Updated Nov. 25, 2023 2:00 p.m. PT
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$160 at Samsung
Best Samsung wireless earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
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$80 at Amazon
Best budget noise-canceling wireless earbuds
Earfun Air Pro 3
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$328 at Amazon
Best noise-canceling headphones from Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5
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$100 at Amazon
Best budget Galaxy earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
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$75 at JBL.com
Best AirPods Pro alternative for less
JBL Live Pro 2
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$258 at Amazon
Best Sennheiser noise-canceling headphones
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
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Apple’s headphones and earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Max and the Beats Fit Pro technically work with Samsung devices, but they don’t offer the best overall experience. Samsung Galaxy owners can use them for audio listening and making calls, but some features — such as spatial audio and always-on Siri — are Apple-exclusive. So if you’re a Samsung devotee, you’ll want a set of earbuds or headphones that’s either platform-agnostic or geared toward Galaxy devices (Samsung, like Apple, also plays the exclusive-features game).
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You may also want to get earbuds or headphones that feature support for the aptX or LDAC audio codecs, which may offer better audio quality when streaming via Bluetooth. Samsung and other Android phones support aptX and LDAC, but you have to enable support for those codecs by going into developer mode in the settings and activating the codec you want. It can be a little tricky.
What are the best earbuds and headphones for Samsung smartphones right now?
So what are the best earbuds for Samsung devices? If you’re looking for earbuds geared to your Galaxy smartphone or tablet, the answer is easy: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are arguably the best earbuds you can get for your Galaxy device. They not only sound very good but offer good noise canceling and work well for making calls. They’re also equipped with some special extra features for users of Galaxy devices, including spatial audio and hands-free Bixby.
As for full-size headphones that work well with Samsung mobile devices, we like the Sony WH-1000XM5, a 2022 CNET Editors’ Choice winner. But there’s a slew of other headphones geared toward Samsung users, several of which I’ve included on this list.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise canceling along with very good sound and voice-calling performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you’re a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. That said, their biggest upgrade may be their new design and smaller size, which make them a better fit for more ears. They’re also fully waterproof.
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Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).
In short, the Earfun Air 3 deliver strong performance for their modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (though not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls.
” edition=”us” filtershortcodetypes=”http://www.cnet.com/” imagecredit=”Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET” imagegroup=”{“imageData”:{“id”:”45115595-4ba3-4f6e-93ab-2c4f07d4ad7d”},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2023-01-26″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” isbestlistredesign=”true” linktext=”Read our Earfun Air Pro 3 review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/deals/earfuns-new-air-pro-3-earbuds-deliver-impressive-sound-and-theyre-already-30-off/” ng-block=”{“id”:”wpzwd6qhogt4mt9″,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” offer=”{“id”:”2fecfab1-8a4a-4d0c-b79c-62207901ea90″,”label”:”EarFun Air Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds”,”slug”:”earfun-air-pro-3-noise-cancelling-wireless-earbuds”,”edition”:[“us”],”imageId”:””,”imgUrl”:””,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”typeLabel”:”Series”,”objectType”:”content_product_series”,”icon”:””}” overridecaption=”
The wireless charging case isn’t tiny, but it fits in a pocket easily enough.
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Earfun has put out a series of wireless earbuds over the last couple of years with one important similarity: They’re all a very good value, made more so by frequent discounts. The company’s new-for-2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds feature the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with aptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec. They also support AAC for Apple devices.
Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).
In short, the Earfun Air 3 deliver strong performance for their modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (though not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls.
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When you have a product that a lot of people love, change is risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $400 price tag, most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.
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If you can’t afford the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the standard Galaxy Buds 2 are a good option. Released in 2021, they don’t sound as good as the newer Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or have quite as effective noise canceling. But they offer decent sound and noise canceling along with very good voice-calling performance, and they often are discounted to around $100.
The Buds 2, like the earlier Buds Plus, are only IPX2 sweat-resistant. That means they should be fine for lighter workouts, but it’s probably best to avoid wearing them in a rain storm.
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The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two is battery life: The stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options.
” edition=”us” filtershortcodetypes=”http://www.cnet.com/” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” imagegroup=”{“imageData”:{“id”:”3852a149-f4bf-4440-bf26-89b155b36e61″},”size”:””,”float”:””,”lightbox”:false,”imageDoNotCrop”:false,”imageDoNotResize”:false,”imageWatermark”:false,”imageDateCreated”:”2022-05-27″,”imageParallax”:””,”imageCrop”:””,”imageEnlarge”:false}” isbestlistredesign=”true” linktext=”Read our JBL Live Pro 2 first take” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/jbl-live-pro-2-and-live-free-2-great-new-earbuds-on-sale-for-50-off/” ng-block=”{“id”:”rmagn4ypj4w78q8″,”type”:”cross-content-listicle”}” offer=”{“id”:”4aa0b5e6-fa10-4be0-bbd2-3a3473622a37″,”label”:”JBL Live Pro 2″,”slug”:”jbl-live-pro-2″,”edition”:[“us”],”imageId”:””,”imgUrl”:””,”imageHeight”:0,”imageWidth”:0,”typeLabel”:”Series”,”objectType”:”content_product_series”,”icon”:””}” overridecaption=”
sortRankTest: 5:a; 4:b
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Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand’s new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds — the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design — offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance. They also have a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.
The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two is battery life: The stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options.
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Sennheiser’s previous-generation Momentum Wireless headphones have always had a pretty distinct look that was part retro, part modern, and stood out for the exposed metal on the headband. For better or worse, that’s all gone now, and the new Momentum 4 Wireless, Sennheiser’s flagship noise-canceling headphones, look a bit more subdued and also a bit more like some of their competitors.
The Momentum 4 Wireless outperform the Momentum 3 Wireless in every regard. The biggest gains are with noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well as battery life, which is outstanding — up to 60 hours at moderate volume levels. There’s also a transparency mode that allows in ambient sound, and users can create a custom sound profile in the Smart Control app for iOS and Android using the built-in EQ, sound modes and a new Sound Personalization feature that “assesses the user’s listening preferences and adjusts the listening experience according to their taste.”
Sennheiser says the Momentum 4 Wireless, equipped with 42mm drivers, offer “best-in-class” sound, which is debatable. I’d say the sound quality is right there with other models in this price range. They sound excellent, with the requisite well-defined, punchy bass, wide soundstage (they sound pretty open) and smooth treble that brings out some of the finer details in well-recorded tracks. They’re a pleasure to listen to.
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Sony’s improved entry-level noise canceling headphones, the CH-720Ns, have a bit of a plastic-y, budget vibe, but they’re lightweight and comfortable. Part of me was expecting them to sound pretty mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised. No, they don’t sound as good as the WH-1000XM5s. But they sound more premium than they look and feel, and their overall performance is a nice step up from their predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Are they worth $150? Maybe — or maybe not. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these should see some nice discounts in the not-so-distant future.
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