Pavel Jelic A few weeks ago, the South Korean technology giant, as usual, presented us with new foldable phones, watches, and finally the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earphones. even if it doesn't quite fit into the apple ecosystem. If you're wondering why I hold this opinion, continue reading our review.
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Benjamin Levicek Basic specifications
First, we will briefly address the technical parameters, which look more than solid at first glance. These are true wireless plugs that have the latest Bluetooth 5.2 standard, so you don't have to worry about the stability of the connection. Audio transmission is handled by SBC, AAC and the proprietary Scalable codec, but neither Apple users nor owners of phones of other brands than newer machines from Samsung may be of much interest. Nowadays, however, headphones are also expected to be used for phone calls and listening in noisy environments. Samsung also thought of this, and equipped the product with three microphones for phone calls, and two more for ANC and pass-through mode, thanks to which you should be perfectly cut off from your surroundings or, on the contrary, be able to perceive them even with headphones in your ears.
As for battery life, the South Korean company managed to get it to average values. With ANC and throughput mode on, the product can play for up to 5 hours, after deactivation you can look forward to up to 7,5 hours of listening. The charging case will then supply juice for up to 20 or 29 hours of playing. The weight of each earphone is only 5 g, the charging case weighs 51,2 g, the dimensions of the case are 50.0 x 50.2 x 27,8 mm. The only flaw in the beauty is the IPX2 resistance. Although the headphones will somehow survive light sweat, you can let your appetite go for some top sports performances or running in the rain. Even so, given the price tag of CZK 3, this is a product that should impress you right out of the box. And yes, too.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 in reviewed olive design:
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The packaging does not offend, the construction is in the spirit of minimalism
Right after opening the box in which the product arrives, you will see a small charging case with headphones. It is white on the outside, inside the case and on the surface of the headphones it is different. Specifically, you can choose from four colors: white, black, olive and purple. Being visually impaired, I can't objectively judge whether the olive color I tested looks good, but everyone I asked said the product looked modern and stylish. The package also includes a USB-C cable, spare plugs in different sizes and several manuals.
As I already announced above, Samsung made a point of minimalism. The charging box is really small, although a bit chubby for my taste, the same can be said for the individual headphones. Personally, despite their atypical shape, I expected that they would hold perfectly in my ears and I would almost not feel them, but unfortunately I cannot agree in the second aspect. Yes, in the area of stability, I could imagine a more demanding sports performance with them without fear of falling out, but unfortunately I have to pause when it comes to wearing comfort. As soon as I wore them for more than 30 minutes, they started to give me a headache and an unpleasant feeling in my ears. This is certainly not to say that everyone has to encounter this, after all, in most foreign reviews that I had the opportunity to read, these problems did not occur. Keep in mind, not all in-ear headphones have to fit all individuals.
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I would like to spend a little more time on the charging case. I appreciate the fact that it is quite practical, but sometimes I feel that the headphones are not properly placed in it. Not that it doesn't hold in it with the help of strong magnets, but because of their shape, you may end up putting them in it inaccurately. On the other hand, it's a matter of habit, personally I don't have the slightest problem with it after a few days of use.
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Vratislav Holub Pairing and control is limited for apple users
Like most smart accessories, Samsung has an app for its headphones to manage and set them up. Although he adapted it for Android devices, it was somehow forgotten about iPhones, i.e. iPads. So if you have the application installed on Android, a pairing request pops up immediately after opening the box. After connecting the headphones, you will then find the battery status of the product and the charging case in the application, you will be able to adjust the sound in the equalizer, use the sound to find the lost headphone, and in the case of Samsung products, even set automatic switching, just as it is with AirPods. On an iOS device, you pair the headphones classically in the Settings app, which is no problem. The subsequent connection is lightning fast, it connected to my iPhone immediately after opening the case.
