Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: Compact in-ear headphones for small ears

SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS 2 PRO

September 24, 2022 at 7:47 p.m

Samsung is launching new premium noise-cancelling in-ear headphones with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. You can find out in our test why they only offer advantages to Samsung fans.

With the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Samsung crowns its current generation of headphones with a top model. The Pro model should surpass the actually very good true wireless headphones Galaxy Buds 2 in terms of sound, software and protection against water.

However, the manufacturer also charges a princely price for the upgrade and, at around 230 dollars, demands more than twice as much as for the basic model. Do you expect more than twice as good in-ear headphones? We answer this question in our test.

Workmanship and design – inconspicuous drops for the ears

Hardly any surprises for Samsung fans: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro look almost identical to the Galaxy Buds 2 that have been available for some time. The only difference between them and the glossy basic model is the matt surface.

The design of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can be described as simple with a touch of elegance. They are drop-shaped and nestle inconspicuously into the auricle. Samsung does without a “stalk”, which you probably know from the AirPods, which underlines the comparatively clear compactness.

The roughened surface is non-slip. The charging case of the test device looks like it’s covered with velvet due to the matte, powdery surface – almost like a ring box from a jeweler. A well-formed eye-catcher.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in pictures

Inside, the actual headphones find their place – and not much more. Because Samsung has filled every little bit of interior space precisely. The lid closes magnetically and with some resistance. As a result, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro lie securely in the box and are unlikely to fall out accidentally.

A large microphone is installed on the inside and outside of the buds. Regardless of your color choices between Bora Purple, Graphite, and White, these little grids are black. From a purely visual point of view, the headphones differ most from the basic model, the Galaxy Buds 2.

Much remains the same in terms of dimensions and weight: the earphones, measuring 19.9 x 21.6 x 18.7 millimeters, and the charging case, measuring 50.1 x 50.2 x 27.7 millimeters, do not have any notable differences in size compared to the basic model.

The weight of the individual buds has increased by half a gram to 5.5 grams (g), the weight of the charging case has even increased by a full 2 ​​grams to 43.4 g. This puts the headphones in the lower average range in terms of weight.

For comparison: At 4 g per earpiece and 38 g for the charging case, the AirPods (2021) are currently the lightest in-ears that we have tested. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are very comfortable to wear and do not weigh you down.

In order to be able to listen to music well even in the rain, the Buds are IPX7 tested. Theoretically they can even be submerged in water (!) for a limited time. Here the Buds 2 Pro trump the basic variant – this was only IPX2 protected.

scope of delivery

The scope of delivery of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro consists of a charging case, silicone ear pads in three different sizes, a USB Type-C charging cable and a quick start guide. A charger is not included.

Controls – Limited usefulness without the Wear app

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro feature gesture controls. By default, you can activate playback by pressing a button on the headphones and control active noise support with a long press or answer calls.

However, the Buds can do even more – if you have the Samsung Wear app installed. Because then you can expand the control elements with a whole range of functions that are actually self-evident.

For example, skipping a track is not possible by double-tapping ex works. You have to activate this function via the options menu. There are also functions that you cannot use without a Samsung cell phone or other Samsung software.

The activation of the language assistant by voice is particularly worth mentioning here. It only works with Samsung’s Bixby – other assistants are not supported – and therefore only with Samsung cell phones.

But even the smart switch between phone and earphones during calls doesn’t always work reliably. For more than one phone call, at least one earphone had to be pulled out afterwards, since the music was interrupted, but the transmission of the call simply didn’t work despite the connection.

Fit – Fits, wobbles, too much air

From the factory, the headphones are fitted with average size M silicone tips – like most in-ear headphones. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, however, this average size is very small, so I had to switch to the next larger size for a secure hold.

It may be because the earplugs are made of very soft material, so they don’t put a lot of pressure on your skin in the ear. If you are planning a sweaty jog or even just a brisk walk, you should rather choose a larger plug to prevent it from falling out.

Sound Quality – Sounds good, but not great

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are two-way headphones, each equipped with a 10 mm woofer and a 5.3 mm tweeter. In addition, there is Samsung’s new codec Samsung Seamless Codec, via which sound transmitted via Bluetooth is not only resolved with 16 but with 24 bits. In addition, the hi-fi manufacturer AKG was involved. That sounds impressive on paper, but how do the in-ears perform in practice.

The sound of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is largely satisfactory. A colorful mixture of genres could be enjoyed well defined and nicely loud via the Buds 2 Pro. High tones are clear and voices are very easy to understand. However, fans of bass-heavy rhythms have to be content with a hollow, somewhat lifeless pounding.

The equalizer settings in the app help here – but only to a certain extent. Looking at the price tag, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro disappoint us a bit. The sound simply fails to impress. The Google Pixel Buds A, for example, don’t sound any better, but they also cost significantly less.

Active Noise Canceling – Less canceling than attenuating

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro feature active noise cancellation (ANC). Ambient noises are also very reliably suppressed as a result. Voices, on the other hand, remain quite audible even with activated ANC.

So if you want to use the headphones in a noisy office with colleagues chatting, you shouldn’t expect to be able to shut out the outside world. This has its advantages – you can react better to your surroundings in traffic. For commuters on the full train, however, this has disadvantages if you want to enjoy a series on Netflix in peace.

Microphone – Only conditionally usable at the bakery

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have three microphones. Two of them are on the outside and are responsible for problem-free telephony and also the conversation mode. This allows you to perceive your surroundings and hold conversations despite the buds being used.

A useful addition. But not entirely without pitfalls. A colleague who was crumpled up a bag of bread rolls across the room sounded to me with the buds like a bag of chips right next to my ears. Conversations, on the other hand, are possible without any problems and are easy to understand.

Battery life – staying power

The battery life of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro depends heavily on whether you use the ANC or not. With noise canceling enabled, the Buds’ battery life comes in at around five hours of mixed playback at a moderate volume. Without ANC you can even count on around eight hours.

The case extends the breath of the headphones to a total of around 23 hours. If the battery level of the headphones and charging box does run out, you can charge the case and the buds by cable or inductively. A full charge takes between 70 and 80 minutes depending on the mode.

your alternatives

For iPhone users, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are not an alternative to the AirPods – even if they are basically compatible. For around 199 dollars, the Apple AirPods are natively designed for the Apple ecosystem with a similar range of functions and are therefore the significantly better choice.

A good alternative for almost the same price are the recently released Google Pixel Buds Pro. Above all, the remarkably efficient noise suppression and the comfortable fit are convincing.

The ANC price-performance tip well below the 200 euro mark is called Nothing Ear 1. For around 90 dollars you get efficient noise suppression, a very attractive design and seating comfort for the ears. Only the gesture control and the app support could not really convince us in the test.