We judge all headphones and earbuds on a scale of 10, analyzing the categories we think are most important: sound, comfort, design, battery performance, and, if applicable, special features. Here's how the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 wireless earbuds stack up.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 are the tech giant’s fifth true wireless earbuds to debut since 2019 (even though they have the name of a second-generation product). Compared to the first iteration, the Galaxy Buds2 brings a sleeker design, next-level sound, and onboard noise cancellation. For $149.99, the new earphones are pricier than the $129.99 Galaxy Buds at launch but still quite agreeable given their upgraded design and hardware.
Samsung first launched the original Galaxy Buds back in 2019, with the Galaxy Buds Plus following a year later, and the characterful Galaxy Buds Live later that summer. The range-topping Galaxy Buds Pro, on the other hand, debuted alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup in January this year.
I’ve been testing the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 for over a week. The buds, while imperfect, are among the most appealing options in their price range, especially for Samsung Galaxy and other Android smartphone owners. Here’s everything you need to know about their design and performance.
SCORES
Sound: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Design: 7/10
Battery Performance: 8/10
Overall Score: 8/10
SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS2 AT A GLANCE
- High-quality sound and dependable noise cancellation
- Companion app for customizing the sound and the controls
- Up to 7.5 hours of battery life
- Splash-resistant with IPX2 rating
SOUND: 8/10
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 are some of the best-sounding wireless earbuds under $200 on the market right now. Each bud packs a woofer and a tweeter, which combine to deliver a well-balanced, detail-rich, and, crucially, distortion-free sonic experience even at high volume. Many of the product’s similarly priced rivals have a sole audio driver, which won't deliver a sound as acoustically proficient.
A live recording of “Roads” by Portishead — one of my favorite songs for testing audio gear — sounded great on the Galaxy Buds2. The earphones delivered a palpable balance between the melancholic voice of Beth Gibbons and the track’s eclectic instrumentals with downtempo beats.
You can adjust the stellar sound of the earbuds via their companion app. There are several presets to pick from: normal (the most balanced), bass boost, clear, dynamic, soft, and treble boost. However, there’s no option to manually create a personalized equalizer setup.
The noise cancellation of the Galaxy Buds2 is solid for their $150 price point. The earbuds did well in tuning out the bothersome noise from the big air conditioner in my apartment, as well as the irksome weekday traffic noise coming from the busy Manhattan street downstairs. That said, much pricier true wireless earbuds like the AirPods Pro, the Bose QuietComfort, and the Sony WF-1000XM4 will get you closer to complete silence.
The Buds2 also have an ambient sound mode to help you become more aware of your surroundings. You can disable both of these features to prolong your battery life. I only wish that there were an option to control the intensity of the noise cancellation via the app — some of the product’s more affordable rivals, like the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, as well the pricier Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, offer such functionality.
Equipped with a trio of microphones per earbud, the Galaxy Buds2 delivered a stellar performance during telephone, Google Duo, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom calls. Thanks to the latest Bluetooth 5.2 standard, the buds maintained a flawlessly stable connection with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra I used to test them.
COMFORT: 9/10
The Galaxy Buds2 are among the most lightweight true wireless earbuds out there, weighing a rather minuscule 5 grams each. That’s a tiny bit less than the 5.1-gram Beats Studio Buds and the 5.4-gram Google Pixel Buds A-Series, making Samsung’s earphones the most lightweight offering with a stemless design.
Like all Galaxy Buds, the latest iteration has touch-sensitive controls for taking calls and controlling the audio playback — and I applaud Samsung for making them infinitely customizable through the Galaxy Wearable app. You can adjust the functionality of single, double, and triple taps, as well as long-presses, or disable specific controls if you wish.
The process of pairing the Galaxy Buds2 with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone is as effortless as connecting AirPods to an iPhone. I like that the Galaxy Wearable app has an option to check the quality of their fit (there are a few sets of included ear tips), as well as to find the buds. To top things off, there’s also an Android widget with a shortcut to the app and quick-access buttons for controlling the noise cancellation and disabling the touch controls.
DESIGN: 7/10
I love the look and feel of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2's distinctive design. By having seamlessly integrated touch controls that don’t require a standalone panel, their tiny housings are sleeker and more coherent than those of the first Galaxy Buds and the Plus model. Samsung offers the earbuds in graphite, white, olive, and lavender finishes, and each variant has a glossy white case whose interior matches their color.
It's important to note that these aren't the best earbuds for fitness fanatics. Their IPX2 splash-resistance rating is disappointing and well below the IPX4 (or higher) rating that their rivals have. The rating proves that while these buds are great for daily use, they're not ideal for intense workouts.
BATTERY PERFORMANCE: 8/10
Considering how tiny the Galaxy Buds2 are, their 5-hour battery life with noise cancellation is solid and on par with that of the just-as-tiny Beats Studio Buds. Disabling the feature will significantly increase the earphones' endurance to 7.5 hours between charges.
Like all Galaxy Buds, the latest ones have a storage case with a fast USB-C connector and wireless charging capabilities. The bundled accessory has an impressive three additional full charges — and it can get you an hour's worth of tunes after only 5 minutes of charging.
OVERALL: 8/10
The Galaxy Buds2 are a solid upgrade option for Android users, especially if they rock a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The buds’ seamless platform integration, elaborate app controls, and wireless charging-compatible case make them a stellar alternative to stem-toting true wireless earbuds. Their IPX2 rating for splash resistance could be higher, but most consumers will find it to be plenty sufficient.
If you can up your sound upgrade budget to around $200, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. They are more durable, more feature-packed, and capable of delivering smarter noise cancellation.
