In the last 12 months, Samsung has unleashed the Buds Live, the Buds Pro and now the Buds 2. What makes this line interesting is that each of these products is priced differently and suits different use case scenarios. For instance, the Buds Live remains my favourite pair of buds for active use – whether it’s a run or an intense workout, these buds don’t fall of easily thanks to their unique jellybean design. The Buds Pro is easily Samsung’s best option for folks who take their music seriously. The Buds2 might just end up being the popular choice. It’s not just the price tag but it’s a bunch of things that seem to come together well.
The first thing that impressed us with these buds is the size. These buds are more compact and feel lighter in your ears than the Buds Pro. A quick look at the spec sheet confirms this; each of these buds weighs just 5 gm (versus 6.3 gm for the Pro). We also like the play of colours – all four colours feature a white case on the outside that is contrasted by the colour of the buds and the inside of the case. We tried out the sedate graphite colour option, this contrast plays out particularly well in the olive and lavender colour options. The lightweight form also makes them more comfortable to wear for longer hours.
I rarely have my earbuds plugged in for more than a couple of hours at a stretch but kept them on for more than five hours to test Samsung’s battery life claims. These buds exceeded the five-hour claim by Samsung by a few minutes even with ANC (Active noise cancellation) on. Samsung pegs the total battery life at about 20 hours (including the case) that’s par for the course in this segment.
Staying with ANC, these buds do a decent job of filtering external sounds out. However, I found the Buds Pro did a better job of isolating me from the loud music in my gym during my workout compared to these buds. You get a choice of three ambient sound modes (low, medium and high) that allow you to control the balance between ambient sound and ANC. While these buds pair effortlessly across all smartphones, you get more controls and menu options when you pair it with Android devices. It’s akin to using AirPods with Apple and Android devices.
It’s the same thing with sound quality too. The heavier Buds Pro did a better job across a wide range of genres in my playlist – the details were more pronounced; the bass was definitely punchier. The Buds2 is no slouch in the audio department. It delivered on the bass front when I was flitting between Iron Maiden’s Stratego, and Hans Zimmer’s brilliant soundtrack for No Time to Die. The Buds2 also handle calls well; I tried these buds in three different scenarios – from a busy street, a gym with background music and from a quiet room. My callers could hear me quite clearly. I also used the Buds as a microphone to shoot a video in an external environment and it did a reasonable job.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds2 are a blend of some of the best features from the last few True Wireless Earbuds the brand has launched. They are not as formidable in the sound or ANC department as the Buds Pro that has seen a recent price drop in India. Go for these buds (instead of the Pro) if a lightweight form factor is your biggest purchase driver.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 come in four colours – olive, lavender, graphite and white. They are priced at Rs 11,999. Samsung has multiple cashback and promotional offers on the Buds2.
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