For their entry-level price, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is a good pick for users who prioritize a lengthy playback time and a good bass response over middling ANC performance and sub-optimal microphone recording capabilities.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is an entry-level closed-back wireless earbud that was first brought to the market back in mid-2020, and it boasts active noise cancelling tech that helps daily commuters block traffic noise while traveling.
Unlike the highly-ranked headphones in its range, these wireless earbuds, unfortunately, don’t support multi-device pairing. And unlike the most popular wireless earbuds out on the market, this model doesn’t have a built-in NFC chip either for easy pairing.
Each earbud of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live has a touch-sensitive surface that gives you access to its controls. And the Samsung Wearable app gives you access to all of its software-based controls like EQ presets, an ANC toggle, and assigning different touch functions.
They also feature 12 mm dynamic sound drivers, but they don’t have silicone tips for a completely sealed-off in-ear fit.
What Is Not on the Box
What the brand doesn’t always tell you…
our Verdict
The small yet sturdy Samsung Galaxy Buds Live delivers a well-balanced sound characterized by a sharp treble response and a strong bass output, but fortunately, its sound profile can be slightly customized through its few different EQ presets present on the user-friendly Samsung Wearable app.
The buds also boast an impressive seven-hour continuous battery life and an ultra-low, tested, wireless Bluetooth latency of 26ms and 10ms (iOS and Android) for in-sync music streaming.
They feature a wide soundstage, but their control scheme has limited functionality. Still, their ANC feature effectively shuts out low rumble during tests, but not chatter from the surroundings.
Unfortunately, their microphone doesn’t have very good recording capabilities, and a lot of ambient noise does get through.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is an entry-level closed-back wireless earbud that was first brought to the market back in mid-2020, and it boasts active…
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is an entry-level closed-back wireless earbud that was first brought to the market back in mid-2020, and it boasts active noise cancelling tech that helps daily commuters block traffic noise while traveling.
Unlike the highly-ranked headphones in its range, these wireless earbuds, unfortunately, don’t support multi-device pairing. And unlike the most popular wireless earbuds out on the market, this model doesn’t have a built-in NFC chip either for easy pairing.
Each earbud of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live has a touch-sensitive surface that gives you access to its controls. And the Samsung Wearable app gives you access to all of its software-based controls like EQ presets, an ANC toggle, and assigning different touch functions.
They also feature 12 mm dynamic sound drivers, but they don’t have silicone tips for a completely sealed-off in-ear fit.
Thanks to its truly in-ear design with rubber ear tips, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds are significantly more comfortable to wear for longer…
Thanks to its truly in-ear design with rubber ear tips, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds are significantly more comfortable to wear for longer periods when compared against the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. And as each earbud of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 completely seals your ear canal, their active noise cancellation system works much better than the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live’s active noise cancelling to block out background noise. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds also have a more nuanced sound quality with a neutral sound profile.
While the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are closed-back earbuds, the Sony LinkBuds are open-back models. As a result, the Sony LinkBuds offer a significantly wider…
While the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are closed-back earbuds, the Sony LinkBuds are open-back models. As a result, the Sony LinkBuds offer a significantly wider stereo soundstage in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, which helps improve the overall audio quality. However, the Sony LinkBuds also suffer from much more sound leakage than the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live model. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live earbuds have active noise cancelling, which helps block ambient sounds. But the LinkBuds don’t have any such feature.
The Jabra Elite 75t wireless earbuds feature a significantly better matte black finish that doesn’t scratch or scuff up easily, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds…
The Jabra Elite 75t wireless earbuds feature a significantly better matte black finish that doesn’t scratch or scuff up easily, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live’s cheap-feeling glossy plastic material that is a fingerprint magnet. In addition, the Jabra Elite 75t doesn’t suffer from as much audio leakage as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds, thanks to its rubber ear tips that fully seal the ear canal it sits on. As a direct consequence, the Jabra Elite 75t unit also blocks out more street noise out of the box compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live wireless model.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds are the next-generation version of the older Samsung Galaxy Buds+. Even though the older model doesn’t have active…
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds are the next-generation version of the older Samsung Galaxy Buds+. Even though the older model doesn’t have active noise cancelling technology, it more than makes up for it through its passive noise isolation capability, thanks to its true in-ear design with rubber ear tips that are actually inserted inside an ear canal. However, weighing in at just 0.02 lbs, the Samsung Live is comfier to wear for longer periods than the Buds+. To learn more about the older model, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review.
