Best new budget noise-canceling wireless earbuds
Earfun Air Pro 3
Best noise-canceling headphones from Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5
Best budget Galaxy earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
AirPods Pro alternative for less
JBL Live Pro 2
Flagship Sennheiser noise-canceling headphones
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Top midrange noise-canceling headphones
Sony CH-720N
New Sennheiser flagship earbuds
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Best noise canceling with top-notch sound
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
Best open earbuds for Samsung users
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
While Apple-centric headphones and earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Max and the Beats Fit Pro, are popular, they offer the best experience when used with an iPhone or Mac. They work with Samsung Galaxy devices for audio listening and making calls but you can’t use them to their full potential on Galaxy devices because some features, such as spatial audio and always-on Siri are Apple-exclusive. So if you’re a Samsung devotee, you’ll want a set of earbuds or headphones that’s either platform-agnostic or geared towards Galaxy devices (yes, Samsung, like Apple, plays the exclusive features game).
You may also want to get earbuds or headphones that feature support for the aptX or LDAC audio codecs, which may offer better audio quality when streaming via Bluetooth. Samsung and other Android phones support aptX and LDAC, but you have to enable support for those codecs by going into developer mode in the settings and activating the codec you want. It can be a little tricky.
What are the best earbuds and headphones for Samsung smartphones right now?
So what are the best earbuds for Samsung devices? If you’re looking for earbuds geared to your Galaxy smartphone or tablet, the answer is easy: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are arguably the best earbuds you can get for your Galaxy device. They not only sound very good but offer good noise canceling and work well for making calls. They’re also equipped with some special extra features for users of Galaxy devices, including spatial audio and hands-free Bixby.
As for full-size headphones that work well with Samsung mobile devices, we like the Sony WH-1000XM5, a 2022 CNET Editors’ Choice winner. But there’s a slew of other headphones geared toward both Apple and Android users, several of which I’ve out on this list.
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Best Samsung wireless earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer improved noise canceling along with very good sound and voice-calling performance, plus support for high-resolution wireless audio streaming if you’re a Galaxy device owner with the right setup. That said, their biggest upgrade may their new design and smaller size, which make them a better fit for more ears (they’re also fully waterproof).
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The wireless charging case isn't tiny, but it fits in a pocket easily enough.
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" overridecredit="Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET" linktext="Read our Earfun Air Pro 3 review" linkurl="https://www.cnet.com/deals/earfuns-new-air-pro-3-earbuds-deliver-impressive-sound-and-theyre-already-30-off/" usepricing="true" data-key="cross_content_listicle__e26a7644-8d96-4a4f-bb91-bc17b4af0108" data-keep="" imagecredit="Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET" tagslugs="samsung,samsung-galaxy" contenttype="Best List - Precap" isbestlistredesign="true" filtershortcodetypes="" totalfilteritems="0" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" showdetails="true" tocheadlineitem="[object Object]" class="c-bestListProductListing">Show less
Best new budget noise-canceling wireless earbuds
Earfun Air Pro 3
Earfun has put out a series of wireless earbuds over the last couple of years with one important commonality: They’re very good values, made more so by frequent discounts. The company’s new-for-2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds feature the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with aptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec (they also support AAC for Apple devices).
Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).
In short, the Earfun Air 3 deliver strong performance for their modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (though not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls.
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The wireless charging case isn’t tiny, but it fits in a pocket easily enough.
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
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Best noise-canceling headphones from Sony
Sony WH-1000XM5
When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $400 price tag, most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.
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David Carnoy/CNET
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Best budget Galaxy earbuds
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
If you can’t afford the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the standard Galaxy Buds 2 are a good option for Galaxy users. Released in 2021, they don’t sound as good as the newer Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or have quite as effective noise canceling. But they offer decent sound and noise canceling along with very good voice-calling performance and often are discounted to around $100.
The Buds 2, like the earlier Buds Plus, are only IPX2 sweat-resistant. That means they should be fine for lighter workouts, but it’s probably best to avoid wearing them in a rain storm.
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