Headphones have got to be the hottest accessory going right now, every brand with any sense of connection to either audio or smartphones is in the game. Samsung has long had their Buds range, launching normally with their Smartphones – but this year they’ve really stepped it up and joined the big boys.
For some reason Samsung really clung to the “buds” concept, ignoring the stalk that so many now have, and also not properly accommodating all the various ear-types and shapes out there. It feels like they’ve stepped up to tick that box in 2024 with the Buds3 and Buds3 Pro.
JBL was the first I know to really nail this “every ear” concept, with their Wave, Tune and Live series all available in Buds, “Beam” and Flex styles. Some people don’t want a stalk, some people want the stalk and no silicon tip, others want the stalk and tip.
Galaxy Buds exist to please those Bud lovers, now the Buds3 are the Stalk with no tip, and the Buds3 Pro have the silicon tip.
We’ve been testing the Buds3 Pro since their launch in Paris a few weeks ago and make no mistake, these are impressive.
At $399 – they have to be. There must be 100 choices in headphones – and that’s just in-ear headphones!
Available in White or Silver, we’re testing the white but would choose the silver any day – they just look premium!
Addressing the elephant in the room, yep, the inspiration here is all Apple folks. Samsung say they did loads of research to get to this point, and I don’t doubt that, but if you ask people who don’t have an audio pedigree which earphones they want, AirPods top the list – they are the number one sellers globally.
So accepting that fate, Samsung were smart. A few tweaks by adding a clear cover to the case, and sharpening off the stalk of the Bud really helps differentiate these.
A small LED to indicate charge is a nice touch – I’d make that part of the show if I was Samsung, make it flash when there’s audio in use – like a visual cue to those walking up to you.
There are some reports around about delays because of concerns over the tips falling off when removed from the ear – I don’t know how true that is, but Samsung tell me these will be available in September. For what it’s worth, I found the tips rather hard to remove, so I think you’d have to really be jamming them in your ear to have them twist off when you remove them.
App control is through the Samsung Wear app – and works well. Of course pairing is simple on a Samsung or other Android phone, but I’d love to see a tighter integration with the Galaxy Ecosystem – the same as Apple does, put the bud controls in the volume slider.
There’s some slick adjustments you can make in-app, plus the ambient aware, and smart noise cancelling is well done – again, on par with Apple.
You can even add the noise cancellation settings widget to your home screen which is a real winner.
I sat with an Airpod in one ear and a Buds3 Pro in the other, controlling synchronised music playout as best I could, and at 40,000 feet – I couldn’t tell a vast difference in noise cancelling capabilities. Samsung has really nailed that.
You need to find the right tip to get the best fit, then the combination of passive and active noise cancellation is super impressive. I think as good as Apple, I wouldn’t say it’s better.
Importantly, when it comes to sound quality – boom – these are a hit.
Real clarity of sound, with some depth to go with it. Importantly there is fine tuning of the EQ to suit your style within the app.
Additionally there’s what Samsung call 360 sound with Head-Tracking.
Some other sound features are Boost Dialogue for getting better clarity of voices in videos with background sounds, and loudness normalisation.
Honestly, don’t use them by default. Sure head to them when listening to actual content that needs it, but I felt when listening to Spotify and those features were on that the whole thing was artificial and almost at distortion levels.
Naturally, but with EQ adjustments of your own – these sound sensational.
Samsung finally have a compelling audio companion for their outstanding smartphones.
MORE AUSSIE REVIEWS: For another perspective on the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro3, have a read of what Val has to say over at GadgetGuy.com.au
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts two popular podcasts, EFTM and Two Blokes Talking Tech. He also appears on over 50 radio stations across Australia weekly, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show each day and appears regularly on A Current Affair.
Father of three, he is often found down in his Man Cave.
