It ’s impossible to brush off the striking similarities between the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and the Apple AirPods Pro . Physically , and with few exclusion , the young Galaxy wireless earbuds are AirPods Pro clone . Broadly speaking , this is also true of how the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro study . They possess many of the same features that have made theAirPods Prostand out over the years , like adaptive ANC , adaptive sound , spacial audio frequency , and head trailing . Even the retail price is the same as long as you ’re willing to not split hairs over a mere 99 penny .
And yet despite all these blatant acts of mimicry , the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have just enough of their own standout areas of performance that Android users — and specially Samsung Galaxy users — will feel like they ’re getting something more than a mere emulator set ofwireless earbuds .
Before we dive into the full review , have ’s make out with the elephant in the room : Samsung’sproduction and distribution pause on the Galaxy Buds 3 Proafter early reports that the silicone eartips were ripping . My review exemplar make out from that first product sight , and I had the same experience .
The problem , however , is not that theeartips are too fragile . The trouble stems from the hard plastic collar at the base of the eartip that ’s used to snap it to the speaker gap on the earbud . The collar create a very tight connection to the earbud . So tight , in fact , that using the silicone of the eartips to get out it free inescapably causes it to rip . On my review unit , the issue only encounter on the left earbud . I stop up using a thin - bladed knife to cautiously pry the collar out from the earbud .
Regardless of the reason , it calculate like Samsung is taking step to speak the job , so I wo n’t be deducting any points in this review .
Comfy, for better or worse
radical - based earbuds like the AirPods Pro run to be comfortable because there ’s less multitude in your concha — and less skin middleman . There ’s no doubtfulness about it — the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are more well-heeled for longsighted period than most acaulescent earbuds . However , they ’re also less stable for all the same reason . You may need to adjust them more frequently , particularly when working out or running . For many , the extra comfort will be deserving the craft - off . But others may lose the constancy of Samsung ’s previous designs .
I ’m disappointed with the eartips excerpt : three sizes in sum feel miserly , and it may preclude people from pay back a good fit — especially those who want an extra - small size .
The Buds 3 Pro take the already excellent IPX7 protection offered by theGalaxy Buds 2 Proand boosts it with dust resistance for a claimedIP57 rating . I ’ve always wonder why Apple ’s earbuds have never given us anything better than IPX4 , and now I ’m even more singular .
Pinch to click
The AirPods Pro ’s squeezable , swipeable stems are one of the most innovative things we ’ve seen of late in the wireless earbuds world . A taking into custody of the stem bring forth an audible click , and when you nobble a finger’s breadth up or down on its two-dimensional portion , you could easy adjust the volume . I ’m not surprised that Samsung thought these were both worth copying .
The controls ferment really well , which I was n’t expecting consecrate the angular shape of the stem . I find that cast anchor the bud with your index finger’s breadth while pinching with your thumb and middle finger’s breadth keep the bud from be active around , but you may not feel the need to do so .
In addition to all of the usual controls for playback , mass , call management , ANC , and voice adjunct access , you’re able to optionally trigger Spotify Tap or Samsung Health ’s Mindfulness app .
Supplementing all of this are bear sensors for motorcar - pausing music when you remove either earbud and hands - free part instruction like “ spiel music , ” “ volume down , ” etc . They worked well , and I liked not have got to preface each one with “ Alexa , ” “ Hey Siri , ” or “ Hey Bixby . ”
Light the way
There ’s an arguing to be made that any earbuds with stems that drop down from your ear expect like AirPods . The key is to notice direction to take that canonic figure and make it your own . With their trapezoidal stems and the usable silver conclusion , I reckon the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro look great , and I doubt anyone will err them for AirPods ( the white finish is a different story ) .
If you really want to make a statement , you could turn on the “ blade light ” — supple ashen light-emitting diode that ply down a portion of the stems . Constant illumination , blinking , or breathing ( fade in / out ) , the selection is yours . Personally , I ’d prefer not to draw attention to my ears . But I can see a benefit for those who run , especially at nighttime — there ’s no such matter as being too visible .
They also pulse when you use Samsung ’s Find My Earbuds feature , though I do n’t know how helpful that will be when they ’re buried in the couch cushions .
The AirPods - like shoot case has wireless and USB - ascorbic acid charging , and I wish the sheer lid and the flattened bottom , which allow the case stand upright . However , Samsung should have gone full Apple and include a speaker and a lanyard eyelet — ready to hand additions to the turn on grammatical case that Apple introduced on the AirPods Pro Gen 2 .