However, I had trouble with the controls. There is a touch pad on the surface of the headphones. If you tap it once, the music will start playing or pause, a double tap will switch tracks, with the right one skipping to the previous track, the left one to the next track, tap and hold to activate noise cancellation, adjust the volume or launch the voice assistant. However, track switching was not set from the factory, so I only had the option to play and pause music and activate throughput mode or ANC. Sure, after customizing on any Android device, the headphones will remember the choices for other phones as well, and I personally own one Android phone. However, not everyone lives in a community where someone would be willing to lend them a Google phone, and there are few individuals who own both an Android and an iOS smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 in all colors:
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It's complicated with the incompatibility. Not only do you lose the ability to customize the headphones and you won't be able to find out the battery charge status from your mobile phone, but maybe even the ear detection doesn't work as it should. Once you take out both headphones, the music pauses, but if you put them in your ears, it won't start playing. As an Apple fan, you can enjoy pausing and playing by removing only one earpiece.
The sound performance is not the best, but it is still at a very high level
To tell the truth, after inserting the earplugs and starting the first song, I was definitely not blown away by the sound, but I certainly don't want to say that it was of poor quality. The higher notes are clear and almost no vocals are missed, and you can hear the midrange really decently, although I have to mention that some instruments blend together in more demanding tracks. However, as for the bass component, it is not very clear for my taste, and I am not a supporter of over-bassed music. It's not that you can't hear the bass at all, but it doesn't kick you as much as it would be appropriate. And I stress again, I really don't like it if any product prioritizes bass over other components of the sound.
But then I realized one important fact. Completely wireless headphones, for which you will spend an amount not exceeding CZK 4000, cannot sound like AirPods Pro or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. It is, simply and simply, an everyday product that you always have at hand, whether you are traveling on public transport, sitting in the office or walking through a busy city. In that case, in short, you don't focus primarily on the sound, the music is more about making the given situation more pleasant. And Samsung has mastered exactly that. Whether you listen to pop music, serious music, alternative music or metal tracks, the product can interpret it cleanly, pleasantly, and more or less faithfully. If you want to use them as your primary headphones for evening listening or watching a movie or series, you will be pleased to know that in addition to relatively decent sound, Samsung has not forgotten about spaciousness. You will appreciate this especially when watching high-quality filmed titles.
ANC, throughput mode and call quality are not industry-leading
However, these days headphones are not just about sound, but also about added features. Samsung didn't forget about them, but how did it deal with them? Let's face it, at least in the case of noise suppression, the product could definitely do a better job. If you activate it in a quieter environment, it will not restrict you in any way and you will hear almost nothing. But whether you're sitting in public transport, a noisy cafe, traveling by train or walking down the street, unwanted sounds will reach you, even when you have the audio turned up loud. Even so, the product will cut you off from the surroundings quite solidly, so you will have peace of mind both when sleeping and when concentrating at work.
Although the throughput mode sounds a bit electronic, it will still be sufficient for shorter communications, for example when paying in a store. The quality of calls is then at a very decent level, whether I was conversing in a quiet or noisy environment, the other party always understood me well.
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Do you want quality and relatively inexpensive wireless earbuds? Then you are in the right place
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 really did well. Sure, there are reserves in water resistance, control and compatibility with iOS, but you will still be happy with the product. All the functions that Samsung has implemented here work exactly as they should, especially considering the price tag of 3790 CZK. Sure, compared to more expensive competitors, the product sometimes loses out, but for the vast majority of users who have completely wireless headphones as a daily accessory, the features will be absolutely sufficient.
But if you think about it and focus a little on Samsung's portfolio, you'll probably agree that they are somewhat similar to the AirPods 2. At the current price, they certainly are, but the Apple product lags behind in terms of functions and sound. Sure, the AirPods are over two years old, but if you're making a decision and need a similar product ASAP, I'd honestly at least consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. Although they are not so perfectly embedded in the ecosystem of the Californian giant, they easily surpass the Apple competitor in terms of functions and sound. And if they were comfortable in my ears, I would think a lot about replacing them with my AirPods.
