Review of Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - wireless headphones of an unusual format

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The bean novelty combines active noise cancellation and bone conduction.

Among wireless headphones, in-ear models are most often found, which combine small size and good isolation. There are also devices a la AirPods that do not create the sensation of a plug in the ear canal, but allow ambient noise to pass through.

Samsung decided to combine the merits of both form factors and released the Galaxy Buds Live with an unusual design. Has the company managed to make headphones that fit everyone?

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Appearance and ergonomics
• Connection and communication
• Control
• Sound and noise reduction
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Type of emitters	Dynamic, 12 mm
Earphone weight	5, 6 g
Headphone dimensions	16.5 × 27.3 × 14.9mm
Earphone battery	60 mAh
Case weight	42.2 g
Case dimensions	50 × 27.8 × 27.8mm
Battery case	472 mAh
Autonomy	8 hours without recharge; the case is designed for three refills
Connection	Bluetooth 5.0
Codecs	SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable
Protection	IPX2

Appearance and ergonomics

For the unusual shape of the cases, the headphones were nicknamed beans. In fact, this design is due to the anatomical features of the auricle, and not at all inspired by legumes. As a result, Samsung has got headphones that are unlike any other.

The model is available in five colors: black, white, blue, red and bronze. The outer side of the earbuds is lined with glossy plastic, stylized like metal. Underneath are microphones, antennas and a touch pad.

The back is made of matte plastic. It contains a proximity sensor, silicone clips and a ledge with magnetic contacts for charging. There is basic IPX2 moisture protection - internal components must be resistant to sweat and splash water.

Despite the anatomical design, the fit is not the most versatile: the charging contacts press on the auricle and cause discomfort over time. It is also worth noting the large size of the cases and their slipperiness - getting the headphones out of the case is not so easy.

The case is equipped with a magnetic cover and LED indicators outside and inside. The dimensions are small, so it's convenient to take it with you. On the back there is a USB Type-C input, and wireless charging according to the Qi standard is also supported.

Connection and communication

Samsung is betting on product sharing. So, owners of Galaxy smartphones with the One UI shell just need to open the headphone case, and a connection window will pop up on the screen.

To sync with smartphones from other brands, you have to go to the Bluetooth settings and connect manually. It's good that next times this is done automatically.

To unleash the full potential of your headphones, you need to install the Galaxy Wearable app from the Google Play store. It allows you to customize voice notifications, touchpad and sound. Active noise cancellation and the "Sound background" mode are immediately turned on, in which the headphones broadcast external noise over the music.

The model performed well in the headset mode. Each earphone is equipped with three microphones for clear voice transmission and background noise suppression - the latter is recorded in parallel and suppressed by the built-in coprocessor.

Another feature is bone conduction sensors, which convert the vibrations of the cranial bone from the voice into an audio signal. This method is good in noisy conditions, since the sounds of the surrounding world do not propagate through the bone tissue. During testing, the interlocutors never complained about voice transmission.

Galaxy Buds Live behave well outdoors, in transport and indoors. Interference may occur if a blank wall appears in the path of the Bluetooth signal, or if you move more than 10 meters away from the smartphone. There are no problems with out-of-sync, both channels work in parallel and independently of each other.

Control

The main element of interaction with the headphones is the touch panel on the outside. By default, one touch is responsible for starting and pause, double accepts or ends a call and turns on the next track, and triple starts the previous one.

A long press activates a function of your choice: start the voice assistant or reject a call, you can also control noise reduction and volume.

Unfortunately, there is no flexible customization for yourself. It would be great to switch tracks by double tapping on the left or right earbud: hitting the small touch pad three times is not so easy, especially on the go.

Sound and noise reduction

Inside each earphone there is a dynamic radiator with a diameter of 12 mm. Supported audio codecs Samsung Scalable Codec, SBC and AAC.

Galaxy Buds Live deliver deep bass even at low volumes. For electronic genres, this kind of bass is best suited, listening to trap and drum'n'bass in headphones is very exciting.

But there is a problem with the midrange: the voices sound nasal, as if the vocalists have stuffy noses. You can fix this by boosting the high frequencies in the proprietary equalizer. The preset evens out the vocal range quite well.

High frequencies also sound unnatural, which is noticeable when working on cymbals. Instead of hitting wood on metal, a synthetic burst of volume is heard. At the same time, it cannot be said that the sound is rough and tiring - rather, it resembles the substitution of digital analogs for live sounds.

It is definitely not worth listening to acoustic and heavy genres in headphones, but the gadget copes very well with electronics. I was also pleased with the active noise cancellation: it does not create a feeling of vacuum and allows you not to twist the volume in a noisy environment.

Autonomy

The Galaxy Buds Live can run for up to 8 hours on a single charge if you don't use active noise canceling. When the function is on, you can count on 5, 5 hours of music playback. The case is enough for three more full charges of the headphones.

During testing, Galaxy Buds Live lasted four days of use with noise canceling, while the volume did not exceed 50%. Recharging from USB takes 1.5 hours.

Outcomes

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is a bold experiment in a segment where all devices are alike. However, the headphones can be praised for other qualities as well: good battery life, excellent microphones and noise cancellation.

It is a pity that such an unusual form factor is not suitable for everyone, and the sound predisposes exclusively to electronic music genres. However, for someone, just such headphones will become a necessary option. We're curious to see where Samsung takes the bean idea. Maybe in the next generation of gadgets, the company will be able to please everyone.