One particular moment stands out to me when thinking back on my time with the Samsung Galaxy Buds2.
I’d just left a Darlinghurst dinner and was walking a few blocks through the rain-drenched city back to my car. I took the Buds2 out of their case, placed them in my ears, and hit shuffle on a Spotify playlist. Wolf Alice’s excellent “Lipstick On The Glass” began to play, and I was instantly taken aback by how present the music felt. The opening guitar chords were front-and-centre in a way I wasn’t expecting for true wireless earbuds of the Galaxy Buds2’s size and price. The sound was full, rich and warm.
That ten minute walk to my car turned from a mundane trip from A to B into an experience to be remembered. The city lights reflecting off the saturated roads as I walked, lost in the shimmering guitars and Ellie Rowsell’s captivating falsetto. The music from the Buds2 was so crystal clear, so present in the moment, so separate from the ambient noise of the city, that it felt non-diegetic; like my life was a movie and “Lipstick On The Glass” was added in post as the soundtrack.
A large part of this is thanks to the Buds2’s active noise cancelling (ANC); a feature highly uncommon at the $219 RRP price point the Buds2 slot into. When ANC is switched on in the Galaxy Wearable companion app, the Buds2 use their microphones to detect ambient noise, then create sound at the exact frequencies to cancel out that noise.
Watch Galaxy Buds2: Immerse into your world | Samsung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf4GdVdDDgA&ab_channel=Samsung
The result isn’t perfect – even on the higher of the two ANC strength levels the little buds can only do so much to combat the sounds of a bustling city – but it does make a noticeable difference in quieting the outside world and bringing your music and podcasts to the forefront of your listening experience.
Of course there are times when you do need to hear the outside world, and the Buds2 cater to this need as well with an ambient sound mode – using the inbuilt microphones to amplify outside noises instead of combating them. The feature works great, making it easy to hold conversations without needing to bother removing the buds from your ears.
That case is another strong suit of the Galaxy Buds2, being small enough to easily fit in a pocket or purse whilst having an incredibly sturdy and premium feel. It’s clear Samsung took the time to make the Buds2 feel like a premium product. The hinge action of the case feels like that of a high-end jewellery box, opening and closing with a soft yet satisfying snap. It’s a build quality that’s impressive for any price range.
Another impressive aspect of the Buds2 is how comfortable they sit in the ear. When first getting my hands on them I was skeptical of how well they’d stay in my ears, they’re so small and stylish that it looked as if Samsung had prioritised form over function. However, the fit of the Buds2 is some of the best I’ve experienced from true wireless earbuds, being incredibly comfortable and yet staying in my ears perfectly.
Watch Galaxy Buds2 with Future | Samsung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrBvR6tz-1A&ab_channel=SamsungUS
The Galaxy Buds2 offer 5 hours of listening with ANC on, 8 hours with ANC off, and an additional 12 hours of listening time from the charging case, with the case being rechargable by either USB-C or wireless charging.
The wireless charging is a fantastic feature and another rarity at the Bud2’s price point. Being able to set the Buds2 case down on a wireless charging pad (or even a Samsung Galaxy phone with powershare) to charge, rather than fumbling with cables, makes the Buds2 much easier to live with than competing buds lacking the feature.
It’s this combination of factors that make the Buds2 such a compelling purchase prospect. The sound quality, build quality, feature list, comfort, and ease of use are unlike any audio device I’ve encountered at this price point.
After returning my review units of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 I found myself once again walking to my car, this time missing that feeling of having the music I loved front-and-centre for my journey. In that moment I stopped, turned, and went into a nearby retailer to buy a pair of my own, which is perhaps the most ringing endorsement I can give.
