Headphone Guide Pro

Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro: the Top 8 Pros and Cons

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, wireless earbuds

Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro: the Top 8 Pros and Cons

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is a significant upgrade of Galaxy Buds+. Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live are also major upgrades of Galaxy Buds+. So what are the significant differences between Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro?

This wireless earbuds guide explains the top 8 major differences of Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 has advantages in the 4 aspects (weight, price, battery life, ear-fit test ), and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro wins in the other 4 categories (water resistance rating, 360 audio, voice detect, and better ANC and ambient sound controls).

Please note, Galaxy Buds Live is substantially different from Galaxy Buds + and Galaxy Buds Pro, as explained in this guide.

Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro: Galaxy Buds 2 wins

Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds Pro look similar and share many common features. However, Galaxy Buds 2 is NOT an upgrade to Galaxy Buds Pro. In fact, Samsung positions Galaxy Buds 2 as the successor to Galaxy Buds+.

Although Galaxy Buds 2 is a cheaper version of Galaxy Buds Pro, it has advantages in the following 4 aspects when comparing Galaxy Buds 2 vs Galaxy Buds Pro.

20% Lighter

 At 6.3g, Galaxy Buds Pro is not heavy and is very comfortable to wear. But Galaxy Buds 2 is about 20% lighter.

The design of Galaxy Buds 2 and Pro is very similar, although the material and finishing are slightly different.

So, most users will find it is even more comfortable to wear the Galaxy Buds 2 for an extended period.

Cheaper

 As mentioned, Samsung designed Galaxy Buds 2 as a “lite” version of Galaxy Buds Pro so that Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+ users will feel it is natural to upgrade to Galaxy Buds 2.

The MSRP of Galaxy Buds 2 is $149.99. The street price is around $100 currently. So, it is very affordable.

As a comparison, the MSRP of Galaxy Buds Pro is $199.99. Of course, now you can get a new one for around $150.

The sound quality and active noise cancelling (ANC) on Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds 2 are comparable. However, Galaxy Buds 2 uses a less powerful chip BES2500ZP, from a not-well-known vendor. FYI, Galaxy Buds Pro uses a popular chip Broadcom BCM43015.

Ear-fit test

Galaxy Buds 2 offers an ear-fit test to help you check whether … Read the rest

4 ways to check Galaxy Buds Live battery level

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, wireless earbuds

Check Galaxy Buds Live battery level

When using (or planning to use) the earbuds for an extended period, you may want to know Galaxy Buds Live battery level to see whether you need to charge it now for continuous usage in the next few hours.

This Galaxy Buds Live guide explains 4 different ways to check Galaxy Buds Live battery level and the charging case battery level in both Android and iOS devices, including:

  1. Using Galaxy Wearable app (or Samsung Galaxy Buds app on iOS).
  2. Using LED colours in the charging case..
  3. From Bluetooth settings in Android devices.
  4. Using Galaxy Buds Live widget on Android devices (or the Battery widget in iOS devices).

Method 1: Check Galaxy Buds Live battery level and charging case battery level in Galaxy Wearable app (or Galaxy Buds app on iOS)

As explained in this guide, you can manage and customize Galaxy Buds Live in the Galaxy Wearable app (with the Galaxy Buds Live plugin).

In the app, you can also check the battery level of Galaxy Buds Live and the charging case, as shown in the screenshot below.

Check Galaxy Buds Live battery level and charging case battery level in Galaxy Wearable app (or Galaxy Buds app on iOS)
Galaxy Buds Live battery level in Galaxy Wearable app.

For example, as shown in the screenshot below, the L and R earbuds are fully charged (100%). The charging case has 55% battery left.

On iOS devices, the corresponding app is the Samsung Galaxy Buds app. You can find similar information, as shown in the screenshot below.

Of course, you can check the battery level of Galaxy Buds Live in the app only when the buds are connected to the device.

Galaxy Buds Live battery level in Samung Galaxy Buds app in iPhone
Galaxy Buds Live battery level in Samsung Galaxy Buds app in iPhone.

Method 2: Estimate Galaxy Buds Live battery level and charging case battery level from LED colours

If the buds are not connected to any devices, the only way to estimate Galaxy Buds Live battery level and charging case battery level is through the LED light colours.

When you open the charging case, the earbud battery indicator LED, as shown below, will light up automatically with 2 possible colours.

