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Comparison Apple AirPods Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds

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Apple AirPods Pro
Samsung Galaxy Buds
Apple AirPods ProSamsung Galaxy Buds
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Includes internal and external microphones for enhanced active noise cancellation. Adaptive equalizer. "Transparent" mode allows you to hear what is happening around. Support for Apple Siri voice assistant. Sharing audio.
Compact case. Wireless charger. Touch control. Calling the voice assistant. Ambient Sound — Allows you to hear ambient sounds. Convenient synchronization with Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
Connection and design
Design
in-ear
in-ear
Connection typewirelesswireless
Connection
Bluetooth v 5.0
Bluetooth v 5.0
Range10 m
Specs
Emitter typedynamicdynamic
Microphone specs
Microphonebuilt into the casebuilt into the case
Microphone noise cancelingENCENC
Features
Volume control
Noise cancellation
ANC /hybrid/
Transparent mode
Voice assistantBixby / Google Assistant
Power supply
Power sourcebatterybattery
Headphone battery capacity58 mAh
Case battery capacity252 mAh
Operating time (music)4.5 h6 h
Operating time (talk)3.5 h
Operating time (no noise canceling)5 h
Operating time (with case)
24 h /18 hours of talk/
13 h
Wireless charger
Charging portLightningUSB C
General
Touch control
WaterproofIPX4IPX2
Weight5 g
6 g /earphone, charging case — 40 g/
In box
silicone tips
charging case
silicone tips
charging case
Color
Added to E-Catalogoctober 2019march 2019

Range

Range of wireless-capable headphones (see "Connection type").

When evaluating the range, it should be taken into account that this parameter is rather conditional and the actual range may differ slightly from the claimed one (usually in a smaller direction). So, when connecting via a radio channel, the range is indicated for perfect conditions — without interference and obstacles in the signal path. For Bluetooth models, the range also depends on the power of the Bluetooth module in the device to which the “ears” are connected. And the effectiveness of the IR channel may be reduced in hot weather or in bright sunlight. So when choosing according to this indicator, it's ok to take a certain margin.

On the other hand, there are two points worth noting. Firstly, in general, the specified range accurately describes the capabilities of the headphones, and it is quite possible to evaluate and compare different models with each other. Secondly, even in the most modest wireless “ears”, the communication range is about 8–10 m, 11–20 m is considered an average, and a fairly large number of devices can operate at distances of tens and even hundreds of metres. So paying attention to the range makes sense mainly in cases where you plan to move away from the signal source at a considerable distance — from 5 m or more — or listen to sound through walls.

Volume control

The headphones have their own volume control. Such a regulator can be placed both on the wire and on one of the cups (the latter is typical for wireless models). Anyway, this function allows you to easily adjust the volume: for this you do not need to go into the computer settings, press the buttons on the player or smartphone, etc., just use the control at hand. On the other hand, additional equipment complicates and increases the cost of the design, and also increases the likelihood of distortion. In light of the latter, volume control is almost never found in professional headphones.

Noise cancellation

A system that reduces the influence of ambient noise on the audibility of sound through headphones. "Noise reduction" with the help of a separate microphone (or several micro) "listens" to external sounds and sends the same sounds to the headphones, but in antiphase. Due to this, the noise heard by the ears is attenuated almost to zero and the user can enjoy the sound of the headphones without interference even in a rather “loud” environment. For filtering in headphones, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Environment Noise Cancellation (ENC) systems are used. The first suppresses all the noise around the listener, the second - reduces the noise level of the environment. Active noise cancellation affects the purity of the sound, but the noise from the outside spoils the picture when listening to audio tracks even more.

Also in the headphones there is an adaptive active noise reduction system Adaptive ANC, aimed at automatically adjusting the sound of the headphones depending on the level of ambient noise. In a noisy environment (for example, when traveling on the subway), the Adaptive ANC system enhances the work of “noise reduction”, in the absence of loud sounds from outside, it weakens the noise reduction.

Voice assistant

Headphones with voice assistant support the user interaction with the device to a new level. The call of the assistant. is carried out by pressing one of the control buttons on the headphones or by a specific voice command (for example, «Ok, Google» for the Google Assistant virtual apprentice). The assistant pauses playback, instantly changes the volume of the music, can notify the user of new alerts, helps to answer messages without the help of hands, and commands are given to the paired smartphone via voice control from the headphones.

Headphone battery capacity

The capacity of the battery installed in the headphones of the corresponding design (see "Power").

Theoretically, a higher capacity allows to achieve greater battery life, but in fact, the operating time also depends on the power consumption of the headphones — and it can be very different, depending on the characteristics and design features. So this parameter is secondary, and when choosing it is worth paying attention not so much to the battery capacity, but to the directly claimed operating time (see below).

Case battery capacity

The capacity of the battery installed in the case (case) for headphones.

This parameter is relevant only for true wireless models (see "Cable type"). Recall that these headphones are charged from a case, which is usually equipped with its own battery and actually works in standalone power bank mode. Knowing the capacity of the battery in the case and in the headphones, you can estimate how many charges of the “ears” will last for one charge of the case. However, it should be taken into account that in the process of charging the headphones, part of the energy is inevitably spent on third-party losses, and the effective capacity of the case turns out to be somewhere 1.6 times less than the claimed one. This is the starting point for calculations: for example, a 300 mAh case will actually be able to transfer 300 / 1.6 = 187 mAh of energy to the headphones, and 30 mAh “ears” from such a battery can be fully charged about 6 times (187 / 30 ≈ 6).

Operating time (music)

The declared operating time of headphones with autonomous power supply (see above) when listening to music on a single battery charge or a set of batteries.

As a rule, the characteristics indicate a certain average operating time in music listening mode, for standard conditions; in practice, it will depend on the intensity of use, volume level and other operating parameters, and in models with replaceable batteries - also on the quality of specific batteries. However, based on the stated time, you can fairly reliably assess the autonomy of the selected headphones and compare them with other models. As for specific values, relatively “short-lived” devices have a battery life of up to 8 hours, a figure of 8 – 12 hours can be called quite good, 12 – 20 hours – very good, and in the most “long-lasting” headphones the operating time can exceed 20 hours.

Operating time (talk)

The maximum battery life of headphones on one full charge of the battery or replaceable batteries in talk mode. A long working time will be relevant for those who expect to regularly conduct long telephone conversations. Note that in talk mode, autonomy may be lower than when listening to music, since the use of microphones and clear voice transmission algorithms puts an additional burden on the hardware of the headphones.

Operating time (no noise canceling)

How long does the active noise canceling headphones (see above) last on a single battery charge (or a set of batteries) when noise canceling is not used.

This function is quite “gluttonous” in terms of battery consumption, up to half of the total energy consumed by the headphones can go to its work. Thus, models with noise reduction can indicate both overall battery life (see "Operating time"), and battery life with the noise reduction turned off.
Apple AirPods Pro often compared
Samsung Galaxy Buds often compared