The concept of a product “ecosystem” just isn’t a brand new one, however few have truly succeeded in constructing a platform that achieves the meant targets. Samsung has been engaged on this for a while, with its Galaxy Buds vary of true wi-fi headphones which might be designed to work higher with the corporate's smartphones and tablets. The most recent within the vary of merchandise is the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional, the successor of the Galaxy Buds Professional headphones that was launched in 2021.
The worth of Rs. 17,999 in India, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional is the corporate's latest and most superior true wi-fi earphone in India. With promised enhancements in lively noise cancellation and sound high quality because of the brand new Samsung Seamless 24-bit Codec, is that this the best companion on your Samsung smartphone? Discover out on this evaluate.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional has lively noise cancellation, and a design that’s extra comfy than that of the Galaxy Buds Professional.
Design and options of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional
Samsung's shade decisions for its product vary have all the time been a bit adventurous, together with for its actually wi-fi headphones. There are presently three shade choices accessible for the Galaxy Buds 2 Professional, chosen to match the corporate's vary of smartphones – white, graphite and bora purple. I actually just like the bora purple variant despatched to me for evaluate, however many could wish to match the colour with that of their smartphone.
By way of design, there are some notable adjustments in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy Buds Professional. The charging case is comparable in form and measurement, however has a nicer matte end, whereas the headphones see some essential design enhancements that make them far more comfy to put on. The match of the Buds 2 Professional stays safe and isolates the suitable noise, serving to the effectiveness of lively noise cancellation.
The headphones are smaller and barely lighter than earlier than, with microphones each inside and outdoors for ANC and voice performance, with a utilization detection sensor inside. The headphones are usefully IPX7 rated for water resistance, and may due to this fact have the ability to deal with important ranges of water publicity. There are three pairs of silicone ideas within the field of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional for a customizable match, together with a USB Sort-C to Sort-C cable for charging.
There are contact controls on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional which might be customizable by way of the companion app, and may even be turned off fully if wanted. You may management playback, lively noise cancellation and transparency mode, and reply or decline calls by way of the standard contact controls, however an experimental “Labs” characteristic within the app additionally permits you to management the quantity with two faucets fold the sting of the headset.
Some extra options of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional embody 360 Audio with head monitoring (for a virtualized encompass sound impact), fast pop-up pairing with Samsung units, a voice detection operate that reduces quantity and prompts transparency when the consumer's audio system, and help for the Samsung SmartThings app and the system to find the headset, just like Apple's Discover My app. The Bixby voice assistant can be supported within the headset natively, however there is no such thing as a solution to invoke some other voice assistants instantly from the headset.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional app and specs
Samsung's app expertise for the Galaxy Buds 2 Professional is a bit complicated, and all of it is dependent upon the supply system you're utilizing the headphones with. On a Samsung system, I needed to set up the Galaxy Wearable app, whereas on a non-Samsung system, I additionally needed to set up the Galaxy Buds 2 Professional Supervisor app, which then enabled the headphones for use from the Galaxy Wearable app.
As soon as carried out, the app expertise was the identical no matter whether or not I used to be utilizing a Samsung smartphone or one other Android smartphone. Sadly, there is no such thing as a companion app for iOS, however you may nonetheless use the headset with an iPhone because of the common Bluetooth connection.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Professional works finest you probably have a Samsung smartphone to make use of
The app provides a graphical view of the headset's battery degree and charging case on the high, with a big part devoted to switching between ANC and ambient sound modes, just under. Different options that may be modified and customised are voice detection, 360 audio and contact controls. A menu referred to as “Earbuds settings” permits you to additional management issues just like the equalizer, Bixby, in-ear detection for calls and firmware updates. It’s also possible to add a widget to shortly change between ANC and transparency modes on the house display.
Notably, there is no such thing as a in-ear detection toggle for playback. Eradicating each earbuds robotically pauses the music, however this doesn't work in the event you take away only one earbud, as with many different headphones. The ANC robotically turns off if you take away even a single earbud, so the flaw right here can probably be mounted with a software program replace, because the {hardware} is already in place and dealing nicely.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional makes use of Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity, with SBC, AAC and SSC HiFi 24-bit Bluetooth codecs supported. The usage of Bluetooth 5.3 additionally means that the Bluetooth LE Audio codec may very well be supported in the end. It’s price noting right here that the SSC Hello Fi codec is identical because the Scalable codec (and in addition displays as such on a Samsung smartphone), with the notable distinction being a rise in bits per pattern, from 16 -bit to 24-bit. .
