Earbuds have become a dime a dozen in today’s market, and there are some really good options for not much money. So why should anyone even consider spending $230 on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro? Let’s take a look.

Hardware 

Better comfort

In the hardware department, Samsung’s latest earbuds are pretty darn similar to its past few generations. It’s using a matte version of the same rounded square case that the Galaxy Buds Live, Buds Pro, and Buds 2 have all used. And just like on those models, it’s a great case! It’s compact and easy to fit in your pocket, has a lid that’s solid and easy to open, and magnets that make charging alignment a breeze.

The bigger changes, rather, are in the earbuds themselves.

The Galaxy Buds Pro these replace were notorious for issues with comfort. In our review, we said the comfort was an improvement over the Galaxy Buds+, but that didn’t really last. In the 18 months since, the Galaxy Buds Pro have rarely been my earbuds of choice because, frankly, I couldn’t wear them very long without ear strain.

Galaxy Buds 2 Pro definitely address this complaint, with a new earbud shape and contour to the earbud that fits much better in the ear. I can’t say these are the most comfortable earbuds on the market, but I can wear these for a couple of hours before feeling any real discomfort. Pixel Buds Pro and the standard Galaxy Buds 2 are a far better fit in my ears, with the former being my gold standard for earbud comfort right now.

When it comes to actually staying in my ears, these also passed with flying colors. During a round of disc golf, which requires some quick head movements, the Buds 2 Pro didn’t budge at all.

Sound quality

24-bit is overhyped, but they do sound great

Samsung is advertising the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro as the first earbuds to support 24-bit audio, providing a “studio worthy,” “ultimate Hi-Fi sound” experience for users. In practice, that feels very exaggerated to my ears.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sound great, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not that much better than most other earbuds at this price point. You might pick up on some background sounds that other earbuds couldn’t accurately replicate. Listening to “If It All Goes South” by Sammy Rae & The Friends through Spotify on its highest quality settings (320 kbps), I definitely picked up on some background sounds better than through my Pixel Buds Pro. “Come to Your Senses” from Tick Tick Boom has been my go-to…