Next to its foldable smartphones: after the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung launched its new flagship headphones - Galaxy Buds 2 Pro - in which it focused on improving the sound and a more comfortable appearance.
In their appearance, the headphones are similar to last year's Buds Pro, but they include changes.
First of all, the previous generation focused on a glossy look, which gave them too much prominence in the ears, when this time Samsung turned the look into matte, with the headphones coming in black, white and oval colors (the carrying case comes in a matching color).
Similar appearance but different
The new headphones also underwent a slight diet, in which Samsung reduced their size by 15%.
In our opinion, they sit better in the ears, and the most significant part of them is the silicone adapters.
While in the previous generation the adapters got stuck in the ears, because their closure was not strong enough, here this is solved.
The adapters in the new generation sat firmly and did not move during the test.
You can look for them at home without a problem.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro headphones, photo: Tzachi Hoffman
In terms of water protection, Samsung has chosen the IPX7 standard here, which means that the headphones will survive sweat, rain and immersion in water up to a depth of one meter for 30 minutes.
However, their carrying case is not protected against water.
The headphones are operated using the touch surfaces.
This ability works the same in the right and left earphones: a single touch - start/pause the tune;
Double touch - activation of the next track;
Three touches - activation of the previous track.
While these actions cannot be changed through the app, the long press can be configured differently between the right and left earphones.
For example, switching between active noise filtering (ANC) and transparency mode, activation of the Bixby voice assistant, volume control or activation of Spotify.
The Buds 2 Pro also know how to recognize speech, so in case you hear music and want to talk to someone, the music is turned down automatically - and they go into transparency mode.
5 to 15 seconds after you finish talking, the headphones return to normal mode.
Apart from that, the headphones also have a sensor that detects their removal from the ears, so the music stops automatically.
The music returns when you put them back in your ears.
High quality audio
Another option added by Samsung is required for the owners of its televisions, who will now be able to connect simultaneously to the big screen and the smartphone, a connection that the headphones know how to make automatically between the audio of the television and that of the phone, for example when a call comes into the device.
Samsung's Galaxy Wearable application offers additional capabilities, apart from version updates and adjusting the operation buttons, including checking if the silicon adapters used provide good insulation.
For this purpose, the application performs a sound test.
It also allows you to locate the headphones using a location on the map or playing a sound, which helps to search for them at home.
It's a nice feature in the app, which is a reminder to stretch your neck when the headphones detect a downward head tilt for 10 minutes.
Anyone who owns a Samsung watch knows that in the last two generations there is an option to display an indication of the headphones and operate them directly from the wrist.
For example, switching between ANC and transparency mode and indicating the battery status.
The Buds 2 Pro support the latest Bluetooth 5.3 communication, where the connection of the headphones to the smartphone is made almost instantly.
The headphones have a pair of drivers: a 10 mm woofer and a 5.3 mm tweeter.
They support 24-bit sound, compared to 16-bit in the previous generation, which makes it possible to provide better detail of the sounds.
Samsung is using code it has developed here.
In order to enjoy 24-bit sound, you need a Samsung smartphone with the One UI 4.0 interface and a streaming service that supports high-quality audio, such as Deezer or Apple Music (not currently Spotify is irrelevant).
Not everything is fascinating.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro headphones, photo: PR
Compared to the Buds Pro, the new headphones allow you to feel a significant improvement in the bass, its depth and the fact that the treble is not too dominant and allows you to enjoy a cleaner sound.
You can say that in the new generation, the sound is warmer and generally much better.
In terms of the ANC, Samsung says that it has improved it by 40% - and the new noise filtering is indeed very noticeable.
The headphones also include a 360-degree sound option, which offers sound that surrounds the user from all directions.
It's nice to be able to move your head and hear the sounds coming from behind or from the sides, but for now it's not enough of anything fascinating beyond that.
a muffled voice
In terms of phone calls, Samsung said that the Beamforming technology that it uses, makes it possible to better recognize the voice of the interlocutor even with background noise.
In the tests we performed, the Buds 2 provided successful speech quality, and we were almost able to eliminate the background noise from the headphones.
What's more, when the background noises are loud, our voice became muffled.
It is important to note that the average actual time of the headphones is 5 hours of playback with ANC, and a total of 18 hours with the carrying case.
There is wireless charging here, and of course also wired charging via a USB-C cable.
Price:
700 shekels
Bottom line, the Buds 2 Pro continue to be successful headphones.
This time Samsung managed to improve its sound, the design is much more comfortable and the call quality is good.
It is worth noting that some of the capabilities, such as the 24-bit, require the use of a Samsung smartphone, so it is worth knowing in advance that, like Apple's AirPods, Samsung's headphones are more suitable for the company's users.
Posted on The Gadget Reviews website
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