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Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 in the test: very good sound, very good ANC, old problems

Sep 16, 2021

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The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 convince in the test with a very good sound and ANC. The problems of the Galaxy Buds Pro in the areas of operation, customization, implementation and iOS support remain. Still, the Buds 2 are the better choice.

Table of Contents

1 Very good sound, very good ANC, old ones Problems
1. Technical data and functions of the Galaxy Buds 2
2. Control via touch and sensor
3. The Galaxy wearable app for Android
4. Very much comfortable to wear
2 Sound, ANC, telephony, latency and conclusion
1. The sound of the Galaxy Buds 2
2. ANC on par with AirPods Pro
3. Customizable, wind-prone transparency mode
4. Good telephony
5. Latency of the Galaxy Buds 2 in comparison
6. Conclusion

With a recommended retail price of 149 euros, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are the cheapest, smallest and lightest Galaxy Buds from the manufacturer to date, but still offer dynamic two-way speakers, ANC, transparency mode, wireless charging and auto-play/auto-pause many functions.

The Galaxy Buds 2 will be available parallel to the Galaxy Buds Live (test) and the Galaxy Buds Pro (test), while the Galaxy Buds + (test) should gradually disappear from the market.

The Galaxy Buds 2 have been available in the four colors Graphite, White, Olive and Lavender since the end of August. The olive color variant is used in the test. In addition to the earphones and the charging case, buyers receive a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, three pairs of silicone attachments in different sizes and a quick start guide.

_buds Technical data and functions of the Galaxy Buds 2

BT 5.2 with AAC, SSC and IPX2

For the radio connection, the new wireless in-ear headphones use Bluetooth 5.2, for the codecs SBC, AAC and Samsung's own SSC. The manufacturer does not provide details on sensitivity, sound pressure level or frequency response. The Galaxy Buds 2 are protected against moisture according to IPX2, which is only protection against falling dripping water. Especially in comparison to the Galaxy Buds Pro, which are certified according to IPX7, this is a clear step backwards.

The smallest and lightest Galaxy Buds

As mentioned, the Galaxy Buds 2 are the smallest headphones from Samsung to date, and at 5.0 g per earbud, they are lightest. You rely on the classic earbud shape, in which no stem protrudes from the ear, but small buttons barely protrude from the ear. Silicone attachments, which are supplied in three sizes, are used to seal the ear canal. In the Galaxy Wearable app, users can perform an “Earbud Fit Test” to check the fit.

With dimensions of 50.0 × 50.2 × 27.8 mm and features, the charging case of the Galaxy Buds 2 is identical to the copy of the Galaxy Buds Pro. So it is not only pleasantly small, so that it can be carried in your pocket without any problems, but is also light at 41.2 g. It also offers wireless charging based on the Qi standard. Alternatively, the case can be charged via USB-C. The battery capacity of the charging case is 472 mAh, the battery in the earphones has a capacity of 61 mAh. Despite the smaller dimensions and lower weight of the Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds Pro, these values are also identical.

The earphones are magnetically fixed in the charging case and do not fall out even upside down. They are also easy to remove because they protrude far enough.

ANC and variable Transparency mode

The Galaxy Buds 2 offer active noise cancellation and a variable transparency mode that allows users to perceive ambient noise while wearing the earphones. The transparency mode is variable insofar as users can set it in three intensity levels in order to adapt the volume of the surroundings to the respective occasion and personal preferences. Two outside and one inside microphones are used for the ANC. This is a feedforward and feedback processing that also takes into account how the sound arrives in the wearer's ear.

Samsung is also promising improvements in telephony , because a new solution based on machine learning is supposed to attenuate a large number of annoying background noises in order to improve speech quality. The Buds 2 will have to prove their performance in all three areas in the course of the test.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Samsung Galaxy Buds + Bluetooth standard: 5.2 5.0 Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, SSC Operation: Touch Battery life of the earphones: 7.5/5.0 (ANC) h 8, 0/5.0 (ANC) h 8.0/6.0 (ANC) h 11.0 h Battery life with charging case: 29.0 h 28.0 h 21.0 h 22.0 h Wireless charging: Yes ANC : Yes – Single use: Yes IP certification: IPX2 IPX7 IPX2 Weight per earphone/only charging case: 5.0/41.5 g 6.3/45.0 g 5.6/43.0 g 6.3/39, 6 g USB charging connection: USB-C Dimensions charging case: 50.0 × 50.2 × 27.8 mm 50.1 × 50.1 × 27.6 mm 70.0 × 38.8 × 26.5 mm Price: 149 € from 134 € from 72 € from 70 €

7.5 h without, 5 h with ANC

Samsung specifies the battery life of the earphones with up to 7.5 hours without ANC. In conjunction with the charging case, it is up to 29 hours. If ANC is used, the battery life of the earphones is reduced to 5 hours. A quick charge function provides enough power for another hour of music playback after 5 minutes.

In practice, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 reached 4:50 hours with permanently activated ANC, medium volume and a broad music mix. A battery life that is usually unproblematic in everyday life, but it does not stand out from the competition, but is only average.