In relation to premium earbuds, Apple and Samsung are two dominant names within the wi-fi market. Whereas each manufacturers provide supreme efficiency and comfy designs, which set of flagship buds is the very best general? Is it Apple’s second-generation Apple AirPods 2 or the all-new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2? We’ve taken a take a look at every set of buds primarily based on particular standards, together with design, management, and sound and name high quality. Our last verdict is beneath.
For these searching for extra wi-fi earbud choices, try our roundup of the very best true wi-fi earbuds you should buy proper now.
Design
With arduous, plastic eartips and lengthy white stems, the AirPods 2 boast the identical aesthetic because the earlier mannequin of AirPods. In actual fact, in addition to now providing wi-fi charging, little has modified between AirPods and AirPods 2. Whereas the eye-catching design has caught on for some, many nonetheless assume they appear odd protruding from individuals’s ears, and the shortage of silicone eartips or any sort of earfin implies that they don’t keep tremendous cosy in your ears.
Samsung, however, gives a smaller, extra ergonomic in-ear design with its Galaxy Buds 2 that had been lately launched at their Galaxy Unpacked Occasion in August. The headphones include small, medium, and enormous eartips, match snugly inside your ears and even include silicone earfins to make sure they don’t fall out throughout strenuous train. In our full hands-on overview, the Galaxy Buds 2 stayed in our ears for lengthy intervals of time with none sort of discomfort or sweating, even staying put whereas we took an extended snooze. After waking, the Buds nonetheless hadn’t fallen out of our ears.
On this class, there isn’t a competitors. The Galaxy Buds 2 are better-looking, extra snug, and comfortable in all the suitable methods.
Winner: Galaxy Buds 2
Management choices
Each Apple and Samsung wi-fi buds use pretty seamless tap-based controls for quite a lot of capabilities, together with play/pause, name answering, and digital assistants.
In Apple’s case, the precise faucets are delivered to the bud stems. Default tapping of your stems will allow you to both play audio or skip a monitor. By logging into your AirPods settings (solely obtainable via iOS), customers are in a position to re-assign every bud’s double-tap instructions, with choices for play/pause, monitor skipping, earlier monitor, and Siri. Talking of Siri, followers of Apple’s voice assistant can be glad to know now you can wake Siri by simply saying “Hey Siri” as a substitute of tapping to wake. It is a good operate to have for these trying to assign different non-assistant instructions to the stems. When it comes to responsiveness, the stems themselves work fairly reliably as command triggers, however we suggest tapping evenly — too agency and the bud can come free out of your ear.
Out of the field, the Galaxy Buds 2 provide a bit extra when it comes to management, however a stem-less design means you’ll be tapping the skin of the buds which are in your ears. Usually, this wouldn’t be such a giant deal, however in relation to sensitivity, the Buds 2 are a bit too delicate. Even the lightest of touches when attempting to regulate will set off an unintended play/pause command or ANC (energetic noise canceling) change. Fortunately, you may flip off the contact sensor with the Galaxy Put on app, however you’ll lose these contact options altogether, and yoou’ll have to launch the app to show them again on.
Stepping into the precise faucet instructions, single, double, and triple faucets all carry out totally different capabilities, together with play/pause, name answering, and voice assistant cueing. A hidden gem for Samsung is the inclusion of an assignable “fourth” command (solely obtainable via Android). As an alternative of sequential faucets, customers can lengthy faucet to entry both voice instructions, fast ambient sound (which reduces music quantity so you may hear outdoors sounds), in addition to quantity down.
Total, we discovered Samsung’s controls a bit simpler to make use of and customise, and the extra fourth command was simply sufficient to edge the Galaxy Buds 2 over the much less option-filled AirPods within the management class.
Winner: Galaxy Buds 2
Listening expertise
Apple’s AirPods will allow you to take heed to your favourite music for 5 hours between fees, which remains to be pretty good on the earth of true wi-fi headphones. Along with fast pairing and low video latency, they’re additionally a few of the loudest true wi-fi headphones on the market. Thick bass and vibrant highs are joined by a comparatively flat midrange, with a sound signature that lacks the transparency you may count on from over-ear headphones on this worth vary, however that’s simply passable from compact headphones.
