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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless vs Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Apple AirPods (2nd generation)

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jan 15, 2024 09:27 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Apr 19, 2024 06:39 PM

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Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Picture

Variants

  • Galaxy Buds Plus (Black)
  • Galaxy Buds Plus (Cloud Blue)
  • Galaxy Buds Plus (Red)
  • Galaxy Buds Plus (White)
  • AirPods (2nd generation) (With charging case)
  • AirPods (2nd generation) (With wireless charging case)

Our Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are better truly wireless earbuds than the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) for most people unless you have an iPhone and prefer something with a more open sound. The Samsung have a better-balanced sound profile and a longer battery life, and they isolate a lot more noise. Some people prefer how the Apple headphones let in ambient sounds, though, and how they seamlessly pair with Apple devices.

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Black
Galaxy Buds Plus
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With charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
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Cloud Blue
Galaxy Buds Plus
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With wireless charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
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Red
Galaxy Buds Plus
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White
Galaxy Buds Plus
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Main Differences for
-

Threshold 

0.10
No major differences between these headphones for this usage. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Design Picture 2
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

In-ear
Earbuds

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Open-Back

Wireless  

Truly Wireless
Truly Wireless

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.5

Comfort Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Comfort Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.03 lbs
0.02 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0 lbs
0 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

5.8
4.3

Controls Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Controls Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Decent
Subpar

Feedback  

Okay
Subpar

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

No
No

Microphone Control  

Mute/Unmute
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
No

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

9.2
9.2

Breathability After Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Breathability After Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

0.8 °C
0.8 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.5
9.6

Portability Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Portability Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Portability Picture

 

1.4" (3.6 cm)
1.7" (4.3 cm)

 

1.0" (2.5 cm)
1.0" (2.5 cm)

 

1.0" (2.5 cm)
0.6" (1.5 cm)

Volume  

1.40 in³ (22.94 cm³)
1.00 in³ (16.39 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

8.0
8.5

Case Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Case Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

2.1" (5.3 cm)
2.1" (5.3 cm)

 

1.6" (4.1 cm)
1.7" (4.3 cm)

 

1.0" (2.5 cm)
0.7" (1.8 cm)

Volume  

3.40 in³ (55.72 cm³)
2.50 in³ (40.97 cm³)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.5
8.0

Build Quality Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

8.0
6.5

Stability Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Stability Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Angled Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Side Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Front Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Rear Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Top Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless In The Box Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

-0.27 dB
-8.65 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.17 dB
0.39 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

9.6
5.6

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.08 dB
1.13 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

9.6
5.8

Bass  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

0.47 dB
6.68 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10.75 Hz
70.25 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

-0.24 dB
-13.78 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

0.19 dB
-1.58 dB

High-Bass 
 

-0.14 dB
2.09 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.1
8.4

Mid  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.16 dB
2.17 dB

Low-Mid 
 

0.02 dB
1.31 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-1.52 dB
0.07 dB

High-Mid 
 

0.83 dB
3.01 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.9
7.4

Treble  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.72 dB
3.89 dB

Low-Treble 
 

0.83 dB
3.83 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-1.99 dB
3.78 dB

High-Treble 
 

-6.05 dB
-2.62 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

8.7
7.2

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

0.96 dB
1.97 dB

Dips 
 

0.61 dB
1.12 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

9.0
8.5

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.15
0.28

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

1.55
2.28

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.62
1.37

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.55
1.28
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

1.1
2.9

PRTF  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless PRTF
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

N/A
N/A

Openness 
 

3.8
9.6

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

1.2
3.2
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.3
7.8

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.245
0.358

WHD @ 100 
 

0.299
0.104
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

R175XXU0ATA5
1A673

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth 4.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz

EQ 
 

Default
No EQ

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Silicone (small)
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

6.1
1.0

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-17.94 dB
-1.95 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Bass 
 

-3.02 dB
0.32 dB

Mid 
 

-18.54 dB
0.98 dB

Treble 
 

-33.8 dB
-6.94 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

8.9
7.2

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

27.73 dB
38.25 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

6.1
6.4

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

126.99 Hz
261.43 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

4.92 dB
3.34 dB

HFE 
 

3,466.89 Hz
3,319.91 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

10.965
27.169

Gain 
 

-3.67 dB
38.23 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

7.8
6.9

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

20.07 dB
13.93 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No
Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

8.0
7.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

7.5
6.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

7.8
6.6

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

13.3 hrs
4.1 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

1.0
5.0

Total Battery Life 
 

26.6 hrs
24.6 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2 hrs
0.5 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Standby mode
Standby mode

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

USB-C
Lightning
Show Text 

App Support 
 

7.0
5.0

App Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless App Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Galaxy Wearable
No App

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
No

macOS  

Yes
Yes

Windows  

Yes
No

Equalizer 
 

Presets
No

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

Yes
Yes

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

6.8
6.8

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0
5.0+H1 chip

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

NFC Pairing 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

146.00 ft (44.50 m)
149.00 ft (45.42 m)

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

332 ms
176 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

73 ms
80 ms

Android Latency 
 

33 ms
165 ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

0.0
0.0

Cable Picture  

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless Cable Picture
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

No
No

Length  

N/A
N/A

Connection 
 

No Wired Option
No Wired Option

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
No

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

No
No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

2.2
2.2

Type 
 

Charging Case
Charging Case

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Power Supply 
 

USB-C
Lightning
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
Galaxy Buds Plus
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With charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
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Cloud Blue
Galaxy Buds Plus
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With wireless charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
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Red
Galaxy Buds Plus
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White
Galaxy Buds Plus
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Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+: Main Discussion

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