The LED light does not tell you exactly the better level. Instead, it tells you the charging “status” of the buds:

  • Green. It means the buds are fully charged.
  • Red. It means the buds are being charged.
  • Flashing red, if charging is blocked due to abnormal temperatures.
  • No light. It means the buds run out of
… Read the rest

How to manage Galaxy Buds Live in Galaxy Wearable App?

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, sports headphones, wireless earbuds

Galaxy Wearable app

Although you can use the Galaxy Buds Live as standalone wireless earbuds, some settings and customization, as well as firmware updates, can only be performed through the Galaxy Wearable app on Android devices (or Galaxy Buds app on iPhone).

This Galaxy Buds Live guide explains how to use the Galaxy Buds Live plugin in the Galaxy Wearable app to manage, customize, and update Galaxy Buds Live. The feature differences between Galaxy Wearable for Android and Galaxy Buds for iPhone are also discussed.

What's Galaxy Wearable? Why do you need it?

It is impractical for small gadgets like Galaxy Buds Live to configure all settings in the tiny space. So, you need an app to offload some of the functions from the buds.

Meanwhile, as standalone Bluetooth earbuds, there is no way to update the firmware. You need a “host” (or agent) to download the update and transfer it to the earbuds.

Galaxy Wearable is Samsung's app to manage their wearables, including Galaxy Buds (Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds Pro, and Galaxy Buds 2) and Galaxy Watch.

On iOS, the Galaxy Buds app supports a few selected buds (Galaxy Buds Plus and Galaxy Buds Live only, to be precise). In this guide, we will first focus on the Galaxy Wearable app. Galaxy Buds app will be briefly discussed later.

Each device, for example, Galaxy Buds Live, needs a plugin inside the Galaxy Wearable app. But you do not install these plugins manually. When you add a new device in Galaxy Wearable, the corresponding plugin will be installed automatically.

Galaxy Wearable is always pre-installed on all Galaxy devices (e.g., Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Note 20). So you do not need to install them. If you are using other Android phones, you have to install the app from the Play store.

How to use Galaxy Wearable to manage Galaxy Buds Live?

Galaxy Wearable (with Galaxy Buds Live plugin) lets you manage and customize Galaxy Buds live. For example,

Connect (add) Galaxy Buds Live to the phone

You can connect Galaxy Buds Live to the phone through … Read the rest

How to use touch control on Galaxy Buds Live?

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, wireless earbuds

use touch control on Galaxy Buds LiveThe fastest way to adjust or control Galaxy Buds Live is to use touch control. You can pause, resume or skip music tracks by using the touch control on Galaxy Buds Live. You may also use touch control on Galaxy Buds Live to answer or reject calls.

This Galaxy Buds Live guide explains how to use touch control on Galaxy Buds Live to control music playing, answer or reject calls, and how to adjust the volume or customize the long tap gesture for the touch control on Galaxy Buds Live.

The touch control on Galaxy Buds Live is slightly different from that on Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds +, this guide applies to Galaxy Buds Live only.

What is the touch control on Galaxy Buds Live?

As explained in the layout of Galaxy Buds Live, there is a touch-responsive area (i.e., touch panel) on each bud.

You can use different gestures in this area to control the media, answer or reject calls, and adjust settings for Galaxy Buds Live.

The location of the touch panel is around the top microphone, as illustrated in the picture below.

location of the touch area of Galaxy Buds Live

Galaxy Buds Live accepts single tap, double-tap, triple tap, and long-tap (tap and hold) gestures.

Because two buds (L and R) of Galaxy Buds Live can work alone, the gestures are always identical on both buds. Only the function (action) of the long-tap gesture can be customized.

Of course, you can disable touch control on Galaxy Buds Live (block touches) if you often accidentally touch the area.

Please note, touch control on Galaxy Buds Live (and other Galaxy Buds devices) is similar to that on AirPods and AirPods 2. But it is substantially different from the Force Sensor on AirPods Pro, or AirPods 3

How to use touch control on Galaxy Buds Live?

The functions (actions) of the 4 gestures are different depending on whether you are playing media or you are on a call.

By default, you only need to apply the gesture on one of the buds. The exception is the long-tap gesture, which may require you to apply it on both buds for some special functions.

