- Fantastic sound quality
- Great noise cancellation
- Comfortable fit
- Cheaper than other premium earbuds
- Battety life shorter than rivals
Right out of the box, it’s easy to tell the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sound great. That’s not all that surprising; Samsung’s flagship wireless earbuds have consistently delivered high-end audio quality. What I wasn’t expecting was the fattest bass my ears have witnessed in a pair of in-ear buds. As I was testing the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Apple Music made the odd choice of seguing Tame Impala into Kendrick Lamar’s "DNA", and much like the album that track is from, DAMN.
The rumbling sub-bass that follows the song’s beat switch is so clear and pronounced that it’s hard to believe it's coming from such tiny speakers. I swapped over to Childish Gambino’s "3005" from our audio testing playlist, and the experience was identical. Who knew earbuds could produce skull-rattling sub-bass?
While I’d call the Buds 4 Pro bass-forward earbuds, it isn’t at the detriment of the overall listening experience. You still get clarity and balance when listening to densely layered songs, like Radiohead’s "The National Anthem", and Nina Simone’s voice cuts through the bass and treble nicely on "Feeling Good". If the bass is too aggressive for your tastes, the Buds 4 Pro have a very customisable EQ. In addition to several presets you can pick from, you can adjust individual frequency bands.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also deliver on the noise-cancelling front. The quality easily rivals the AirPods Pro 3, which held the throne until Sony’s WF-1000XM6s (which we haven’t had a chance to test yet) came along. One difference between the Buds 4 Pro and these two rivals is Samsung’s earbuds don’t use foam in the tips to help with noise blockage. While foam (or silicone foam blends) contribute to noise-cancelling prowess, I find them less comfortable to wear.
Comfort isn’t an issue with Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. I’ve had no issue wearing them for extended periods of time, or any issues with stability. I’ve gone for long runs wearing the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and haven’t had to adjust them at all.
Samsung has kept a stemmed design for the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (which is useful for microphone quality and on-ear controls), but they don’t look as derivative as the previous generation. While it was easy to say the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro looked a little too much like AirPods, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro’s metal-forward stems give them a bit of a distinctive look. It also helps that Samsung has gone back to a square charging case, rather than using a rectangular one. All in all, it feels "more Samsung".
At the same time, Samsung has taken some inspiration from Apple with how the Buds 4 Pro integrate with Samsung phones. On devices running One UI 8 or better, the controls for the Buds 4 Pro are integrated into the quick panel. This makes it easier to swap between noise-cancelling modes or adjust other settings. There is still a dedicated Galaxy Buds app for other Android phones and Samsung phones without One UI 8. There’s no app for iOS devices.
The one spec holding the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro back is their battery life. You can expect around six hours per charge with noise-cancelling on, but most rivals now promise at least eight. With the included battery case, you can expect a total of 26 hours before you need to plug in.
On a battery-related note, I’d also like more manufacturers - including Samsung - to take a cue from Google. Its Pixel Buds 2a have a replaceable battery inside the case, which is a nice step forward for repairability on wireless earbuds. None of the batteries in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are replacable.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro - Final Thoughts
The latest Galaxy Buds are a solid pick for anyone with a Samsung phone (or other Android handset) looking for a premium listening experience. The overall sound quality and noise cancellation are on par with the best, and I’ve not heard bass like this on any other earbuds. And at $399, Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a little bit cheaper than other top-tier options. Bose and Sony’s latest high-end earbuds retail for $449.95 and $499.95, respectively. $399 isn’t cheap, but being more affordable never hurts.
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Alex Choros
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