Reviews

21 Best Sounding True Wireless Earbuds (2020)

Samsung Galaxy Buds

Setup

A bit odd but you have to download the Samsung Wearable app with the Buds plugin. You’ll need to enable “Dynamic” under the Equalizer to get the most performance out of the Galaxy Buds. When this isn’t enabled, the sound is thin and dry. Also, make sure to have the right ear tips – it makes a huge difference.

Sound

At first, these Buds sounded quite strident and abrasive to my ears. After tip changes and EQ, it’s much better. There plenty of air and spatial detailing. Although not a lot of warmth or bass, it’s a clean, cool, and lean sounding earbud. It does have a sheen and borders on polite and analytical.

There’s this super annoying sibilance that I can’t seem to reduce. Otherwise a very dynamic, spacious, and highly resolving sound. Transients are snappy, good separation, and good depth. Bass is light but present and sets the rhythm well. It’s a clean rather than warm sound. Extrapolating a more warmblooded sound with more body and this earphone would rock.

The Samsung Galaxy Bud is a little too clean and cold (and sharp) for my tastes but superbly detailed, brilliant, dynamic, and fun. It’s a little hyped over time but didn’t experience any serious fatigue.

Comparisons

  • Jabra 75t: Samsung sound quite monochrome in comparison to the Jabra. The 75t also has much more powerful bass. The Jabra is a clear winner.
  • Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro: Soundcore has much better tonal color – but sounds flatter in comparison to the Buds.
  • Soundcore Liberty Neo (Original): The Soundcore sounds more grounded and admittedly, more natural. Not quite as dynamic, exciting, or quiet but makes the Samsung sound devoid of any tonal saturation. To my ears, the Soundcore is cheaper and better sounding.
  • Edifier TWS NB: Edifier presents more shape and warmth while the Samsung has more clarity. The Samsung does seem to have more precision in the soundstage, however.
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds+: With both in “Dynamic” mode I actually preferred the signature of the original Buds. It’s more organic, warm, and rich. It’s not as detailed and doesn’t have as black a background as the Buds+, but it’s far more engaging to my ears. The Buds+ sounds a little thin and icy – and the bass is not as heavy. A bit of a surprise since the Buds+ have two drivers.

Side Notes

  • Might benefit from Comply tips to warm up the sound.
  • Super easy to pair.
  • The capsule is one of the smallest for portability.
  • The passive isolation on this thing is pretty nuts.

Who should buy this?

If you’re looking for a bud that sounds natural and will seduce you – this isn’t it. The Samsung Galaxy Buds require tuning to sound good. It’s more clinical and vibrant than it is euphoric. But it handles a few technical qualities very well – especially in regards to spatial clarity.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Jay Luong

Mr. Audio Bacon himself. An open-minded electrical engineer and software developer by trade. I have an obsession with the enjoyment of all things media - specifically in the realm of music and film. So much heart and soul (and money) go into the creation of this artistry. My aim is to find out which products get me closer to what the musicians and directors intended.

View Comments

  • Very nice article and I tend to agree with most if not all your assessments. I own most of these headphones and am a headphone addict. Clearly sound and headphones reviews are very subjective. I appreciate all your efforts here! Well done!

  • I think this is probably the best audio review comparison for a buyer that I've ever read. No. Not probably. Actually it is the best. That's because you've written the good AND the bad about every product. Never said one item is better absolutely. Explained what you liked and why, which is VERY important as I might like something that you don't. Though most importantly, you compared the items at the end with both the good and bad points in a comparative way. This grouping of descriptions and comparisons actually makes your ranking list not very useful and confusing, BUT! makes the whole review useful and informative and can help a person decide which product THEY would like. I still like my old Wf-1000x buds but was looking for something, probably by now, better. By reading your reviews I might actually rank the new Sony buds as number one (though I'd have to hear them of course). The beauty of your reviews is that I can actually get some idea of what I WOULD actually like and what to try first. Awesome writing and well thought out.

