Galaxy Buds comparison: 6 TWS headphones from Samsung tested

It’s no wonder that Samsung has long been able to establish itself in the headphone market. The very first Galaxy Buds were a bestseller because they offered many features and great sound for their low price.

Now the Galaxy Buds range is even broader than before, Samsung currently has six models on offer, including two brand new ones and some earbuds from the previous ranges. We have compared them so that you can find the right Galaxy Buds for you.

		1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.
		Galaxy Buds 3	Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Galaxy Buds Live	Galaxy Buds FE	Galaxy Buds 2	Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
		to offer ❯	to offer ❯	to offer ❯	to offer ❯	to offer ❯	to offer ❯
Dimensions	Dimensions	5,9 x 4,9 x 2,4 cm	5,9 x 4,9 x 2,4 cm	‎ 5 x 2,78 x 5,02 cm	1,92 x 1,71 x 2,22 cm	5,02 x 5 x 2,78 cm	1,99 x 2,16 x 1,87 cm
Weight	Weight	4.7 g (per earbud)	5.4 g (per earbud)	5.6 g (per earbud)	5.6 g (per earbud)	5.1 g (per earbud)	5.3 g (per earbud)
ANC?	ANC?	✔ And	✔ And	✔ And	✔ And	✔ And	✔ And
Bluetooth-Version	Bluetooth-Version	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.3
Multipoint?	Multipoint?	✔ And	✔ And	✘ No	✘ No	✘ No	✔ And
Construction	Construction	In-Ear	In-Ear	In-Ear	In-Ear	In-Ear	In-Ear
Battery life with case	Battery life with case	Up to 30 hours	Up to 30 hours	Up to 21 hours	Up to 30 hours	Up to 20 hours	Up to 18 hours
IP certification	IP certification	IP57	IP57	✘ No	✘ No	✘ No	IPX7
Offer	Offer	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.	to offer ❯ NETZWELT may receive a commission from the retailer for links on this page. More information.

The six in-ear headphones included in the comparison are the Galaxy Buds Live, Pro2, Buds2 and Buds3, Buds FE and Buds3 Pro.

Design

When it comes to design, Samsung seems to have settled on a shape for the earphones. The oldest model currently on sale is the Galaxy Buds Live – which are also the only headphones that stand out in terms of design. The design, which many people refer to as bean-shaped (“Samsung Beans”), had a clear purpose.

The headphones should fit more comfortably in the ear. There is no silicone piece that is inserted into the ear canal. The earpieces sit in the ear and emit sound to the eardrum using small speakers that do not go directly into the ear. This has the advantage (or disadvantage?) that ambient noise is not blocked out as much – and they are also more comfortable when worn for longer periods.

The other models are quite similar in terms of design, but not quite the same. The Galaxy Buds2 and Buds3 use a design that we know from the AirPods. They do not have silicone attachments, so they do not sit directly in the ear canal, but in front of it.

This is different with the Buds2 Pro, Buds3 Pro and Buds FE. They seal the ear canal with their silicone attachments. On the one hand, this has advantages for passive and active noise cancellation. On the other hand, it is also beneficial for the sound.

Features and battery life

The differences in battery life are also clear. The Galaxy Buds Live allow 22 hours of playback time, while the Buds2, Buds3, Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds FE allow 30 hours. The Galaxy Buds2 have a significantly shorter battery life with 18 hours of playback time with a case. That’s pretty disappointing for this price range.

But where the Pro models don’t disappoint are the features. Here they score points with a 24-bit audio codec developed exclusively by Samsung for Samsung smartphones, which is supposed to deliver even better sound quality with lower power consumption. In addition, 360-degree audio is only available on these models alongside the Buds3.

Besseres Noise Cancelling

There are also clear differences in the ANC capabilities of the six models. Due to their unusual design, the Buds Live are not well suited to filtering out ambient noise – although Samsung has also given these headphones an ANC function.

The other models each work with several microphones to enable accurate and strong filtering of outside noise. Samsung is advertising the integration of Galaxy AI in the Galaxy Buds3 Pro. The artificial intelligence is supposed to significantly improve the sound on the one hand and the noise cancelling on the other.

Sound

There’s not much to say about the price at this point – after all, this isn’t a review, and we only tried out two of the six models as part of a test. However, it’s easy to say that the Buds2 Pro and Buds3 Pro have significantly better sound than the other models.

You won’t get a special sound experience with the Galaxy Buds Live, as the lack of earpieces means the sound cannot be directed directly into the ear canal. According to customer reviews, the other Galaxy Buds models also deliver good sound, but they can’t compare to the top model due to the better technical features of the Pro models.

Price and availability

The prices of the models are very varied. While the Buds Live are available for 109 dollars, the Buds2 are available for 93 dollars, the Buds3 for 179 dollars, the Buds FE for 59 dollars and the Buds Pro2 for 139 dollars. The top model, the Buds2 Pro, costs 249 dollars and thus covers the upper price range.

Samsung offers a wide range of colors. Depending on the model, the manufacturer usually offers at least two color versions, but the in-ear headphones are often available in other bright colors.

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