$ 249 from Apple AirPods Pro are among the best wireless headsets you can buy, but Samsung is taking the standard with the $ 200 Galaxy Buds Pro. Buds Pro has almost the same feature set as AirPods Pro, with active noise cancellation and support for spatial audio. I spent two weeks testing these two headphones to weigh the pros and cons of each.
AirPods Pro are an excellent pair of wireless ANC headsets that work seamlessly with iOS and Apple devices. They support spatial audio (also known as virtual surround sound) and have a longer battery life with ANC than Galaxy Buds Pro. Sound quality is balanced, but they do not have a universal equalizer to change the sound in all applications . You can use AirPods Pro on Android, although you lose some features like space audio and quick switching. Read our review of AirPods Pro.
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When it comes to specs, the Galaxy Buds Pro is the most comparable Samsung headset with the AirPods Pro. They sound great, with a strong bass response, but the battery life doesn’t last as long as the AirPods Pro when the ANC is active. They also don’t work as well on iPhones, as, unlike previous Galaxy Buds, they were not compatible with the Galaxy Wearable iOS app at the time of writing. Read our review of Galaxy Buds Pro.
AirPods Pro are smaller, lighter in the ear
Both are in-ear buttons, but have completely different designs. AirPods Pro have a clickable stem that protrudes out of the ear and are supplied in white only. Galaxy Buds Pro comes in three colors (silver, black or purple) and has a round design with tap panels on the sides and is a little heavier on the ear than AirPods Pro.
Each pair of headphones also comes with interchangeable tips in small, medium or large. The adjustment varies according to the shape and size of your ear, but I had problems with the two headphones remaining properly attached when exercising or moving around a lot. In fact, I discovered the safest fit with third-party foam tips for AirPods Pro – I use Comply’s, but there are many other brands available. The tips of the Galaxy Bud Pro do not come with the wingtip locks found in previous models, such as the Galaxy Buds Plus, which helped secure them securely in the ear. I still haven’t been able to find third-party tips for Galaxy Buds Pro, but I’m looking forward to seeing if this will improve the fit.
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Galaxy Buds Pro has the advantage when it comes to durability against water and sweat, with a higher IPX7 rating compared to the AirPods Pro’s IPX4. This means that they can be submerged in up to 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. I haven’t taken Buds Pro yet for a dip or put it in the washing machine, but I had no problem splashing them with water. The AirPods Pro can withstand sweat and some splashes of light, but I would not suggest taking them for a swim.
AirPods Pro with third-party headphones.
Lexy Savvides / CNET
Galaxy Buds Pro, better sound quality; AirPods Pro, better noise cancellation
Both headphones sound great, as long as you get a secure fit. It’s definitely a matter of preference, but I prefer the Galaxy Bud Pro’s warmer sound profile and more pronounced bass response when it comes to sound quality. You can also adjust the equalizer manually in the Galaxy Wearable app for a number of different presets, from bass boost to smooth. AirPods Pro have a more neutral sound profile that really works for you if you want to switch between calls, listen to music or listen to podcasts. They have an adaptable equalizer that dynamically adjusts the sound for you.
While both do a good job of canceling out ambient noise, AirPods Pro are slightly more effective at muffling white noise like the sound of a ceiling fan or airplane engines. Although you can adjust the ANC level on Galaxy Buds Pro to high or low, I didn’t really hear any difference between the two settings. I can also hear a very faint hiss when I have ANC on Buds Pro when I am not listening to music.
Lexy Savvides / CNET
Each has spatial audio (Samsung calls it 360 audio) for a simulated surround sound experience when listening to movies and TV shows. Again, they both look good, but if I had to choose, I would choose AirPods Pro, as the effect sounds more natural. Please note that, at the time of writing, 360 audio support is only enabled Samsung Galaxy S21 Phones, while spatial audio in AirPods Pro is available on any Apple device running iOS 14 or later.
But Galaxy Buds Pro has a feature that AirPods Pro lacks: voice detection. Galaxy Buds Pro automatically lowers the volume of the media when it detects you are speaking and then returns to its original settings 10 seconds after you stop. It’s great if you want to have a quick chat without actively switching the buttons to ambient sound mode (or taking one out of your ear).
You can hear microphone samples in the video on this page to hear the difference in calls.
See this:
Comparing Galaxy Buds Pro to AirPods Pro
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AirPods Pro: more reliable battery life
Samsung estimates that the Galaxy Buds Pro battery life is five hours with the ANC on, but I never came close to that number. With ANC activated, the maximum I was able to use them was about four and a half hours, which was disappointing considering the complaint. Apple cites up to four and a half hours with ANC for AirPods Pro, but I regularly exceeded that and got almost five hours of total listening time. According to Samsung, Buds Pro can also last up to eight hours of listening without ANC, but again, I was unable to reach that conclusion.
Each case also has a small extra charge, with AirPods Pro offering 24 hours of total juice and Galaxy Buds Pro with an additional 18 hours. Both cases can be charged wirelessly or you can connect Lightning on AirPods Pro or USB-C on Galaxy Buds Pro.
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Smart features are similar in both
This is the first generation of Samsung headphones that I have tested that are not compatible with the Galaxy Wearable iOS app. This means that they will connect to an iPhone ($ 900 on Boost Mobile) via Bluetooth and you can activate ANC and use the standard touch controls, but you will not be able to change the settings. AirPods Pro also function as regular Bluetooth headsets on Android, but offer the most perfect experience for customizing settings on iOS.
You can summon Siri on AirPods Pro or Bixby on Galaxy Buds Pro using your voice or touch controls. Each will read text messages or notifications and allow you to change the volume or make a call with your voice. It is not yet possible to call Google Assistant using your voice on Galaxy Buds Pro, although you can activate Google Assistant on Galaxy Buds Pro by assigning it as a long touch on the touch panel, but you cannot make calls yet.
Each headset can be used independently for calls or for listening to music, and you can find both on a map if you lose them using the Find My app on the iPhone or the Smart Things app on Galaxy devices. Both also offer quick switching between devices connected to the same Apple ID or Samsung account.
Read More: Galaxy Buds Pro: 10 tips for mastering Samsung’s latest wireless headphones
Galaxy Buds Pro for Android, AirPods Pro for iPhone
Both headphones have their strengths, but the best headset for you will depend on the ecosystem you are in. Previous comparisons between Samsung and Apple’s headset were more platform independent, as previous models were compatible with the Galaxy Wearable app on iOS, but this time your phone will be a big factor in your decision. I prefer the Galaxy Buds Pro’s warm sound profile, so I would choose them to listen to music. But for multitasking between calls and music (and for more reliable battery performance), I choose AirPods Pro.