Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Just A Few Steps From Perfect

Samsung made sure that the Galaxy S21 series wasn¡¯t the only one that saw the light of the day at its launch event earlier this year. Alongside the premium Android devices, the South Korean tech major enthralled on-the-go music lovers with a new version of its TWS earbuds - Galaxy Buds Pro.

For those unaware, the Galaxy Buds Pro come as a step up to the Galaxy Buds+, bringing Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to the in-ear headphones by the company for the first time. That, however, is not the only highlight that the new premium headphones boast of. In fact, the new Galaxy Buds Pro have so much to offer that there finally seems to be a worthy contender to the AirPods Pro in the Android ecosystem.

Having spent a considerable amount of time with the premium headphones, we experienced these features that set the Galaxy Buds Pro apart. These features are also the reason why the headphones come with a near-Rs 16,000 price tag. Justified or not, that is for you to decide. For now, let us just show you what the new best-in-class Android in-ear headphones can do.

Design

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Image: Sarthak Dogra/ Indiatimes)

To match any of the Galaxy S21 series smartphones, Samsung has made sure that the Galaxy Buds Pro come in a stunning design. The earphones come in a rounded-square box with a hinge on one side and are available in three colours - Silver, Violet and Black. While all of them look appealing, Violet seems to be the stuff of dreams. Just pair it with a Phantom Violet Galaxy S21+ (as shown in the image above) and you will know what we are talking about

Now even though looks and design are very subjective topics in most of the cases, it is easy to see the beauty of the Galaxy Buds Pro when put to comparison. The nearest thing for Apple users is the AirPods Pro and everyone remembers the ridicule the company received for their Bellsprout-like design. Case in point - visual appeal, my friend, is no easy task to master.

While the Galaxy Buds Pro do look good both in case or in your ears, they do not have the perfect design to fit inside your ears. Several of us who tried could not fit the headphones in easily. Even those who did could not keep them on for long. At times they would fall off, at others, they would start becoming uncomfortable for prolonged use.

In fact this is the only major drawback of the Galaxy Buds Pro which, incidentally, turns out to be a purely design issue. Out of a total of seven people who tried them on, two could wear them comfortably. Yours truly is one of them and personally, I did not have any issue keeping them on, even while riding a bike or out for a jog.

For those open to taking a chance, three sizes of rubber tips can help adjust as per the size requirement.

In-ear Carnival

Once worn is when you realise the true power of the Galaxy Buds Pro. To start with, we just put on some music and that is when the words sprawled across the box ¡®Sound by AKG¡¯ started to make sense. Samsung has an expertise in audio experiences and Galaxy Buds Pro are its shining example.

To describe the experience, Galaxy Buds Pro are loud, crisp and deliver a crystal clear sound with high-definition audios - to the point that you will hear everything that goes on in the background of whatever it is you listen to. Try to watch a movie and you are bound to notice the rustling of leaves, droplets of water falling on the ground and any distant sound that your regular speakers/ headphones will miss. It is, in every way, a mesmerizing experience.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Image: Sarthak Dogra/ Indiatimes)

Music lovers are destined to feel the same. Put on a dance number like No Guidance and nothing will stop you from breaking out those Chris Brown moves, irrespective of where you are.

All this is done through 2-way speakers on the earbuds with an 11mm woofer and a 6.5mm tweeter. In addition, the earbuds get vents on top that remove the echo from any sound through the earphones.

Premium Features

Galaxy Buds Pro come with three noise control options that reflect the technical expertise ensued by Samsung. The normal mode wherein all options are off, the Active Noise Cancellation to drown out the surrounding noise and the Ambient Sound to bring in everything going on around you to your notice.

The two options further carry levels of experience that you want. Active Noise Cancelling levels, for instance, can be switched to low or high, while the Ambient Sound offers a total of four levels to choose from.

Needless to say, Active Noise Cancelling is the most sought out feature in the Galaxy Buds Pro. I have used them in the busiest of setups you can find in the pandemic-stricken world and I can assure you that they are able to drown the loudest of noise around you. NOTE: Make sure to be careful when using the feature in public.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Image: Sarthak Dogra/ Indiatimes)

Though you can say that the ANC is nothing new in terms of experience as an argument can be made for other in-ear headphones delivering an at par experience in this regard. The highlight on the Galaxy Buds Pro then turns out to be their Ambient Sound feature.

The feature works bang opposite to ANC and captures every sound around you, even making it louder for you to hear. Couple this to an option of ¡®Voice Detect¡¯ (that detects any voice directed to you or made by you) and the Ambient Sound will let you listen to others and hold conversations easily even while wearing the Galaxy Buds Pro. This is the one feature that was missing from a perfect in-ear headphones experience and is a straight up blockbuster for those who stay plugged in through the day. You will, however, have to switch the Voice Detect off if you have a habit of singing along with your songs.

Lightning-fast Connectivity

All these features bring us to our next point, how to enable/ disable them. The Galaxy Buds Pro can be paired to any smartphone through Bluetooth. For the options, however, you will have to use the Galaxy Wearable app that gives you a lowdown of all the features you can access on your headphones.

Through the app, you can choose the actions to be performed on each touch to the Galaxy Buds Pro from a preset list. There is even an option of ¡®Find My Earbuds¡¯ which makes the earbuds tweet in an incremental tone to help you find your earbuds.

Once paired to a smartphone, Galaxy Buds Pro are lightning fast to reconnect to it whenever taken out of the box. There is no lag whatsoever in connectivity as well as music playback as well as voice calls.

Ample Battery

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro deliver an excellent battery backup for a day¡¯s use. The battery backup obviously sees a dip with the ANC switched on but is still enough to get you through the day.

This day¡¯s backup includes charging of the buds through their case but no external charging. The case itself is backed by a 472mAh battery. Additionally, each of the buds carry a 61mAh battery backup. The charging options further enhance this experience, with the case supporting both Qi wireless and USB-C charging. The latter is able to top the case and the buds in around an hour while the wireless charging takes a bit longer.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Image: Sarthak Dogra/ Indiatimes)

The Galaxy Buds Pro check all the right boxes when it comes to an in-ear headphones experience. They deliver an absolutely majestic musical experience with a near-perfect noise cancellation. They allow you ease of use like never before with super fast connectivity and features like ambient sound to keep you in your conversations. And they promise an ample battery backup to make this experience practically endless. All the other features are bells and whistles that you would never expect before using them yourself.

One thing that you might want to ensure is a perfect fit for you before you spend your money on the Galaxy Buds Pro. Once you are sure that they fit you perfectly and do not slip off or are uncomfortable, feel yourself lucky and go for them.