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5 best new features and improvements of Galaxy Buds Plus (Galaxy Buds+ vs Galaxy Buds)

Galaxy Buds+ (Galaxy Buds Plus) may look physically similar (almost identical) to the 2019 version of Samsung Galaxy Buds. But there are many new features and improvements of Galaxy Buds Plus (vs Galaxy Buds).

This wireless earbuds guide explains the five best new features and improvements of Galaxy Buds Plus: longer battery life (11-hour non-stop playtime ), 2-way speaker. 3-microphone system, Spotify integration, and the Galaxy Buds+ app for iOS.

Although Galaxy Buds Plus was announced together with Galaxy S20, it works with all Android devices with Android 5 (Andriod Lollipop) or newer versions and most iOS devices. You can also use Galaxy Buds Plus as a universal Bluetooth headphone on almost all platforms with Bluetooth audio support.

Of course, like Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+ works best with Samsung Galaxy phones with Android Nougat 7.1 or later with the Samsung Scalable Codec.

Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro (both with active noise cancelling) were released as an upgrade for Galaxy Buds Plus.

Longer battery life: the best improvement of Galaxy Buds Plus

Samsung Galaxy Buds already has a decent battery time. You can use the buds for about 6 hours in one charge. The charging case offers an additional 6 hours of playtime.

Now, Samsung further improved the battery life for the Galaxy Buds+ for about 50%.

You can continuously use the Galaxy Buds+ for more than 11 hours in one charge. The charging base gives another 11+ hours.

In addition to the longer battery life, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ also charges faster. You can use the Galaxy Buds+ for one hour after charging it for 3 minutes. As a comparison, you need to charge the Galaxy Buds 15 mins to get a battery life of 100 mins.

Anyway, no other wireless earbuds can match the battery life of Galaxy Buds Plus currently. We consider the longer battery life is one of the best new features and improvements of Galaxy Buds Plus.

2-way speaker

The tiny Galaxy Buds+ now features 2-way speaker, which is seldom found in other wireless earbuds.

The combination of a woofer for the low and mid-range sound and a tweeter for high-frequency sound technically can significantly improve the sound quality, if tuned properly.

It seems the best (balanced) sound quality can be achieved when you set the equalizer to dynamic for Galaxy Buds Plus.

If you choose the equalizer to normal, it … Read the rest

Top 10 new features of AirPods Pro (vs AirPods 2)

wireless earbuds, Bluetooth headphones, noise cancelling headphones

Top 10 new features of AirPods Pro AirPods Pro is the lastest wireless earbuds offered by Apple. It complements AirPods 2 in the high-end market with some useful new features.

This wireless earbuds guide explains the top 10 new features of AirPods Pro (compared to AirPods 2): active noise canceling (ANC), wireless charging, in-ear design, transparency mode, force sensor, adaptive EQ, Sweat and water resistance with IPX4 rating, ear tip test, secure fit, and a $249 price tag.

Please note, the direct competitor to AirPods Pro is Sony WF-1000XM3, which offers better noise-cancelling and better audio quality (at $229). Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offers similar features with a lower price tag. Samsung Gallaxy Buds+ offers better battery life and cheaper price. Jabra Elite Sport offers a heart rate monitor and a companion workout app (Jabra Sport Life).

#1.Active noise canceling (ANC): the best new feature of AirPods Pro

As explained in this guide in detail, active noise canceling (ANC) uses special sound waves to cancel the ambient noise and therefore gives you immersive and quite listening experience.

Bose and Sony are the indisputable industrial leaders in ANC for consumer headphones. It is unclear whether Apple licensed some technology from third parties or developed their own ANC technology in-house.

If you compare AirPods Pro with Sony WF-1000XM3, Sony is a clear winner in most situations. Please do NOT compare AirPods Pro with the first generation of WF-1000, whose noise canceling was a failure.

Anyway, for many Apple users, ANC is probably new to them. They will enjoy this feature gradually.

Please note, if you want to get better ANC, you may consider an over-ear headphone, like Sony WH-1000XM3, Bose Quite 35, or Bose 700.

#2. Transparency mode

Transparency mode is the opposite of noise canceling. In this mode, you can hear clearly outside without removing the AirPods Pro from the ears.

You can use the force sensor (read on) to switch between noise canceling and transparency mode instantly.

In fact, all noise-canceling earbuds and headphones have this feature.

#3. New in-ear design

AirPods Pro now adopts the in-ear design (see this guide on the difference among in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear headphones). This means the tips are supposed to be sealed into your ear canal.

Unlike AirPods and AirPods 2, AirPods Pro will “stuff” your ears if you are new to in-ear buds. It may take you a few days to get used to it.… Read the rest

How to use Samsung Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+?

wireless earbuds, Bluetooth headphones, Headphone 101

Samsung Galaxy Buds is Samsung’s first wireless earbuds for Android devices, although you can also use them on iOS, Linux, or Windows devices.

This wireless earbuds guide explains everything you need to know about Samsung Galaxy Buds (and Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus): box contents of the buds, the layout of the buds, how to use the buds, how to charge the buds, how to check the battery status, how to pair the buds with other devices, how to use touchpad commands to control the buds. A concise review of the Galaxy Buds was also included.

Of course, some questions you may have on Samsung Galaxy Buds and Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus were also answered. So, this guide covers both Samsung Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus (Galaxy Buds+).

Please note, Samsung released Galaxy Buds Live with Galaxy Note 20. Because of the new active noise cancelling (ANC) feature and new design, you may check this page (coming soon) on how to use Galaxy Buds Live. Galaxy Buds Pro was released with Galaxy S21 in Jan 2021 with some new and improved features (compared to Galaxy Buds Live).

