The stems do make them look like the AirPods Pro 2, and the Galaxy Buds3 Pro will fit differently from previous Galaxy Buds. Whether you love the stem design or not, I mentioned in my first impressions that in some areas, it is a massive improvement over the previous model, the Buds2 Pro.

This review is split into 3 segments:

During the samples comparison, I will discuss how much of an improvement the Buds3 Pro really is over the previous version.
We’ll also be looking at how they compare to the most popular earbuds in the market in terms of sound, noise cancelling, transparency and mic pickup.
We’ll discuss whether to buy the Buds3 Pro, or any of its major competitors, such as the AirPods Pro 2, Jabra Elite 10, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WF-1000XM5, and the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. (Pictured below)

Microphone Quality Comparison

👉 Have a listen to the mic pickup comparison samples.

Of this group, the Buds3 Pro has the best mic pickup in noisy conditions. In quiet conditions, they are all pretty comparable, but in noisy, windy scenarios, its noise gating is more aggressive. The way it filters noise and wind from my voice is cleaner. It’s also sounds less robotic compared to the previous model.

Mic pickup tested in both quiet and noisy conditions using loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.

Active Noise Cancelling Comparison

The Buds3 Pro is one of the best noise cancellers in the market.

The Buds3 Pro are now one of the best noise cancellers in the market, just by sheer ANC power. They are now as quiet as the AirPods Pro 2, and almost as quiet as the Bose QC Ultra, a huge improvement over the previous model. When wearing the Buds3 Pro, you can really feel the world just fade away, a feeling which I did not get with the Buds2 Pro.
👉 Have a listen to the ANC samples.

Transparency Mode Comparison

In terms of transparency, assuming all the buds are set to max transparency, the Buds3 Pro is easily the most transparent. There’s no feeling of occlusion whatsoever. With the AirPods and the Bose, some occlusion is noticeable in the vocal range, but this issue is not with the Galaxy Buds. The Sonys are quite good at transparency, but because of their deep fitting foam tips, your own voice is going to sound muffled when speaking. The Jabras have the poorest transparency of this group but still quite usable in real world scenarios for quick awareness or ordering a coffee over the counter.

Galaxy Buds3 Pro Review — The Sonys are quite good at transparency.

Sound Quality Comparison

Moreover, let’s talk about their sound quality. The Buds3 Pro’s 2-speaker setup with planar Magnetic tweeters does deliver better bass and mids separation, and my first impression was that sound has been improved. However, after extended side by side comparisons, it’s clear that these are tuned more for clarity than for a rich, exciting sound.

Buds3 Pro vs Buds 2 Pro

Frequency sweeps show that the Buds3 Pro emphasises the higher mids. Unlike the Buds2 Pro, which had a weird sibilant spike in the 1.3kHz, the Buds2 Pro peaks somewhere at 1.6Khz, with a much larger Q-factor. This produces overall a brighter upper mids than the Buds2 Pro, without touching sibilant territory. Personally, I prefer a fuller tone in the bass and mids. In that sense, I do prefer the Buds2 Pro. While they might sound sibilant in certain parts, their vocals are fuller.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.

Buds3 Pro vs AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods focus on clarity rather than richness, featuring a flatter signature. This makes the instruments sound as prominent, if not more so, than the vocals compared to the Buds3 Pro. The AirPods also has more dynamic range.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.

Buds 3 Pro vs Jabras Elite 10

The Jabras sound very well separated and smooth, with great dynamic range in the bass and highs. In fact, it’s one of my favorite sound signatures in earbuds, but it doesn’t have as much airiness or crispness as the Buds3 Pro.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.

Buds 3 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM5

The Sonys sound fuller, heavier in the lows and crisp in the highs, and overall has a richer sound than the Buds3 Pro. However, the Buds3 Pro has better track separation and clarity, so you can really feel the vibrato and texture in strings.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.

Buds 3 Pro vs Bose QC Ultra

The Bose has a darker signature in the mids and highs, and it doesn’t track separate as well as the Buds3 Pro. Nevertheless, their bass response and tonality are quite similar to the Buds3 Pro.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.

Buy Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Buds2 Pro?

So should you buy the Buds3 Pro or keep the Buds2 Pro? While the sound signature may be a matter of personal preference, the Buds3 Pro has a big improvement in terms of ANC, mic pickup and transparency.

