Plus, True Wireless Earbuds w/improved battery and call quality (Wireless Charging Case included), Black – US Version, SM-R175NZKAXAR: Buy it now
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Plus, True Wireless Earbuds w/Improved Battery and Call Quality (Wireless Charging Case Included), (International Version) (Cosmic Black): Buy it now
There are still some disadvantages
Although the Galaxy Buds+ is basically a very good TWS headset, it still has many drawbacks.
First, the quality of Galaxy Buds+ recording/ voice calls has improved significantly compared to the first generation, but it is still not good enough for users to be able to confidently make calls, especially in a noisy environment. If users need a TWS headset to listen or call, we think AirPods are still the top choice, because the design of the AirPods allows for better recording than earbuds.
Second, as mentioned above, Buds+ has a high latency that makes it unsuitable for gamers. This is also an element that AirPods proved to be better. However, if you are serious about gaming, using a wired headset is still the best choice.
The best TWS headphones in the price range
Galaxy Buds+ is not perfect. As mentioned above, this pair of headphones still has some limitations related to latency and mic. In addition, users also need to adjust a few things of this pair of new earphones for optimal performance.
However, these are just a few small drawbacks. Importantly, it’s the Galaxy Buds+ which is a pair of TWS earphones for good sound quality, great battery life, full functionality (touchpad control, USB-C port, wireless charging) paired with a reasonable price.
It is not difficult for users to own it with the amount of only about $140. When compared to the AirPods (regular version) in the same price range, except for the mic quality and compatibility with iOS, Samsung’s headphones are completely superior to the competition.
So, unless you’re an iOS user who loves AirPods or takes microphone seriously, then as a whole, there’s no better choice in the price range than the Galaxy Buds+.
Summary
Advantages
– Great battery life
– Good sound quality
– Reasonable prices
– Support wireless charging, USB-C port
– Reputable brand name, rich accessories market
– The application is available for both iOS and Android
Defects
– Microphone system is not good enough for users to make calls freely
– There is no ANC