I was lucky enough to be among the first to review the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro just a day before their launch in Paris this year. The blade design, LED lights, and impressive specs initially captivated me. After extensively testing these over a span of a month and a half, I have wrung these to their limits. I have flown, driven, walked, accidentally thrown them in the dryer (oops), and slept wearing the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. To ensure I didn’t miss out on anything, I also used them alongside other top offerings from companies such as Sennheiser, OnePlus and Sony. Long story short, these buds are among the best on the market, but do they justify a nearly 20 grand price tag? Read on to find out.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
Rs 19,999
What Is Good?
- Fantastic sound quality
- Great transparency mode
- Durable and ergonomic design
- LED blade design is genuinely useful
- Good battery life
What Is Bad?
- Some features are locked to Samsung ecosystem
- Voice detect and Adaptive mode could’ve been better executed
Design and Comfort
Samsung has taken a significant step forward with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro design. The redesigned case is sleek and compact, with a clear window that lets you easily check if the earbuds are inside without opening them. THANK YOU, SAMSUNG! It’s such a simple yet logical thing.
Another logical step was to completely ditch that grippy coating of the Buds 2 Pro and resort to a more conventional glossy plastic. My purple Buds 2 Pro has become a disgusting shade of mauve in the last two years.
| Design | Specs |
| Weight | 46.5g (case and earbuds) 5.4g (each earbud) |
| Water resistance rating | IP57 |
| Colour options | White and Silver |
The earbuds themselves are noticeably lighter than their predecessors, thanks to a more ergonomic ‘stem’ design that reduces contact with your ears. This translates to improved comfort, especially during extended listening sessions. This is also a bit of bad news for people who sleep with their buds on because your ears really start to hurt if you sleep on your side. If you’re a side sleeper, you may want to consider blob-style buds such as those from Sennheiser and Sony.
The blade design with the LEDs is futuristic and useful. I found myself thanking the person who came up with this idea every time I opened the case during some late-night weekend binging. You get three lighting options – breath, continuous and off. I’m glad Samsung didn’t go the corny way of syncing these to the music you’re listening to – I’m sure they had a choice, but they didn’t.
I wish I received the grey variant because I believe those are the coolest pair of buds I have seen in quite a while. Also, I don’t care much about the supposed likeness of these to the AirPods Pro. At the end of the day, it’s a functional design that makes sense.
These boast an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, which is one of the best in the business. I accidentally put them in a wash-dry cycle, and they came out unscathed. There was no damage to the buds, and everything (except the mic) worked just fine.
I do not condone testing these buds in such an extreme scenario, as they can be extremely dangerous due to the presence of a lithium-ion battery. But hey, I’m impressed.
Sound Quality
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deliver a substantial upgrade in sound quality compared to the Galaxy Buds 2. That’s because it’s got brand-new hardware. I saw my audiophile friends get really excited when they heard the terms ‘24-bit Hi-Res audio’, ‘dual amp’ and ‘planar tweeters’ coming from Samsung. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise as Samsung owns Harman, the brand which creates high-quality audio products. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that’s new this time around:
- The 24-bit/96 kHz Samsung Seamless Codec helps you listen to a wider range of sounds, reduces the noise floor and helps create a more accurate reproduction of sounds.
- The dual amps help deliver more power to the drivers, resulting in several good things happening in your ears, such as reduced distortion, enhanced stereo separation and better dissipation of lower frequencies at higher volumes.
- The planar tweeters help you with higher frequencies. That’s why the Buds 3 Pro are capable of banging frequencies up to 40kHz.
| Driver type | Woofer: Dynamic driver; Tweeter: Planar magnetic driver |
| Driver size | 10.5mm dynamic driver, 6.1mm planar driver |
| Codecs supported | AAC, SBC, and Samsung Seamless |
| Bluetooth version | 5.4 LE |
| ANC intensity | Up to 50dB |
| No. of mics | 6 |
My first impressions immediately revealed the differences in sound between the previous and current-gen. The bass is punchier and more defined, and the highs are more detailed. The mids or vocals are slightly subdued, and even without a frequency response curve, I could easily tell that these have a V-shaped sound profile.
