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- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Review Updates
- Best Earbuds
- Best Budget
- Best Open-Back
- Comparison
- Lineup
- Page Updates
- Conclusion
- Comments
Samsung is a huge brand that makes stylish and feature-packed earbuds for casual everyday use. While they once had a larger lineup with more variety, they currently focus on truly wireless earbuds with plenty of advanced features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and virtual surround sound. We've tested 15 pairs of headphones from the brand. Below you'll find our picks for the best Samsung headphones you can buy today.
Updates
- 12/06/2024 Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro reviewed
- 08/22/2024 Samsung Galaxy Buds3 reviewed
- 11/10/2023 Samsung Galaxy Buds FE reviewed
- 10/17/2023 Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro updated
- 07/17/2023 Samsung Galaxy Buds Live updated
Best Samsung Headphones
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Best Samsung Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.4Commute/Travel8.2Sports/Fitness8.2Office7.4Wireless Gaming5.7Wired Gaming5.6Phone Calls6.6Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer HybridNoise Cancelling YesMic YesThe Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are the best Samsung earbuds we've tested. These buds boast an outstanding ANC system to block out a significant amount of background noise like the low rumble of bus engines, ambient chatter, and shrill subway train brakes. The app offers manual control over the ANC settings to suit your environment, so you can decide if you want a little more or less awareness. Their continuous battery life is six hours, with just over three extra full recharges.
These stemmed buds are comfortable, sturdy, and certified IP57 for resistance against dust and water immersion, making them a solid choice for sports and exercise. Out of the box, their sound injects extra thump on the bass with balanced mids and a bright but not shrill treble response. If you like to tinker with tuning, their companion app offers a nine-band graphic EQ, and EQ presets to help you adjust their sound to your taste. They also support Seamless codec, which is the manufacturer's proprietary wireless codec for hi-res audio. However, you'll need a compatible Samsung device to access this feature. If virtual surround sound is on your list of must-haves, these also support the brand's 360 Audio feature.
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Best Budget Samsung Earbuds
Neutral Sound6.9Commute/Travel8.0Sports/Fitness8.1Office7.5Wireless Gaming5.7Wired Gaming5.6Phone Calls7.5Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesIf you're on a budget but don't want to sacrifice a wireless design, try the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, they don't support 360 Audio for a more immersive audio experience. They use a stem-less design with built-in stabilizers for a secure fit, though their IPX2 rating isn't as impervious to the elements as the top pick. However, these comfortable buds still have a few handy features, like companion app support and an ANC system to help block out a very good amount of background noise, like chatty coworkers. With their ANC on, they also last over six hours continuously, and their carrying case holds an extra 3.5 charges, which is very similar to Galaxy Buds3 Pro's battery performance.
These buds have an extra low-end boost, a flat mid-range, and a clear top-end, making them a versatile choice for most audio content. You can use the EQ presets in their app to adjust their sound to suit your tastes, though. If you're looking for even cheaper buds, consider the Samsung AKG Type-C instead. The fact that these are wired headphones may be a drawback for some users, but their straightforward design makes them fuss-free. Since they don't have ANC, they struggle to block out background noise.
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Best Open-Back Samsung Earbuds
Neutral Sound7.1Commute/Travel6.8Sports/Fitness8.0Office6.4Wireless Gaming5.4Wired Gaming5.2Phone Calls6.2Type EarbudsEnclosure Open-BackWireless Truly WirelessTransducer DynamicNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTry the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 if you don't want to choose between noise cancelling and the ability to hear your environment without using transparency modes. These open-back buds offer a compromise between noise isolation and awareness by fitting outside of your ear canal. You can retain environmental awareness if you work in a collaborative office space or prefer to monitor your surroundings, especially when exercising outdoors. The buds' IP57 rating ensures you can wear them in all sorts of dusty and wet situations.
Despite lacking ear-tips, they're stable-fitting for most folks, but if you prefer a deep-seated fit, these don't give you that extra secure feeling. However, they feel light and comfortable for long sessions. Overall, their tuning has a subdued bass, balanced mids, and a warm, arguably dull top end. If you prefer a different sound profile, the app offers EQ presets or a graphic EQ, like the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro. Unlike the top pick, though, the ANC really isn't nearly as effective, and the continuous battery life is pretty short at just over 4.5 hours, but there are an additional four recharges stored in the case. All that said, if you really want that open feeling with a bit of ANC, these are the Samsung buds to pick.
