Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (Black) – True Wireless, Active Noise Cancelling, Wireless Charging Case (CAD Warranty)

The fit is very comfortable. They don’t stick out from the sides of your head which is nice. Sound is quite good, more bass than the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+, however I did notice that the higher frequencies have a more digital sound to them.
The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) isn’t very noticeable at all, especially if you’re used to BOSE or AirPods Pro, and is honestly why I returned these. You are better off getting the Galaxy Buds plus for less money which do a better job at passive noise cancelling and have Ambient Noise feature.

I will update this review as my opinions change with more time with them.

Sound is good, i’d give it an 8/10. Sound is very clear, the equalizer on dynamic seems like the sweet spot. Nothing mind-blowing, but a solid sound.

Noise cancellation is very very poor. When you enable it, you can hear it kick in, but when you test it even with very mild noise, it does almost nothing to suppress it. Maybe there is a secret that i’m missing, but it doesn’t compare even mildly to over-ear headphones

Fit is great and blew expectations out of the water. I went for these because I dislike the ones that go deeper into your ear canal, and despite the goofy look, these fit great and have a tight hold. Can shake my head as hard as I like, or ride my bike, and no issues. By far the standout plus.

My biggest concern, though, is the connectivity. I am using them with an S8, and I am experiencing some very bad intermittent interference. Happens a lot at even pocket distance, working with Amazon on solutions.

Side note to other owners – If you find the volume too low, in bluetooth advanced settings, enable media volume sync. Lots of the negative reviews are the volume levels, and this is the solution. They’re still a touch quiet, but it’s not too bad.

Let me start this review off by saying that I’ve never been a massive fan of the Galaxy Buds or the Buds+ because I did not like the low volume and the lack of bass in their sound profile. It wasn’t dynamic and felt like it could’ve used a little bit of tuning. The Galaxy Buds Live surprised me and are genuinely an improvement in certain areas despite not having silicone ear tips (still with some cons).

1) Charging case and fit: The Buds Live’s charging case fits snugly in the palm of my hands and is very pocket-able because it has a nice round finish that makes it easy to slide in and out. The case size is about on par with the Airpods pro and has magnets holding the earbuds in to avoid falling out when the lid is opened. Although, I would’ve definitely appreciated a different finish from the glossy look on the black earbuds because it attracts fingerprints and dirt. The Buds live are hands down one of the most comfortable and stable pair of earbuds I’ve tried without protruding out of my ear. They gently slip into place without even needing to be twisted like some people suggest. Just let them sit naturally and they should work fine. I did some light jogging and walking and they did not budge. Samsung additionally includes some Large wingtips just to offer some customizability.

2) Connectivity: Samsung released a new update as soon as these Buds were available to fix some connection and static issues because the earbuds were cutting in and out from the device. Now, the connection is as stable as a rock and the seamless switching is so convenient. Haven’t had any disconnection problems or static issues ever since. On another note, the Galaxy Wearable app is always at your disposal to change the touch settings and view the charging status of the buds.

3) ANC: The Buds come with active noise cancellation which works very mediocrely and that is quite a disappointing aspect because what in the hell are you paying $290 for then?! If you’re in a crowded environment, it seems almost laughable to even insist they have ANC especially if you compare it to the Sony earbuds or the Airpods Pro which block out so much more background noise. As for the Buds Live, the ANC works to slightly dim low frequency sounds but even that is hardly noticeable. So if you were thinking of picking these up for that feature, don’t bother and opt for an earbud with silicone tips which will give better passive noise cancellation.

4) Sound/Call quality: The sound profile is definitely where these buds shine because it is a much more open and bass-y sound profile. Samsung has a dedicated bass duct on the earbuds which helps to ad some oomph to the music. They also sound noticeably louder than the previous Buds+ and Airpods Pro. Mids and highs are also very pronounced, but the bass is definitely the kicker. The microphone quality doesn’t quite compare to the Buds+ because it sounds good but almost feels like you’re talking on speaker phone because of how open the voices are. That was the feedback I got from my test and I can definitely say these are passable in that respect and should not cause issues when making hands-free calls.

Overall, to sum up my experience with these:
Pros:
– Very nice bass and dynamic sound
– Comfortable fit without the ear plugged feel most earbuds give
– 29 hours of charging with the very tiny and pocket-able case
– USB-C charging
– Seamless app integration and connection through multiple devices

Cons:
– Very weak and almost unnoticeable ANC
– Glossy charging case finish
– Okay microphone quality

Wow! Blown away by the sound quality and the fit. I tried shaking my head all over but not once did it fall out my ears. It’s really simple to put in and the ANC works incredibly removing all lower sounds like air con or a fan. Better than any other wireless earbuds I’ve ever tried.