Single tap

use touch control on Galaxy Buds Live: single tap gestureThe single tap gesture means you tap the touch area once.

The single tap gesture lets you pause (if currently playing) or resume (if currently paused) the music.

If you use the buds to read the messages and notifications, … Read the rest

Layout of Galaxy Buds Live

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, sports headphones, wireless earbuds

Layout of Galaxy Buds LiveYou need to understand the layout of Galaxy Buds Live so that you can use and control it properly.

This Galaxy Buds Live guide explains the layout of Galaxy Buds Live, the function of each part, and how to use each part properly.

As the layout of Galaxy Buds Live is substantially different from that of Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+, this guide applies to Galaxy Buds Live only. For the layout of Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+, please check this guide.

Why do you need to know the layout of Galaxy Buds Live?

While Galaxy Buds Live is simple to connect and use, it is a bit difficult to control it. For example, you may accidentally reject a call if you are not familiar with the location of the touch area.

It is also important to regularly check and clean the speaker vent and air duct of the buds so that Galaxy Buds Live always in the optimal state.

You should know the location of the microphones and antenna to avoid some possible interferences.

Anyway, it is worth spending a few minutes on getting to know the layout of Galaxy Buds Live if you want to get the optimal performance of the buds.

Inside layout of Galaxy Buds Live

On the inside layout of Galaxy Buds Live, you can find the following 6 parts, as illustrated in the picture below:

  1. Charging contacts.
  2. Wingtip.
  3. Wearing sensor.
  4. Speaker (vent).
  5. Microphone (inside).
  6. Airduct (inside).

We now explore them one by one.

inside layout of Galaxy Buds Live

1. Charging contacts

The two charging contacts are used to charge the buds when you put them on the charging case.

To charge the buds, you need to position the buds properly in the case so that the two contacts connect to the corresponding contact points inside the charging case.

As explained in this guide, you must close the charging case if you want to charge the buds. You can follow this guide to check the battery level of Galaxy Buds Live.

If you mess up left and right buds in the case, the charging contacts will not match the contacts in the charging case. And therefore, the buds will not be charged although you close the case.

2. Wingtip

Many Galaxy Buds Live owners haven't realized the existence of the wingtip. They are very small! But they do work as expected.

When you get the Galaxy Buds Live, … Read the rest

How to charge Galaxy Buds Live battery?

Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones, wireless earbuds

charge Galaxy Buds Live batteryYou should charge the Galaxy Buds Live properly to minimize the degradation of battery capacity.

This Galaxy Buds Live guide explains the 3 ways to charge Galaxy Buds Live battery: USB cable charging, wireless charging, and wireless PowerShare (charging with a Galaxy phone), and how to use them properly.

Galaxy Buds Buds Live (and other Galaxy Buds, including Galaxy Buds, Buds+, and Buds Pro) can only be charged by the charging case when you put the buds in the case. So, in this guide, when we say “charge Galaxy Buds Live battery”, we are referring to charging the Galaxy Buds Live charging case.

As the charging method for all Galaxy Buds is similar, this guide applies to other Galaxy Buds, including Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Pro, and Galaxy Buds 2.

What are the 3 methods to charge Galaxy Buds Live battery?

You can charge Galaxy Buds Live battery (charging case) with 3 different methods:

  • USB cable charging. You can charge the charging case with a normal USB wall charger, or the USB port on your PC.
  • Wireless charging. You can put the charging case on the wireless charging pad to charge it.
  • Wireless PowerShare. You can your Samsung Galaxy phones to charge the Galaxy Buds live.

We will explore them one by one.

Please note, the buds can only be charged by the case when it is positioned properly in the charging case.  There is no way to charge the buds directly without the charging case.

If you want to check the battery level of the earbuds or the charging case, please check this guide. You can also use a widget on Android devices to check the battery level of both the charging case and earbuds.

How to charge Galaxy Buds Live through a USB cable?

To charge the buds with a USB cable, you may follow these steps.

Step 1:  Make sure the buds are positioned properly in the case

The buds can only be changed if they are positioned properly in the case.

So, before connecting the charger, you should open the case and check the position of the buds, as shown below.

The metal charging contacts on the buds should align with the corresponding contacts in the charging case.

charge Galaxy Buds Live through a USB cable: open case to check the buds

Step 2: Close the charging case

If the charging case is open, then the buds will … Read the rest