Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review
Our Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offer great sound quality and battery life for the cost, merely those seeking truthful ANC earbuds should look elsewhere.
For
- Great sound quality
- Very comfy design
- Solid battery life
- Lots of useful features
Against
- Noise cancelling is very subtle
- Inconsistent touch controls
- Mixed microphone quality
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offer great sound quality and bombardment life for the cost, but those seeking truthful ANC earbuds should look elsewhere.
Pros
- +
Corking sound quality
- +
Very comfortable design
- +
Solid bombardment life
- +
Lots of useful features
- +
Cons
- -
Noise cancelling is very subtle
- -
Inconsistent touch on controls
- -
Mixed microphone quality
- -
When the Samsung Galaxy Buds Alive first released, it had the honour of being Samsung'due south first pair of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC). Certain, the jelly edible bean styling wasn't that appealing, only ANC alone made the Galaxy Buds Live a large footstep forward.
Nowadays, it's not so uncomplicated. The newer, even college-end Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is offering ANC as well equally a host of other upgrades, significant even more competition alongside the AirPods Pro. And now the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 has outflanked the Galaxy Buds Alive with a lower price, fifty-fifty copying that same big racket-cancelling feature.
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Is this particular model still worth buying in 2021? We don't think information technology volition be bothering the very best noise-cancelling earbuds, only if you proceed reading our original Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review beneath, you'll see why it's yet a respectable set up of headphones.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live specs
Battery life: half dozen hours/21 hours with case (ANC + Bixby); five.5 hours/twenty hours (ANC); 8 hours/29 hours (ANC + Bixby off)
Compatibility: Android 5.0 / iPhone 7 or newer
Water resistance: IPX2
Size: 0.six x 1.one 10 0.six inches (earbuds); two x 2 x one.1 inches (example)
Weight: 0.two ounces (earbuds); 14.eight ounces (example)
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: Toll and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Alive released in August 2020 for $169, but more recently you're more probable to find them around $129 — maybe as low as $109 in some sales. The earbuds originally launched in three colors — Mystic Black, Mystic Copper and Mystic White — just Samsung has since rolled out a hitting Mystic Cherry-red option every bit well. If you're tired of Apple's all-white approach to earbuds, the Buds Live may exist worth a look for their sleek and vibrant colors lonely.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: Pattern and comfort
It's been said effectually the internet for ages now, only the Galaxy Buds Live truly practise expect like a pair of beans. However, that doesn't mean they're not sleek and stylish in their own correct. The Buds Live take a unique bend to them that allows them to fit surprisingly well in my ears (more on that later), and I like that their blueprint sits flush with my ears and doesn't dangle out of them like my AirPods do.
As with previous Samsung earbuds, the Buds Live also stand out from the AirPods and AirPods Pro thank you to the fact that they actually come in multiple colors. While our review unit of measurement came in an Apple-like white, you can also become the Buds Live in a gorgeous Mystic Bronze, Mystic Blackness or Mystic Blood-red.
The Buds Live'south curved-square charging case is i of the bigger ones I've used, standing taller than the AirPods case though not every bit wide as the Galaxy Buds Plus' pill-shaped container. Still, I prefer this case to the one that Samsung'south previous earbuds shipped with, as I found it much easier to detect a secure magnetic seal when storing the Buds Live. I too didn't notice any major scuffs or scratches after carrying the buds in my pockets for several days.
Despite their anarchistic design, the Galaxy Buds Live are some of the nearly comfortable wireless earbuds I've ever worn.
Despite their unconventional pattern, the Galaxy Buds Live are some of the most comfortable wireless earbuds I've e'er worn. The headphones nestled snugly into my ears without much adjustment, and their 0.2-ounce design is so light and comfortable that I occasionally forgot I was fifty-fifty wearing them at all. The Buds Live provided a good fit for me out of the box, but Samsung does include an additional fix of fly tips for those who want more cushion.
The Galaxy Buds Live'south snug fit does have ane minor drawback, as I had a somewhat hard time pulling them out of my ears. It'south not a dealbreaker, only taking them out isn't quite every bit effortless equally removing my AirPods is.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: App and features
The Buds Alive can be customized through Samsung's Galaxy Wearable app on Android or Galaxy Buds app on iOS, which offer similar functionality save for a few Samsung-exclusive features.
