Samsung upgrades its on-ears again with the Level On Wireless Pro headphones

By Kris Wouk August 17, 2015

1 of 3

Samsung Level On Headphones

Samsung Level On Headphones

Samsung Level On Headphones

Last year, Samsung introduced a new line of audio products called the Level line, including new over ear and on ear models dubbed the Level Over and Level On respectively. The Level On headphones offered a nice balance of sound quality and features, though the cable dragged them down a bit. Earlier this year Samsung cut the cord, debuting the Level On Wireless, and now the headphones are getting yet another upgrade.

Today Samsung announced the latest in its premium audio line, the Level On Wireless Pro headphones. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s the same pair of headphones, but as the name hints, there is a major difference under the hood.

Related Videos

The Level On Wireless Pro headphones introduce a new new digital codec similar to aptX, called Ultra High Quality Audio (UHQA). This method of transmission works for both wired and wireless connections and is claimed to provide sound quality that, according to Samsung, is “higher than that of a CD, providing an almost live listening experience.”

Of course, to experience UHQA you’ll need high quality source audio to begin with, and it only works with a limited selection of devices. Currently, only the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus support UHQA.

As with the previous iteration, the Level On Wireless Pro headphone feature the same memory foam around the ear cups. Two color options are available — gold and black — replacing the previous model’s white and tan color scheme.

The rest of the features from the preceding Level On models are here as well. The Active Noise Cancelling uses four microphones to phase out the outside world, while the Talk-In Mode does the exact opposite, piping in audio from around you, allowing you to hear traffic or a co-worker trying to get your attention. Battery life ranges from 10-20 hours of playtime, depending on your ANC settings and whether or not you’re plugged in or wireless.

No information is yet known on pricing or availability. The current Level On Wireless sell for roughly $250, so we’re expecting the price to be somewhat higher for the Level On Wireless Pro.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Mobile

How Samsung is addressing its biggest smartwatch concern

Galaxy Watch 4 Classic on the wrist.

Smartwatches oftentimes feel like the frequently overlooked cousin of the smartphone. There are far fewer of them on the market and the major companies that do produce them only make a handful of lines when compared to the plethora of new phone series that are introduced and iterated on every few months.

Innovation has certainly taken place in smartwatches since their introduction to the scene, but due to the lack of industrywide support, progress has felt relatively slow. One complaint with the technology that’s been echoed for quite some time is that battery life for smartwatches across the board just isn’t where it needs to be yet.

Mobile

Samsung Expert RAW vs. Apple ProRAW

Taking photos of false hellebore flowers using the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Expert RAW app.

As a photographer who owns plenty of high-end camera gear, from pro-grade cameras to drones, a surprising number of my photos are captured using my phone. Most people these days snap pictures using the cameras integrated into their phones, and the quality of these cameras has increased by leaps and bounds. Now, the latest and greatest smartphones include the kind of features that not only appeal to amateur photographers, but to professionals as well.

Among these features are Apple ProRAW and Samsung's Expert RAW, which allow you to capture and edit photos with a significantly higher degree of control over the process. Unlike a DSLR or mirrorless camera, these camera apps shoot using multi-frame RAW, in which multiple images are captured and combined together to give you an image more akin to what you would capture in a single RAW photo with a dedicated camera.

Mobile

We compared Samsung’s One UI 4 against Android 12 on the Google Pixel 6 Pro

One UI 4 and Android 12.

When it reached version 3, Samsung’s One UI become one of the best Android interfaces available, due to its coherent design, customization options, varied features, and impressive turn of speed. I enjoyed using it more than Android 11. However, now Android 12 is here, and it’s such a big step forward, it instantly made One UI 3 feel aged, a bit ugly, and slightly ponderous by comparison.

Samsung’s OneUI 4 is based on Android 12 and has now started to arrive on the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21 Plus, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. With the update installed on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, I’ve been using it alongside the Pixel 6 Pro to see if Samsung’s new software can help bring back the phone’s luster, and keep it competing with Google's latest smartphone.
What do I want to see?
One UI 4 is never going to be identical to Android 12 on the Google Pixel, and that’s fine. Not only are there elements of the software that are exclusive to the Pixel, but Samsung will want to maintain its individuality and promote its own apps and services through its own interface. I don’t want it to be the same either. What I want is for Samsung to have selected some of the best parts of Android 12 and integrated them with OneUI 4, and then given the rest a typically polished Samsung spin.