Samsung Galaxy Buds + (Plus) review: new wireless earbuds

Today we will Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review - new items in 2020 from Samsung, costing $ 160. The brand deserves credit for creating a competitive pair of standalone wireless earbuds in an increasingly competitive environment.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus got great sound and improved battery life over last year's Samsung Galaxy Buds, but they still lack advanced audio codec support and full noise cancellation.

Kit and characteristics

Completeness

• Charging and storage case
• Three pairs of ear pads
• Ear restraints
• Instructions
• USB Type C cable

Characteristics

Characteristic	Index
Colour	Black, white, blue, red
Headphone type	Plug-in
Compound	Wireless bluetooth
Bluetooth version	5.0
Volume control	there is
Weight and dimensions
Case weight	40 g
Case size	26.5 x 70 x 38.8 mm
Headphone weight	6.3 g
Headphone size	19.2 x 17.5 x 22.5 mm
Design
Ear cushions material	Silicone
Microphone
Microphone	there is
Mount the microphone	Built in headphones
Noise suppression	Not
Indication
Battery level indicator	there is
Power supply
Battery capacity	250 mAh
Standby time	22 h
Equipment
Additional ear pads	there is
Number of pairs of ear cushions	3 pcs.
USB cable	there is
Cable type	USB-C
Charging case	there is

Short review

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus has all the features and specifications that wireless earbuds (TWS) have lacked: excellent battery life, improved conversation sound thanks to a third internal microphone, and a new design with two powerful drivers for better and clearer sound.

Additionally, iOS support is finally available via the new Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus app.

What are the disadvantages of headphones? The new Samsung Galaxy Buds + lacks high quality audio codecs and a higher IPX4 level.Not to mention the fact that the gadget does not have noise canceling or isolation functions, as well as a built-in voice assistant that other TWS models have.

Headphones can easily compete with competitors in their price range. And although the gadget is far from such leaders as, for example, the Sony WF-1000XM3 or AirPods Pro, they are much cheaper and offer pleasant additional functions for Samsung owners.

For headphones, the company rolled out its first Galaxy Buds Plus update after some users reported hearing a strange white noise sound when using wireless headphones. As reported by Samsung, the firmware version R175XXUOATB5 is intended to address this issue, as well as other shortcomings, including delayed pairing and Bluetooth disconnection.

Video review

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus cost

The company unveiled the latest Galaxy Buds + wireless earbuds at Unpacked 2020 in San Francisco, where it announced sales on February 14 and in stores starting March 6.

The price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is $ 160 (about 10,000 rubles) - the same cost as the previous model in 2019. The model comes out cheaper than the best wireless headphones of 2020, the Sony WF-1000XM3, although this model has received active noise canceling. You can find cheaper TWS earbuds. For example, Kinera YH623which cost only $ 75. Or consider a worthy competitor Freebuds 3 for $ 110.

When compared to peers in terms of value for money, the Samsung Galaxy Buds + are the best wireless headphones of this year.

Design and construction

The design of the Galaxy Buds Plus is very similar to that of its predecessor, with a sleek mother-of-pearl body and adjustable silicone ears. The gadget is available in red, white, blue and black. Unlike the AirPods, which only got white, the Galaxy Buds + come in a wide variety of colors. Everyone will find to their liking!

In the new model, Samsung did without the elongated shape, like the AirPods and AirPods Pro. The ears are smooth and small. They fit into the charging case and ear. They are held in place and do not fall out thanks to a small protrusion that covers the crease in the ear.

At 17.5 x 22.5 x 19.2mm, Buds + fill most of the ear canal (keeping it from falling out of the ear during sports) and protrude slightly from the ears. Due to this design, there were problems with wearing the headphones in bed, as the pillow pressed hard and caused discomfort.

For your comfort, inside the box you will find additional ear cushions in three different sizes, and a special oversized attachment to hold the earbuds in your ears.

On the outside, you will find a sensor that recognizes single, double, triple and long presses. A long tap activates the virtual assistant, lowers the volume or turns on the amplification of ambient sounds.

Using the sensor as a headphone control can be a little awkward at first, as pressing the button pushes the headphones further into your ear. But you will soon get used to the sensitivity of the panel.

It would be nice if Samsung introduced a constantly listening virtual assistant here, but for now, we can only dream about it.

The only major issue we found when reviewing the Galaxy Buds + is that the IPX2 headphones are not splash resistant. This means they are good for workouts, but don't take them to the pool or beach. Compared to the Apple AirPods Pro, they are IPX4 waterproof. In my opinion, headphones should be completely waterproof so that there is no fear of damage in the gym or in the rain.

As for the case itself, it is quite light and smooth with rounded edges. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus headphone case fits easily in your pocket and provides extra charging for the headset between uses. As you might expect, the case received a USB-C connector for charging, just like Samsung phones. This means you don't have to carry a separate cable.

