After 2 years, Samsung finally announced the new Galaxy Buds3 Pro. We all know that wireless earbuds aren’t like smartphones, they don’t come out with a successor every year, especially for the high-end ones. I’ve been using the earbuds for over a couple of weeks, and here’s the full review.
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Specs
- IP57 water and dust resistance
- Dimensions & Weight
- Earbud: 18.1 x 19.8 x 33.2mm, 5.4g
- Charging case: 48.7 x 58.9 x 24.4mm, 46.5g
- Enhanced 2-way (Tweeter + Woofer) Speaker, Dual Amplifier
- 24bit/96kHz Hi-Fi
- 360 Audio with Direct Multi-Channel
- ANC + High SNR Microphone (2 outers + 1 inner)
- Ambient Sound
- Voice Detect
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Codec: AAC, SBC, SSC(Samsung Seamless Codec), SSC-UHQ
- Sensor: Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Hall Sensor, Pressure Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Touch Sensor, VPU(Voice Pickup Unit)
- Battery
- Earbud: 53mAh
- Charging case: 515mAh
- Compatibility: Android 10.0 or higher with more than 1.5GB of RAM
- Colors: Silver, White
Design
The charging case of the Galaxy Buds3 Pro looks different from the previous models, it looks quite identical to the AirPods Pro 2 charging case. However, Samsung did make it look slightly different in shape, and I like that the case cover is transparent. The bottom of the case houses a USB-C port and a pairing button.
The earbuds look completely different from their predecessors. They now have proper flat-sided stems instead of what used to be bulbous and stemless buds. The stems on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro feature a Blade Light that illuminates when you put the buds back in the case. You can set the lights to be on all the time with a long squeeze on the stem.
Putting the earbuds back into the case is something you need to get used to after a while. The flat stems make it harder because you need to align the stem correctly with the angled tunnel in the case. In other words, these buds are harder to put back into the case every time. Samsung also labels the left bud slot with a tiny blue color accent and the right bud slot with a tiny orange color accent to show you where the matching-accented bud belongs.
User Experience
As usual, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with the Galaxy Wearable app for customizing and tweaking the earbud settings. The app is also available on Windows laptops, but some features may be missing.
Additionally, if you are using the latest Galaxy smartphone with Galaxy AI, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro also comes with some Galaxy AI features. For starters, it optimizes your listening experience with Galaxy AI-assisted Adaptive EQ/Adaptive ANC. Using Galaxy AI, it identifies and prevents unnecessary noise intuitively.
Carry on a conversation and Voice Detect will switch the ANC and Ambient modes on/off accordingly. When an alarm or siren is detected, the Siren Detect feature automatically switches to Ambient mode, allowing you to hear sirens and stay alert, even while listening to music.
With Galaxy AI, you understand the world like never before. See the translation on your Samsung Galaxy smartphone, and simultaneously hear your conversation interpreted in real-time through your Galaxy Buds3 Pro. Discover what it means to be truly free of language barriers.
Audio Quality
The Galaxy Buds3 Pro uses a 2-way driver with an independent woofer and tweeter in each bud. On the software side, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro encodes audio at up to 24-bit/96kHz and then decodes the sound at the same quality using what Samsung calls its Seamless Codec, though it only works with Galaxy smartphones starting from the S23 series onwards for the S series, Z5 series onwards for the foldables and Tab S9 onwards for S Tab users.
The earbuds sound impressive with a noticeable volume increase and an uptick in overall soundstage and dynamics compared to the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. The bass is noticeable from the sub-bass frequencies and increases smoothly across the spectrum. When set to the Bass Boost equalizer, you’ll experience a satisfying rumble that resonates throughout the entire range.
It’s the midrange where the Galaxy Buds3 Pro truly excels. Instruments and melodies are well-defined, delivering clarity and detail. Vocals sound natural, with a balanced amount of presence and brightness in the higher frequencies, giving the overall sound a polished and refined quality.
Battery Life
The battery life on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro was solid. With ANC enabled and volume set to around 80%, we managed about 4.5 hours of playback. Over two weeks of heavy use, we only had to charge the case twice, which is impressive for such compact earbuds.
Final Words
Retailing at RM999, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro is a pair of great earbuds that complete the ecosystem. Yes, if you own a Galaxy smartphone or tablet, this is your go-to high-end earbuds. If you want to enjoy high-fidelity audio but do not own a Galaxy smartphone or tablet, I’m afraid this is not the one you are looking for.
Buy Here
Yay
- Comfortable
- Great sound quality
- Better ANC
Nay
- Only works well with Galaxy smartphones