Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Review: Better Than the AirPods Pro 2 (in Some Ways) [CNET]

Editors’ note: We were planning on posting this review earlier, but as some of you are probably aware, Samsung ran into some quality control issues with the ear tips for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, so the model’s ship date was pushed back to late August. I didn’t have any issues with the ear tips — and neither did a couple of other editors who got early Galaxy Buds 3 Pro units — so hopefully this is just a minor hiccup. 

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the company’s first earbuds to feature stems in their designs, and some folks are mocking Samsung for creating another Apple AirPods clone in a sea of AirPods clones. There’s some truth to that, but ultimately, what matters is how well these earbuds fit, sound and perform. They get high marks in those departments, though I did have a few small gripes.

The two buds are similar in many ways — they share a lot of the same features — but also have some key differences. The Galaxy Buds 3 ($180) are open buds like the AirPods 3 and are designed for people who don’t like having ear tips jammed in their ears. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro ($250), on the other hand, are noise-isolating earbuds like the AirPods Pro 2.

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Series Review: Worth the Upgrade for the Right Price

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Both are available in silver or white, and their prices are very similar to those of corresponding AirPods models, which puts them in premium earbuds territory. They also have similar battery life ratings to the AirPods. The Buds 3 have up to 6 hours of battery life with noise canceling off and 5 hours with it on, while the Buds 3 Pro last up to 6 hours with ANC off and 5 hours with it on.

Both sets are equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, are IP57 water- and dust-resistant and support LE audio along with the new Auracast feature (Samsung’s 360 audio feature is also on board). An IP57 rating means the buds aren’t fully waterproof, but they can withstand a sustained spray of water.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro design

All earbuds with stems look pretty similar, so it’s easy to complain that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s design looks a little generic and is short on wow factor. Some have said they’re a little cheap-looking, and that may be so, but the case does have a solid feel to it, and the buds themselves don’t look any cheaper than the AirPods.

Samsung has tried to distinguish its stems — it calls them blades — from the AirPods’ rounded pipes by giving them an angular design with a bit of a Tesla Cybertruck vibe, especially in the silver ones. 

From what Samsung has told me, it simply found through its testing that the blade design worked the best for most people. A lot of folks had fit issues with Galaxy Buds Live and the Galaxy Buds Pro 2 (I had to use my own larger ear tips with them), and from my wear tests, the new design will be a better fit for more people. I found them lightweight and comfortable to wear, and so did fellow CNET editor Lisa Eadicicco, who reviewed Samsung’s latest foldable phones, the Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6. 

Getting a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound quality and noise-canceling performance. The Galaxy Wear app tests the seal quality, and I passed using the largest ear tips, though a slightly larger tip option would’ve been nice, especially since the ear tips are custom-designed for the buds, making it tricky to find other tips that work. The same is true for the AirPods Pro 2. Ironically, I was able to get some third-party foam tips made for the AirPods Pro 2 to click onto the Buds 3 Pro’s posts, but the tips didn’t give me a tight seal, according to the seal test.

The Buds 3 Pro have lights in their blades while the Buds 3 don’t. I like them, though it’d be cool if they changed colors (they only glow white). They let you know when the buds are in pairing mode, and they flash when you use the Find My feature, while the buds make a chirping noise, making the buds easier to find in a dark room. You can also just activate the lights by pinching and holding each bud for a few seconds and wear the buds around with the lights on if that’s your thing. They can remain fully lit or fade in and out. 

These earbuds have pinch controls similar to the AirPods and swipe controls for volume adjustment. You just run your finger up the side of either bud to raise or lower the volume. The buds’ pinch and swipe controls work well.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro features

The Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro share many features, including active noise canceling. They also have identical cases that offer wireless and USB-C charging, along with a dedicated Bluetooth button that makes it easier to pair any Bluetooth audio device. However, the Buds 3 Pro do have a couple of extra features and a more robust feature set overall. 

They have ear-detection sensors (your music automatically pauses when you remove a bud from your ear) and support LE audio along with the new Auracast feature that allows you to hear Bluetooth broadcasts in public places like gyms. Samsung’s 360 audio feature is also on board with head-tracking, similar to the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2’s spatial audio feature.

I used the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with an iPhone 14 Pro as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Flip 5. The audio wouldn’t automatically switch between my iPhone and Flip 5, but Samsung users get automatic pairing and switching between their Galaxy devices, including laptops, so I was able to pair the buds with my Galaxy Tab 8 Plus and Flip 5 and have the audio automatically switch back and forth between them.

The Buds 3 Pro’s ambient mode, which lets sound into the buds, also seems very good. You can adjust the levels, but I thought it sounded quite natural in the middle setting with no audible hiss.

Additionally, the Buds 3 Pro have something similar to the AirPods Pro 2’s Adaptive Audio features. Samsung says the buds “constantly collect and identify surrounding sound and automatically adjust the optimal level of noise and sound without manual adjustment through Adaptive Noise Control, Siren Detect and Voice Detect.”

Buds 3 Pro’s Voice Detect feature (it can be toggled on or off in the Galaxy Wear app) is similar to Apple’s Conversation Awareness mode that lowers the volume of the music or any audio your listening to and activates the buds’ ambient mode when you start talking to someone. Instead of pausing your music, it just reduces the volume to a low level. It’s a useful feature.

