Samsung has established itself as a major player in the wireless earbuds market since launching its first Galaxy Buds in 2019. With contenders like Apple and Sony leading the way, Samsung has continued innovating to make the Galaxy lineup an attractive option for those seeking feature-packed earbuds. Two releases that demonstrate Samsung’s drive to differentiate are the Galaxy Buds Pro from 2021 and the uniquely shaped Galaxy Buds Live which arrived in 2020.
Considering these models sit at the $100 to $150 price range currently, consumers may be wondering how they compare. For those trying to decide between the Buds Pro and Buds Live, I’ve broken down the key differences below across design, audio quality, features, battery life, price, availability and more.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Before digging into the details, here is a high-level overview of how the Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live stack up against each other:
| Specs | Galaxy Buds Pro | Galaxy Buds Live |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | January 2021 | August 2020 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Noise Cancellation | Active | Active |
| Water Resistance | IPX7 | IPX2 |
| Battery Life | Up to 28hrs (ANC off) | Up to 29hrs (ANC off) |
| Colors | 3 | 5 |
| Price | $149 | $99 |
Design and Fit
The Galaxy Buds Live made a splash when first unveiled given their radically different design. Instead of the typical protruding earbud shape, these earbuds are shaped like beans and nestle into the contours of the ear opening. The concept here by Samsung was to provide a lightweight and comfortable wireless earbud option.
And at only 5.6g per earbud, the Buds Live are certainly lightweight and unobtrusive for all day wear. However, the bean-like shape and lack of sealing tips means they can feel loose for some during exercise or rigorous activity compared to the more stabilizing fit of the conically shaped Buds Pro. Those with smaller ears in particular have noted the Buds Live don‘t feel as secure.
The Galaxy Buds Pro hew more closely to a traditional wireless earbud design shape resembling Apple‘s AirPods Pro. Sporting silicone ear tips and an angled nozzle, they wedge securely into the ear canal providing a tight seal and sturdy fit. Users find they stay put well even during running or workouts with minimal slippage. At 6.3g per earbud, they aren‘t noticeably heavier in-ear than the Buds Live either.
For color options, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds Live in Mystic Bronze, Black, White and Red along with a limited edition Mystic Blue. The Buds Pro downsized the palette to a simpler Phantom Black, Violet and Silver across the earbuds and charging case.
Audio Quality
With their radically open in-ear design that doesn‘t fully seal off the ear canal, the Galaxy Buds Live unsurprisingly don‘t deliver the same audio quality as the Buds Pro. Without that closed front volume of air for the driver to resonate against, the Buds Live lose some bass impact and dynamics.
Samsung tuned the Buds Live with 12mm speaker drivers assisted by bass ducts to aid low-end power. Many reviewers however found the sound bright or unbalanced between the highs and mids compared to richer bass notes. Call quality on the Buds Live was also criticized by some users as not loud or clear enough on the other end.
Galaxy Buds Pro stepped up Samsung‘s audio game across the board. Employing a new 2-way coaxial driver setup with woofers and tweeters in each bud, the sealed in-ear design brings bolder bass and crisper treble than the Buds Live can muster audibly. Highs have more detail lending acoustic tracks more sparkle while lower frequencies have dramatically improved heft and slam.
With their ANC isolating outside noises and better passive isolation from an airtight ear canal seal, the Buds Pro also gain the ability to reveal finer sonic nuances and textures in your music. Call clarity receives a boost as well with noise-canceling microphones ensuring clean voice pickup on calls. Add personalized EQ within the app and the Buds Pro take the audio quality win over their bean-shaped cousins.
Features and Technology
As flagship wireless earbuds in Samsung‘s portfolio, both the Galaxy Buds Pro and Buds Live come packed with features — foremost being active noise cancellation (ANC). Using outward and inward-facing mics, ANC generates inverse sound waves tuned to block out ambient environmental noise whether it‘s chatter in a cafe or engine roar inside an airplane.
The Buds Live made waves as the first Galaxy earbuds to offer ANC. Yet their open design meansAUDIOisolating background sound and truly silencing your surroundings remains limited. Reviewers found even maxing ANC and volume left plenty of external noise entering thanks to the loose earbud fit. Noise reduction works but isn‘t close to class leaders like Sony or Apple.
Galaxy Buds Pro show Samsung making good on ANC‘s promise with dramatic improvements through upgraded hardware and software powering the function. Multiple mics on each bud combined with the in-ear sealed design makes its noise cancellation extremely effective at blocking out the world. Users praise how it rivals Bose and Apple alternatives now in cutting loud rumbles to a faint whisper.