    • Thank you, Mark. It's interesting because some days, I don't mind having something further down the ranking list for the "unique" qualities it presents. It's sometimes about the mood or about the appreciation of a certain type of sound. Although I prefer a more natural sound, I sometimes still enjoy the "fantasy" that some of these headphones provide. It amazes me how much information is capture by the microphone - which I don't think even the performers or engineers knew about. I did perform this experiment for my own record keeping. Figured it'll give me a good reference point for things I hear in the future. Everyone enjoys music differently and I'm glad I was able to help.

  • Great review. I have settled on 3 sets of earbuds for my everyday use.

    1. Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro - For home use. I agree wholeheartedly about your remarks regarding these earbuds, and now Soundcore has added a 7 band EQ allowing you to custom eq them, so that's fantastic. Their relatively weak IPX rating and substandard call performance keeps them from being my "go to" phones, but when I am at home, these are the ones I pick up.

    2. Sony WF-1000XM3 - Although not as good sounding as the L2P, The sublime ANC of these buds makes these my default travel gear, edging out my Bose QC35ii over the ear cans. The sound isolation on these is actually better than my Bose. And the portability of them is self evident. No IPX rating makes them strictly for plane trips and similar use cases. Definitely a niche product, but once you travel with ANC, there's no going back.

    3. Soundcre Liberty Air 2 - These are my default "out and about" phones. The slight trade off in sound quality is more than offset by the smaller case, stronger water resistance and call quality. The soundcore app allows you to EQ them quite a bit, so I can get good sound even in environments that are not conducive to it.

    • I've bought a pair before. I don't think it's worth comparing to the ones up here. Not super great in my opinion

  • I have been looking for exactly such an analysis. I have been looking for a TWS for exactly the same purpose as yours except that call quality is a semi-important factor. I mostly use iFi xDSD for Bluetooth receiver with JVC FD0X or Sony MD855. Anyway, it would be interesting if you could rate Galaxy bud live that has an open design with a bass duct and 12mm driver. My interest in it for its call quality and I heard it is better than galaxy bud+. Thank you.

  • Thank you so much for your review man!!!! I tried many earbuds and the M&D MW07 GO is a clear win on sound quality in my opinion! So detailed, precise, layered, immersive and just beautiful sound in all genres. I can hear many new sounds in the same old songs and music that I listen over and over again. I have been a Bose fan for so long but M&D will be my new faith on sound quality. Thank you for such a professional and honest review!!! Appreciate it!!!

  • This is has become my go to reference source - the care and attention to detail that went into this is amazing; so, Thank You! I have always struggled with pure ranking lists and have been skeptical of kickback bias. I have been on a quest to find the highest call/mic quality without sacrificing my music preferences. This has served as a good cross-reference. I was generally happy with the Momentum TW's call-wise; however, was never a big fan of how music sounded through them (although I really wanted them to be good). That combined with the flaws ("volume min / volume min / volume min") drove me away. I am on the phone all day for work and like to listen to music in between. I'm currently using Jabra 75t's and they seem pretty good for both purposes - the extra bass doesn't bother me too much but heavier music tends to sound a little muddled to my liking.

    Has anyone else had good experiences with TWS with the right call quality / musicality balance? Always open to opinions and suggestions.

    Thanks!

Recent Posts

Gingko Audio Summer Isolation Giveaway

Do well by your audio system while doing good: Donate to one of the listed… Read More

4 years ago

AXPONA – The Lost Tapes for 2020

All high-end hi-fi shows have been canceled for 2020...and perhaps for 2021. Hardcore audiophiles are… Read More

4 years ago

Underwood Hifi and Core Power Tech A/V Introduces the USBe Perfect

Walter Liederman, owner of Underwood Hifi and Core Power Tech A/V had these comments when… Read More

4 years ago

Sound United to Acquire Bowers & Wilkins

Sound United Enters into a Preliminary Agreement to Acquire Bowers & Wilkins Vista, Calif (June… Read More

4 years ago

Audio Art Cable Statement e SC Cryo Speaker Cable

Real, hardcore audiophiles pay attention to all sounds in the natural world. As I'm writing… Read More

5 years ago

English Electric’s NEW 8Switch Audiophile Ethernet Switch

Chord Company brand English Electric officially launches its first-ever product: the 8Switch  13th May 2020,… Read More

5 years ago

This website uses cookies.