Samsung has launched its new Galaxy Buds Pro headphones, the manufacturer still offers its old models, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. Which are the best true wireless headphones? This is what we will see in this comparison.
In the summer of 2020, Samsung launched its first noise-canceling headphones, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. Five months later, new models, the Galaxy Buds Pro, succeed them. In the meantime, the Korean manufacturer has also changed the format, moving from an open fit design to in-ear headphones. But which of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro or Galaxy Buds Live are the best true wireless noise-canceling headphones?
We are going to compare these two pairs of headphones point by point in this versus, from the comfort of use to the audio quality through the functionalities, the autonomy or the active noise reduction.
General
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
 |  | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Samsung | Samsung |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Colors | Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver | Mystic White, Mystic Black, Mystic Copper, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours (28 with charging case) | Up to 8 hours (29 with charging case) |
| Weight | 6.3g (Earbud) 44.9g (Case) | 5.6g (Earbud) 42.2g (Case) |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth |
We are going to compare these two pairs of headphones point by point in this versus, from the comfort of use to the audio quality through the functionalities, the autonomy, or the active noise reduction. The case of the Galaxy Buds Live on the left and the Galaxy Buds Pro on the right.
The boxes are similar in all respects, both for the shape and form the dimensions, the connectors, or the LEDs indicating the state of charge of the battery. Nonetheless, while the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is in-ear format headphones, the Galaxy Buds Live has an open-fit format. Concretely, the first is equipped with silicone tips – with three sizes available – which will fit into the ear canal. This allows better passive isolation and better directivity of the sound, but it may bother some people who do not support this type of headphones.
On both sides, however, we will be able to enjoy an equalizer allowing us to choose between six presets, but unfortunately, no personalized multi-band equalizer is offered in the Galaxy Wearable application.
When it comes to sound quality, it’s clearly the Galaxy Buds Pro that wins the round thanks to a sound that is not only more balanced but above all much more detailed.
Design
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Dimensions | 16.5 x 27.3 x 14.9mm (Earbud) | 50.0 x 50.2 x 27.8mm (Earbud) |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 0.2 oz, 1.6 oz | 0.2 oz, 1.4 oz |
The Galaxy Buds Live has a red bean shape. These are headphones that come to rest at the entrance to the auditory canal but do not come to be housed inside it. Obviously, they are less intrusive but offer almost no passive isolation.
On the comfort side, the Galaxy Buds Live are necessarily more comfortable, since they remain outside the ear. They also fit better in the ears than Galaxy Buds Pro. However, the lack of passive sound insulation can be a barrier to use if you plan to wear them in a noisy environment. On this point, it is therefore a draw between the two pairs of headphones.
Features
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
| Chipset | BCM 43015 | BCM 43015 |
| OS | RTOS | RTOS |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charge | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | 2 way | No |
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro are the Korean manufacturer’s first active noise-canceling headphones. However, the quality of this feature diverges greatly from pair to pair, largely due to their format.
It must be said that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are open-fit headphones, that is to say with an open format. Concretely, they therefore only offer very low passive insulation, as we saw earlier. The ear canal is therefore not sealed and ambient sounds can pass around the earpiece to reach the eardrum. Even if Samsung does offer an active noise reduction function on its headphones, it is clearly anecdotal, not sufficient to filter the noise that passes around the headphones.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are in-ear headphones with silicone tips that will seal the ear. Even if they are equipped with vents – also present on the Buds Live – allowing air to pass to avoid the clogging effect, the passive isolation here comes in support of the active noise reduction. We, therefore, have much more effective noise cancellation than on the Galaxy Buds Live, even if it does not reach the level of some competitors.
When it comes to audio quality, it’s day and night between Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro, not just in terms of built-in speakers but signature sound or audio quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro benefit from two separate transducers for the bass, 11 mm in diameter, and for the treble and mids, 6.5 mm in diameter. Enough to allow the headphones to offer a very balanced sound, but above all perfectly detailed on all sound frequencies. The Galaxy Buds Pro thus offers a particularly chiseled sound in the treble, with bass that remains round and very pleasant. Logical, since each type of frequency benefits from its own speaker.
The Galaxy Buds Live clearly do not arrive at this level of detail. Samsung headphones feature a single 12mm transducer, combined with a bass channel. The result is a sound that is very oriented towards the lowest frequencies and which struggles to put the mids or highs forward when necessary. Above all, if the bass is round and warm, details are lacking in vocals or higher-pitched sounds. It is as if Samsung had wanted to hide these weaknesses by putting the package on the bass.
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
| Battery Type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 hours (28 with charging case) | Up to 8 hours (29 with charging case) |
| Charge Time | 10min Charging/85 min Play | 5min Charging/60 min Play |
| Charging Port | USB | USB |
When it comes to battery life Samsung offers 6 hours for its Galaxy Buds Live. For the Galaxy Buds Pro, Samsung offers this time of 6 hours with noise reduction and 8 hours without noise reduction. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live was able to last a little longer than the Galaxy Buds Pro, with 7h37 of use, against 7h20 for the latest models.
Regarding the recharging of the headphones in the case, you will have to wait for 1h30 for the Galaxy Buds Live and 1h20 for the Galaxy Buds Pro. The boxes of both models can also be recharged by USB-C or with wireless charging.
Connectivity
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Sensor | Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, VPU | Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Grip, Voice Pickup Unit |
| NFC | No | No |
| Multi-Device Connection | Yes | Yes |
Regarding the Bluetooth connection, both are Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC audio codecs, without aptX or LDAC. The Bluetooth connection is rather stable in both cases, although the headphones can temporarily lose the source when the smartphone is in a pocket, with the hand over it. However, Live Buds are even more finicky on this point. More annoying, the Galaxy Buds Pro has a hard time making calls with non-Samsung smartphones, with the call going from earphones to the smartphone speaker for no apparent reason.
On the functionalities and the use, it is, therefore, a draw between the two headphones which offer a number of similar functionalities, with some differences, but also major faults on both sides, whether it is the loss of connection of the Buds Live or voice calls – excluding Samsung smartphones – on Buds Pro.
Which is better!
At the end of this comparison, it’s a close match over several rounds between the two pairs of Samsung headphones, but a significant gap on others. We have indeed a draw concerning the criteria of autonomy, functionality, or design. However, on the other two points, which some will consider being the most important, it is the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro that wins hands down sound quality and noise reduction.
Overall, while the earbuds are pretty close, it’s genuinely the Galaxy Buds Pro that is the best earbuds. They offer a much richer, more balanced, and detailed sound than their predecessors. In addition, the in-ear format – which may annoy some – has the advantage of guaranteeing convincing noise reduction where it does not exist on the Galaxy Buds Live.
There remains a strong argument for the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: their price. The headphones were launched in August 2020 at a price of 240 USD, but they can now be found between 130 to 150 USD. However, despite this more attractive price, it is better to wait for the Galaxy Buds Pro to drop in price in turn, a few months after launch.
If you want to know more about these two pairs of true wireless headphones, you can find our tests:
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