Another useful feature included on both models is an Ambient Sound mode letting in outside sounds for situational awareness and conversations by using the mics to pipe voices through the speakers. However the Buds Pro add several other nifty extras lacking on the Buds Live like:
- Voice Detect: Automatically lowers music volume when ears detect you talking to let ambient noises through
- Wireless Multi-Point: Sync with two devices like phone and tablet to switch audio sources
- Head Tracking: Audio shifts to follow as your head turns watching videos adding immersion
- Wind Shield: AI removes blustering gusts improving call quality outdoors
With IPX7 water resistance instead of IPX2 on the Buds Live, the Galaxy Buds Pro also hold up to freshwater submersion if accidentally dropped in the pool. Minor splashes or sweat aren‘t a concern for either model though during workouts. Add personalized sound via EQ within the Galaxy Wearable app for the Buds Pro and it‘s evident Samsung packed them with many handy additions the Buds Live now lack by comparison.
Battery Life
Considering their always-on ANC and audio features, both earbuds deliver impressive battery life even if gains over previous Galaxy models are marginal. The charging cases hold additional backup charges to keep you powered up on long days away from an outlet too. Here is how the runtimes compare in hours:
| Specs | Galaxy Buds Pro | Galaxy Buds Live |
|---|---|---|
| Music (ANC On) | 5 hours | 5.5 hours |
| Music (ANC Off) | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| Talk Time | 4.5 hours | 5 hours |
| Charging Case | 13 hours | 11 hours |
While the Buds Live eke out slightly longer stamina, both will comfortably get most users through a full work day or longer cross-country flight. My take is battery life across the two is effectively equal and not a major deciding factor. Quick charge fills an hour of use after only 5 minutes in the case when power runs low. Qi wireless charging pads are supported as well for cable-free topping up.
Availability and Pricing
Reflecting their 2020 and 2021 release timeframes respectively, the Galaxy Buds Live and Buds Pro show a pricing gap currently given the former‘s older status. Officially the MSRP was $169 on the Buds Live and $199 for the Buds Pro. But street prices now shake out to around $99 versus $149 aligning more closely.
You‘ll also have an easier time finding the Galaxy Buds Pro in retailer stock presently compared to the Buds Live which Samsung no longer sells directly. However the Buds Live frequently goes on sale from retailers like Amazon in various colorways. And through Samsung directly, they can be snagged for as little as $30 with an eligible trade-in offer.
So if budget is more important than having the latest and greatest tech, the uniquely designed Buds Live provides an affordable entry point to Samsung‘s wireless earbuds lineup. But expect to sacrifice some comfort, call quality and noise cancellation versus the impressive Buds Pro.
4 Key Facts in the Buds Pro vs Buds Live Battle
To recap the major differences covered above, here are 4 must-know facts regarding how the Galaxy Buds Pro and Buds Live compare:
The Galaxy Buds Live were the 3rd set of true wireless earbuds released by Samsung when they arrived in August 2020 following the original Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+.
Samsung decked out the Buds Pro with extras lacking in the Buds Live like head-tracking, multi-point pairing and IPX7 water protection.
Now over 2 years old, Samsung hasn‘t introduced a follow-up or sequel model to the uniquely designed Galaxy Buds Live.
With the launch of the Galaxy Buds Pro 2 in 2022, Samsung discontinued its original Buds Pro forcing the 2021 model out of production.
The Verdict: Which Model Wins Out?
Taking full account of the pros, cons and differences laid out above, if I could only recommend one pair of these Samsung earbuds models to shoppers it would undisputedly be the Galaxy Buds Pro over the Galaxy Buds Live.
The Buds Live carved out a niche for their novel smooth bean aesthetic that some users insist fits them better than traditional earbuds. However for most ears, the Buds Pro provide a vastly more secure and customizable in-ear fit lending confidence even during workouts. Battery life proves equal but the Buds Pro then outclass Samsung‘s stylish bean buds with double the water resistance, boosted call quality and dramatically improved noise cancelling performance near the top of the wireless market now.
Hands down though the audio quality gulf separates the two models the most. With their sealed design showcasing Samsung‘s meticulous driver engineering, the Buds Pro sound superb with rich bass and articulate treble absent from the smaller and oddly shaped Buds Live drivers. If music and podcast listening ranks high among why you‘re buying wireless earbuds, the Buds Pro are by far the better sonic choice over the Buds Live.
That said, for under $100 the Galaxy Buds Live still bring decent sound and baseline ANC to the table in an intriguing form factor worth considering. But as Samsung charges forward innovating its premium earbud lineup, the Buds Live unfortunately show their age at this point versus improved successors.
For shoppers torn between the two models, I believe the Galaxy Buds Pro easily justify spending up for their far more powerful feature set and sound upgrades that hold up even against pricier rivals today. But if keeping costs low is priority one, Apple‘s 2nd-gen AirPods or Amazon‘s Echo Buds 2 would be my alternates over the Buds Live to grab instead. Those offer better ANC, fit and audio than Samsung‘s beans too for similar money.
Hopefully this full rundown gives undecided buyers clearer insight on how these two popular Samsung wireless earbuds compare. Let me know in comments if any other questions pop up around the Galaxy Bud Pro versus Galaxy Buds Live decision! I‘m happy to provide additional guidance drawing from my years reviewing and recommending the best true wireless models across brands.
