Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: Worth the Upgrade?

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro offer similar features but differ in noise isolation, pricing, and sound quality.

### Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: Which One to Buy?
* 🎧  Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are similar in many ways, but have some key differences, with the Buds 3 priced at **$180** and the Buds 3 Pro at **$250**.
* 👂  Both models feature a stem design, with the Galaxy Buds 3 being **open earbuds** like the AirPods 3, while the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are **noise-isolating earbuds** like the AirPods Pro 2.
* 🔋  Battery life is rated at **up to 7 hours** for the Buds 3 Pro with noise cancelling off, and **6 hours** with it on, while the Buds 3 are rated for **up to 6 hours** with ANC off, and **5 hours** with it on.
* 🎶  The Buds 3 Pro feature dual drivers (10mm dynamic driver and planar tweeter), while the Buds 3 have a single 11mm dynamic driver. The Buds 3 Pro are said to **sound better, with superior treble clarity and bass definition**.
* 🎙️  Voice calling performance is excellent on both models, with **three microphones in each bud** and a **voice pickup unit in the stem design**.
* 📱  Both buds support Samsung Seamless Codec for **high-resolution audio**, and have IP57 **water and dust resistance ratings**.
* 👍  The Buds 3 Pro are recommended for Samsung Galaxy owners and Android users who prefer **noise-cancelling earbuds**, especially for their **sound quality** and **voice calling performance**.
* 💸  The reviewer suggests that the list prices for both models are a little high, but notes that Samsung often offers **trade-in deals or discounts on accessories**, making them more affordable.

hey there. I've got the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Here are they worth an upgrade. Let's find out. Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the company's first earbuds to feature stems as part of their designs, and that has some folks mocking Samsung for creating another Apple AirPods clone in a sea of AirPods clones. There's some truth to that, but what ultimately matters is how well these earbuds fit, sound, and perform. We've got two buds here that are similar in many ways. They share a lot of the same features but do have some key differences. The Galaxy Buds 3, which cost $180, are open buds like the AirPods 3 and are designed for people who don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which cost $250, are noise-isolating earbuds like the AirPods Pro 2. Both are available in silver or white, and their prices are very similar.

to those corresponding AirPods models. Battery life for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is rated up to 7 hours with noise cancelling off, and 6 hours with it on. Galaxy Buds 3 are rated for up to 6 hours with ANC off, and 5 hours with it on. Now it's hard to review two products in a single video, so what I'm going to do is tell you what I like about these Buds, and then let you know a few things I don't like so much. Here's what I like: First up is their fit. Some of you may be disappointed that Samsung moved to a stem design, copying the AirPods, but both new Galaxy Buds are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and fit my ears well. With the Buds 3, I got a little more secure fit than I did with the AirPods 3, and with the Buds 3 Pro, I was able to pass the seal test in the app with the largest ear tips, though I would have liked to have an option of using a tip.

that was just a touch larger. Sorry, quick interruption. So initially, we were planning on posting this review video earlier, but as many of you are probably aware, Samsung ran into some quality control issues with the ear tips for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. So, their ship date was pushed back to mid-August for a lot of folks who pre-ordered them. I didn't have any issues with the ear tips, and neither did a couple of other people in our office who got early units, so hopefully this is just a minor hiccup. Okay, back to the review. Next up is their controls. I do like that these earbuds have pinch controls, similar to the AirPods, as well as swipe controls for volume adjustment. You just run your finger up the side of either bud to raise and lower volume, and I do think the buds' pinch and swipe controls work well. Both models have relatively robust feature sets. While the Bud 3 Pro have a couple of extra features, the two earbuds share a lot of

the same features and have identical cases that offer wireless and USBC charging, along with a dedicated Bluetooth button that makes it easier to pair any Bluetooth audio device. They're equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 and ear detection sensors. As for water and dust resistance, they have an IP57 rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. They support Le audio along with the new Oracast feature that allows you to hear Bluetooth broadcast in public places like gyms. Samsung's 360 audio feature is also on board with head tracking like it is with the AirPods and their spatial audio feature. I use these buds with an iPhone 14 Pro along with Samsung's Galaxy Flip 5. The audio wouldn't automatically switch between my iPhone and the Flip 5, but Samsung users get automatic pairing and switching between their Galaxy devices, including laptops, so I was able to pair the buds with my Galaxy Tab 8 Plus and Flip 5 and have the audio automatically switch back and forth between them. The active noise cancelling

