Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2

Sound Quality 9/10The sound quality of these reminds me of some of the $30 IEMs I have. Which is to say, it’s very good! I definitely get the impression that they made sure the acoustics were solid from the beginning… rather than just fixing any issues with the drivers using digital processing. High clarity, good bass, pretty solid. Particularly good for classical. The treble can get a bit much sometimes., but it’s down to the mix of whatever you’re listening to. There is a ‘soft’ EQ mode which mitigates this.Noise Cancelling 9/10Very good! High frequency sounds and loud sounds you can still hear, but greatly reduced. In order for the noise cancelling to work you need to push them into your ears firmly. It works for when you want some peace and quiet, and cancels surprisingly high frequencies.Transparency Mode 8/10Pretty good! I can hear my surroundings well. It even has a setting for boosting the volume, though this makes the sound seem pretty artificial.Mics/Calls 7/10It’s okay, but it didn’t play particularly nice with the pixel.Connectivity 6/10I’ve had it blast static in my ears one time, and sometimes it cuts out. I’m using a pixel 6a though, with a Samsung phone I’d expect that it’s better. Usually it works fine.Comfort and Fit 7/10About what you’d expect for earbuds of this type. They stay in my ears just fine. I’d prefer some other sort of headset if I don’t need the noise cancelling or high clarity, like the $30 Koss KPH30i, which is preferable for listening to podcasts or movies in a quiet environment.App 6/10So many permissions required! You don’t need a Samsung account, but clearly Samsung is after my data.EQ settings cover about 6 presets, with no ability to customize further than that, so I’ll have to use 3rd party apps to customize more than that. Fortunately the sound is pretty good by default.

This exact pair has been on and off sale frequently. It’s pretty great for music and the battery lasts awhile. Not the best if you’re constantly on phone calls if there’s any background noise going on.