Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (2020)

Always-on Bixby ; Customizable touch controls ; Wireless charging case ; iOS compatibility

Subpar sound quality (especially at high volumes) ; ANC disappoints ; Battery life suffers with the most attractive features ; Fit takes some getting used to

Bold, unconventional design ; Lengthy battery life ; Powerful, balanced sound

Noise cancellation isn’t good for much ; Might not fit the smallest ears ; Occasional signal interference

Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Live have a very unique, bean-shaped design that sets them apart from AirPods. They sit in your ears without any silicone ear tips, but they still deliver good sound quality and long battery life.

Design doesn't plug up your ears ; Solid battery life and Bluetooth range

Poor noise cancellation ; Mediocre sound quality ; Bixby often gets confused

Samsung's bean-shaped, wire-free Galaxy Buds Live earphones are high on innovation, but fall short on noise cancellation.

Balanced, spacious audio quality ; Extra-long battery life ; Fun, eye-catching design ; Useful features

Weak active noise cancelling ; Design can be uncomfortable on smaller ears

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offers an avant-garde design, spacious soundscape and extremely long battery life, but the ANC needs work.

Exceptionally portable, lightweight design. Very stable fit. Low wireless latency on mobile devices. Soundstage seems wide and spacious. Good build quality.

Relatively low IPX2 rating for water resistance. Control scheme has limited functionality. Leak quite a bit of audio. Inconsistent audio delivery. Middling microphone recording quality and noise handling capability. Mediocre overall noise isolation...

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are okay for neutral sound. They don't have an in-ear fit, making them prone to inconsistent sound delivery. Ηowever, this design also helps them create a more spacious-seeming passive soundstage than most closed-back...

Impressive sound quality and bass; Good active noise cancellation; Wireless charging case; Good battery life

A bit finicky to place in and take out of ears

AAC and Samsung Scalable Codec available for high-quality audio

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are certainly headline-worthy but don’t throw your money at them without considering the pros and cons. Being aware of your environment is smart, but it comes at the cost of good sound quality. It’s great that you can remap...

While they’re held back by a few quirks, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are an impressive pair of wireless earbuds that make a great alternative to Apple’s base $159 AirPods and Google’s $179 Pixel Buds 2 for those with Galaxy phones. Just don’t expect...

Great price, strong battery life, small, low profile design, handy touch controls, good sound quality, compact charging case with Qi support

Surprisingly good fit ; Extra helping of bass ; Combined 20-hour battery life

Middling sound quality ; Poor noise cancellation ; Low IP rating

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are good – but not great – true wireless earbuds. They have a number of neat features and offer a combined 28-hour battery life, but their sound isn’t amazing, and the noise cancellation has a lot of room for improvement....