Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 4 Pro just completely changed my mind about earbuds
Most of the time my work leads me to get hold of products well before they are officially announced. Case in point: I was secretly giving away the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro a week before the public unveiling of Unpacked 2026.
The thing is, when these ears came to my door at home, I was like, “oh“Not because I didn’t like the look of them in any way. It’s just that I’ve long been dissatisfied with even the best earbuds for reasons of personal comfort.
“I’m a headphone person,” I thought to myself, as I reluctantly slipped the Buds 4 Pro into my ear before a midday hike. That was February 18th and, guess what? It’s been a week and I’m still using the Buds 4 Pro – because it completely changed my mind about earbuds.
Comfort
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
For me it’s all about comfort. I have sensitive ears, so plugging the earbuds into my ear canals is usually not good for me. These Samsung earbuds, however, appear to be 95% correct from the start – and the combined trio of eartip sizes should help adjust the fit.
Interestingly – and this is something that is increasingly being done by manufacturers – the Buds 4 Pro used “10,000 simulations with global ear data points”, with the aim of providing a high-quality fit for many people.
After my first hour walk, the fact that I felt completely satisfied with the comfort – no stress or feeling of pressure – was a big tick box. On that trip, I was also surprised that ANC) can effectively eliminate the noise of our cars.
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Samsung calls it “the best ANC ever” for the company. I call it “very good”, as some of the loud noises are still audible when I like them not to be; and as a very regular user of Bose products, I would say that the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are better with full frequency compression.
That said, it performs very well in a variety of conditions, with long-haul flights being another strong test of these earbuds’ performance. That inevitable “hiss” was sufficiently eliminated, allowing me to focus on myself and my work rather than the distractions around me.
Sound Quality
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
But another great thing about these earbuds is the sound quality. Samsung is expanding its latest lineup of earbuds by saying that sound is the most important purchase of any pair of earbuds.
That’s why a lot of attention has been put into the Buds 4 Pro driver solution, which includes a bass woofer (20% larger than the bezel version of the Buds 3 Pro) and a separate tweeter.
Since I spend a lot of time exploring underground records, building and mixing sets, big basses are a must for me. By that I mean deep and warm, not boomy and high energy. Buds 4 Pro focuses on the low-end frequency – delivering bass lines that sound like they are coming from a very large brand of headphones.
Working
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
All of this makes me wonder if I actually need to ride my ears over the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. Although, given the small case of the Galaxy Buds, putting them in a pocket as a backup is not a big problem.
That case will deliver another 20 hours of battery life, in addition to the earbuds’ 6 hours of use per charge. I don’t think the longevity is particularly impressive, I must say, with many of Samsung’s peers offering 10 hours or more per charge.
The small battery capacity is probably part of the design and weight, which I would think, all play into the comfort factor. And, as I said above, the Buds 4 Pro are very comfortable. And it’s good for a long lifespan – longer than even a battery will deliver!
Price – is it worth it?
The premium finish, made of metal – including the ‘blade design’ arms that protrude from the ears – is another feature to consider for the overall asking price of the Buds 4 Pro. At £219 these are bigger prices than their predecessors.
Are they worth the money though? Yes, less than £110 per ear, many hours – even months, daresay years? – the pleasure of listening, with the sound quality of this beautiful, impressive ANC, and the comfort that completely changed my mind about earbuds, I can say so, yes…
Preliminary Decision
(Photo credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
So there we have it: after an hour the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro had changed my mind about earbuds – and a week later I’m completely sold.
Of course, the price increase is not a small production, and I think the battery life should be much longer.
But with this quality of sound and sound (ANC), attention to design and comfort, Samsung’s latest earbuds are enough to take even established names.
