I bought the first pair of Galaxy Buds and used them almost every day for a little over a year before I bought them because I... Lost (tear) original. I also have a couple of better quality stage monitors (Shure SE-315 with custom Sensaphonic earphones). I am currently using them on a Samsung S8. Sound Quality: Thanks to the dual drivers, the sound quality is slightly noticeable over the original Galaxy Buds. Everything I've heard so far has been clear. As someone who loves listening to every single instrumental part in a song, they do their job. Please note: This does NOT mean that the sound quality will blow you away, if you are used to high-end products. The sound quality of the Buds+ is indistinguishable from my custom earbuds. You won't get the same performance out of headphones as a much more expensive product from a company that devotes all of its resources to audio products. Overall the sound is great and more than adequate for everyday use, but not ideal for audiophiles. Also a small note on the quality of the connection. I've never heard people complain about the quality of the mic on the headphones or headphones+, so I didn't need to do extensive testing. It's good enough for people to hear and understand you, although I don't know how well. Fit/Noise Isolation: The Headphones+ fit my ears almost exactly like old headphones. I use big tips and no wings. I can't see any noticeable difference in size between generations. So if you've worn the original buds before, expect an almost identical fit. I wear the headphones for several hours and they never feel uncomfortable. The fit of these headphones is great for blocking out noise. If you've used in-ear headphones of a similar style, you can expect the same noise isolation feel. With ambient noise turned off, they offer excellent noise isolation even without active noise cancellation. Ambient noise: If you've ever used the original headphones, you know how harsh and frankly frustrating the Ambient Sound Mode was. My two main issues with ambient noise with the original headphones are: a) the quality of the voice made it difficult at times to hear people talking and b) literally any wind would blow through the kidneys and it would be unbearable to use the ambient air mode outside turn on. Kidney+ has completely corrected these issues to a point where I didn't think it was possible! I was on a 3 hour hike in the mountains with my family and I had the ambient sound mode on the whole time. I could clearly hear and understand my family talking to me even when they were more than 10 feet away. As I walked through the forest I literally heard the birds chirping in the distance and the leaves rustling. And best of all: The wind problem is completely gone! I almost never heard white noise from the wind blowing into the mics, and when it did it was so quiet I barely noticed it. The absolute biggest upgrade between headphones and headphones+. Battery Life/Charging: The battery life of these headphones is excellent. I honestly didn't have any issues with the 6 + 7 hour battery life of the original earbuds as I used them for maybe 4 or 5 hours straight and charged the case every day or two. I've had them with them for about 4 days now and have had to charge them twice, although that's because since I've had them I've been wearing them almost continuously, even when I've fallen asleep. It's easy to see that once I get into the habit of using 4 to 5 hours again, I can easily last 3 or 4 days on a single charge. Charging the earbuds from the case is quick and convenient. I use the wireless charging pad for the case and it takes noticeably longer to charge than the old version, which is to be expected given that it has a battery that lasts twice as long. Physical Construction: The buds are pretty much the same in terms of physical form, so we're going to focus on the pods here. The main thing that struck me right off the bat is that the headphone loop+ is a major upgrade. The original case had a hinge that was not heavily stressed during movement. In fact, the loop on my device wobbled back and forth a bit. Not so much that I'm worried about it breaking, but enough to be upset that I paid $130 for a product with this cheap hinge. The hinge on the new case is much sturdier and there is much more comfortable tension across the hinge arc. He doesn't move at all. So all in all a good update. Is it worth buying? So, are these headphones worth buying or upgrading from the original buds? If this is your first introduction to the true wireless world, this is a great purchase. The international version is indistinguishable from the US version, especially at a lower price point, and I had no trouble pairing or using it. Worth the price for first-time buyers. How about an update? I think, it depends on what you use the buds for. By far the biggest difference between the originals and them is the quality of the ambient sound feature. If you have the original headphones and it constantly annoys you that you can't use the ambient sound function because it's annoying. I would consider an upgrade. If you're someone who almost never uses, or never intends to use, the Ambient Sound feature, then that's all you really get
π§ HUAWEI Freebuds 4i: Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancelling & 10H Battery Life in Black
279 Review
Headphones Sennheiser CX 300-II, black
318 Review
Upgrade Your Music Experience with XiaoMi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic - Longer Battery Life and Superior Sound Quality (White, International Edition)
341 Review
Huawei Freebuds Pro MermaidTWS with Active Noise Cancellation - Silver Frost
299 Review
Purple Philips SHE3590PP/28 In-Ear Headphones - Superior SEO
189 Review
New White Marshall Minor II In-Ear Bluetooth Headphone
101 Review
Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones with 3.5mm Wired Connection for Apple Devices - Black
43 Review
Black Panasonic RP-HJE125E-K Wired Earphones π§ with 3.5 mm Jack
359 Review