A few months ago, I was lucky enough to try out the Samsung Galaxy Buds that comes in the box with the Galaxy Fold that I reviewed. I enjoyed the true wireless portability with the Galaxy Buds then, and the audio quality was really impressive. I also have a pair of KuaiFit wireless fitness earbuds that I was using at that time to compare the audio quality. Glad to say that the Galaxy Buds sounded way better and lasted much longer.
Now, I got another chance to review the upgraded version of the Galaxy Buds, now known as the Galaxy Buds Plus (Buds+).
The new Galaxy Buds Plus comes in the same pill shaped case as the original Buds. The material is hard plastic with glossed surface that looks good on the white colour version but at the same time, glossy means it tends to show scratches and smudges all over. The case also doubles as the charging port for the earbuds. The built-in case battery has been slightly increased in capacity, making it last a little longer and better.
Another thing to note about the casing is that it supports both USB type-C port and also Qi wireless charging. This is a plus point because I can use any compatible wireless charger with the Buds Plus case. I can also opt to use the phone’s wireless charging ability to charge up the case.
The earbuds itself are very much the same as the predecessor. However, the battery capacity for each earbuds has been increased to at least 80% larger than the first version. This upgrade has extend the play time to at least 11 hours continuously. The whole 2 weeks when I had the Galaxy Buds Plus with me, I think I only charged the battery twice, second time was only for about 30 minutes.
I didn’t get to use the Galaxy Buds Plus for 11 hours straight but I managed to use it for gaming for a few hours. I will usually will turn on the Dolby Atmos setting on my phone. The overall sound quality that I get from the Galaxy Buds Plus for gaming is beyond awesome. The almost realistic surround sound made everything feels immersive. The sound of gunshots, vehicle movements, walk and steps, airplane flying overhead and sounds of bullets passing by feels so real. By this time you can tell that the game I was playing is PUBG Mobile, and the phone I was using to test the Galaxy Buds with is the Samsung Galaxy A31.
I remember using the previous version of Galaxy Buds to play the same game last time, I noticed a slight delay in the sound as I was pressing the fire button. There were about 5ms of delay between pressing the fire button, and the actual in-game trigger being shot. But that didn’t happen with the new Galaxy Buds Plus. The response is quicker, the delay is still there but almost unnoticeable.
Listening to music like Spotify however, is absolutely rewarding. Since I was at home with unlimited WiFi access, I set Spotify to play in the highest quality settings. My kind of music is a mix of everything, depending on my mood. I love jazz, heavy metal, gothic rock, ballads, R&B, Gfunk, Hip Hop, raggaeton, EDM and even classical. Like I said, depends on my mood. But while testing the Galaxy Buds Plus, I choose EDM, gothic rock and R&B music simply because I want to hear the hard bass from EDM, the acoustic ambient of multiple instruments in gothic rock and the vocal clarity from R&B.
I was pleased.
Bass was punchy, surround audio was amazing and the vocal clarity is so good that I thought the singer was standing in-front of me. It was hard for me to stop listening to music while using the Galaxy Buds Plus. I have liked the first version of the Galaxy Buds (which I think is good), and now I am in love with the upgraded plus version. It may not be as great as the more professional audio specialist brands but at this price point, the Galaxy Buds Plus is totally worth it.
Touchpads on the outside of each earbud let you skip tracks, adjust volume, call up the Google Assistant, activate “ambient sound” mode, and even open Spotify. A single tap is play/pause, double is skip forward, and triple is skip back. Everything else is accomplished by long presses. But I was having slight problems in getting used to the gestures. And sometimes, I did a few wrong ones.
Watching movies was also very pleasing. With the Dolby Atmos settings turned on, you will now have a portable mini cinema to binge on your favourite movie or local drama. Best if you just stick to watching movies, better experience overall.
Apart from just “listening”, the Galaxy Buds Plus is also can excellent hands-free device. During a phone call with a friend a new months ago while I was using the older Buds, my friend told me that my voice sounded a little muffled, like I was talking through a piece of cloth over my mouth. I had to speak louder for him to hear my loud and clear. But now with the plus version, I don’t even have to shout. I only have to talk in my normal tone and the mic was able to pick up my voice clearly. That is a big improvement over the first version.
Another good point to note is that the Galaxy Buds Plus has the ambient sound setup. What it does is kind of like negative noise canceling. It pulls in sound from around you through the buds’ microphones and “push” it into your ears along with whatever you’re listening to. The effect is pretty convincing, and even mimics natural binaural spatial awareness — the effect that lets you judge where sounds are coming from by using both ears in concert. It’s still pretty rude to talk to people while wearing earbuds, but if you want to be aware of what’s going on as you walk down the street, it’s a good option to have.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new true wireless audio device, you can consider this Galaxy Buds Plus. The size and ergonomic design is comfortable and you can choose the size of the rubber buds to suit your ears. Pairing the earbuds to your device is very easy and straight forward, especially when you’re using a Samsung phone. You can also dive in to more settings from the app too.
If you’re already using the previous version of the Galaxy Buds, you’re still good to go. Unless you have that extra cash in hand and want to have a longer lasting wireless earphone, then you can upgrade to this one.
In the overall audio quality, this Galaxy Buds Plus really outclassed the original version. The sound is better, the highs and lows are better and improved, the clarity is wonderful and the hard bass is truly punchier.
It fits perfectly in your ear, in which I experience using it while being active that it didn’t fall even when I was running or jumping around. Oh yes, this Galaxy Buds Plus is not rated as waterproof so it is not advisable to take it with you while swimming. Avoid water splashes too.
So if you’re thinking of getting this for yourself, you can head over to Samsung’s official web store. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is going for RM599.
