Design
Type Earbuds
Enclosure Semi-Open
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are distinctive-looking earbuds. Their bean-like shape and shiny finish on their outer casing make them stand out in most environments, though thankfully, they don't protrude very far from your ears. They also have air vents to reduce pressure and to help make your audio feel more spacious. They come in several colorways: 'Onyx', 'Mystic Bronze', 'Mystic White', 'Mystic Black', 'Mystic Red', and 'Mystic Blue'.
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7.0 Design
Weight 0.02 lbs
Clamping Force
These buds have a decently comfortable fit. They don't enter your inner ear, and the buds' bottom part sits outside your ear canals. However, they can put some pressure where they sit inside your outer ear, especially if you have small ears. Using the controls doesn't hurt, though.
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LEARN ABOUT COMFORT
5.7 Design
OS Compatibility
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
Noise Cancelling Control On/Off
Talk-Through
Additional Controls Voice Assistant
The control scheme is disappointing. Like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless, their touch-sensitive surfaces are decently easy to use but have limited functionality. By default, you don't have controls for activating voice assistant or adjusting the volume. You can add one or the other by remapping the long-press command, but you lose the ANC control function. While they don't provide voice prompts, you get audio feedback whenever a command is registered. It makes them a bit easier to use, but all the beeping can be annoying, especially since you hear one for every increment of volume adjustment.
On either earbud:
- Single tap: Plays or pauses audio.
- Double tap: Skips the track forward. It also answers or ends a call.
- Triple tap: Skips the track backward.
- Touch and hold: Turns ANC on or off. It also rejects a call. You can also swap the ANC controls to volume or voice assistant control in the app.
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LEARN ABOUT CONTROLS
9.2 Design
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C
They have a very breathable in-ear fit, which is typical for earbuds. They won't trap heat against your ears or make you sweat more during workouts.
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LEARN ABOUT BREATHABILITY
9.5 Design
L 1.0" (2.5 cm)
W 1.0" (2.5 cm)
H 1.1" (2.8 cm)
Volume 1.10 in³ (18.03 cm³)
Transmitter Required No
They're very portable, like most truly wireless earbuds. The earbuds are very small and easy to fit into most pants pockets and bags, even inside their case.
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LEARN ABOUT PORTABILITY
8.0 Design
Type Hard case
L 2.0" (5.1 cm)
W 2.0" (5.1 cm)
H 1.1" (2.8 cm)
Volume 4.40 in³ (72.10 cm³)
The carrying case is great. It supports Qi wireless charging and Samsung's 'PowerShare' feature, allowing you to recharge it by placing it on top of a compatible Samsung phone. Thanks to its satiny finish, it looks quite premium, and the case has a solid but lightweight design. Indicator lights on the inside and outside of the case show the case and buds' respective charge statuses.
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LEARN ABOUT CASE
7.5 Design
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are well-built. The buds and case are made of dense plastic with a glossy exterior and matte-finish interior. They feel like they'll survive accidental drops or bumps without much of an issue. Unfortunately, the buds are only rated IPX2 for resistance against very light rain or minor splashes, which is disappointing since many earbuds are rated at least IPX4, including the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless.
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LEARN ABOUT BUILD QUALITY
8.0 Design
These buds have a very stable fit. They're compact, lightweight, and fitted with silicone wing tips that help keep them in place. You won't need to worry about having them fall out of your ears, even during intense workouts.
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LEARN ABOUT STABILITY
Design
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Design
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Design
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Design
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Live earbuds
- Charging case
- 2x silicone wing tip stabilizers
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable
- Manuals
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Sound
Bass Amount
Treble Amount
The Samsung Buds Live have a well-balanced, somewhat warm default sound profile. Their bass and mid ranges result in good punch and warmth, as well as full-bodied, present, and detailed vocals and lead instruments. That said, fans of EDM or hip-hop may find the low-bass a little lacking, partly due to their slightly open fit. If this isn't to your liking, their companion apps offer a couple of EQ presets to adjust their audio reproduction. Since they don't have an in-ear fit, they're more prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery between the left and right driver, so you must take the time to ensure a good fit.
