• Samsung-Galaxy-Buds2-Pro-1659660229-0-0

    Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

    Great sound

    Excellent sound quality, ANC performance, and a modern design underline the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s profile. They are great for outdoor or commute usage, while support for advanced 24-bit audio means you can finally listen to some truly audiophile-grade tracks. They also go smashingly well with Samsung smartphones and watches.

    Pros

    • Great ANC
    • Impressive sound
    • Small and sleek
    Cons

    • Weak battery
    • Connectivity issues with other brands
    • 24-bit audio is not for everyone
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

    Bang-for-the-buck

    A big step up from their predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are the best midrange earbuds at the moment. They have all the goodies you’d want — ANC, sweat proofing, excellent call quality, and balanced sound, and are just so comfy in the ear. Don’t ask for much bass, though.

    Pros

    • Workable ANC
    • Nice calling
    • Good mid- and high-frequency response
    Cons

    • Only IPX2-rated protection
    • No always-on assistant
    • Issues with background noise

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Samsung’s Galaxy Buds series rank among some of the best wireless earbuds in the industry, with last year’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro being impressively comfy and feature-packed as a follow-up to 2021’s Galaxy Buds 2. Both have excellent specs, features, and performance, so naturally, choosing between them gets confusing. Should you get the best of them money can buy, or should you sacrifice some feature(s) or performance? We know it’s not an easy question, so let us help you.



The Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro are both consumer-centric products not intended to soothe an audiophile out of the box or offer outlandish features like playing music underwater. Instead, Samsung has tried to make them as much for general use as possible. They are built to cater to everyday scenarios without adding too expensive hardware. You can expect to keep them with you throughout the day while in the gym or pounding the pavement, rumbling through the commute, taking some calls, enjoying some work jazz in the office, and enjoying a movie in the evening.



Price, availability, and specs

Regarding the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Buds 2, it really boils down to a battle of price versus performance. Are you set on getting the best buds money can buy, or would you rather compromise? Samsung sells the Buds 2 Pro for around $230, but with various offers, sales, and ridiculously easy trade-ins, you may be able to shave off $50–70 frequently.

On the other hand, the Buds 2 earbuds are readily available for $100 or slightly more and get huge discounts on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day sales. Both are available on all significant online outlets (Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more), and you can often pick them up at your local phone and accessories shop.

  • Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
    Battery Life 5 hours (ANC on), 18 with case 5H (ANC On)/ 7.5 (ANC Off)
    Noise Cancellation Yes Yes
    IP rating IPX7 IPX2
    Charging USB-C, wireless USB-C, Qi wireless

Design and fit

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in a tray with some keys, a ring, and a phone

Samsung constantly experimented with earbud designs before striking the right chord with the Galaxy Buds 2. They are pretty small and sleek and comparable to small pebbles. Interestingly, Samsung has chosen to stick with this design formula on the Buds 2 Pros, though they are a bit smaller and lighter. Both earbud sets come in rounded-square clamshell cases, but their finish is quite different — the older one is shiny, while the premium one is satiny. (That Buds 2 sleekness might make your life somewhat difficult.)

Inside both boxes, you’ll find the buds, the case, a couple of extra different-sized ear tips, and a type-C charging cable. Color-wise, not too many colorways are available in either case. The Buds 2 Pros come in Graphite, White, and a cute Bora purple that we’ve fallen in love with, while the Buds 2’s come in Graphite, Lavender, Olive, and White. Note that the case color of the Buds 2 will always be white, regardless of the earbud color you choose.

In terms of protection, the Pro earbuds are excellent with IPX7-grade water- and dust-proofing; they can even handle mountain climbing and heavy rain. The Buds 2 are drastically weak here, with only an IPX2 rating, so you can’t take them out in the rain, and they will resist only a little gym sweat.

The Buds 2s are an excellent fit for most ears; however, some people do complain. The silicone ear tips are soft yet grippy, providing a secure fit and solid passive noise isolation. The Pros are similar but more secure with the lighter weight. Or, at least, they should feel more secure. However, some users report an uneasy feeling after wearing them for longer periods of time.

Sound and call quality

Four Galaxy Buds 2 with their lids open, one in each color available

Source: Samsung

The Samsung-AKG team is a winner; progressively, they are doing a fine job utilizing the excellent audio hardware of Samsung earbuds. Both earbuds use dual coaxial drivers — meaning each bud has two speakers, one aligned on top of the other, each producing different frequencies. This setup results in accurate and rich digital audio production for your ears.

AKG tunes the hardware to be compatible with generic ears that are good for everyday usage, so