However regardless that the AirPods aren’t a slouch, the Galaxy Buds 2 barely outperform the AirPods in nearly each method in relation to the listening expertise. First, and maybe most importantly, the Galaxy Buds 2 include energetic noise cancellation. And whereas they’re not fairly on the identical degree of ANC because the AirPods Professional, for $50 cheaper than the non-ANC AirPods 2, you may’t go improper. And to be clear, Digital Traits reviewer Caleb Denison mentioned the Buds 2 had “the very best noise-canceling buds I’ve heard from Samsung but,” so combining that with punchy low-end, a lift in upper-treble for shining vocals, and respectable mid-range that brings all the pieces dwelling, the Galaxy Buds 2 could not fairly attain premium efficiency, however contemplating Samsung’s mass-market enchantment, they’re not distant. Plus, with the expanded EQ app (for Android units solely), you may dial in your audio simply the way in which you prefer it.
One other factor to think about in relation to listening expertise is simply how life-proof headphones are. On this case, the Buds 2 barely nudge out the AirPods 2 with an IPX7 score, which suggests they’ll stand up to exercise sweat and dripping water (although they’re not match for the pool). The AirPods 2, however, boast no such water resistance.
Winner: Galaxy Buds 2
Charging case and battery life
Maybe the factor we love most in regards to the Apple AirPods 2 is their charging case. A small, rounded case with a flip-top lid, the case boasts 19 hours of reserve battery (along with the AirPods’ 5 hours of listening time and three hours discuss time per cost), and may even be upgraded to incorporate wi-fi charging. We love the way in which this case feels in our pocket, and the addition of wi-fi charging on the most recent mannequin (for $40 further) is a welcome one.
The Galaxy Buds 2 case doesn’t provide the identical sort of longevity, however the pillbox-style case does include wi-fi charging at no further value. With ANC enabled, customers can count on as much as 5 hours of playtime and three.5 hours of discuss time. With the charging case, and with ANC enabled, you may count on 20 hours of playtime and 13 hours of discuss time whole. With ANC disabled, you’re taking a look at as much as 7.5 hours of playtime and three.5 hours discuss time — 29- and 14-hours with the case, respectively.
Moreover, it is best to have the ability to get about one further hour of playtime off a fast five-minute cost and about 2.5 further hours off a 10-minute cost, getting the charging and general battery efficiency of the Galaxy Buds 2 proper according to the AirPods 2.
Winner: Tie
Name high quality
The AirPods and Galaxy Buds 2 are greater than satisfactory in relation to name high quality, each for the bud-wearer and the particular person they’re speaking to. However there are a number of delicate variations. The AirPods 2 are outfitted with particular person mics in every bud that do an excellent job of zeroing in on voices whereas isolating undesirable background noise. This makes for simple and natural-sounding dialog. The default call-EQ generally is a bit flat, however we favor a secure and dependable mid-range sound over cellphone calls with boomy bass or sharp treble.
On paper, it might appear that the Galaxy Buds 2 ought to ship higher name high quality than the AirPods, due principally partly to Samsung’s triple mic system that adapts every bud to the noise setting. However usually talking, we discovered that whereas cellphone calls got here in adequately on the Galaxy Buds 2, our name recipients claimed we sounded a bit tinny and digitized. The default call-EQ was additionally a bit of boomier than the AirPods.
Winner: AirPods 2
Pricing
Apple gives three totally different AirPods packages. For $159, you’ll get the AirPods with a normal charging case. For just a bit extra, you may web your self the earbuds with a wi-fi charging case for $199. Apple additionally gives standalone wi-fi charging circumstances for $79. For those who decide to buy AppleCare+, the alternative payment for broken AirPods and each the usual and wi-fi charging case are solely $29. In the event you didn’t buy AppleCare and wish to switch elements, the value for a single alternative AirPod is $69, customary charging case for $59, and wi-fi charging for $79.
Galaxy Buds 2 pricing is a little more streamlined than the AirPods. You’ll be able to presently pre-order a set of Galaxy Buds 2 with included wi-fi charging case for $150. The one caveat is that for misplaced or broken buds or chargers, you’ll want to succeed in out to Samsung Help for any replacements. A variety of third-party Galaxy Buds charging circumstances are additionally obtainable on-line, however we suggest contacting Samsung as a substitute of buying an off-brand cost case.
Whereas it’s at all times good to have choices, we’re giving this class to the Galaxy Buds for having the general greatest worth. And in circumstances the place one thing goes improper, you may nonetheless attain out to Samsung for added assist.
Winner: Galaxy Buds 2
Verdict
Whereas there’s a lot to love about each pairs of those true wi-fi earbuds, there isn’t a query that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, which is able to retail for $150 in comparison with $159 for the AirPods ($199 with wi-fi charging case), are the higher worth.
With an superior listening expertise, higher match, and higher management, the Galaxy Buds 2 beat out Apple’s second-generation true wi-fi AirPods, making them our winner on this head-to-head contest.
Need a bit of extra perception? Take a look at our full critiques of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and the Apple AirPods 2.
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