Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Review

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is a great option for your next set of headphones thanks to its snug design and effective active noise cancellation (ANC) at low frequencies. If you own a Samsung device, the integration is helpful and time-saving. We wish Samsung allowed for more sonic personalization and control, but these restrictions are to be expected. The headphones’ sound quality is maximized when used with a Samsung phone, whereas users of other Android devices have fewer codec options and a lower-quality overall listening experience. Owners of Android devices are willing to do without extras like 360 Audio and Wireless PowerShare and will eventually come to appreciate the Buds 2 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Specifications

Control

Samsung fixed the touch screen’s oversensitivity in the latest iteration of the Galaxy Buds. The improved version is sensitive enough to register commands while requiring occasional fit adjustment accurately. The buds will make a noise when you tap the control panel to inform you that your command has been received. In this case, feedback is helpful since users may wonder if the buds are registering their taps and swipes.

However, personalization options for controls are severely constrained. In addition, the amount to which you can personalize that one-touch control is limited to just that “type” of command. Samsung only allows you to pick from the options on the list, not combine them.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 will be available for purchase on August 27, 2021, for $149.00 from Samsung(opens in new tab) and other major retailers. Graphite, Lavender, Olive, and White are the four available Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 hues. In addition to the headphones, you will receive a charging case, a USB-C cable, and three sets of ear tips in various sizes.

The Galaxy Buds 2 and the Beats Studio Buds, another best-selling pair of wireless ANC earphones for beginners, have the same suggested retail price. The Galaxy Buds Pro retailed for $199 but can now be purchased for $169 at Best Buy (opens in new tab). In addition, these headphones are significantly cheaper than market leaders, such as the $249 AirPods Pro and the $279 Sony WH-1000XM4. On August 28, 2022, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, its most recent wireless earbuds model, for $229. Despite their small size, they can produce 24-bit HiFi Sound and provide superb active noise cancellation.

Controls

Tap-and-hold gestures, motion recognition, and digital assistance comprise the Galaxy Buds 2’s control scheme. Swipe movements were more useful for playing than tap input, which only seemed to work around 70% of the time. Although available by default on other devices, this app’s multi-tap gestures require an extra activation step. The Galaxy Buds 2 has a new method of on-ear detection. When you remove both headphones, the music stops automatically, rather than only pausing when you remove one. That was one of my many issues with the function. The other two were the 2-second delay in operation and the lack of auto-play when reinserting the earbuds.

The Galaxy Buds 2 supports the touch-and-hold gesture, which can be programmed to adjust the volume, launch Spotify, or bring up the digital assistants Siri, Google Assistant, or Bixby. While I enjoy using Bixby, I much prefer Google Assistant or Siri as my default digital assistant due to their extensive command library and the fact that they support wake-word activation (“Hi Bixby”). Regardless of which AI bot you employ, Samsung’s robust microphones will pick up your voice clearly and accurately.

Excellent Sound

The Galaxy Buds 2 continues Samsung’s track record of aural excellence. Drivers tuned by AKG power these tiny in-ears and produce a lively, detailed sound that can be adjusted with the Equalizer in the Galaxy Wearable app. The six available settings are normal (the default), Bass Boost (the opposite of normal), Soft, Dynamic, Clear, and Treble Boost. Each of these is excellent when used with the right style of music. Clear was great for melodic songs, like Silk Sonic’s “Skate,” because it brought out the best in Anderson.

Paak and Bruno Mars’ vocals, while being gentle on the percussion, helped keep the song’s tempo cheerful. When I flipped on Bass Boost, Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” immediately grabbed my attention with its distorted guitar riff, but it was the hard hammering 808 drum pattern that sumo-splashed my eardrums and got my head nodding to the beat. The rising synths were strong and stunning, but I preferred listening to the record in Normal, where the midrange was more balanced.