The app allows y'all to toggle active dissonance cancelling, use Observe My Earbuds to track down a lost bud, and customize long-press controls for each earbud. You tin besides switch between six audio presets, including Normal, Bass boost, Soft, Dynamic, Clear and Treble boost. Each audio mode did a decent job highlighting different frequencies (particularly the bass and treble settings), just I found the default setting to provide the all-time overall audio quality.
Equally an iOS user, I appreciate that yous tin enjoy these customization options without needing a Samsung phone (by comparison, the Pixel Buds 2'south key software features are express to Android). I as well had no problems pairing the Buds Live to my personal iPhone 8 Plus via my Bluetooth settings, though our Galaxy Note ten Plus unit recognized the earbuds even more quickly.
The Milky way Clothing app does offer several exclusive perks if y'all own a Galaxy device. That includes hands-free Bixby control, assuasive you to employ Samsung's voice banana to check the weather or play a song without ever taking your telephone out of your pocket. There'south likewise a gaming mode, which aims to minimize audio latency when playing gamesm as well as an choice to have your notifications read aloud to you.
Samsung Milky way Buds Live review: Active dissonance counterfoil
The Galaxy Buds Alive technically offering active dissonance cancellation, simply information technology's a much unlike experience than what you'll get on more premium buds like the Sony WF-1000XM3 and AirPods Pro. Dubbed "ANC for open blazon," the Buds Live'due south implementation of noise-cancellation is meant to drown out small-scale background noises while still assuasive you to hear important sounds such as train announcements or nearby vehicles.
Even with that in heed, the Buds Live'due south ANC consequence is extremely subtle. The buds were able to slightly lower the faint hiss of my air conditioner as I plugged away at work. Just when I moved outside, the buds did next to cypher to reduce the noisy construction sounds happening nearby, nor did it dampen the sounds of distant cars driving around. Past comparing, the AirPods Pro all but silenced all of that background racket.
The Galaxy Buds Alive did next to cypher to reduce the noisy structure sounds happening nearby, nor did it dampen the sounds of distant cars.
The Galaxy Buds' companion app as well gives you an option to let in more ambient sound to save any feelings of pressure or stiffness you accept while wearing the buds with ANC off. While I definitely noticed a change in frequency and slightly louder ambient noise with this effect on, it wasn't every bit pronounced every bit the dedicated Ambience Aware mode institute on the Galaxy Buds Plus.
The Galaxy Buds Alive's dissonance counterfoil is ideal for eliminating some minor ambient noises and hearing your podcasts a flake more clearly. But if you're trying to block out the heavy noise of a loud household or busy street, you're probably better off springing for the AirPods Pro or WF-1000XM3.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: Bear on controls
Samsung notwithstanding has some work to practice when it comes to getting affect controls right for its earbuds. Whereas I found the Galaxy Buds Plus to be besides sensitive and prone to accidental inputs, the Buds Live tend to have the contrary problem.
Many of my quick tap gestures didn't register at first, until I realized that the buds respond better to a brief firm impact instead. I had a better time controlling the Buds in one case I got used to this quirk, merely I still had occasional moments of the earbuds not registering my gestures, or accidentally responding to a double-tap when I meant to perform a single one.
In terms of controls, you lot can play or pause music with a single tap, skip songs or respond a call with a double tap, or go to a previous rails with a triple tap. Y'all can also choose what happens when you lot long-press the buds, whether you want them to toggle active noise cancellation, summon your virtual assistant of choice, adjust the volume or activate Spotify (Samsung devices just). I found these touch-and-agree controls mostly reliable, although Siri would occasionally cut out before I could enquire a question on iOS.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: Audio quality
Every bit an avid AirPods user, I usually find other wireless earbuds to sound just a scrap off in terms of audio quality. That's not the case with the Galaxy Buds Alive. Packing 12mm speakers and an air vent designed to make music sound more accurate and lively, Samsung's buds provided rich, full audio for any genre I threw at them.
The soft, plucky guitars and blusterous vocals of Phoebe Bridgers' "Chinese Satellite" came through conspicuously on Samsung'southward earbuds, and the rails'due south bass, drums and strings all sounded lively and urgent as the song reached it'due south crashing crescendo. Same goes for Taylor Swift'south "the terminal dandy American dynasty," as the Buds Live did an first-class job preserving the song'south soaring vocals, snappy electronic drums and vibrant keys.