In the default equaliser settings, the highs don’t shine all that much, which is a shame given the new planar tweeter. But, if you have owned a high-end Galaxy smartphone in recent years, you’re in for a treat, my friend.
For the first time ever, you get a nine-band custom EQ. Previously, you had to rely on a third-party app called Wavelet. Now, it’s baked right within the Samsung Wear app. Also, this is a system-wide setting, so this EQ is applied to everything you hear. The Buds 3 Pro also has memory to store this preset. So, if you move from a Samsung device to even an Apple device, the EQ is carried forward!
I discovered the most comfortable setting by boosting post-4kHz frequencies just a little. The buds have a wide enough soundstage to capture the essence of all the frequencies fantastically. To my perception at least, the loudness has also been upped this time.
Here’s how I perceived the sound of other competitors versus the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro:
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: Comparatively warmer and neutral sound in the default EQ. The loudness was a tad lower than the Buds 3 Pro. Vocals are definitely more pronounced here, so if you listen to a lot of instrumental or acoustic music or songs that are heavy on the vocals, you’ll like these more.
Sony WF-1000XM5: The strong bass and sub-bass in the default EQ can easily be discerned when hearing alongside the Buds 3 Pro. Despite a strong emphasis on low-end, the mids and upper mids are very well reproduced, resulting in a comforting mix, almost like a warm hug on a rainy day. It doesn’t go too big on the high frequencies when compared to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: These sound very similar to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and that isn’t coincidental. The two have a similar dual DAC setup, where the woofer and tweeter both get their individual power source. The sub-mids and highs are equally shiny, but the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 hit harder on the bass front. They are also marginally louder.
ANC and transparency mode
The active noise cancellation (ANC) is also more effective, particularly at lower frequencies. This makes it easier to immerse yourself in your music or podcasts, even in noisy environments. Samsung has once again set the benchmark for delivering one of the best transparency modes. It truly makes you feel like you aren’t wearing anything when you turn it on and turn off the music. 
I am not a huge fan of the “Adaptive mode”, which automatically turns on transparency mode when it thinks you need to be alert. It raised multiple false positives during my testing, especially while travelling in a cab.
Mics and calls
The microphones on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro perform admirably for phone calls. The voice quality is clear and natural, with minimal background noise. These easily have one of the best mics in the current crop of earbuds.
Other smart features
Voice controls: You can adjust volume, playback, and more without needing to wake your voice assistant. These controls are reliable and work well even in loud environments, but can be triggered easily by someone else around you. Yep, you can easily prank someone by saying ‘Pause’ or ‘Play’.
Voice detect: Carrying a conversation toggles the ANC and reduces the volume so you can hear what’s happening around you. I keep this turned off because I often find myself singing to the music I’m listening to.
Battery Life and Charging
The battery life of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is comparable to other premium wireless earbuds. You can expect to get around six hours of continuous playback with ANC enabled. The charging case provides additional battery life, allowing you to enjoy multiple days of use before needing to recharge.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are one of the best buds you can buy right now, especially if you own a top-tier Samsung phone. They look futuristic, offer excellent sound quality, and a range of useful features. It offers one of the best transparency mode experiences and by a considerable margin. 
Yes, some features are Samsung-specific, such as Galaxy AI and the Seamless Codec. When connected to smartphones of other brands, these buds sound a little inferior. So, the walls of the Samsung ecosystem are definitely getting higher and higher.
If you ask me, it’s a huge upgrade over the previous generation Buds 2 Pro. Nearly all the issues we had before have been heard and solved. However, I’d recommend waiting a little until the prices of these buds come down, or if you can purchase them as a bundle with a smartphone.
If money’s no issue for you, and if you’re an Android user, close this tab and consider purchasing these rather seriously.