In the box , you get a very generous 3 - foot USB - C - to - USB - degree centigrade charging cable . ( Most earbuds ship with tiny , 6 - inch cables . )
ANC, transparency, and calling done right
I ’ve reviewed lashings of noise - canceling wireless earbuds . The ability to kill off unwanted background knowledge sounds will variegate from model to poser , but we ’ve now reached a point where even the cheapest buds can do a halfway seemly job . Still , the Buds 3 Pro are among the adept . My common examination environments ( busy street , noisy fans , and my local gym ) were all bring under ascendance . Podcasts , which are easy disrupt by noise , were perfectly audible — even as forte dump trucks roar past .
That was with the stock ANC manner . I also essay Samsung ’s AI - driven adaptative ANC musical mode , but it refused to shut up loud sounds as much as I wanted . I returned to even ANC at its maximum setting and never look back .
Transparency musical mode , on the other hand , is a different account . Some earbuds do it well , some do n’t , and only three firebrand do it so well that you’re able to barely tell you ’re wear earbuds at all : Apple , Bose , and Sony . Actually , make that four brand — the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are amazing at foil too .
The optional auto - shift to transparency mode ( or ambient sound as Samsung calls it ) when your articulation is detected is very handy . It does n’t always pick up spoken language instantly , but most of the time , it kicked in after I spoke a word or two , simultaneously dropping the loudness of my euphony so I could have a normal conversation .
There ’s also a “ siren detect ” option within automobile - electrical switch . As the name suggests , it will complain into transparency mode if it get word siren . Surprisingly for my urban scope , I encountered no sirens while using the Buds 3 Pro — but the feature of speech did produce several false positives , normally triggered by similar higher - frequence beeps you may hear when a tumid vehicle is reverse . Arguably , that ’s on the dot the kind of sound the feature want you to hear . But when a truck is s - cubic decimetre - o - atomic number 74 - cubic decimeter - y back up , half a block from where I ’m standing , I intend I ’m OK with leaving ANC on .
Well - executed transparency on calls is especially worthful — being capable to hear your own phonation clearly makes all the difference . If you utilize the Buds 3 Pro with a Samsung phone , your callers will also get word you with hi - definition clarity , thanks to the company ’s proprietary Samsung Seamless Codec ( SSC ) . It ’s one of the biggest reasons you should use Samsung ’s ware in tandem . I ’ll talk more about SSC in a moment because it also strike audio quality .
Battling Bluetooth
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro do n’t do Bluetooth Multipoint ( that ’s the feature of speech that let you link up two devices simultaneously ) , but they do offer Samsung ’s seamless switching , which will automatically move the connection between gimmick that are supported by your Samsung business relationship .
If you do n’t sign in , you may find that thing get weird . For instance , I paired the Buds 3 professional with aniPhone 14,Galaxy S23 Ultra , and aMotorola ThinkPhone . Getting them to switch between these devices ( and stay switched ) was often unsufferable without close down Bluetooth on the two devices I did n’t want . Once the buds were couple with the ThinkPhone , they adamantly turn away to bequeath , even when I told the ThinkPhone to disconnect from them . They plainly bounced right back .
After successfully switch from the iPhone to the S23 , the buds turn back back to the iPhone moments later .
This ongoing custody battle nothwithstanding , the connection itself was dead stable .
While the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro do n’t do Multipoint , they do bid compatibility with one of Bluetooth ’s most challenging fresh features — Auracast . Auracast allow a phone like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra become a Bluetooth radio place of sort , air its audio to anyone within receiving distance who also owns an Auracast - capable set of headphone , earbuds , speakers , or see aids .
Just as challenging is that , with the Buds 3 Pro connected , a Samsung earpiece withOne UIversion 6.1 or gamey can tune into these broadcast .
I could see these options in the configurations of my S23 Ultra , but sadly , without an Auracast broadcast reference , I was n’t able-bodied to test them .
Get the Samsung sound
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro ’s audio architecture is a handsome step up from their predecessor . They merge a two-dimensional driver with a dynamic driver and each is independently amplify . It ’s the form of apparatus that ’s rare in the wireless earbuds world , and when you do line up it , it ’s ordinarily in a solidifying of buds that are aimed squarely at audiophiles , like thePSB M4U TWM .
I think they sound large . Out of the corner , without any EQ tweaks , they give up excellent clarity and a bass part - forward sound signature tune that a lot of people will enjoy . If that ’s not your cup of tea leaf , a kind of EQ presets , plus a 9 - band equalizer , should assist you dial in the kind of tuning you ’re looking for .
But just like the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and other Samsung radio receiver earbuds , you wo n’t be able to maximise the capabilities of the Buds 3 Pro ’s duple drivers and amps unless you own a Samsung phone . To excuse why , we necessitate to talk about Bluetooth codecs .
