The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 really are better than their predecessor, with active noise cancellation, better sound quality, and a great fit they’re still not the best true wireless earbuds out there, they’re the best for Samsung Users. The Buds 2 have a vast number of improvements, from sound quality to active noise cancellation over the Original Buds. 

A competitor for the Apple AirPods. although the Buds 2 do have their weak points. Their noise cancellation isn’t class-leading, and the frequency range only really starts at around 80Hz, meaning you can’t hear any bass. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 a bit weaker in terms of audio and ANC performance than some of the other true wireless earbuds this year, like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Beats Studio Buds.

Whether these are the earbuds for you will depend on which smartphone you use, the level of noise cancellation you feel like you need, and your preferred style of music – but we think everyone will appreciate the feature set, performance, and price, even if there are still a few better earbuds out there on the market right now.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 did unveil at Samsung’s online Unpacked 2021 event beside any new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and will be available from August 27 for $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$219.

They cost just as much as the original Buds lining up exactly with Apple’s new Beats Studio Buds, which share many of the same features. The Studio Buds being a pretty significant competitor to the Galaxy Buds 2. Still Samsung makes more truly wireless Earphones like the Galaxy Buds, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Buds Plus. All these options do make it confusing but gives you options and you could choose one which you like best. 

Design

• Available in four colors 
• Intuitive touch controls
• IPX2 liquid resistance rating

You’ll get the Buds themselves in one of four colors: Lavender, Olive, White, and Graphite. Nevertheless, it’s worth regarding that the Buds themselves, the inside of the case will have a distinctive color but the outside of the will always be white.

The Buds are magnetized to hook onto the metal charging pins in the case. One problem with the Galaxy Buds 2’s design is that they’re only IPX2 water-resistant, which means they’re only good for workouts that don’t involve a lot of sweating. 

To control the Galaxy Buds you can use their built-in touch controls or your smartphone. They’re fairly intuitive (play/pause with one tap, skip forward with two taps, and three to rewind)

The latest Galaxy Buds 2 have a dual-driver design that uses a single mid-range driver and a separate tweeter for the upper registers – like the Galaxy Buds Pro. Both inside and outside the earbuds are microphones – three of them to be exact – that the Buds use to cancel noise and improve call quality. 

Features

• Active noise cancellation
• No always-listening voice assistant
• Support for SBC, AAC, and Samsung’s Scalable Codec
• Noise cancellation is turned on by holding either earbud’s touchpad.
• A bad thing is there’s no support for the Always-Listening Assistant. 

Press the noise cancellation button again and you can switch to the ambient mode, which pipes outside audio into the Buds, which is really helpful if you want to have a conversation without taking out the Buds or when you’re listening for your flight number to be called. 

The only disappointing part is the fact that many of these features are only available on the Android version of the app. The iOS version hasn’t been updated yet and that means customization is impossible until it receives an update. 

Performance and ANC

• Improved audio
• ANC could be better
• Good call quality

With a wonderful sound curve that amps up the bass, mids, and highs, only missing out on the sub-bass (below 80hz) and the upper-most registers (11,000Hz and above).

It has really clear audio that has a decent uptick in the bass when listening to EDM and rap, and a crisp mid-range for rock and R&B. With good stereo separation, although the soundstage isn’t absolutely massive, it’s much wider than we heard on the first-generation Galaxy Buds.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 still have a lot of room for improvement is in their active noise cancellation, it’s still lacking compared to market leaders like the Bose QuietComfort Buds and Sony WF-1000XM4. 

With music playing and ANC turned on, you won’t be able to hear someone talking to you in the same room, but you’d hear any loud noise coming from outside your home. Overall, they’re good enough for routine office work but bad for long flights or busy job sites. While ANC still has room to improve, Samsung has found some success upgrading the call quality on its earbuds. 

Battery life

• 29 hours total battery life
• Automatic pausing
• Support for wireless charging

In a non-stop use-case, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 will last about five hours with ANC turned on, and a little longer if you turn it off. Inside the case are at least another three charges for a total of 20 hours with ANC on, or 29 hours if you leave it off. 

Of course, battery life is dependent on how you use the earbuds. The above battery life is for listening time, if you use them for conversations you’re looking at only 3.5 hours with ANC on, and 13 hours with the case, or 3.5 hours and 14 hours with ANC turned off.  Also new for this generation is support for wireless charging with a compatible Qi charger. That’s a nice perk if you’re using a phone with wireless charging and you already have a charging pad, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you need to use the regular ol’ USB-C port on the back of the case.