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When Samsung announced its new Galaxy S26 series, it also announced the new Galaxy Buds4 series earbuds to complement them. There\u2019s the more affordable and open-style Galaxy Buds4, and the flagship-class in-ear Galaxy Buds4 Pro that we are testing here.<\/p>\n
The Galaxy Buds4 Pro is an incremental update to the Buds3 Pro from last year. The styling has changed slightly, while the design of the buds has been refined to fit better<\/b>. The dual-driver system also received an update to improve sound reproduction, and the ANC algorithm has been improved to better cocoon owners from the world around them.<\/p>\n\n
Play<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nArticle jumplist<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. Design, fit, noise cancellation<\/li>\n 2. Sound & mic quality<\/li>\n 3. Connectivity & battery life<\/li>\n 4. Final thoughts and buying advice<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nDesign, fit, noise cancellation<\/h2>\n\nLooks familiar doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Fans hoping for the kidney bean styling of the earlier Galaxy Buds should look away because Samsung has adopted a stem design for the Buds4 Pro. Admittedly, the overall aesthetic is very similar to a certain brand that starts with \u201cA\u201d, but there\u2019s no denying the effectiveness of this design. A stem that you can grab, pinch, and slide up and down, as opposed to a bean-like design where you have to count the number of taps, is, I find, easier to use for touch inputs.<\/p>\n
Now, Samsung said they have analysed data from hundreds of millions of \u201cglobal ear data points\u201d<\/b> to derive the shape of the Buds4 Pro, which has been tweaked slightly to improve wearing comfort. Thankfully, they sit well in my ears, and I had no problems wearing them for hours.<\/p>\n\nThe most noticeable change in design is the \u201cblade\u201d stem. <\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I do, however, have an issue with the ear tips. They just don\u2019t fit my ear that well<\/b>. The default medium ones were too small, but the large ones appear to be a tad too big, and I can\u2019t get them to fit snugly in my ears. Consequently, they feel loose, and I can\u2019t get a good seal. <\/p>\n
This obviously has an impact on the overall noise cancellation. Ultimately, it isn\u2019t quite as good as the AirPods Pro 3 or the new Sony WF-1000XM6 (which I\u2019m testing concurrently), but it isn\u2019t far off. And I think it would definitely have fared better had I been able to get a good fit. The ambient sound mode is quite good. It sounds a bit veiled in this mode, but otherwise, it is mostly natural and realistic. <\/p>\n
Sound & mic quality<\/h2>\nWhere the Buds4 Pro shines is in the way it sounds. It still has a dual-driver system that consists of a planar tweeter and a dynamic driver woofer, but the latter is now 20% larger for better bass performance<\/b>. <\/p>\n
Indeed, the bass is the first thing that hits you. It\u2019s elevated for sure, and strong. And while I\u2019m hesitant to call it boomy, it certainly does muddy things up a tad, especially since the treble is slightly subdued. The default signature is therefore dark-leaning, which is very much to my taste. <\/p>\n\nYou can customisable many aspects of the Galaxy Buds4 Pro, including the way they sound.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Happily, unlike a certain earbud from Cupertino, Samsung allows users to adjust the Buds4 Pro sound profile in the Settings app. The earbuds respond well to EQ too, and I found that adding some spice to the treble helps balance the sound<\/b>. At any rate, the default tuning is more balanced and natural in sound compared to most of its peers. The only earbuds that come close are the Technics EAH-AZ100.<\/p>\n
My only criticism of the way it sounds is that it isn\u2019t more detailed. I like the default tuning, but it had more texture to the sound, then it would have been a foregone conclusion. These would have been the best-sounding earbuds I\u2019ve ever tested. As it is, it\u2019s still an A-plus effort. <\/p>\n
The mics also work well. Samsung has incorporated what it calls \u201cSuper Wideband\u201d mics<\/b> into the mic array, which work with machine learning to remove unwanted background noise. Not only is it effective at removing noise, but I also thought that my voice sounded quite natural. Oftentimes, such noise-cancelling technology could result in voices sounding digitised and weird, but it wasn\u2019t the case with these earbuds.<\/p>\n
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