New design and exciting features, but disappointing sound
Headphones | £219 | whf.cm/GalaxyBuds2Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds promise a lot. They boast end-to-end 24-bit high-resolution playback (with caveats), immersive 360 audio with dynamic head tracking, better active noise cancellation, a sleeker design, and plenty more features that are designed to make life easier when using them every day.
The Buds 2 Pro cost £219, matching the launch price of the previous Galaxy Buds Pro, and for once it’s nice to see a brand buck the trend of rising prices, particularly as you get improved specification and new features. Rivals Sony WF-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds carry a more premium price (£249), but there are decent deals on all of these; for instance, the XM4 can be snapped up for as low as £199 now.
Smaller and more snug
Gone is the glossy plastic finish of the old Galaxy Buds Pro in favour of a smooth, all-matt finish that looks and feels more elegant, while the matching charging case is similarly svelte. There’s a sense that everything has been streamlined to offer a more premium and slick profile.
The earbuds are now 15 per cent smaller, designed to fit even more snugly. Our pair settle into the nook of our ears securely and aren’t easily dislodged, though our ears do get a little fatigued over time, with the earbuds pressing against our ears noticeably after long periods. You get three ear tips, and we recommend using the Earbud Fit Test in Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable app to make sure you have got the best seal.
You can control playback and noise-cancelling modes, activate Bixby voice assistant, take calls and more using touch-sensitive taps on the earbuds. Inside each earbud is a coaxial driver with a 5.3mm tweeter and 10mm woofer. You will notice “Sound by AKG” stamped inside the case – the headphone brand’s expertise is used with the earbuds’ drivers and sound.
The Buds 2 Pro’s best-in-class IPX7 rating (they can survive up to 30 minutes in up to a metre of water), surpasses rival ANC earbuds’ more usually IPX4 ratings.
Five hours’ charge in the earbuds (with ANC on) is average at best, on a par with the AirPods Pro, but lags behind the XM4’s eight hours. You get a total of 18 hours with the case (ANC on), and with ANC off the Buds 2 Pro earbuds’ single-charge goes up to eight hours. Thankfully, a fast charge of five minutes will give you one hour of battery and they can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C.
Impressive new features
The Bu
