The ‘pro’ moniker has been getting tagged to phones for a couple of years. What does it mean to be a ‘pro’? And what does the word mean to Samsung? A pro should be able to complete tasks faster and better. A pro is one who likes to believe that the gadget in their hand has something to offer that others don’t. And that sort of captures what Samsung has done with the Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds. It’s pro and it has a few things that competition doesn’t.
Pro for many reasons
Wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen but only a couple of brands manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat each year. Samsung has managed a few things that Apple may look at later this year. Instead of boring you with the looks — which we must say is different from what’s available in the market — let’s get to the things that matter… things that are pro.
There are three defining features to the Buds Pro — ANC or active noise cancellation, ambient mode and voice detection, which is a brilliant addition.
First, ANC because that needs to be on point to justify the price of the product. Last year we saw the Galaxy Buds Live or the bean-shaped wireless earbuds that were great to look at, offered amazing fit and good sound quality but it wasn’t a mano-a-mano moment if the Apple AirPods Pro or Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 were in the ring. Samsung has fixed it.
During the course of reviewing devices, we took a walk down the flower market early morning with ANC on. The walk wasn’t very successful but once we found a relatively empty spot, the ANC came on and so did the Billie Eilish album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go. With ANC on and no music playing, all the shouts about marigold pricing for the day wilted away… as if the outside world had disappeared. And then came on Eilish with unsettling textural sounds and pop minimalism. I know, it’s a deadly combination of music and place. The Galaxy Wearable app allows toggling between high and low ANC.
Second, ambient mode. This is where the ‘pro’ sheen starts shining. You can adjust how much sound you want to let in. It’s super helpful when you are on the road and don’t want to cut out all the noises. Turn it up to maximum and the most amazing thing happens. From the market to a quick walk around the Agri Horticultural Society, where it’s about birds, bees and friendly groups brisk walking. Once the ambient mode is at its peak, the mics on the earbuds let in a lot of ambient sound and amplifies it. I now know what the two grand dudes on the park bench ate a few nights ago even though the conversation was hush-hush. It’s that powerful.
It’s the third feature which justifies the ‘pro’ moniker completely. There is a voice detect option, which needs to be turned on. When the earbuds detect your voice, it automatically goes into ambient sound mode and turns down the music. Basically, all the mics spring into action while the accelerometer and gyroscopes detect jaw and head movements when you start speaking. Once your voice isn’t detected for several seconds, the earbuds go back into the previous state of noise cancellation.
Consider the following scenario. You are in a cafe and want to place an order. Instead of taking the earbuds off or turning the music off, just speak in your usual, (hopefully!) pleasant voice. Also, if somebody suddenly approaches you, it will be rude to shout at the top of your voice just to drown out the music playing on the earbuds. The feature does the trick. It is also available on the Sony 1000XM4 headphones but this is probably the first time we are seeing the feature on earbuds.
The fourth reason making it a ‘pro’ have to do with hardware. The Buds Pro uses a dual-driver design — 11mm woofers and 6.5mm tweeters in each earbud, which livens up the music to a great extent. What you get is a fuller sound that’s clear and crisp in most listening situations. The bass is excellent and the highs and lows are well separated.
Also helpful is a feature which top brands have tried to implement with varying success — allowing voice to shine even in windy situations. The wind shield technology that’s there is helped by the less protrusive shape of the earbuds and the specially designed chamber with mesh over one of the outside mics. It makes for clear audio even in very windy situations.
Samsung has also managed to make the mics come through well. Call quality on the new wireless earbuds match that on AirPods, which is seriously good.
So, it’s all good?
No product is perfect. The first is a feature which can only be enjoyed if you have Samsung’s latest One UI 3.1. The 360 audio feature is, no doubt, truly immersive, like what Apple offers you but it can’t be accessed on all devices, which is a drawback. Of course, the company had to keep certain features that are bonus to their phone users; this is one of them.
Second, a problem which I didn’t face but some women may. The earbuds sit comfortably in the ears. No problem. But if you have a conch piercing, the earbuds can be a bother.
Offers good competition
Once charged up, the Buds Pro can offer five hours of play time with ANC on (and 13 more hours from the case) and if ANC is off, you will get eight hours of play time (and 20 more from the case). These are great figures.
Like we said, wireless earbuds are all over the place but only a handful of them have pro features. Watch a film with deafening shootouts, like one of the yipee-ka-you-know-movie of Bruce Willis. Usually, John McClane’s voice gets roughed up by the pitch of the explosions. Put on the Buds Pro and the man will clearly read out the invitation to the party! It’s also possible to share one of the Buds with a friend, so both of you can listen in.
It all comes down to sparkly trebles, warm vocals and bold bass. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Rs 15,990) offers wireless wow that shuts out the world.
High notes
Galaxy Buds Pro offers a good fit and great battery life The Telegraph
• Good ANC
• Ambient mode has levels
• Voice detect feature is unique
• Good mic performance
• Wind shield technology works
Muffled cries
• A couple of features are for Samsung phones only
• Functionality limited for iOS devices
