Samsung has been placing out fairly strong earbuds for years now, however took a brand new method with the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional – shamelessly copying the competitors. And, you recognize what? It completely works.

The Galaxy Buds lineup has been ongoing for just a few years at this level with some memorable releases. The Galaxy Buds+ from 2020, for instance, provided a few of the finest battery life available on the market, the Galaxy Buds Reside took an especially distinctive method to design, whereas the Galaxy Buds Professional collection has provided fairly stellar audio high quality. However, for the previous couple of years, the lineup has began to really feel a bit stagnant. Designs weren’t altering or addressing ongoing issues. They have been nonetheless fairly good, however there was clearly room for enchancment.

This yr’s Galaxy Buds 3 Professional delivers on these enhancements.

We have now to start out with the {hardware}, in fact.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Professional cast off the “bean” design in alternate for a smaller earpiece that has a stem that comes out of your ears a bit. There’s an angular profile to the stem which is used for contact gestures and accommodates some lights too – that are totally pointless, mainly simply turning on if you open the case to point out battery life – whereas the ear tip nonetheless makes use of a silicone piece to seal within the sound and supply some passive noise cancellation. 

If the design seems acquainted, it’s as a result of it’s the identical factor Apple makes use of on the AirPods Professional. The truth is, the design right here is remarkably comparable, save for Samsung’s metallic grey colour and the sharper elements of the stem.

I feel this transformation in design was for one of the best. 

Not solely are the microphones noticeably higher on account of bodily being nearer to your ears, however the “touchpads” are additionally simpler to make use of. Samsung has opted for a “squeeze” gesture on the stem (like Apple’s AirPods Professional) which I truly slightly like. It’s not as quick as a easy faucet, however it’s extra correct and doesn’t get unintentionally triggered. The aspect of the stem will also be swiped up or down to regulate the quantity, all the time an appreciated possibility.

I’ve additionally discovered that I can put on Galaxy Buds 3 Professional for longer than previous generations earlier than they begin to get uncomfortable due to the brand new design and comfy eartips.

However there’s something to notice with the earbuds. The silicone ideas this yr are tremendous fragile, which led to a short pause in shipments. Samsung appears to have made enhancements, but when it’s good to change the eartips, remember there’s a small likelihood they’re going to interrupt. This must be lined below guarantee, although.

The case has additionally been up to date, once more transferring to one thing extra just like Apple’s AirPods Professional. The brand new case has a vertical orientation, resulting in a lid that’s smaller and simpler to open, in addition to a dimension that’s general extra handy to slide into your pocket. It’s an enormous improve in my guide. Although I’m not happy with how simply it scratches.

What about sound? 

Galaxy Buds 3 Professional have stellar sound high quality throughout the board, put merely. They’ve a balanced profile that’s heavy on bass if you would like it to be, and it brings out the small print of each track completely. I’ve liked utilizing these for informal listening and drowning out an airplane on a visit, because the ANC is top-tier. 

Samsung touts that these earbuds have been made for “true audio lovers.” That feels a bit exaggerated, however it’s not removed from the reality. I’m no audiophile, although, so for a deeper dive, I’d advocate this evaluation from That is Tech Immediately. 

There are additionally some sensible options right here, like the flexibility to robotically drop the quantity and ANC if you begin speaking to somebody. This isn’t groundbreaking, however it actually works nicely. 

However as a lot as I’ve loved these earbuds, they’re not with out flaws.

My largest concern with Galaxy Buds 3 Professional is the battery life. 

With ANC enabled, these usually final about 3-4 hours earlier than needing a recharge, with one of many two earbuds normally dying a bit bit earlier than the opposite. It’s shorter than previous generations, much less in my expertise in comparison with Samsung’s 6-hour quote, and feels disappointing in comparison with Google’s Pixel Buds Professional (much more so the upcoming sequel) and even the Nothing Ear. Nonetheless, that determine I landed at might be lowered partially as a result of I’m typically testing these earbuds in one of many hardest situations – operating ANC on an airplane.

Then, in fact, there’s the continued sound high quality drawback. By utilizing requirements that solely work when paired to Galaxy gadgets, Buds 3 Professional won’t ever sound fairly pretty much as good when paired to different smartphones or tablets, which is a bit irritating. It was comprehensible a few years in the past, however one thing Samsung ought to actually be previous by now as trade requirements have gotten a complete lot higher. The one exception is the 96 kHz mode, referred to as “Extremely top quality audio,” which gives a considerably noticeable bump to high quality, and is understandably locked to Samsung gadgets.

After all, there’s one other half to the Buds 3 lineup, the usual Galaxy Buds 3. These ditch the silicone ear ideas for an open design. I’ve not but tried them, however should you favor a extra open design (like Apple’s base AirPods), they ship on most of the similar nice elements of the Professional, and at a decrease price too.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional can be found right now for $249 (or 25% if bundled with one in every of Samsung’s newest foldables).

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