REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Buds2

Samsung has recently launched its newest true wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2. These new buds pack ANC, much like their more expensive sibling, the Galaxy Buds Pro,and are said to cut external background noise by up to 98%. There is also an enhanced ambient sound mode with three adjustable sound levels. Latency has also been reduced so videos and gaming should sound more instant.

Design and Build Quality

Samsung has been advancing the wireless earbud space since the launch of the original Galaxy Buds back in 2019 (yeah, the original buds are only 2 years old!). They’ve been through a few design choices, including ones that look like beans, the Buds Live (which are still one of my favourite sets of earbuds to use on a daily basis).

In the box, you get a USBc cable and you also get 3 tip sizes to get the right fit so there shouldn’t be an issue getting a good seal on the buds, that along with the ‘“Earbud fit test” in the Galaxy Wearable app will make sure you get the best fit possible.

The Galaxy Buds2 comes in a nice small white case that is glossy white, support Qi charging and charges via USBc and should give up to a total of 20 hours of playback time with the included battery in the case.

The Buds2 are tiny, not technically the smallest out there, but compared to other buds, they are very small and light and in some respects they are too small as I felt I was having to adjust them alot to keep the fit right. I have to admit though, they are incredibly comfortable when they are in and you can tend to forget they are there (until you need to tweak the fit)

Sound & ANC Quality

I’m not an audiophile, but I do like my earbuds and have tried a lot of them. The sound out of the Galaxy Buds2 is pretty decent for their size. It leans a little the bass heavy side, but you can usually fine tune that with a tweak of an EQ setting in the Wearable App.

When it comes to the ANC is where the Buds2 really shine. There’s many levels of ANC out there, but Samsungs implementation is one of the better at the price point. When it’s enabled, all those distracting background noise just disappear into the background and it’s really nice when you want to focus.

The Buds2 also support ambient passthrough and I really like this feature when I’m using the Buds2 for work calls. Since working from home, it’s always nice to keep a bit of an ear out for the other people in the house along with the doorbell for those essential deliveries. When the pass through is turned on, and with the lightness and comfort of the buds, you almost forget they are in your ears, which is a good thing.

Call Quality

For improved call quality, Samsung has included 3 microphones, 1 inner and 2 external (for beamforming) along with a new ‘Voice Processing Unit’ or VPU. Together, these all work to make your calls as clear as possible. In my tests, people were able to hear my nice and clearly no matter the situation I was in. I tested playing games late at night so speaking quietly and also out in the wind on a busy road, and the call quality is up there with the Airpods of the world.

Battery Life

In terms of battery life and charging, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 will offer 5 hours of playback through the earbuds with ANC turned on and 20 hours overall via the charging case. Without ANC, the same extends to 29 hours, with 7.5 hours through the earbuds. The case also supports Qi wireless charging and charging via USBc.

Conclusion

To think a couple of years ago that you’d have buds this small, that sound as good as they do, but also come with some really advanced ANC for a little over 150euro (and you’ll get them cheaper than this on sale) is unbelievable. The Buds2 work great on any phone and would be a great gift for anyone looking to upgrade their earphones coming into the new year.

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds will be available in Graphite, White, Olive or Lavender for €159. Find out more HERE