Sony WF-1000XM5
The WF-1000XM5 earbuds are excellent in nearly every aspect, handily challenging their predecessor for the title of best earbuds. Especially for those who prioritize high quality audio, the WF-1000XM5 deliver. They also offer excellent active noise cancellation (ANC) and good battery life. If you’re not constrained by their high price, the WF-1000XM5 earbuds are a winner.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are Samsung’s best earbuds. Small and light, they are significantly better than the Galaxy Buds Pro with improved sound, improved ANC, and 24-bit audio support. They cost about $100 less than the Sony earbuds and boast an IPX7 water and sweat resistance rating, but their battery life isn’t as good.
Right now, theSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 Proand theSony WF-1000XM5earbuds are two of the hottestpremium optionson the market. We’ll take you through why the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are our pick, with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro coming in as runner-up. They’re both good options and selecting the best set for your individual needs depends on a number of factors. Let’s dive right in!
Price, availability, and specs
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are available right now for $299. You can get them in black or silver. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are quite a bit less expensive, listed at $230. They’re available in white, black, and violet. Both can also be purchased from stores including Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
You’ll get significantly longer battery life with the WF-1000XM5 earbuds. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds have a more ruggedized IPX7 sweat and water resistance rating than the WF-1000XM5 ‘buds, which are IPX4-rated. However, either should be sufficiently sweatproof for fitness.
Design and fit
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds hit the market in July 2023, marking a significant improvement over their predecessor, the WF-1000XM4. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have been on the market for about a year longer and also improved over their predecessor (the Galaxy Buds Pro) with enhanced sound and better ANC.
If you compare old and new, you’ll notice right away that the WF-1000XM5 earbuds have been slimmed down. The ‘buds themselves are 20 percent lighter and 25 percent smaller than the previous generation, which translates to better comfort and less fatigue from wearing them. But they still weigh a little more than the Samsung earbuds, with each ‘bud at 5.9 grams compared to 5.5 grams. Moreover, the gloss finish of the Sony ‘buds can feel a bit slippery at times.
Both sets of earbuds include multiple in-ear tips to help you dial in a secure fit. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds depart slightly from the norm with memory foam ear tips, which are especially adept at isolation and generally comfortable. However, a minority of users do not like the feel of the memory foam. If that sounds like you, consider the Samsung earbuds with their standard silicon ear tips and more universal comfort.
Sound and call quality
In terms of sound and call quality, both the Sony and Samsung models perform quite well. On the musical side of things, it’s hard to beat the WF-1000XM5s’ depth of soundstage and nuance, which gives them an audiophile flavor. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are livelier but arguably less natural-sounding. Out of the box, both models lean on the bass a good bit.
Samsung’s noise reduction is very good, but the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds really show their ultra-premium pedigree here with some of the best ANC in the business. It is highly effective at providing isolation. Both sets offer good call quality, although both can be affected by wind in particular.
Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds easily take the cake for versatility, with the Headphones Connect app offering a wealth of options while being compatible with both Android and iOS. In addition to the usual stuff like EQ and firmware updates, the app enables more novel functions like Adaptive Sound Control, which automatically adjusts ANC settings based on your parameters, such as time of day and location.
Unfortunately, the Samsung Wearable app is not available for iOS, meaning iPhone and iPad users will not be able to customize certain features like ANC or EQ on the Buds 2 Pro.
The Sony Headphones Connect app also features a six-band equalizer, which gives a lot of control over the tone of the Sony earbuds. The Samsung Galaxy Wearable app, in contrast, provides only EQ presets.
Both the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have similar speak-to-chat modes. Essentially, when you begin to speak, the music is paused, and outside sound awareness is automatically activated. Last but not least, with the Samsung ‘buds, you’ll get to take advantage of 24-bit audio, head tracking, and a few other features as long as you pair them with another Samsung device.
Battery life
Battery life is generally one of the more important features to consider when shopping for earbuds, especially if you’re a frequent traveler or forget to charge for days at a time. Once again, Sony wins out, with the WF-1000XM5 earbuds delivering 8 hours with ANC on (24 hours with case) compared to Samsung’s 5 hours (20 hours with case) with ANC on. It’s a fairly significant difference to consider.
Which set of earbuds is right for you?
In our analysis, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds fare better than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. While both are very good products, Sony’s earbuds win out with their refined, near-audiophile sound quality, premium active noise cancellation, cross-platform app compatibility, and significantly better battery life.
Best for most people
The WF-1000XM5 earbuds are excellent in nearly every aspect, handily challenging their predecessor for the title of best earbuds. Especially for those who prioritize high-quality audio, the WF-1000XM5 deliver. They also offer excellent ANC and good battery life. If you’re not constrained by their high price, the WF-1000XM5 earbuds are a winner.
That said, some users will fare better with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. If you’re on Android and can use the app, their attraction grows, and if you use a Samsung mobile device, the fullest feature set is unlocked. Don’t like the sound of memory foam ear tips? You’ll likely be happier with Samsung’s silicon in-ear tips if that’s the case. And lastly, there’s a big cost difference. At around $100 less than the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro definitely deliver a lot of bang for the buck.
Best for Samsung users