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional efficiency and battery life
Samsung's “ecosystem” recreation is a bit totally different from Apple's, primarily due to the Bluetooth codec in use. This naturally makes it tempting to make use of the headset with a appropriate Samsung smartphone or pill, with the Scalable codec unlocking higher sound high quality. With the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional, Samsung has gone a step additional with its codec, promising higher audio high quality than even competing choices like LDAC and Qualcomm aptX.
Though it’s referred to as “Samsung Seamless Hello-Fi Codec”, you’ll nonetheless see “Scalable” because the codec operating on the system itself (requires OneUI 4.0 or increased). Nevertheless, issues are a bit totally different, because the bits per pattern and pattern price are recorded at 24 bits and 48kHz respectively, up from 16-bit and 44.1kHz as seen on earlier Samsung wi-fi headphones, comparable to and the Galaxy Buds 2. have a noticeable impact on sound high quality, with the general sound coming throughout as barely extra detailed and tonally correct than competing choices from Sony and Sennheiser.
Listening to Mylo's membership basic Drop The Stress, there was a way of sharpness and assault within the sound that was refreshing to listen to. The tonality of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional was spectacular, particularly when the very auto-tuned and progressively rhythmic voice got here on. General, this made this nearly orchestral synthesized monitor and carried out dwell – a relatively good sounding signature and tone to have.
The true wi-fi earphones Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional are loud, and elevating the quantity to about 70 % with the fitting codec in operation made for an immersive and fantastically detailed sound. With Netsky's Go 2, the melody and thump within the bass appeared to reverberate and pulse by way of, all whereas steadily constructing depth and drive because the tempo of the monitor elevated.
Sound high quality and ANC efficiency are glorious on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional, underneath the fitting circumstances
The sonic signature of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional has a great bump within the lows and highs, whereas the midrange solely sees a slight drop. This creates a sound that usually goes nicely with the preferred genres, and the codec capabilities and driver tuning assist the Galaxy Buds 2 Professional hold tempo with the quickest and busiest of tracks.
With non-Samsung units (I examined with an iPhone and a OnePlus smartphone), the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional makes use of the Bluetooth AAC codec. Whereas the sound was nonetheless fairly first rate, there was an audible distinction within the degree of element and tonality. This places the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional at a big drawback in the event you don't have a appropriate Samsung smartphone to make use of.
Energetic noise cancellation on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional is superb, and largely on par with equally priced choices within the actually wi-fi section. The headset provides important noise discount each indoors and open air, and is especially efficient in opposition to wind noise and the hum typical of the city open air. There isn’t a customization or adaptive management for the ANC although; it’s both in its full setting or off.
The ambient sound mode was additionally efficient, providing a reasonably pure sense of hear-through that was nearly on par with not having the headphones on in any respect. There was not an excessive amount of sound amplification that made it comfy to make use of the mode even for lengthy stretches, but it surely didn’t sound as pure as that of the Apple AirPods Professional (2nd Gen).
Battery life on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional is claimed to be 5 hours per cost with ANC enabled, and I used to be capable of match this determine in my check. The charging case added nearly three extra full fees, for a complete battery lifetime of about 18-19 hours per cost cycle. This isn’t distinctive in comparison with the competing choices, however it’s fairly first rate given the capabilities of the headset when it comes to Bluetooth codec and ANC high quality. It’s sooner to cost the case by way of the USB Sort-C port, whereas Qi wi-fi charging can be current.
Verdict
You probably have a Samsung smartphone (or plan to purchase one quickly) and are searching for true premium wi-fi headphones, the choice is kind of easy – purchase the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional. The advantages of the ecosystem are actually evident right here, with specific emphasis on sound high quality because of the 24-bit Hello-Fi codec. Add to that the excellent lively noise cancellation, together with a good and cozy design, makes this a fairly full pair of headphones.
In case you don't have a Samsung smartphone, you'll wish to look elsewhere. Samsung's newest true wi-fi headphones, whereas glorious, aren't fairly as system agnostic as competing merchandise from Sony and Sennheiser. As well as, it may be price contemplating the extra inexpensive Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 (however nearly pretty much as good).