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LEARN ABOUT SOUND PROFILE
5.4 Sound
Avg. Std. Deviation
These buds have disappointing frequency response consistency. There are significant deviations across the entire frequency range, in part to their relatively open fit. If you have differently-sized ears, you may be prone to bass and treble deviations, as the limited wing tip options make it difficult to ensure a good fit. You'll have to take the time to adjust the fit of these buds each time you use them to achieve more consistent bass and treble delivery.
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LEARN ABOUT FREQUENCY RESPONSE CONSISTENCY
Sound
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LEARN ABOUT RAW FREQUENCY RESPONSE
8.2 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Frequency Extension
Low-Bass
Mid-Bass
High-Bass
The Samsung Buds Live have great bass accuracy. Their slightly over-emphasized mid and high-bass response adds warmth. Instruments like the bass and drums throughout the song Come Together by The Beatles have a bit of extra punch and body without sounding muddy. However, the slightly underemphasized low-bass range results in a minor lack of thump and rumble. Since these earbuds' sound delivery is very sensitive to fit and seal, your experience may vary.
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LEARN ABOUT BASS ACCURACY
8.4 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Mid
Mid-Mid
High-Mid
Their mid accuracy is great. For the most part, the response is even, although it's slightly bass-tilted. Vocals and instruments are present in mixes, but are nudged to the back of the mix and are a bit dull.
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LEARN ABOUT MID ACCURACY
6.7 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Treble
Mid-Treble
High-Treble
The Samsung Buds Live have alright treble accuracy. The response is underemphasized, so vocals and instruments sound a little veiled. The mid-treble is more uneven, so depending on the frequency band, some sibilants, like cymbals, sound dull, while others sound bright. Due to their poor frequency response consistency, your real-world experience may vary.
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LEARN ABOUT TREBLE ACCURACY
6.7 Sound
Peaks
Dips
Their peaks and dips performance of the Samsung Buds Live is alright. There's some mismatch between the L/R drivers across the frequency range, which contributes especially heavily to a deviation in the low-bass range, with the left bud exhibiting an extended bump that generates some boominess. The uneven underemphasis in the mid to high-mid also affects the left driver and nudges vocals and lead instruments toward the back of the mix. A slight peak in the low-treble range also results in minor harshness, but more so in the right driver. The sharp dip and the adjacent spike in the mid-treble range make some sibilants alternatively dull and piercing for both drivers. It's worth noting that the buds are prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery due to fit, seal, and positioning, which can explain the mismatch between the left and right drivers.
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LEARN ABOUT PEAKS/DIPS
7.6 Sound
Weighted Group Delay
Weighted Phase Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
Many of Samsung's products we've tested have solid imaging performances, which indicates quality control and ergonomics. Imaging varies across units, though, and our unit's L/R drivers have minor amplitude and frequency mismatch, which causes a slight imbalance in the stereo image. In addition, there's also a peak in the phase response's high-bass to mid-mid. This is audible with real-life content, and voices aren't placed accurately in the stereo image.
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LEARN ABOUT IMAGING
2.0 Sound
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
PRTF Size (Avg.)
PRTF Distance
Openness 3.9
Acoustic Space Excitation 4.1
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have a poor passive soundstage, which is normal for earbuds. Because of their design, sound doesn't interact with your outer ear, so audio seems to come from inside your head rather than speakers around you. However, due to their open-type fit, they produce a more open, spacious listening experience than closed-back in-ear headphones like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless.