Compared To Other Brands
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Lots of active features.
Samsung makes earbuds with lots of active features like Bluetooth support, active noise cancelling, power-saving modes, and customization options that you can access via different companion apps.
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Decently well-balanced, customizable sound.
Samsung's earbuds reproduce audio fairly accurately, and you can usually customize their sound profile a bit with their companion app's EQ presets. -
Stylish designs.
Samsung has a lot of sleek-looking earbuds that are comfortable to wear. Their designs often include features like touch-sensitive control schemes to reduce the number of visible buttons. In addition to offering subdued color schemes like black or white, they can come in eye-catching colors like cloud blue or red.
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Plasticky build quality.
Although Samsung earbuds look good, they tend to have a slightly flimsy build quality. They feel less durable than similarly designed earbuds in their price range. -
Poor variety.
Samsung doesn't have a lot of variety in its models. They often release Pro or Plus versions of their original lineup with more features, but they don't offer different types for different listeners. -
Limited OS compatibility.
While all their earbuds will work with all Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, their companion apps aren't all universal. Some only work on Android, while others only provide benefits when used with Samsung devices.
Samsung vs Google
Both Samsung and Google produce a small lineup of mostly truly wireless earbuds. You'll need to use one of their associated smartphones to get the most out of either brand's products, as some features are only available within their native ecosystem. Both brands' current offerings are alike as most of their in-ears have neutral sound profiles and features like virtual soundstage. Google's earbuds tend to have a better continuous battery life, though. Check out our article on the best earbuds for Android.
Samsung vs OnePlus
OnePlus is a manufacturer of phones and related accessories like smartwatches and earbuds. Like Samsung, you need a compatible device from that manufacturer to access all their features. Most of their offerings also have a stem design and support 'OnePlus Audio ID,' a test that creates personalized sound profiles. That said, Samsung has an edge when it comes to noise cancelling, especially when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro.
Samsung vs Apple
Like Samsung, Apple has a small but curated lineup designed with their own ecosystem in mind. Generally, their products have a high-end feel and support unique features like Spatial Audio and adaptive EQ. They also have a pair of premium over-ears available, which is unique between both brands. Samsung's earbuds, in comparison, are slightly more customizable. Check out our article on the best Apple headphones for more info.
Samsung makes sleek-looking earbuds that have lots of active features for their price. Since acquiring Harman and its subsidiary AKG in 2017, their products often have sound profiles that closely follow the Harman curve; this is an industry-standard advertised as the sound profile most users prefer. It results in a neutral, balanced sound that's versatile enough for a variety of audio content. However, while you can find different headphones like over-ears sold under the AKG brand, under its own name, Samsung sells a limited line of truly wireless earbuds.
Lineup
Over the years, Samsung's lineup has been pared down and simplified. They now mainly focus on truly wireless earbuds, which all fall under the Galaxy Buds lineup. In addition to this lineup, Samsung also produces headphones in collaboration with AKG. Their selection is quite limited and doesn't fall under one singular lineup. For example, the AKG N700NC M2 are wireless over-ear noise cancelling headphones, while the Samsung AKG Type-C are wired in-ears with a Type-C connection.
There were a couple of lineups that are now discontinued, though you may still find these headphones via some retailers:
- Gear: The first lineup of truly wireless headphones.
- Level: Comprises differently designed wireless headphones, including over-ear, neckband, and on-ear headphones.
Recent Updates
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This article has been updated with the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro replacing the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro as the top pick, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 were added as the open-back pick. Text edits have been made throughout for accuracy.
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We edited the text for clarity but didn't change our picks.
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Aug 16, 2024: We checked that our picks are still the best options for our users and made only small changes to the text for clarity.
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May 21, 2024: We've confirmed that this article is still up-to-date and that the text is accurate.
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Mar 22, 2024: We've validated our picks to ensure they're still in stock and the text is up-to-date.
Conclusion
Samsung is a big brand that makes stylish, versatile audio products. While there isn't much to choose from when looking for the best Samsung wireless earbuds, their models perform well overall. They're not only stylish but sound well-balanced and have good battery performance. Unfortunately, they're less sturdily built than similar models from other brands, and their companion app could offer even more customization options.
Test Results
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Comments
Best Samsung Earbuds: Main Discussion
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Update: This article has been updated with the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro replacing the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro as the top pick, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 were added as the open-back pick. Text edits have been made throughout for accuracy.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know