It also features a customisable graphic EQ, allowing you to adjust bass and treble levels apart from the standard presets options available with the Buds2 Pro. In terms of fit, the previous model plugs in more, but the new version feels more ergonomic and provides a better seal. Some users highlighted that the squeeze gestures can shift the earbuds, requiring readjustment. But the Buds2 Pro has a wide touch zone, often activated functions unintentionally during adjustments.

Additionally, the Buds3 Pro includes voice control so you can operate them handsfree, though it requires space out commands to function seamlessly. The Blade Lights are a nice touch, serving as an indicator to help you to find them in the dark. You can even customise their visibility. If you’re concerned about the case size, it’s slightly wider but thinner than the Buds2 Pro’s case. So it’s an overall improvement, and I personally prefer the Buds3 Pro over the previous model.

I haven’t talk about AI Translation. While it could be a plus feature for some, but not me as I’m already fluent in 19 different languages.

Buy Galaxy Buds3 Pro or AirPods Pro 2?

When comparing it to the AirPods Pro 2, the choice often boils down to your device ecosystem. If you have iPhones, the Airpods Pro 2 is the natural choice. If you have Samsung, go for the Buds3 Pro, since they’re not cross compatible. While both can connect via Bluetooth across ecosystem, you’ll miss out on most of their features in equal measure, such as seamless switching, customisations, due to lack of cross-platform support. Apple’s ecosystem does not support Samsung’s Wearable app, and the Samsung app isn’t available on iOS.

However, the Buds3 Pro does have some major advantages. It has superior mic pickup, clearer transparency, and a more comfortable fit as it doesn’t have that slippery glossy surface. For Android users, the Buds3 Pro also provides more features and customisable options compared to the AirPods on iOS. Whereas the biggest reason to pick the AirPods Pro 2 for me is its heavier, fuller sound. Although that’s really down to personal preference.

Buy Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Bose QC Ultra?

Compared the Buds3 Pro to the Bose QC Ultra, definitely get the Bose if you want something snug enough to work out with. Their snug fit ensures they stay in place, even in intense condition. I’m still not convinced that these stem types will stay as well in wet, sweaty conditions since they don’t have stability fins. Besides that, the Bose also has the most powerful noise cancelling among earbuds, making it a good choice for flight. You can also toggle them into Spatial Audio mode with head tracking, supported on both iOS and Android devices. And after the most recent firmware update, it now also support multipoint pairing across all platforms. However, not the Buds3 Pro, which has its own multipoint but it’s restricted to Samsung devices. In terms of things like mic pickup, the Samsungs are better. On Android, it’s more feature rich, it’s got a smaller, more portable case, cleaner, crisper sound with better track separation. These are reasons to pick the Buds3 Pro over the Bose.

Buy Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Jabra Elite 10?

Furthermore, compared to the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 1, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro has better mic pickup, more automated features like Voice Pickup and Voice control, and it’s very competitive when it comes to noise canceling. It also supports higher bit rates on Samsung devices with the SSC codec. However, the Jabras are platform blind with app support on both iOS and Android. They have multipoint pairing, Spatial Audio with head tracking, Dolby Atmos support. Although the Jabras may not retrieve detail as well as the Samsungs, they sound very smooth and clean, with lots of bass to go around if you want. Their snug fit and button controls make them suitable for workouts, and they can be used comfortably while wearing gloves. I’ve been daily driving these for close to a year now, and so far I’m loving them, which is why I listed them as ‘the safe choice’ on loudnwireless.com/recommendations.

Buy Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Sony WF-1000XM5?

Comparing the Buds3 Pro to the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Sonys are great in noise cancelling, sound quality, features and portability. Their smaller case and support for LDAC codec make them appealing to audiophile codec and DSEE Extreme upscaler improves high frequency detail. The Sonys are platform blind so you can get all of its features and customizations on both iOS and Android devices, including multipoint pairing. However, the Buds3 Pros are better in terms of microphone quality, transparency mode and fit. The Sonys use foam tips that you really have to shove into your ear canals to get a good fit, whereas the Samsung’s fit is much lighter and less intrusive, thus, more comfortable to wear over long periods. I also like that with the Samsungs, if you’re using just one earbud, the controls are easier to manage.

So that is how the Buds3 Pro compares to the most popular buds in the market.

Check latest prices:

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro - https://amzn.to/4fvUNLn
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro - https://amzn.to/3piWy5v
Jabra Elite 10 - https://amzn.to/3EHIp9J
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3JGI1uN
AirPods Pro 2 USB-C - https://amzn.to/3UoeJG8
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds - https://amzn.to/49TSg9K

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