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LEARN ABOUT PASSIVE SOUNDSTAGE
0 Sound
Head Modeling
Speaker Modeling
Room Ambience
Head Tracking
Virtual Surround
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LEARN ABOUT VIRTUAL SOUNDSTAGE
7.7 Sound
WHD @ 90
WHD @ 100
The weighted harmonic distortion performance is good. There's some distortion in the right earbud around the high-bass to low-mid at normal listening volumes. There's also a peak in the low to mid-treble in both ears at moderate and high listening volumes. Still, most frequencies fall within good limits, producing clean and pure audio.
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LEARN ABOUT WEIGHTED HARMONIC DISTORTION
Sound
Firmware
Power
Connection
Codec
EQ
ANC
Tip/Pad
Microphone
These are the settings used to test the Samsung Buds Live. Except for the noise isolation test, their ANC system was turned off for our testing procedures, as the system relies on the feedback from pressure sensors on the inside of each bud. This made it difficult to test them using our test rig and required several test passes. We observed no difference in frequency response measurements with ANC turned on or off. Our results are only valid when you use these earbuds in this configuration.
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LEARN ABOUT TEST SETTINGS
6.0 Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
Mid
Treble
These earbuds have a mediocre noise isolation performance. These buds have an open-fit design, allowing you to hear your surroundings while listening to audio. At the same time, they also have an ANC system to block out background noise, which is unusual. Overall, the ANC does a good job of blocking out bass-range noise like rumbling bus and plane engines. However, it doesn't improve their passive noise isolation capabilities regarding higher-pitched sounds like ambient chatter or humming computer fans. There are sensors in each earbud that prevent the ANC from turning on unless you have them both in your ears.
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE ISOLATION
6.4 Isolation
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
These buds have mediocre leakage performance. Due to their open fit, they leak more audio than other in-ear headphones. The escaping audio occurs mostly in the low to mid-treble range, producing a fairly thin and sharp sound. It's annoying and can be heard by people around you, even in a moderately busy environment like an office.
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LEARN ABOUT LEAKAGE
Microphone
Integrated
In-Line
Boom
Detachable Boom
Mic Yes
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LEARN ABOUT MICROPHONE STYLE
5.2 Microphone
Recorded Speech
LFE
FR Std. Dev.
HFE
Weighted THD
Gain
The integrated mic has a disappointing recording quality. Your voice is bright but thin, muffled, and distorted, making it slightly tricky to hear you clearly.
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LEARN ABOUT RECORDING QUALITY
6.6 Microphone
SpNR
Noise Gate
Speech + Pink Noise Handling 7.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling 6.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
The mic's noise handling performance is okay. It does a decent job of separating your voice from moderate ambient sound, but it can get drowned out in noisy environments like a subway station or busy street.
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE HANDLING
6.4 Active Features
Battery Type
Continuous Battery Life
Additional Charges
Total Battery Life
Charge Time
Power-Saving Feature
Audio While Charging
Passive Playback
Charging Port USB-C
The Samsung Buds Live deliver an unremarkable battery performance. The manufacturer advertises them to last six hours continuously, and we measured just over that. That said, battery life can vary depending on use. If you need more hours of playback time, their carrying case supplies an additional 2.5 extra charges. You can also use one earbud while the other charges in the case. Unfortunately, unlike the JBL Tune Flex True Wireless, they don't have any power-saving features like an auto-off timer.
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LEARN ABOUT BATTERY
7.5 Active Features
App Name Samsung Wearable
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows Yes
Equalizer
ANC Control
Mic Control No
Room Effects
Playback Control
Button Mapping Yes
Surround Support
The Samsung Wearable app is good. You can change EQ presets, switch ANC on and off, and remap onboard controls. The app is only available on mobile devices and is called 'Samsung Galaxy Wearable' on Android and 'Samsung Galaxy Buds' in the iOS app store. The Android version has a few features you can't access on iOS, including a gaming mode for lower latency and features related to Samsung's virtual assistant Βixby. If you're using an Android phone, you can also switch on 'Relieve Pressure With Ambient Sound', which is supposed to help reduce any pressure or compression you feel in your ears when the ANC feature is off. However, the earbuds already feel open and don't create a plunger-like feeling. Unlike the Beats Studio Buds True Wireless or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless, they don't have a mode that lets in ambient sound when you want to stay aware of your surroundings. However, this isn't much of an issue since the buds let you hear your surroundings well once you turn the ANC off.
