Samsung’s Galaxy Buds are to Samsung phones what AirPods are to iPhones: a natural fit. Yet, past models faltered on noise cancellation, battery life, and audio quality to varying degrees. Only with the Buds 4 Pro does Samsung seem to have turned a corner.
Gone are the somewhat unnecessary stem ‘blade’ lights that defined the previous generation, replaced by a premium metal-finish housing and a more unique and distinctive aesthetic. At their core, they feature a classic stem and bud design with removable ear tips (three additional sizes to choose from) and an IP57 rating against dust and water ingress. The case itself is now a wireless-charging clamshell-style design with a transparent lid so you can peer at your buds and check that they’re in there and charging.
Fit-wise, the Buds 4 Pro are comfortable to wear at 5.1g each. The angled ear tips allow for a neat, secure seal that stays in place in all but the most strenuous gym workouts. Touch controls on the stem work as advertised and are reasonably intuitive – slide up/down for volume, pinch once or hold for other options like playing/pausing tracks and switching noise cancelling modes.
Popping the case open auto-pairs the buds to your Samsung phone (you’ll need to locate them in the Bluetooth settings plus download the Samsung Wearable app for other devices). Beneath the housings is the dual-driver arrangement, with a larger 11mm woofer pairing with a tweeter for wider frequency coverage and better dynamics than served up previously. One big reason to pair Buds 4 Pro to a recent Samsung device is their support for Samsung’s exclusive proprietary SSC hi-res codec, allowing transmission of up to 24-bit/96kHz music files over Bluetooth for an added boost in clarity and detail.
Put to use, the Buds 4 Pro aim to please, with fantastic audio quality that’s energetic and engaging. Across frequencies, audio is clear and spacious with strong instrument separation, while the upgraded dual-driver setup adds deeper bass and crisper highs without overwhelming the mid-range. It may not be the most neutral presentation, but they’re by far the most vibrant-sounding buds that Samsung has made so far. The soundstage is expansive too, even if you don’t turn on the Spatial Audio setting, which I personally kept off. And with the nine-band EQ, they pretty customisable if you want things a bit more neutral.
Noise cancelling is effective for daily use, although Sony’s flagship earbuds do one better. I do wish they offered multipoint support and better battery life – slightly under six hours of playback with ANC on, and just short of seven without.
If you’re seeking an audio companion for your Samsung smartphone, you cannot go wrong with the ecosystem benefits the Buds 4 Pro deliver – seamless pairing, auto switching, head tracking. Non-Samsung Android users may be better off considering the Sony WF-10000XM6 or the JBL Tour Pro 3.
Rating: 8/10
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