For casual hearing , I do n’t get too hung up onBluetooth codecs . The received SBC and AAC codecs that do work on 90 % of wireless earbuds are dead equal for listening to your music in a Brobdingnagian variety of options , from commuting to making dinner . These codecs are even less critical when the earbuds in question are of average quality .
However , as I noted above , the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are n’t median . If you use them with an iPhone or a non - Samsung Android phone , they connect using AAC . Again , AAC is fine . But Samsung ’s Seamless Codec ( SSC ) is better . And if you ’re listening tolossless audioand / orhi - res audioin a hushed environment using the Buds 3 Pro , it ’s a tidy sum better .
It can be grueling to identify the departure in run-in . I remember of it as rough versus smooth . With AAC , which use considerably more densification , eminent frequencies like cymbal , trumpets , or the occasional vocal performance can voice abrasive compare to SSC , which have them sound more natural . Similarly , bass constituent can finger bloated and poorly delimit under AAC . With SSC , they ’re more relaxed and less shrill .
There are also big differences in detail — SSC transmit more datum , so it ’s no surprise that there ’s simply more of the original audio that get its way to your ears .
I screen this in two ways . I link up the Buds 3 Pro and the AirPods Pro to my iPhone 14 , and listened to the same lossless audio rail from Apple Music on each . I preferred the way the Buds 3 Pro sounded , but that had more to do with the tonality of the Galaxy bud . In other watchword , they were airless .
Then I listened to the same Apple Music dog again , but this time with both models connected to a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra . That ’s when the Buds 3 Pro demonstrated themselves to be far superior , with a wider , more detailed soundstage and a detachment of cat’s-paw and elements that revealed much more of the medicine .
Sadly , the only agency to distil this stratum of performance from the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is with a Galaxy earphone with SSC .
To be fair , the differences I heard might not be entirely due to SSC . I also had adaptive EQ turn on — one of Samsung ’s so - call AI characteristic — which might have been help out a chip .
Skippable spatial
Spatial audio(or 360 Audio to employ Samsung ’s name ) is another Samsung single , but I ’d be OK giving it up . Like other spatially equip earbuds , you could pick out to enable read/write head tracking , which locks the music in blank as you turn your head . Apple ’s variation of this tech is seamless and very realistic . On the Buds 3 Pro , it ’s a bit jerky as minor head trend can often produce sudden shifts in the apparent location of the audio .
I ’m happy Samsung has let in it — there are times when spacial audio can sound very cool — but I would n’t grease one’s palms the Buds 3 Pro for it .
AI translation
Another Samsung AI feature is genuine - time translation . The genuine rendering is performed by a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone , but if you ’re using the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro , the earbuds keep your death of the interlingual rendition secret .
It ’s not about privacy ( though calculate on the conversation , maybe that ’s a incentive ) as much as it is about progress to thing more born . Why should your companion have to listen to their words translate into a alien language when you ’re the only one who need to hear it ?
Samsung demoed the feature film for me at the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro launch . It was a snatch sluggish and at times it seemed to get confused as to who was speak . But the part I could n’t figure out was why you needed the Buds 3 Pro for any of it . Earbuds are earbuds , right ?
According to Samsung , “ audio reading is only available when wearing Buds and connect to a Samsung Galaxy smartphone . Interpreter feature is not like a shot provided by Buds themselves . If Buds are unavailable , the interpreted substance is provide on the screen of your Samsung Galaxy smartphone . ” So the bud do n’t do the translation , but if you want to hear the rendering , you need the buds ? Yeah , I ’m still disconnected .
Battery life
Samsung take the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro get 6 hours of use of goods and services on a full charge when ANC is on , with 26 hour of full time when you include the charging case . These numbers uprise to 7 and 30 , severally , if you turn ANC off .
Those are dead adequate numbers for a set of wireless earbuds . But more important is that the Buds 3 Pro improve considerably liken to their precursor , which tapped out after 5 hours with ANC on and could barely muster 18 hour in total .
Samsung’s best earbuds by far
It ’s comely to say that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are a major upgrade from the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro . They ’re comfier and they have better ANC , good transparency , good audio calibre , and honest battery life . And hey , do n’t forget about those futurist leaf blade lights .
If you own a recent Samsung Galaxy speech sound , these unexampled earbuds ( once Samsung fixes that eartip yield ) are absolutely deserving the toll .
But without the benefits of Samsung ’s Seamless Codec , or the option of spatial audio recording , the value drops off somewhat for non - Samsung Android owners . They ’re still a great band of wireless earbuds , but you ’ll also retrieve plenty of other large selection , and belike for less money .
