Samsung Galaxy Buds+ is the ‘2-way Dynamic Driver’ update to warmly-received the Galaxy Buds. In exchange for your thirty extra quid you get a much better standalone battery and the aforementioned two-way driver. On paper, that’s probably worth it. In practice, that extra battery life alone justifies the difference. The fancy dual-driver setup also promises a more rounded and rich sound but does it live up to that promise?
A Tiny Tech Treasure
Our glossy black review model certainly looks the part. The clamshell case is clean with little in the way of superfluous detailing beyond the Samsung logo on the lid. The unit looks like a tiny treasure chest that a Lego cyber-pirate set would come with – but in a good way.
The buds emerge quite some distance out of my ears, making me look like a copyright-friendly Frankenstein’s monster knock-off. Most other people will not have that problem so I won’t deduct marks.
Aggressive Attachment
Far from borrowing the form factor of Apple’s OG Airpods, Samsung have carved their own design. Sealing into the ear canal with silicone then attaching itself to your inner pinna like it actually wants to be there rather than dangling precariously from your earhole.
Samsung offer two outer fixture solutions – what they call ‘wingtips’ and a plain outer silicone ring. There are two sets of wingtip sizes and the set also comes with three sizes of inner earpiece. The effort that has gone in to sealing the set in your ears is commendable but quite a few of you will still fail to find the perfect seal.
Usability Über Alles
Along with a tight fit comes a mostly pleasant user experience though there is one area that I feel needs addressing. The touch pad on each ear is inconsistent in their operation – sometime registering light accidental touches and failing to register definite taps. I found myself unseating the buds when trying to activate the pads at times, tapping heavily to get a response.
This inconsistency was disappointing as there is a wide range of features that can be mapped to the touch pads. For instance, you can open Spotify, adjust volume, bother Google, open ambient sound channel etc..
The support for different touches and taps is a very good concept indeed. But triple taps and tap’n’hold just aren’t viable with such an unreliable response to touch.
The battery life and quick charging ability lend great convenience to Samsung Galaxy Buds+. The 11-hour endurance of the earpieces alone is amazing while the 22 hours total life is up there with other devices of this size.
Fully charging the device via USB Type-C takes just over an hour. A swift ten minutes of charging from flat will give you three hours of playback. For a frequent commuter, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will last 2-3 days and with quick-charging the pair are perfectly practical.
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ can be charged wirelessly via Qi-enabled chargers. It’s also worth noting that reverse-charging smartphones will also charge the Buds+ in a pinch. The dedication to adding as many charging options as possible warrants praise – you just can’t blame the Buds+ if they run out of juice.
Another useful feature is ‘find my earbuds’. When prompted the lost bud or buds chirp, getting louder as you look.
Samsung Wear Carries the Tune
There is no specific app for Buds+ but rather a plug-in for Samsung WearOS. The app is straightforward and relatively streamlined but I would have preferred a standalone app.
The equaliser doesn’t have enough in the way of presets and there is no custom EQ setting. Mapping your gestures from the plugin is easy and as mentioned, there is a wide range of options.
A Big, Imprecise Sound
With a perfect seal in-tow, the isolation of Samsung Galaxy Buds+ is excellent and the lack of noise cancellation isn’t much of an issue.
The sound of the Buds+ without any EQ applied is almost flat with a little U-shape. The bass is a little muddy and for bassier songs, the upper registers can become lost in the imprecise groove.
That being said, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ succeed at sounding ‘big’ for earphones. The 2-way driver does give bass drums and floor toms an impact that you wouldn’t get with a single unit.
For the golden and silver-eared among you, Buds+ will always sound too far from transparent to be good enough for your Tidal HiFi app or FLAC collection.
The three mics on each earpiece do a fine job of filtering out background noise during calls. Your voice will be loud and relatively clean in most circumstances. However, the mics pick up wind or nearby rustling to a disturbing and sometimes painful degree. In the one area where the ability to hear the outside world is probably most crucial, Buds+ doesn’t perform that well.
A Worthy Upgrade
The stamina and charging speed/options are the standout features on Samsung Galaxy Buds+. Despite some spotty implementation, the overall feature-set only adds the portability and convenience of the device. Despite imperfect sound, the AKG-tuned drivers will please most but would-be audiophiles might be disappointed.