on the buds 3 Pro is good, and at least on par with the noise cancelling you get with the Galaxy buds 2 Pro, and maybe slightly better. That said, I would say the noise cancelling is a touch behind what you get with the AirPods Pro 2, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and Sony WF-1000XM5 buds. I tested the noise cancelling with an HVAC unit running in my apartment, and those models were able to muffle just a tad more noise from the unit. Of course, how tight a seal you get from the ear tips you're using is crucial to noise cancelling performance, so make sure you have a tight seal. The buds 3 Pro's ambient mode, which lets sound in, the buds also seems very good. You can adjust the levels, but I thought it sounded quite natural at the middle setting. Initially, the buds 3 Pro have something similar to the AirPods Pro 2's adaptive audio feature. Samsung says the buds constantly collect and identify

surrounding sound and automatic adjust the optimal level of noise and sound without manual adjustment through adaptive noise control siren detect and voice detect. Basically what's going on is that it's kicking in noise cancelling when you need it and then opening the buds up when you don't need it. I was impressed with both earbuds' sound quality, though more so with the bud 3 Pro, which feature dual drivers: a 10 mm Dynamic driver to go along with a planar Tweeter. Samsung owns Harmon, which has Brands like JBL and AKG under its umbrella, but there's no longer any Sound by AKG stamped on these Galaxy buds cases, so Samsung seems to have moved away from that little branding tie-in. The buds 3 have a single 11 mm Dynamic driver, and I thought they sounded quite good for open earbuds. They have good Clarity, and the Bass Performance is also good, though like a lot of open earbuds, the buds 3 are a little Bass shy. I thought the AirPods 3

sounded a touch better. It's not a night and day difference. The AirPods 3 are just slightly fuller sounding and play slightly louder. The planar tweeter driver in the Buds 3 Pro does enhance treble performance. Samsung also says the Buds 3 Pro have dual amps, which helps reduce wireless hiccups. For those wondering how these compare to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Buds 3 Pro do sound better. Buds 2 Pro sound good, but the Buds 3 Pro treble clarity and bass definition is superior, and they sound cleaner and more accurate overall. I actually thought they sounded a little better than the AirPods Pro 2. They're a little more dynamic, they sound a little punchier overall, and the treble has a little more sparkle to it. Both buds support the Samsung Seamless Codec that Samsung says is now capable of delivering 24-bit 96 kHz high-resolution streams. I listen to tracks on my Galaxy Flip 5 using Quzz and frankly only heard

a very subtle difference in sound quality. I'm listening to the same tracks on my iPhone using quzz and Spotify. You have to be a pretty sophisticated listener to hear any differences. The buds 3 Pro have lights in their stems or blades, as Samsung calls them, while the buds 3 don't. I like them. They let you know when the buds are in pairing mode, and they flash when you use the find my feature, as the buds make a chirping noise. This would make them easier to find in a dark room, for example. You can also just activate the lights by pinching and holding each Bud for a few seconds and wear the buds around with lights on if that's your thing. Last but not least, I was really impressed with the voice calling performance. Samsung has mostly done a good job with voice calling performance in its previous Galaxy Budz models, but these new series 3 model deliver even better voice calling performance with topnotch noise reduction. They have three microphones in each Bud, along with a voice pickup unit earbuds with the stem.

design do get the microphones a little closer to your mouse so that does help with voice calling. My calls using the Galaxy Buzz 3 Pro with the noisy streets of New York with some wind. In fact, caller said they could barely hear any background noise and that my voice was mostly clear with limited warbling. AV Liston as I talk with fellow editor Josh Goldman. All right, I'm making a test call here in the streets of New York City. Just note that uh, the call is being recorded over the Internet, so there's a tiny bit of compression, uh, but I'm talking to editor Josh Goldman. Uh, Josh Shadow sound. It's very hot here in New York City, so I'm trying not to sweat, uh, but there's a lot of cars going by, uh, fair amount of noise, people walking by as well. Um, if you're on the city streets, I don't hear any evidence of it. It's very quiet on my end. You might as well be in a closed conference room. Um, I can't really hear anything thing, um, and

your voice quality sounds it sounds good. It's like a typical cell phone, uh, phone call. So all in all, sounds great. Okay, let's move on to a few things that I don't like, or at least don't love, about these buds. I do think their design is a little generic. Some have said they're a little cheap-looking, and that may be so, but the case does have a solid feel to it, and the buds themselves don't look any cheaper than the AirPods. The blades on the silver models, and just to be clear, these are plastic, not metal. They do give the buds a little bit of a Tesla Cybertruck vibe, so there is that, but some folks may be disappointed the buds don't come in colors to match their new Galaxy smartphones. I also think it's weird that Samsung has given another set of open earbuds active noise cancelling like Samsung's earlier Galaxy Buds Live, aka the Beans. The Buds 3 have some active noise cancelling, but it just doesn't seem to do much because ANC typically doesn't work well with open.