What is Samsung Galaxy Buds?

Samsung announced Galaxy Buds, a wireless earbud for Android phones, together with the Galaxy S10 in March 2019.

Prior to Galaxy Buds, Samsung already offered Gear IconX as a fitness (and wireless) earbud.

Galaxy Buds is smaller and lighter by removing the built-in storage and workout-tracking ability in IconX. If you need earbuds for a workout with a heart rate monitor, the best option is the Jabra Elite Sport.

So, you can think Galaxy Buds is the wireless in-ear earbuds for Android phones matching AirPods for iPhones.

In 2020, Samsung updated Galaxy Buds with Galaxy Buds+ (Galaxy Buds Plus) with longer battery life, better sound and audio quality as explained in this guide. The MSRP price is $149. In many regions, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ is bundled with Galaxy S20 as a free gift.

What devices are compatible with Galaxy Buds?

The official spec sheet of the Galaxy Buds requires Android 5.0 and Galaxy Wearable app.

But this is for “quick” pairing.

In fact, you can use Samsung Galaxy Buds as a normal Bluetooth headset. Therefore, you can use the Samsung Galaxy Buds with most devices that support Bluetooth audio, for example, iPhone, Windows PCs, and laptops.

Unlike AirPods, Galaxy Buds … Read the rest

What is active noise canceling (ANC)? How active noise-cancelling headphone works?

noise cancelling headphones, Bluetooth headphones, Headphone 101, wireless earbuds

You need an active noise cancelling (ANC) headphone if you want to block the ambient low-frequency noise, like engine noise in the aeroplane. For example, Sony WH-1000XM (XM1-XM4) series, Bose Quietcomfort series (e.g., 15, 25, 35, earbuds), Apple AirPods Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Buds Live all have ANC.

Active noise cancelling (ANC) is different from noise blocking/isolating, which passively blocks both high and low-frequency noises.

This headphone guide explains what the active noise cancelling (ANC) is and how the active noise cancelling headphone works. It will not only help you understand ANC but also help you choose proper active noise-cancelling headphones.

What is active noise cancelling (ANC)?

Active noise cancelling (ANC, aka active noise control) is a set of audio technologies that actively cancel the ambient noise.

Both the annoying noise and music reach your ear as sound waves transmitted through the air.

So, one simple way to reduce noise is to physically and passively block it. For example, there are many soundproofing materials and technologies.

In the airport, you may notice ground staff are wearing earmuffs to block the engine and other noises. In the shooting clubs, it is also common that earmuffs are used.

Active noise cancelling (ANC), on the contrary, uses negative sound waves to actively cancel the noise.

This means ANC requires at least three components:

Power source. Active noise cancelling (ANC) always requires a power source to detect and analysis noise and then generate a negative wave.
Noise detection. Normally, one or more microphones are used to sample the ambient sound.
Anti-noise sound wave generator. Once the ambient noise is sampled, an active noise cancelling (ANC) system must generate an inverted (negative) sound wave (with similar amplitude) to cancel the low-frequency noise.

When the ambient noise is cancelled, you will get a quieter environment for your music.

Active noise cancelling (ANC) is still evolving, especially on how to sample ambient sound, how to analyze the sampled ambient sound, and eventually how to effectively cancel the low-frequency ambient noise in real-time.

Please note, active noise cancelling (ANC) currently is most effective for low-frequency noise only.

Active noise cancelling (ANC) vs passive noise blocking

As discussed earlier, noise can be “blocked” (passive) and/or “cancelled” (active).

Most headphones, in-ear or on-ear or over-ear, can block certain ambient sounds. For example, some in-ear headphones are designed to seal the ambient sound (e.g., Sony … Read the rest

What are the differences among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones?

Headphone 101

Normally, headphones are classified as in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear based on their sizes and ways of wearing.

This headphone guide explains the differences in size and sound quality among these 3 types of headphones. Then we explain whether you should get an in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear headphones to meet your needs (and comfort).

Why do you need to know the differences among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones?

When buying a new headphone, the first question you need to ask yourself is what “size” of the headphone should be.

In the market, there are roughly 3 types of headphones based on their sizes (both wired headphones and Bluetooth headphones):

in-ear headphone (aka earphone, or earbud);
on-ear headphone; and
over-ear headphone.

The differences among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones are NOT just about the size.

Quite often, a certain type of headphone may be better than others for a special group of users (e.g. people with glass), or better for special occasions (e.g., for running).

So, it is important to know the differences among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones to get the headphone that is most suitable for you when you plan to get a new headphone.

Size matters: the obvious difference among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones

In-ear headphone, aka earbud or earphone, is the smallest among the three. For example, Samsung Galaxy Buds, AirPods, AirPods Pro, Jabra Elite Sport are all in-ear wireless earbuds.

Because of the small driver (aka transducer), a unit that converts an electrical signal into sound (air pressure), in-ear headphone is small enough to fit inside your ears.

The on-ear headphone usually uses larger drivers. But the padding is not large enough to cover your ears. Instead, the headphone sits on your ears without fully covering them.

The over-ear headphone has a large enough padding to cover your ear. Manufactures can put larger drivers in over-ear headphones thanks to the additional space.

Sound quality difference among in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones

When sound quality is concerned, size is NOT the major factor.

Many headphone buyers have the wrong impression: the bigger driver means better sound quality. This is wrong.

Large drivers generally can boost high volume (louder) with higher capacity for the bass. But unlike the volume or bass, the sound quality (audio quality) is NOT simply determined by the driver size.

For all headphones, sound quality … Read the rest