Apple and Samsung’s bitter rivalry doesn’t end with their smartphone offerings. It extends all the way to the true wireless earbuds realm via the Apple AirPods Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds+. Both are terrific in terms of sound quality and features and are among the best true wireless earbuds that money can buy. Right now, they’re on sale at Best Buy and Verizon for up to $30 off. Read on the find out which pair suits you and your budget best.
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ – $140, was $150
Samsung already blew us away with the exquisite and affordable Galaxy Buds, so we were naturally excited when the company announced the release of their successors, the Galaxy Buds+. Will the South Korean tech giant be able to improve upon near perfection? Absolutely. The Galaxy Buds+ retain much of what we loved about the original (lightweight, comfortable design, additional accessories for an ideal fit, stellar app for customization) but with even more gargantuan battery life: 11 hours! That’s double what the AirPods Pro offer and these cost a lot less. Right now, the Galaxy Buds+ are on sale at Best Buy for $140 instead of $150.
The Galaxy Buds+ gets a significant bump up in sound quality thanks to a dual driver design that’s tuned by AKG. Samsung claims the woofer and tweeter combo are 40% larger than before and that they offer a “studio-quality sound.” While what we heard is indeed quite good, we wouldn’t exactly call it studio- or audiophile-grade, but it does have decent bass and a clear upper register. Just like with the original Galaxy Buds, our favorite equalizer mode is “Dynamic,” which we find best suits any music genre especially compared to the rather flat “Normal” mode. Changing the sound mode can be done using the Samsung Wear app. This is where you’ll be able to customize the touch controls as well, beside the standard-programmed gestures for each bud’s touchpads: A single touch will play or pause music, double-tap skips to the next track or answers/ends calls, and a triple tap skips backward. Finally, thanks to IPX2 splash-resistant technology, these earbuds can handle a light drizzle, a little sweat, and even accidental spills. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ set themselves apart from the rest of the true wireless pack with its impressive audio performance and unrivaled battery life. Get them at Best Buy today for just $140.
AirPods Pro — $220, was $250
We weren’t all that impressed with the standard AirPods, so when Apple announced it was going to release the souped-up AirPod Pro, we were naturally skeptical. Would the company be able to deliver this time and improve on all the areas that the AirPods failed at? The answer is a resounding yes. The AirPods Pro are shockingly good and are absolutely the best true wireless earbuds that you can get if you’re an iOS user. Their sound quality has improved tremendously, their noise-canceling is spectacular, and they’re extremely comfortable to use even when used for a long period. Right now, you can score the AirPods Pro at Verizon for $220 instead of $250.
Unlike the Airpods, the AirPods Pro come with three sets of silicone eartips that snap on with a satisfying click instead of sliding onto a little nubbin as so many other in-ear buds require. This change not only offers a more secure and comfortable fit but also contributes to a better bass response. The AirPods Pro inherit the original AirPods’ controls which means they’re ridiculously easy to operate and, as expected, Siri is always listening and ready to obey your every command. As with most true wireless buds with active noise-canceling, you have the option to either shut noise out or let it all in. Apple calls the latter feature “Transparency Mode,” and activating this allows sounds from the outside world to arrive in a very natural way, almost as if you’ve taken the buds themselves out. Noise-canceling is decidedly top-notch and almost on par with what over-ear ANC headphones offer. Last but certainly not least, the AirPods Pro deliver a pretty impressive sonic performance. Their sound signature is terrific, rich in subtle details with some zesty treble, rounded-up by a full-bodied bass. We tip our hats to the Apple AirPods Pro. Get them for $220 at Verizon today.
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