buds. I couldn't really tell the difference when I turned it on with the buds 3, though I did notice that the sound changed slightly when I engage thec. Maybe there's a bit of Ambient sound filtration, but if you're looking for real noise cancelling, you want the Galaxy buds 3 Pro. I didn't love that the ear tips for the buds 3 Pro are custom design for the buds, make it a little tricky to get your own tips on there if need be. The same is true for the airpods, true of course. Um, and ironically, I was able to get some third-party foam tips made for the airpods Pro 2 to click onto the bud 3 Pro, but they didn't give me a Tight Seal according to the seal test in the app. My only other gripe is I do think that their list prices are a little high. Samsung often runs trade-in deals or has discounts on accessories like earbuds when you buy a new Galaxy phone, so most people won't pay anywhere

near full price for these, and you shouldn't either. It's hard to say what they're really worth, but probably about 30% less. As I said in my first take of these buds, some of you might be a little disappointed that Samsung gave in and followed Apple's earbuds approach after determining the stem design worked best for the most people. But what it's worth, I did like these better than that of the Galaxy Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro, as well as the more recent Galaxy Buds Fe. I do think they'll fit a wider range of ears. For the right price, I have no problem recommending the Galaxy Buds 3 to Samsung Galaxy owners, as well as other Android users who don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears. But the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are more special and compete well against other premium noise-canceling earbuds in their price range, particularly when it comes to sound quality and voice calling performance, which is truly top-notch. If you're

contemplating upgrading from the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The Buds 3 Pro are better, but it's not a massive difference, so I think it really comes down to what kind of deal you can get on the Bud 3 Pro. Some of the trading deals are pretty tempting, but I'm sure some people prefer the Bud 2 Pro's stemless design, so that makes it a harder choice. As always, let me know your thoughts in the comment section below and hit the like button if you found this video informative at all. I'm David Conor for cat.com. Thanks for watching.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 & Buds 3 Pro Review: Stems Are Good

CNET is the premier destination for explaining and navigating the changing world around us. Through news, product reviews, price comparisons, and more, we’ll tell you what’s new in the parts of modern life that increasingly matter more — from health, home, and money to tech, culture, and climate — and how to get the most out of them.

CNET

Comparison of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are similar in design but have key differences, with the Buds 3 being open buds and the Buds 3 Pro being noise-isolating.

The Buds 3 are priced at $180, while the Buds 3 Pro are priced at $250, offering a slightly longer battery life and additional features.

Both models are praised for their comfortable fit, pinch controls, and swipe controls for volume adjustment, with the Buds 3 Pro facing a minor delay in the ship date due to quality control issues with the ear tips.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro offer wireless and USBC charging, Bluetooth 5.

They have an IP57 water and dust resistance rating and support Le audio and Oracast feature.

The buds also provide Samsung's 360 audio feature with head tracking and active noise cancelling, along with a dual driver for sound quality.

The adaptive audio feature and automatic pairing are more seamless for Samsung device users, but they also work well with other devices, such as the iPhone 14 Pro.

Comparison of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and AirPods 2

The AirPods 3 have slightly fuller sound and are slightly louder than the Buds 3 Pro.

The Buds 3 Pro, with a planar tweeter driver and dual amps, offer enhanced treble performance and reduced wireless hiccups, outperforming the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and even the AirPods Pro 2.

The Buds 3 Pro also feature lights in their stems for easier location and impressive voice calling performance, with top-notch noise reduction, even in noisy environments like the streets of New York.

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 is criticized for being generic and cheap-looking, with a plastic build that some compare to the Tesla Cybertruck.

The active noise cancelling feature is not very effective, especially for open earbuds, and the custom design of the ear tips makes it difficult to use third-party options.

Additionally, the list prices of the buds are considered to be on the higher side, despite potential discounts.

Review of Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 offer a comfortable fit for a wide range of ears and are recommended for Samsung Galaxy and other Android users who prefer a non-intrusive design.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, on the other hand, stand out with their premium noise-canceling, superior sound quality, and impressive voice calling performance, making them a strong competitor in their price range.

The decision between the two ultimately depends on the available deals and preference for design.