A new approach to in-ear headphones: Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

When the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live were leaked online a week or so ago, I was a bit shocked. What the heck? But it’s real – they are official, announced in Samsung’s Unpacked overnight.

These are unlike anything else on the market. There are so many in-ear wireless headphones now there are really a couple of simple designs. In the ear with a “stalk” coming out, or in the ear and bulging out a bit.

Not the Galaxy Buds Live.

These are little kidney bean shaped, and don’t have a tip that goes into your ear canal. Instead, the whole unit is designed to fit into your ear and it’s so snug the sound just goes inside the ear.

This makes them comfortable – enough to wear for much longer.

Sound engineering by AKG means they sound bloody amazing too.

There’s a 12mm speaker and bass duct, giving a deep and rich sound. Honestly, at first listen these are something special.

There’s three microphones, and my first test phone call went off without a hitch.

And to top it all off – Active Noise Cancellation.

The Galaxy Buds app offers customisation of the touch surfaces to suit your neeeds.

Battery power for 6 hours of playback, and another 15 in the charging case. If you’re down on charge, 1 hour of playtime can be achieved with a 5 minute charge.

Garry McGregor, Vice President, Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics Australia says “Australians are continuing to invest in wearable technology to bring more balance and convenience to their busy lives. Whether its to sync with their smartphone to help to organise their schedule on the run or connecting with their wireless headphones to make exercise and wellness more enjoyable – the innovations and functionality of Samsung’s wearables category are incredibly exciting. 

“With Galaxy Buds Live, we have redesigned our Galaxy Buds formfactor with a more iconic look, allowing for a richer and more intuitive audio experience with serious style credentials. 

“Thanks to our partnerships with AKG and Spotify, we are able to provide the perfect combination of sound quality and functionality.” 

Pre-orders start today, with the Galaxy Buds Live going on sale August 21. At $319 they’re actually very impressive value.