Samsung highlights that the Buds 3 Pro work with its Galaxy-exclusive Interpreter feature that’s part of Galaxy AI. But the feature would presumably work with any buds. “If you’re attending a class in a foreign language, you can turn on Interpreterin Listening mode on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Flip 6 with Buds 3 series plugged into your ears,” Samsung says, citing one example of how to use the feature. That allows you to hear the lecture translated directly through your Buds.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro noise-canceling performance

The Buds 3 Pro’s active noise canceling is good, at least on par with the noise canceling you get with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and maybe slightly better. That said, it appears to be slightly behind the ANC on AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Sony WF-1000XM5 buds.

Aside from using them in various environments, including the New York City subway, I tested the noise-canceling with an HVAC unit running in my apartment. Those competing models were able to muffle just a tad more noise from the unit. Of course, how good a seal you get from the ear tips you’re using is crucial to noise-canceling performance, so make sure you have a tight seal.

For those of you wondering how the Galaxy Buds 3’s active noise canceling compares to the Buds 3 Pro’s, there really isn’t a comparison. Like Samsung’s earlier Galaxy Buds Live (aka The Beans), the Buds 3 have some active noise canceling, but it just doesn’t do much because ANC typically doesn’t work well with open buds. I couldn’t really tell a difference when I turned it on with the Buds 3, though I did notice the sound changed a bit when I engaged ANC. Maybe there’s a bit of ambient sound filtration, but if you’re looking for real noise canceling, you want the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro sound quality

Samsung owns Harman, which has brands like JBL and AKG under its umbrella. But there’s no longer “Sound by AKG” stamped on these Galaxy Buds cases, so Samsung seems to have moved away from that little branding tie-in. 

While the Galaxy Buds 3 have a single 11mm driver, the Buds 3 Pro feature dual drivers — a 10mm dynamic driver paired with a Planar tweeter that enhances treble performance. Samsung also says the Buds 3 Pro have dual amps, which helps reduce wireless hiccups.

Compared to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Buds 3 Pro do sound better. I like the sound of the Buds 2 Pro, but the Buds 3 Pro’s treble clarity and bass definition are superior, and they sound cleaner and more accurate overall. 

In fact, I thought the Buds 3 Pro even sounded a little better than the AirPods Pro 2. They’re a touch more dynamic and sound slightly punchier overall, with more sparkle to their treble. They are pretty well-balanced at their default setting with good stereo separation and decent openness. Android users can tweak the sound using the Galaxy Wear app’s equalizer, but there’s no app for iPhone users. (I don’t advise that iPhone users buy these buds unless they have an Android device to pair them with because all updates and settings are only available via the Galaxy Wear app.)

Some of my test tracks include Spoon’s Knock Knock Knock, Athletes of God’s Don’t Wanna Be Normal, The Doors’ Touch Me – Take 3, Orbital’s Dirty Rat, Taylor Swift’s Vigilante Shit, Prince’s Condition of the Heart, Jvke’s Golden Hour and Bjork’s Hollow.

Both new Galaxy Buds models support the Samsung Seamless Codec that Samsung says is now capable of delivering 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution streams with an HD music streaming service like Qobuz or Tidal. That codec is only available with certain Galaxy devices, but the buds’ default audio codec is AAC, which tends to sound just fine.

I listened to tracks on my Galaxy Flip 5 using Qobuz and, frankly, only heard a very subtle difference in sound quality from listening to the same tracks on my iPhone using Qobuz and Spotify. You have to be a pretty sophisticated listener to hear any differences.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro voice-calling performance

I was really impressed with the voice-calling performance. Samsung has for the most part done a good job with voice-calling performance in its previous Galaxy Buds models, but these new Series 3 models deliver even better voice-calling performance with top-notch noise reduction.

Each bud has three microphones and a voice pickup unit. Earbuds with a stem design bring the microphones a little closer to your mouth, which helps with voice calling. In my calls using the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in the noisy streets of New York (with some wind), callers said they could barely hear any background noise and that my voice was mostly clear with limited warbling. Check out my companion video review for a sample call I recorded with a CNET colleague. 

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro final thoughts

If you’re able to get a tight seal with one of the three sizes of included ear tips, there’s little to complain about with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Yes, the noise-canceling might be a touch better, but the earbuds’ sound quality is clearly improved from the Buds 2 Pro. Plus, they have a robust feature set, and their voice-calling performance is truly top-notch. (Hopefully, Samsung will add some features with future firmware updates as Apple has with the AirPods Pro 2).

The $250 list price is a little high. But Samsung often runs trade-in deals or has discounts on accessories like earbuds when you buy a new Galaxy phone, so most people won’t pay anywhere near full price for these — and you shouldn’t either. It’s hard to say what they’re really worth, but probably about 30% less. 

As I said in my first take of the buds, some of you might be a little disappointed that Samsung gave in and followed Apple’s earbuds approach after determining the stem design worked best for most people. For what it’s worth, I did like the fit of these better than that of the Galaxy Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro, as well as the more recent Galaxy Buds FE. And they will fit a wider range of ears.

For those of you debating whether to get these or the Galaxy Buds 3, at the right price, I have no problem recommending the Buds 3 to Samsung Galaxy owners and other Android users who don’t like having ear tips jammed in their ears. But the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are more special and compete well against other premium noise-canceling buds in their price range, particularly when it comes to sound quality and voice-calling performance. 

If you’re contemplating upgrading from the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Buds 3 Pro are better. However, there’s not a massive difference from a performance standpoint, so I think it really comes down to what kind of deal you can get on the Buds 3 Pro. Some of the trade-in deals are pretty tempting, but I’m sure some of you may still prefer the Buds 2 Pro’s stemless design, so that makes it a harder choice.