The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 aren’t the best earbuds on the market, but they work well as a regular headset. Most people will be happy with the sound quality, and even though the noise cancellation isn’t the best, it’s pretty good for the price. Even so, it might be hard to justify buying this over the more advanced Galaxy Buds Pro or the more comfortable and cheaper Galaxy Buds Plus.
Samsung is a strong mobile tech company that often keeps up with Apple, its main rival. Samsung, unlike Apple and some other audio companies, has a set of active noise-cancelling (ANC) earphones that customers like. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are another pair of Samsung’s confusing earbuds that block out noise and are wireless. Even though these wireless earbuds have a lot going for them, the Galaxy Buds 2 may get lost among its siblings.
Time to look at the whole line of Samsung Galaxy Buds to see how the Galaxy Buds 2 compares to the others. We used the Galaxy Buds 2 for a week and are ready to tell you everything you need to know about them.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 aren’t the best earbuds on the market, but they work well as a regular headset. Most people will be happy with the sound quality, and even though the noise cancellation isn’t the best, it’s pretty good for the price. Even so, it might be hard to justify buying this over the more advanced Galaxy Buds Pro or the more comfortable and cheaper Galaxy Buds Plus.
Samsung is a strong mobile tech company that often keeps up with Apple, its main rival. Samsung, unlike Apple and some other audio companies, has a set of active noise-cancelling (ANC) earphones that customers like. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are another pair of Samsung’s confusing earbuds that block out noise and are wireless. Even though these wireless earbuds have a lot going for them, the Galaxy Buds 2 may get lost among its siblings.
Time to look at the whole line of Samsung Galaxy Buds to see how the Galaxy Buds 2 compares to the others. We used the Galaxy Buds 2 for a week and are ready to tell you everything you need to know about them.
Editor’s note: This review of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 was updated on November 21, 2022, to fix references to other models, including Samsung Galaxy models that have been discontinued, and to add a note about how you can’t change the controls as much as you’d like.
How are Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 to use?
Those who already have a pair of Galaxy Buds will feel right at home with the Galaxy Buds 2, both in terms of the hardware and the software. The earbuds and USB-C case of the Galaxy Buds 2 are made to look fun and round. It’s too bad that this model doesn’t have detachable wing tips like the cheaper Galaxy Buds Plus, because it makes the fit less secure. Those who are brave enough can use these as earbuds for working out, since they have an IPX2 rating. Just don’t move your head around too much, because that will shake the earbuds loose.
Samsung’s headsets always have a lot of advanced technology and sensors, and this one is no different. When you take out the buds, a reliable proximity sensor automatically stops or starts the music. When you put the earbuds back in, playback doesn’t start again. You have to tap either touch panel instead. Like the controls on older Samsung headphones, the touch controls are both easy to use and very sensitive. When adjusting the earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 often picks up accidental taps, which makes the media skip and pause in a crazy way. To avoid this, the only thing you can do is turn off all touch controls.
How do you make the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 do what you want?
The earphones aren’t hard to control, and you can find a list of the most common things to do with them below. Be aware that you can change how the touch controls work by opening the Galaxy Wearable app and going to the “Touch controls” menu. You can change the controls for the voice assistant, the ANC, and the music player up to a certain point.
Most commands can’t be changed without also changing the other bud’s command to the same “type.” So, the chart above shows you what the commands are likely to look like and stay the same for most users.
Should you put the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone?
You should get the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app for your Android phone. iPhone users can try, but there is no way to use the Galaxy Buds 2 with iOS. Yes, more and more companies are taking a page from Apple’s playbook and making their own “walled gardens,” which hurts the consumer.
Those who can use the software features of the Buds 2 can switch between ANC and ambient sound mode. Ambient sound mode sends background noise through the earbuds to keep you aware of what’s going on around you. Samsung deserves credit for making an environmental passthrough that sounds natural and not robotic. If you think this feature sounds too artificial, you can turn down the volume in the app.
Like the Sony WF-1000XM4, Samsung’s app has a test for the ear tips to make sure you’ve chosen the right ones. This not only makes sure the headphones fit well, but it also makes the sound better by blocking out as much background noise as possible. Active noise-cancelling headphones work best when they fit well, and this test lets you know right away if they do.
If you look around the app, you’ll find other features, such as a wide range of EQ presets (normal, bass boost, soft, dynamic, clear, and treble boost), which should meet the needs of most listeners. Samsung doesn’t completely hand over control: you can’t make your own EQ. Some Galaxy Buds 2 owners will be happy to learn that they can use voice commands to get to Bixby. The rest of us can make a custom control to use Google or Siri or another assistant instead.
How do you connect the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?
The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2, which means LE Audio support and the LC3 codec could work with them. The Galaxy Buds 2 can be used right away with any Samsung device. When you open the case for the first time near your Samsung phone, a pop-up message will ask for permission to connect it to your Galaxy Buds 2. Once you do this, the connection is stable whether you are inside or outside. You can connect the Galaxy Buds 2 to an Android phone that isn’t made by Samsung by using the Galaxy Wearable app or the Bluetooth settings on your phone.
How do the Galaxy Buds 2 from Samsung sound?
When you buy the Galaxy Buds 2, you’re getting a pair of headphones with a nice frequency response that does a good job of reproducing a wide range of music styles. You’ll notice that the sub-bass notes are a bit louder, and you’ll like how the mids are still clear, unless it’s a very busy song with a lot of bass instruments. Most people will like how strings, small woodwind instruments, and speech sounds are now clearer and easier to understand.
During the chorus of Zac Greer’s song Melatonin, the low-pitched electric guitar strikes make it hard to hear the background guitar strums. When I turn up the volume past 50%, I also lose some of the rasp in Greer’s voice during the chorus. This is something you’ll only notice if you listen carefully and try to find fault with the answer. The Galaxy Buds 2 sound great when you’re out and about.
Can you make phone calls with the Galaxy Buds 2?
You can make phone calls with the Galaxy Buds 2, but don’t expect them to be as good as an external boom mic. Samsung’s triple-microphone system sounds great on paper, but as the demos below show, it’s just good, not great. The microphones don’t do much to get rid of background noise, so the person on the other end of the call will hear every key you press on your keyboard.
Conclusion
With the above advantages, I feel that Galaxy Buds2 has an extremely solid foothold in the market of true wireless headphones: good design brings a very comfortable wearing feeling, clear conversation quality, bright sound, Easy to listen to. Tell you more that the Galaxy Buds2 can also be controlled with the Galaxy Watch4 Series through the Buds app. I think this feature is trendy and highly practical, because the Galaxy Watch4 Series not only helps you actively take calls and control music, but can now interact with the headset to turn on / off the sound, volume control using the dial wheel on the watch.