Battery life

The Galaxy Buds + (Plus) has a longer battery life than the previous Galaxy Buds.The wireless headphones themselves hold a charge for up to 11 hours, and the charging case will provide an additional 11 hours. Thus, the total battery life is 22 hours. Very good!

11 hours is an excellent indicator for headphones, but the charging case would be more powerful. For comparison, Apple AirPods hold 5 hours of charge, but with the additional 20 hours that the charging case provides, it turns out to be 25. It's nice to see the Buds Plus with an increased internal battery, but the case clearly failed.

During the week of reviewing the Galaxy Buds + (Plus), the headphones and the case were charged only once. And this is with a fairly active listening to music at 50% volume. And if you listen to music at high volume, so as not to hear extraneous noise, you will charge it once every 3 days.

Galaxy Buds + connection

In terms of wireless connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0 provides a stable wireless connection. AirPods still only support Bluetooth 4.2, which is pretty old now, but has the advantage of the H1 chip - it improves battery life and sound quality in headphones.

Unfortunately, neither the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus nor the Apple AirPods Pro support the high-quality aptX and aptX Low Latency audio codecs, let alone LDAC. At the moment, the only options are SBC and AAC, if you are not using Android 7.0 or later.

However, you will also have the option of using the Samsung Scalable Audio codec, which offers higher bitrate support and better stability.

Galaxy Wearable app

You can set up Buds + headphones by connecting via Bluetooth, or the Galaxy Wearable or Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus app from Google Play and the Apple App Store. They allow you to perform headphone setup and ambient noise cancellation - so it's worth the download. In our review of Galaxy Buds Plus, we found that both apps are intuitive and offer multiple audio tweaking options and ambient noise enhancement.

One final feature to look out for is the Galaxy Buds Plus can connect to multiple devices without having to re-pair them every time you use it.

Sound quality

The main audio benefit of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is the new dual driver system. This technology will expand the range of your headphones and improve overall sound quality and clarity.

During the review of the Buds +, the sound quality was definitely felt, so the sound can be accurately judged: it is rich, balanced and not annoying if you listen to music all day.

To achieve this effect, Samsung has focused on low and high frequencies, which will allow this wireless headset to be used for watching YouTube or Netflix shows. Even certain genres of music sound very good in them. It is enough to turn on the Red Hot Chili Peppers and everything will sparkle for you with different colors - great bass! However, songs, which should have good bass response, sound a little muffled relative to other headsets.

With the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus or Samsung Wearable apps, you can customize the sound of the headphones (there are options for Soft, Dynamic, Clear, Treble, and Bass Boost), but there is no significant difference between the two.

Improved clarity is now the main benefit of the new earbuds - Samsung has increased the number of internal microphones, resulting in better call quality. This was true in our Galaxy Buds + review, as everyone we called through the headphones said they sounded as good as talking directly through the smartphone's microphone.

Noise suppression

The biggest drawback of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is that they don't have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and they don't offer significant passive noise reduction. This means that if you plan to buy them, be prepared to hear a lot of third-party external sounds while listening to music. This is a plus if you're in the gym and don't mind hearing background noise, or if you're in the office and need to hear what your colleagues are saying. But those looking for a 100% soundproofed model will have to look for other options.

If you suddenly lose your gadget, you can easily find them by going into the application and selecting "Find headphones".While they are charged, a melody will sound in the headphones - this is certainly a very convenient feature from Samsung for people who constantly forget their gadget somewhere.

Review results

So where does the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus headphone rank among other wireless earbuds (TWS)? I can confidently say that they are better than 70% of the models on the market. Thanks to its long battery life (about 11 hours), Buds + will be good for those who are annoyed by constant charging. However, the gadget does not have a built-in virtual voice assistant and is not waterproof enough due to the irrelevant IPX2.

However, the biggest issue is the lack of noise isolation or even minimal noise cancellation - this feature is even available on Amazon Echo Buds for the same price ($ 150). Of course, they don't sound as good as the Galaxy Buds Plus, especially with a weaker battery capacity. But what is the use of all these advantages if the music is almost inaudible on the subway.

Samsung Galaxy Buds + (Plus) represents good value for money for people who want wireless earbuds (TWS) with great battery life. The model is not of the highest quality, but the dual-driver design is a big step for Samsung, the gadget is perfect for watching movies and listening to bass music.

And at the end a tip! If you are an iOS user, then you should take a closer look at the Apple AirPods Pro, and if you are Android, then the Sony WF-1000XM3. These headphones sound better and have active noise canceling. Yes, the battery life is nowhere near the 11 hours of the Galaxy Buds Plus and the price is twice as high, but in our opinion they are the best in the segment today.

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