Music In Your Ears Pt2! Samsung Galaxy Buds

Hey guys…. Time for a little more Tech Talk w/TK!!!

Now, I won’t sugar coat it. I have been a Samsung device fanboy from way back. In fact, my first cell phone was a Samsung flip phone (I think). So needless to say, I have had a lot of Samsung Android devices over the years, most recently a Samsung Galaxy S8 for me and the S20 for my wife. When I went looking for a pair of earbuds to go with my S8 work phone, I gave the Samsung Galaxy Buds a try. While I wanted them to be great, they were not the best I found out there.

Overall, after adding Comply foam ear tips to the earbuds, I liked the form factor of the buds and thought the sound was pretty good. Unfortunately, when it came to call quality, they were just no good, picking up too much background noise. Calls were so bad at times, my wife described me as sounding like “Charlie Brown’s teacher”. You know, the one that you can only hear “Wah, wah wha wah” sounds from. Included below is a quick summary of my findings.

The Good:

Easy pairing process. While compatible with all Bluetooth devices, the Galaxy Buds have an Automatic Sync feature for Samsung devices that allow them to be easily paired. To pair with other devices, simply open your Bluetooth settings and flip open the case. It’s that easy.
Compact size. Unlike others on the market, the Galaxy Buds snug into your ear for a very low-profile fit. Nothing is hanging out of your ear. Also, the case is very slim and fits in your pocket well.
Wireless charging. In addition to USB-C charging, the Samsung Galaxy Buds have a case that supports wireless charging. Like a lot of Samsung products, the wireless charging case for the Galaxy Buds is a very convenient feature. They even included The Galaxy Buds with the Samsung Galaxy S10 for a period, advertising them as being a great combo and able to charge off the phone using the Powershare wireless charging function.
Customization of sound in the app. Like other competitors in the space, Samsung allows for customization of sound and features through the Galaxy Wear app. This allows you to adjust the equalizer, touch controls and voice assistant settings. Unfortunately, the app is not available for iPhone users.
Bass heavy sound quality. If you’re a bass head like me, the Galaxy Buds soundstage will likely appeal to you, with more emphasis found on the bass. It appealed to my general taste well.
Solid battery life. With roughly 6 hours of runtime, and additional 6+ hours with the included charging case, the battery life on the Galaxy Buds won’t disappoint.
Price. While they originally retailed around $129, you can find the Galaxy Buds for as low as $49 these days at retailers like Walmart (see link below). Pretty good deal!
2 LED power indicators. Samsung included a power indicator on the inside and outside of the case to let you know the status of the case and the buds themselves at a glance

The Not So Good:

Call quality. After testing the buds for a while, I had to give them up as a headset due to the call quality. As you will see from the test audio included below, while the dual microphones pic up my voice well, they pic up every bit of background noise as well (even my son downstairs). This leads to a very muddled call sound for those on the other end typically.
Not a real comfortable fit. The fully in ear design may not be great for everyone. I found it was a little uncomfortable after extended use (1 hour+).

Want to see some pics of the earbuds? Check out the slideshow: