Samsung’s colourful Galaxy Buds Live lead a group of great earbud choices
In-ear headphones offer comfort, flexibility and portability with great sound quality. Here are four.
Smartphones are the main devices used for listening to music today. Our internet connected devices provide apps to enjoy content such as podcasts, audiobooks, and streaming radio stations from around the world. Millions of songs are at our fingertips.
The headphone jack has largely vanished from most new smartphones. These days, Bluetooth, wireless headphones offer the best way to remain connected to your phone. In-ear headphones offer comfort, flexibility and portability with sound quality far beyond expectations. They generally cost a few hundred dollars, so choosing the right one for your needs is important.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
The newest contender is the Samsung Galaxy “Buds Live” priced at $319 RRP. The novel bean shaped buds weigh only 5.6 grams each and fit snug into your ears. They don’t intrude into the ear canal and can be comfortably worn for hours.
Battery life is close to five hours with almost three recharges in the case before you need to plug them into power or lay on a wireless charging pad. Like many rival earbuds, the Buds Live feature active noise cancelling. You can lower the ambient noise intruding your listening experience but not entirely.
The buds are excellent for phone calls with microphones capturing my voice clearly. They can easily be connected to a computer as a wireless headset for Zoom meetings. These sophisticated beans look great and will suit the everyday user with an Android smartphone. They can be used on an iOS device but there is a better alternative for that.
A word of warning – they look like confectionary – jelly beans, so you’ll need to keep them away from small children.
Apple AirPods Pro
Apple AirPods Pro is the product to beat when it comes to wireless in-ear headphones connected to iOS devices. They’re the most common device worn by people on public transport and roaming the streets – for good reason too. Their unique shape means you’ll notice them from across the room.
The AirPods Pro connects quickly and seamlessly to any Apple device, including an Apple TV, and sound excellent. The noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro is unbeaten in this category and this is largely thanks to the way they fit into your ears.
The silicone gels that enter the ear canal closes the space to keep ambient noise away while added microphones listen to noises that need to be eliminated. The listening experience runs out of battery faster than the Samsung Buds Live at around four hours per charge however five minutes in the case will return almost an hour of talk time.
In true Apple style, they are the most expensive in this list at $399, yet simply work. When it comes to using them with a Windows computer or Android smartphone it is possible, but definitely not ideal with many functions unavailable.
Sony WF-SP800N ($279)
For those looking to take their listening experience into the gym, I thoroughly enjoyed the Sony WF-SP800N at $279. These small headphones sit neatly in the ear and can provide continuous music playback for almost nine hours with digital noise cancelling on.
An IP55 rating means that sweat or splashes of water won’t destroy them and Sony even suggests you can wash them with water after use.
A choice of the Google, Amazon or Apple voice assistant can be easily triggered on the headphones to make changing songs easy. The companion app from Sony is also a must have, it enables you to customise sounds and the equaliser along with adaptive sound that automatically detects what you are up to and adjusts the settings accordingly.
How you listen in the gym could be different to when you’re running outside where hearing an approaching ambulance, for example. This is easily managed in the app.
Beats Powerbeats Pro
The Beats Powerbeats Pro could be the perfect option for people who are active but can’t risk the in-ear headphones falling out easily. They are priced at $349 and act just like Apple AirPods thanks to the same H1 chip that lives inside both products. Opening the case will immediately start the pairing process on your iPhone.
The biggest benefit of this model is the arm that wraps around the outside of your ear. You could perform cartwheels, star jumps and backflips and not miss a beat of your favourite track.
Being a slightly larger device than others listed here, you’ll benefit from 9 hours of listening time. This is great if you take long rides on the weekend and you get a total of 24 hours’ use with recharges through the charging case.
The sound quality is one of the best I have experienced with clean audio. Beats had a reputation of being too bass focused but this is all gone in recent models, which offer excellent sound balance.
While they can be used with Android devices, noticing that even the charging cable is an Apple lightning connection you might get the hint they’re really suited to iPhone users.
Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.
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