Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Review: Looking Beyond the Design

Samsung did a major revamp with the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, especially when it comes to the design. And yes, there’s been a lot of buzz—both good and bad—about this new look. 

But let’s not get stuck on just the aesthetics because, beyond the design, Samsung has made some serious upgrades to the audio quality, ANC, and overall performance of these earbuds. Let’s find out in this review.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Sound

I tested the Galaxy Buds3 Pro with the Samsung SSC codec, a 24-bit/48 kHz codec, on my Galaxy Tab S8. However, I haven’t had the chance to try them with Samsung’s SSC UHQ codec (24-bit/96 kHz) yet, which is only available on the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 for now. It’s soon coming to other Samsung devices as well, but that would definitely take time.

If you’re not using a Samsung device, you’ll be limited to the AAC codec. While AAC sounds good, you won’t get the same level of audio quality. Oh, and if you’re using these with a non-Samsung, you’ll miss out on multipoint connectivity and a few other features too.

Sound Signature 

Lows

The bass is punchy and deep, with an excellent sub-bass and mid-bass that doesn’t overpower the mids or vocals. You get a powerful and clear bass that remains well-contained within its frequency range.

If you’re a bass head, then you’re going to love the default tuning. If, at all, you find the bass a bit lacking, you can use the Bass Boost EQ preset to satisfy the bass head inside you. 

However, if you are someone like me who doesn’t like a whole lot of bass, you’ll want to make a custom EQ and use that. 

Mids

The mids are well-defined but slightly recessed in the default tuning. They lack a bit of clarity and can sound unnatural, but this can be improved with EQ adjustments.

I boosted the 1K and 2K frequencies slightly, particularly the 1K frequency to get the amount of mid-range that I like. After the EQ adjustment, vocals sound superb and so do the instruments. Speaking of which, the instrument separation is excellent.

Highs

The highs are detailed with minimal sibilance, though there can be some sharpness, especially in vocal-heavy tracks. This can lead to fatigue over long listening sessions, but EQ adjustments most definitely can help mitigate this.

There is a good amount of treble but, personally, I like a little less than what the default tuning offers. So, you know what I did—turned down the treble a little bit and it sounded superb. 

Of course, if you are a treble head, you might like the default tuning or maybe even raise it a bit. It all comes down to personal preference.

All in all, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with a bass-heavy sound out of the box, but you can easily tweak it to sound great using the built-in EQ. The EQ presets are decent too—not overly dramatic like the ones you find on some other wireless earbuds.

EQ Presets

The Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with a 9-band customizable EQ, allowing you to tweak the sound to your preference. The default tuning is on the bassy side, which may appeal to average consumers, but audiophiles might need to make some adjustments. 

Here’s how each of the EQ presets sound like:

• Balanced: Default tuning like I discussed above.
• Bass Boost: Enhances both sub-bass and mid-bass significantly.
• Smooth: Reduces treble and boosts bass for a darker sound.
• Dynamic: Boosts both bass and treble for a more vibrant sound.
• Clear: Enhances the vocals and the mid-range.
• Treble Boost: Reduces bass slightly while boosting the treble.

The custom EQ is very responsive. You can adjust 9 frequencies—63 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 8,000 Hz, and 16,000 Hz. You can also see the adjustments you’re making to the frequencies.

Soundstage

The soundstage is impressive for a pair of wireless earbuds. You get an immersive experience with excellent horizontal spread. However, I can’t say the same about the vertical spread—you get the idea.

360 Audio and Head Tracking 

Speaking of soundstage, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with 360 Audio and Head Tracking, which is similar to what Apple offers with the Spatial Audio on the AirPods. 

The 360 Audio feature on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro does create a surround sound effect, making it feel like the audio is coming from all directions. However, I’ve noticed it impacts the overall sound quality, and isn’t ideal for music. 

The head tracking feature generally works well, though it occasionally gets stuck and doesn’t always respond when I turn my head. This can be useful when watching movies for a more immersive experience but it’s not particularly great for listening to music.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Design and Comfort

The Galaxy Buds3 Pro comes with a new design that’ll surely remind you of the AirPods Pro. The stem sports a triangular shape, which Samsung calls the Blade design. 

They also feature a strip of LED lights, which honestly feels a bit odd, but hey, if you’re into it, you can turn the lights on or off by tapping and holding the earbuds outside the case. The earbuds have microphones at the bottom, so ANC should be a major upgrade from the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

The new case design has a lid that flips open from the top but doesn’t swing all the way back, making it tricky to clean the inside. Yes, it does get dirty quickly—at least the white one does.

The lid is transparent, which looks modern. The oddly triangular shape of the stem adds to the hassle of putting the earbuds back in place—getting them out is easy though. 