In addition to these two mobile apps, you can also access the Galaxy Buds app on Windows PCs. This app offers many of the same features, like EQ presets and noise control, as the apps mentioned above. However, there isn't a low-latency gaming mode.
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LEARN ABOUT APP SUPPORT
7.0 Connectivity
Bluetooth Version
Multi-Device Pairing
NFC Pairing
Line Of Sight Range
PC Latency (SBC)
PC Latency (aptX)
PC Latency (aptX HD)
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
iOS Latency
Android Latency
These buds have okay Bluetooth connectivity. They don't support quick NFC or multi-device pairing, so you can't stream music from your phone while remaining connected to your computer. They also have high latency with PCs, meaning you may have audio syncing issues while watching a movie on your computer. They have low latency with iOS and Android devices, so you won't notice audio lag when watching a video on your phone. They also have a gaming mode to lower latency. However, this feature is only available on Android devices. Although the results using this mode are higher than Android latency when not using it, latency is still very low, so your audio and visuals stay in sync if you're streaming a video or mobile gaming.
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LEARN ABOUT BLUETOOTH
0 Connectivity
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
Non-BT Latency
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LEARN ABOUT NON-BLUETOOTH WIRELESS
0 Connectivity
Analog Audio
USB Audio
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
Analog/USB Audio Latency
These earbuds are wireless only. They come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging their case.
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LEARN ABOUT WIRED
Connectivity
Analog
Wired USB
Non-BT Wireless
These truly wireless earbuds are compatible with Βluetooth-enabled PCs but can't connect any other way.
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Connectivity
PS4 Analog
PS4 Wired USB
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
PS5 Analog
PS5 Wired USB
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT PLAYSTATION COMPATIBILITY
Connectivity
Xbox One Analog
Xbox One Wired USB
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT XBOX COMPATIBILITY
2.2 Connectivity
Type
USB Input
Line In
Line Out
Optical Input
RCA Input
Dock Charging
Power Supply
The charging case will provide roughly two and a half extra charges. You can recharge it wirelessly via Qi-enabled chargers, PowerShare-compatible Samsung smartphones, or the included USB cable. Aside from a USB-C charging port, it has no inputs.
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LEARN ABOUT BASE/DOCK
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Now, let's dive into the information related to the concepts mentioned in this article.
Design:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are distinctive-looking earbuds with a bean-like shape and a shiny finish on their outer casing. They come in several colorways, including 'Onyx', 'Mystic Bronze', 'Mystic White', 'Mystic Black', 'Mystic Red', and 'Mystic Blue' [[1]].
The earbuds have a comfortable fit, with the bottom part sitting outside your ear canals. However, they may put some pressure on the outer ear, especially if you have small ears. Using the controls doesn't cause discomfort [[2]].
The control scheme of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is touch-sensitive. By default, the touch controls include single tap for play/pause, double tap for track skipping and call control, triple tap for track backward, and touch and hold for ANC control. You can also remap the long-press command to add voice assistant or volume control, but this will disable the ANC control function [[3]].
The earbuds are very portable, with a small size that makes them easy to fit into pockets and bags. The carrying case is also compact and supports Qi wireless charging. It has indicator lights to show the charge status of the case and the earbuds [[4]].
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are well-built, with a dense plastic construction and a glossy exterior. They are rated IPX2 for resistance against very light rain or minor splashes, which is lower than some other earbuds on the market [[5]].
The earbuds have a stable fit, thanks to their compact size and silicone wing tips that help keep them in place. They are suitable for intense workouts as they won't easily fall out of your ears [[6]].
