Galaxy Buds Pro vs Galaxy Buds 2 Review

In a world where sound quality meets seamless connectivity, enter the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy Buds 2.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro was introduced alongside the Galaxy S21 series, representing a significant upgrade in Samsung's lineup of true wireless earbuds. Later there was the release of the Galaxy Buds 2, it's time to see how these two models compare.

Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2. Shot by Robert Nyinge.

Design and Comfort

Both the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Buds 2 feature a sleek, modern design. The Buds Pro's case is squarish with a hinge on one side, reminiscent of the Galaxy Buds Live, and comes in Phantom Silver, Violet, and Black. The Buds 2 case, however, is a more compact and lightweight design with a rounded case available in Graphite, White, Olive, and Lavender.

Galaxy Buds Pro

The Buds Pro come with three sizes of rubber tips but lacks additional wingtips, which can affect comfort for some users. The Buds 2 addresses this by offering enhanced ergonomic design and improved fit, making them more comfortable for prolonged use.

Galaxy Buds 2

First Use

Both the Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2 are set with the Galaxy Wearable app. Upon the first setup, the Wearable app scans the firmware updates for the buds. The Wearable app automatically downloads on Samsung devices, while on other Android devices, it diverts you the the Google Play Store.

The first setup process for Galaxy Buds Pro

The first setup process for Galaxy Buds 2

Sound and ANC Performance:

Once fitted securely, the Galaxy Buds Pro excels in performance. They feature two levels of ANC: low and high. The high setting is perfect for noisy environments, while the low setting isolates lower-frequency noises. The Galaxy Buds 2 also includes ANC but with a single adjustable level, providing good noise reduction though slightly less customizable than the Buds Pro.

In terms of sound quality, the Buds Pro are superior. They are equipped with two-way speakers—an 11mm woofer for rich bass and a 6.5mm tweeter for clear treble. This results in crisp, detailed audio, making them Samsung's best-sounding earbuds to date. The Buds 2, while still impressive, features a single dynamic driver that delivers balanced sound but lacks the depth and detail found in the Pro model.

At least both Galaxy buds have better ambience sound for transparency hearing when it detects noisy environments and switches back to ANC automatically.

Individual settings and toggles for Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2

Microphone and Connectivity

Each Bud Pro earbud has three microphones—a dual array on the inside for voice recognition and an outward microphone for noise reduction—ensuring clear call quality. The Buds 2 also has three microphones but generally performs slightly less effectively in noisy environments compared to the Buds Pro.

Both earbuds connect via Bluetooth and work best with the Galaxy Wearable app, available on both Google Play and the App Store. A unique feature of the Buds Pro is the ability for Samsung phones with One UI and Android 11 to connect two pairs of Galaxy Buds simultaneously, a feature not available with the Buds 2.

When it came to calls using the Galaxy Buds Pro, I was disappointed to experience that the caller on my end heard nothing but deep muffled sounds, whereas on the Galaxy Buds 2, the call quality was okay. The reason for the muffled sound in the Buds Pro was probably because of its recent update or codec issues.

Connectivity (Galaxy Buds Pro)

• Bluetooth: 5.0
• BT Profile : HFP, A2DP, AVRCP
• Codec: Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC

Connectivity (Galaxy Buds 2)

• Bluetooth: 5.2
• BT Profile : HFP, A2DP, AVRCP
• Codec: Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC

Battery Life and Charging

The Galaxy Buds Pro case has a 472mAh capacity, with each bud holding 61mAh. This setup provides up to 28 hours of playtime with ANC off and 20 hours with ANC on. In our testing, they lasted about 6 hours without ANC and 4 hours with ANC. The Buds 2, with a slightly smaller case and battery, offer up to 29 hours of playtime with ANC off and 20 hours with ANC on, and similar usage times during real-world testing.

Both cases support Qi wireless and USB-C charging. A quick 5-minute charge gives about an hour of playback for both models, with the Pro Buds fully charging in about 60 minutes.

Battery (Galaxy Buds Pro)

• Playtime: 5h / TTL 18h (ANC ON) 8h / TTL 28h (ANC OFF) [*Bixby voice wake-up OFF]
• Talk time: 4h / TTL 14.5h (ANC ON) 5h / TTL 17.5h (ANC OFF)

Quick charging

• 30min play / 3min charging (Wired, Wireless, D2D)
• 60min play / 5min charging (Wired, Wireless, D2D)
• 85min play / 10min charging (Wired, Wireless)

Battery (Galaxy Buds 2)

• Playtime: 5h / TTL 20h (ANC ON)  7.5h / TTL 29h (ANC Off) [*Bixby voice wake-up OFF]
• Talk time: 3.5h / TTL 13h (ANC ON) 3.5h / TTL 14h (ANC Off)

Quick charging

• 40min play / 3min charging (Wired, Wireless, D2D)
• 60min play / 5min charging (Wired, Wireless, D2D)
• 150min play / 10min charging (Wired, Wireless)

Verdict

So, here are my final thoughts about the Galaxy Buds:

PROS

• Good active noise cancellation, Galaxy Buds 2 is better
• Perfect Case Design and comfortable earbuds
• Instant connection with Samsung Galaxy Devices
• Timely firmware updates

CONS

• Limited support for advanced Bluetooth codecs for older Android devices
• Galaxy Buds Pro's Mic is still a bit below standard
• Tuning of equalizer to one's desire in the Wearable app needs skill

The Galaxy Buds Pro excels with its outstanding sound quality, effective noise cancelling, and feature-rich experience, justifying the higher price. The Galaxy Buds 2, while offering excellent value and a more compact design, fall a bit short of the premium performance of the Buds Pro.

The Galaxy Buds Pro are currently priced at KES 11,000 while the Galaxy Buds 2 is priced at KES 9,000.

Thanks to Brian and Ricky for letting me try out the Galaxy Buds. They are currently on sale, check out Computer Mart Kenya and on their X handle @computermart_ke for amazing tech deals.