The Galaxy Buds 3
Pro are Samsung's most advanced headphones. Launched to compete with Apple's
AirPods Pro, the accessory combines comfort, active noise cancellation (ANC),
long battery life, and high-quality sound enhanced with artificial intelligence
(AI). TecYLife tested the new headphones to tell you whether they are good.
♦ Design and
construction
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is almost a clone of Apple's AirPods Pro, with angular stems instead of cylindrical ones. Available in white and silver, the headphones also have a thin LED line that lights up and details in orange and blue to indicate the side of each ear.
All the tactile controls are located on the rods. Learning how to use the headphones accurately takes a while, especially to find the correct pressure point. Changing the volume by sliding your finger on the rod is simpler.
The Galaxy Buds 3
Pro case is also very similar to that of the AirPods Pro. The lid, however, is
transparent, allowing you to see if the headphones are in the case without
opening it. At the bottom are the USB-C port and the button to pair via
Bluetooth.
♦ Comfort and protections
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro can be used for several hours without discomfort. The headphones fit well in the ear, and the ear tips help keep them in place during physical exercises.
The accessory has an IP57 rating that guarantees protection against sweat and even immersion in shallow water — between 15 centimeters and 1 meter deep. However, Samsung does not recommend using it at the beach or pool.
Although comfortable, the earphone may fit better in more malleable ears. Samsung offers three rubber tip options with different diameters, but they all have the same short length.
The headphones' all-plastic construction also means they are less secure in the ear. Sweat makes the structure slippery, which can cause the accessory to fall when changing the volume using the tactile control on the shaft.
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♦ Audio quality
The Galaxy Buds 3
Pro features excellent sound quality in any audio. In all musical genres,
Samsung headphones deliver precise sound with powerful bass and very
well-defined mids and highs.
This model supports UHQ quality audio and 24-bit Hi-Fi streaming for better performance, especially on newer Samsung Galaxy cell phones such as the Galaxy S24, Z Flip 6, and Z Fold 6.
The headset also plays audio 360 degrees, but the feature needs to improve sound quality and may even unbalance the audio.
Each headphone stem has a system of dual drivers - a 10.5 mm dynamic and a 6.1 mm dynamic - that offer two-way speakers, dual amplifiers, a planar tweeter, and a dedicated woofer.
This structure allows the Galaxy Buds 3 to reproduce sounds with excellent fidelity and clarity, even at higher volumes. However, thanks to the excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), you can use the accessory at medium volume, even in very noisy environments.
♦ ANC and artificial intelligence features
Although the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro's noise cancellation is good at canceling out simple background noises like motors and fans, the feature goes overboard when dealing with human voices. If you want to hear other people, you need to turn ANC off completely or remove the headphones from your ear.
The ANC is so
powerful that it is also necessary to deactivate the feature when walking on
the street to avoid accidents. There is an adaptive cancellation mode depending
on the environment, but it is recommended to rely solely on it.
To avoid problems with ANC, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro offers an ambient sound pickup mode that captures external sounds through the microphones. Although this works very well for making calls without straining your voice, the audio is not as natural as when the headphones are removed.
In both ANC and equalizer, the headphones use artificial intelligence to improve audio quality depending on ear formats, usage habits, and environments. Some of the most valuable AI features are:
- voice detection
that disables ANC when starting a conversation;
- detection of
alarms and sirens to avoid accidents on the street;
- adaptive noise control that adjusts the cancellation level automatically.
♦ Battery and charging case
In terms of battery, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro delivers what it promises:
- around 6 hours
and 30 minutes with ANC on;
- about 7 hours and 30 minutes with ANC off.
Relying on the capacity of the charging case, the headphones work for up to 30 hours on a single full charge. Unfortunately, the case only has one LED that indicates whether the accessory is charging (red) or fully charged (green).
Battery life will be exemplary for those who intend to use the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro during a work day or a long trip.
▪ Are the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro any good? ▪
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is one of the best TWS headphones on the market today. In addition to excellent sound quality, the accessory is comfortable, has a long-lasting battery, and uses AI features to reduce noise.
It has some problems, such as the plastic construction, the exaggerated ANC in certain situations, and the fit in the ear. However, for those looking for an accessory to reproduce audio with high fidelity, the model delivers a great experience.
Samsung's new headset, starting at (US$249.99), is the same price as the second-generation AirPods Pro (US$249). Despite the reduced price, it is still a very expensive headphone that does not focus on the cost-benefit ratio.