I have been eyeing the galaxy buds for quite a while. And finally, when I found someone selling them at $155 on Carousel, I got it. I was initially on the fence, because shelling out $155 on a pair of earphones is not a decision that should be made lightly. I could spend the $155 on other things. So it has got to really be worth it. At least that's how I shop.
So I did my fair share of research. But you know, the reviews you get online are normally those of professional reviewers. And honestly, 99.9999% of the time, they get the tech for free to review. And most of the time, they already have a stand within them. So their review may be swayed. Otherwise, it stays in the professional side of stuff.
So I thought, why not give my opinion, as an average consumer that doesn't call herself an audiophile. I just like to hear nice music.
So first off, the looks:
It really looks quite good. The case is honestly small, even in my already small hands. It can be a little bulky in the sense that it is quite wide, so its not gonna be as flat and inconspicuous as the airpods' case. That should be quite clear to anyone who saw comparison pictures of the two.
But! It honestly doesn't really matter for a female like myself, or if you aren't used to keeping them in any spaces that would be better flat (like your jeans' pocket). I normally keep my earpieces in my bag, so the case being small meaning it takes up less space, is already good enough for me.
The ear buds themselves aren't bulky compared to the other options in the market. For me though, as a small 155cm asian girl, the buds do stick out a little from my ear. Though they stay in quite well, I just need to press them in a little periodically. The white colour (the colour I have) looks nice and clean too. And honestly I just love how minimalist the whole thing looks. Understated, not very loud. Just the way I like it.
Next, the sound:
It's not mind-blowing. In fact, I would say its kind of similar to the quality you get with the free wired tuned by akg earphones you get when you buy a samsung galaxy phone. EXCEPT! For some odd reason the sound isolation on the galaxy buds are really quite good. And so because of that, the sound seems clearer and more crisp. But really its just because you don't hear as much background noise.
Also, the bass is not there, it's quite lacking in that department. So if you're a bass person, skip these. You won't be happy with these.
Otherwise, it's still kind of a small upgrade from the free pair of tuned by akg earphones, plus no wire.
Connection:
Some reviews I read mentioned some connection issues when they are in city areas that botch up the functioning of the buds. And that, I can confirm. At least in Singapore. Now, travelling using the underground trains are very common in Singapore. And with how small the country is, and how "developed" we are in the tech area, there is so much interference everywhere in this city state. And it became really obvious when I was travelling through stations in the city and cbd area. It was especially bad in Tanjong Pagar MRT station, which is in the central business district in Singapore. I just could not listen to a song smoothly at all. It would keep "hiccuping". Although I did try engaging into a call there, and it was not that bad, I could listen to the caller clearly without any interruptions, and the caller could listen to me talk, though sometimes I came across soft.
But the connection with the phone is not bad at all. It connects really fast after the first set up. Otherwise simply go to bluetooth settings in your phone and click on the buds to connect. They connect rather easily and fast, overall. Though I am using a samsung s9, so maybe the same bring thingy made things easier.
Call Quality
It's decent, average. I can hear the caller clearly, but to the caller, I do sound a little on the soft side. People sometimes had difficulty discerning what I said, so I needed to be a little louder.
Lastly, functionality:
Some have pointed out that you can't open the case with just one hand, and yeah, that's sometimes a little annoying. Especially when you think about how you're normally on the go when you suddenly feel like listening to music. You gotta take out the case, use two hands to open the case up, stick them into your ears, then make sure your phone is connected. Keeping them is the same process. So not the most convenient. And because of how small the case and the buds are, its quite easy to drop them. And honestly, you don't really wanna drop your $155 WHITE galaxy buds anywhere. So there is some getting use to in this department, and some compromise.
The touch pads on the buds have functioned quite well for me. Granted it is a little awkward trying to find the touch pad, with some wrong tries. But so far they have worked well for me. I have been using the pause/play and volume functions quite extensively, and so far so good. Not annoyed with anything yet. And the touch works quite well, it picks up quite well and performs what you want them to.
So, with all that, would I have still bought them now that I know how they actually fit me? Honestly, yes. My purpose was to get a pair of wireless earphones that wasn't ostentatious, is functional and convenient. And the samsung galaxy buds ticked all that I needed. I was considering the Jabra Elite 65t for a while, but it is $50 more, and while the sound and call quality is supposed to be better, it is also bigger in size, which may mean it being too big and bulky for small me. And so if $50 less means a better and more comfy fit, and not as good sound and call quality, I can make do with that. It works for me, I'm still happy.