Sound:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have a well-balanced, somewhat warm default sound profile. The bass and mid ranges provide good punch and warmth, resulting in full-bodied vocals and detailed instruments. However, fans of EDM or hip-hop may find the low-bass slightly lacking due to the earbuds' slightly open fit. The companion app offers EQ presets to adjust the audio reproduction [[7]].
The frequency response consistency of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is disappointing, with significant deviations across the entire frequency range. This is partly due to their open fit. Achieving a good fit is important to ensure more consistent bass and treble delivery [[8]].
The bass accuracy of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is great, with slightly over-emphasized mid and high-bass response that adds warmth. However, the low-bass range is slightly underemphasized, resulting in a minor lack of thump and rumble [[9]].
The mid accuracy of the earbuds is great, with an even response that is slightly bass-tilted. Vocals and instruments are present in mixes but may be nudged to the back and sound a bit dull [[10]].
The treble accuracy of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is alright, with an underemphasized response that makes vocals and instruments sound a little veiled. The mid-treble is more uneven, resulting in some sibilants sounding dull while others sound bright [[11]].
The peaks and dips performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is alright, with some mismatch between the left and right drivers across the frequency range. This affects the balance of vocals and lead instruments in the stereo image. There are also peaks and dips in different frequency bands that can result in minor harshness or dullness [[12]].
The imaging performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is average, with minor amplitude and frequency mismatch between the left and right drivers. This can affect the placement of voices in the stereo image [[13]].
The passive soundstage of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is poor, as is typical for earbuds. The sound doesn't interact with your outer ear, so it may seem like it's coming from inside your head rather than from speakers around you. However, the open-type fit of these earbuds provides a more open and spacious listening experience compared to closed-back in-ear headphones [[14]].
The weighted harmonic distortion performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is good, with most frequencies falling within acceptable limits and producing clean audio. However, there are some distortion peaks in certain frequency ranges [[15]].
Microphone:
The integrated microphone of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live has a disappointing recording quality. Your voice may sound bright but thin, muffled, and distorted, making it slightly difficult to hear you clearly [[16]].
The microphone's noise handling performance is okay, with decent separation of your voice from moderate ambient sound. However, it may struggle in noisy environments like subway stations or busy streets [[17]].
Active Features:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have a battery life of approximately 7.3 hours of continuous playback. The charging case provides an additional 2.5 charges, resulting in a total battery life of 25.6 hours. The case can be recharged wirelessly via Qi-enabled chargers or by using the included USB cable. The earbuds support audio playback while charging and do not have a power-saving feature [[18]].
The Samsung Wearable app is available for both iOS and Android devices. It allows you to change EQ presets, switch ANC on and off, and remap onboard controls. The Android version of the app offers additional features like a gaming mode for lower latency and features related to Samsung's virtual assistant Bixby. The app for Windows PCs offers similar features but does not include a low-latency gaming mode [[19]].
Connectivity:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live have Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. They do not support quick NFC or multi-device pairing. The earbuds have high latency with PCs, which may cause audio syncing issues when watching movies. However, they have low latency with iOS and Android devices, ensuring audio and video synchronization. The earbuds also have a gaming mode to further reduce latency, but this feature is only available on Android devices [[20]].
These earbuds are wireless-only and do not have a wired option for connectivity. They come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the case [[21]].
Isolation:
The noise isolation performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is mediocre. The open-fit design allows you to hear your surroundings while listening to audio. However, the earbuds have an ANC system that can block out bass-range noise like rumbling engines. The ANC does not significantly improve their passive noise isolation capabilities for higher-pitched sounds [[22]].
The leakage performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is mediocre as well. Due to their open fit, they leak more audio than other in-ear headphones. The escaping audio is mostly in the low to mid-treble range and can be heard by people around you, even in moderately busy environments [[23]].
These are the key concepts covered in this article. If you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to ask!