There are blue and red markings for left and right on both the case and the earbuds, but they don’t glow in the dark, which makes it pointless. You also get an LED indicator for charging and battery status, but it’s not very useful, so you’ll be checking the app a lot.

As for comfort, these earbuds are comfortable and work well with touch controls and pinch gestures. They’re decent for gym use, though not the best option if you need something specifically for workouts. 

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Connectivity

For connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro uses Bluetooth 5.4 and supports a few Bluetooth audio codecs. You’ve got SBC and AAC for all Android devices and iPhones (though iPhones only use AAC).  

For Samsung devices, there are two additional codecs: SSC and SSC UHQ. Like I mentioned earlier, SSC UHQ is currently only available on the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, and it’ll roll out to the S24 series, S23 series, Tab S9 series, and more devices soon.

Pairing the Buds3 Pro with Samsung devices is a breeze—just open the case, start up the Wearable app, and you’re set. For non-Samsung devices, press the pairing button and connect via Bluetooth. 

Samsung’s multi-point connectivity is exclusive to Samsung devices signed into the same Samsung account. If you’ve got a Galaxy tablet, phone, laptop, or watch logged into the same account, you can switch between them effortlessly. 

Also, the Galaxy Wearable app is only available for Android devices. So, if you have an iPhone, you won’t be able to enjoy the features exclusive to the Galaxy Wearable app.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Galaxy Wearable App

Speaking of which, the Galaxy Wearable App is well-designed and packed with features. The app displays your Buds3 Pro’s connection status and has adjustable Active Noise Cancellation levels and an Ambient Awareness Mode that you can set to activate if it detects sirens or your voice. You can also use Ambient sound during calls.

Customizable features include adjusting sound to fit your ears, 360 Audio settings, and Earbud Controls, which I’ll cover in the next section. 

You can control the blade light’s behavior—set it to Blink, Fade In And Out, or stay Steady.

The app also allows for Voice Controls like Play Music, Stop Music, Next Song, Previous Song, Answer Call, Reject Call, and Volume adjustments without any wake words. 

All you do is say the phrase and the earbuds will automatically do the job. Notably, this works well but only in quiet environments; in noisy settings, it doesn’t work very well.

There’s also in-ear detection, which pauses the media when you remove one earbud and switches calls to your smartphone’s earpiece if both earbuds are removed. 

Seamless connection, like I said earlier, is available only with Samsung devices. You can enable Bixby to read notifications and set neck stretch reminders if you’ve been in a certain position for too long. 

The app also has a Gaming Mode to reduce delay. Finally, you have the Software Updates, Diagnostics, Accessibility Features, and Find My Earbuds. 

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Playback Controls

The Galaxy Buds3 Pro Earbud Controls allow you to control music playback using pinch gestures. 

For media controls:

• Pinch: Play or pause media
• Double Pinch: Skip to the next track
• Triple Pinch: Go back to the previous track
• Swipe Up/Down: Adjust the volume

I would’ve preferred to have different media controls on the left and right earbuds but that’s just how it is.

For calls: 

• Pinch: Answer/end a call
• Pinch and Hold: Reject a call

For pinch and hold controls, you can assign different functions on both the left and right earbuds. The default on both is switching noise control modes. You can also select Bixby, Mindfulness, or Spotify.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode

The Galaxy Buds3 Pro brings a solid upgrade in Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) from the Buds2 Pro. It does a great job at blocking out consistent noises like fan hums, especially in less noisy settings. 

The Buds3 Pro also has Ambient mode and Adaptive mode. Ambient mode can automatically kick in when it hears voices or sirens, and even during calls, which I find quite handy. The Adaptive mode works as intended. Further, passive noise cancellation isn’t the best, but it’s decent. 

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Calling

Call quality is pretty good; you’ll hear the other person clearly even in noisy settings, and they’ll hear you just as well. While there’s a bit of room for improvement, the ANC and call features are quite impressive overall.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Microphones

That brings me to the microphones. The microphones on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro have seen a significant upgrade from the Buds2 Pro. This improvement is likely due to the new design, which positions the microphones closer to your mouth. 

While the microphone quality might not be top-of-the-line, it’s definitely good. I have minimal complaints about the microphone’s performance.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Battery and Charging

Finally, let’s talk about the battery and charging. The Galaxy Buds3 Pro doesn’t offer top-tier battery life, but it’s decent. With the ANC turned on, I got around 5 hours of listening time.

Samsung says the case has a 500 mAh capacity, similar to the Buds2 Pro. With the case, I was getting roughly 20-24 hours of total listening time. This isn’t the best compared to other earbuds out there, so there’s room for improvement.

As for charging, it’s pretty average—nothing too fast, but it gets the job done. You can also use wireless charging with a Qi-compatible charger, adding some convenience.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Galaxy Buds3 Pro?

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