Things sounded only as bright and counterbalanced when I switched gears to the buzzy pop-punk of Knuckle Puck'south "Breathe." The song's chunky power chords bounced against the catchy pb guitar riffs with enough of clarity, and I could easily selection out the track's multiple vocalists as they sang all at in one case. When it came time to rock out to the synth-infused hardcore of Underoath's "On My Teeth," my ears were blasted with huge distorted guitars, guttural vocals and beefy drums and bass that all came through without any muddiness.
I found the Buds Live to be a notable pace up from the cheaper Galaxy Buds Plus in terms of audio quality, as the latter earbuds offer thinner overall sound that'due south much skimpier on bass. I also found them to be very comparable to Apple's base AirPods in terms of fullness and overall volume.
Samsung Milky way Buds Live review: Battery life
The Galaxy Buds Live are rated for pretty solid battery life, and agree up well in real-earth use. Samsung promises upwardly to 8 hours from the buds and 29 hours with the example with ANC and Bixby voice wake-up off, 6 hours and 21 hours with just ANC on, and 5.5 hours and 20 hours with both ANC and Bixby wake-upwards activated.
The Milky way Buds Live lasted almost 2 directly days of heavy utilize on a charge.
Those numbers are largely in line with my personal testing, equally the Buds Live lasted nearly 2 straight days of heavy use without me needing to charge the case, and that was with a mix of having ANC on and off. It still doesn't lucifer up to the ballsy xi-60 minutes battery life you lot'll get from the Galaxy Buds Plus, but information technology does have a slight edge on the four.5 to 5 hours we got from the AirPods Pro.
Samsung Milky way Buds Live review: Call quality
The Galaxy Buds Live sport a triple microphone assortment built for clear calls, though I had mixed results when using the earbuds to talk to people. While on a Discord group telephone call with several colleagues, most people noted that I sounded decently clear, but that I was only slightly muted. Withal, on a dissever telephone phone call, a friend noted that I sounded very far away and hard to hear — even every bit I moved from a noisy street to indoors.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live vs Galaxy Buds Plus
The Milky way Buds Live are $30 more than the $110 Galaxy Buds Plus, and there are some notable differences between the ii if you're looking to make a determination. The Buds Alive's key feature is active noise cancellation, which, as nosotros mentioned earlier, doesn't do a great chore blocking out much noise. Meanwhile, the Buds Plus get you a handy ambient noise feature that reliably lets ambient sound in to let you better hear the outside earth.
Based on our testing, the Buds Alive are the better sounding and looking buds, while the Buds Plus offer a pretty solid value. Read our Samsung Milky way Buds Live vs. Milky way Buds Plus confront-off for a full breakup of how these two earbuds stack up.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review: Verdict
Samsung has delivered yet another impressive set of wireless earbuds with the Galaxy Buds Live, which offer slap-up overall sound quality, strong bombardment life and lots of handy features within a uniquely comfortable design. The earbuds offer a nice amount of customization options via Samsung's companion app, and Galaxy-exclusive features such as hands-free Bixby command and a gaming manner are a nice touch.
All the same, if y'all're coming to the Buds Live expecting truthful wireless, noise-cancelling earbuds for a low price, you may want to consider some other options. While Samsung'south buds volition filter out some ambiance while yous're listening to podcasts, you're ameliorate off springing for the Sony WF-1000XM3 or AirPods Pro if you want earbuds that tin can truly block out any noisy surroundings during work or play. The Galaxy Buds Pro's ANC also performs better, if still imperfectly.
If you don't mind sacrificing some sound quality, the Milky way Buds Plus are cheaper and offering a unique ambient sound mode for letting in outside noises. Information technology'due south as well worth considering the Jabra Elite Active 75t, our pinnacle pick of the best Apple AirPods alternatives, and which have been updated post-launch to offer ANC.
Even so, the Galaxy Buds Alive stand for a qualified success. While they're held back by a few quirks, the Galaxy Buds Alive are an impressive pair of wireless earbuds that brand a smashing alternative to Apple tree's base AirPods and Google's Pixel Buds 2 for those with Galaxy phones. Just don't expect immersive noise-cancelling for the toll.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-buds-live
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