AirPods Pro 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: I listened to both pairs, and this one wins

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Premium wireless earbuds keep getting better every year, and while airpods pro And while the Sony WF-series earbuds get a lot of attention, Samsung has its own high-end earbuds, and they’re quite impressive. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro It costs the same price as the AirPods Pro 3 and has the same goal: to be the best wireless earbuds for a specific group of customers.

Also: I replaced my Sony WH-1000XM6 with AirPods Max 2 for a week — and didn’t miss a beat

Both sound great, both cancel out noise well, and both include a growing list of features that extend far beyond just listening to music. However, they each have different strengths and weaknesses, so the “right” choice really depends on what you care about most. Here’s how they compare.

Specifications

You should buy Apple AirPods Pro 3 if…

1. You want the best noise cancellation

The AirPods Pro 3 offer the most complete noise cancellation package you can find in a pair of wireless earbuds. They’re very good at eliminating low rumbles like airplanes, and they also handle trickier, less predictable sounds like street noise and coffee shop hum very well.

They’re notably better than most competitors at blocking out loud, sudden bursts of sound, which is something a lot of earbuds still can’t figure out. In fairness, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd generation) still have a slight edge in pure ANC performance, but the difference is small enough that it probably won’t sway your purchase decision in itself.

Also: AirPods Pro 3 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2: I listened to both, and there’s a sonic difference

However, where the AirPods Pro 3 really set themselves apart is the Transparency mode. Apple’s implementation is still the best in the business, providing the most natural-sounding pass-through of any wireless earbud. Adaptive mode also works well, intelligently changing noise management depending on what’s going on around you.

By comparison, Samsung’s Ambient Sound mode on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro has noticeable background hiss and doesn’t handle high frequencies as accurately. If you care about the total package when it comes to noise mode, the AirPods Pro 3 is the one to beat.

2. You’re deep into the Apple ecosystem

If you already have an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, the AirPods Pro 3 integrate with your device in a way that no third-party earbud can touch. Automatic switching may be an old feature, but it’s still easily one of my favorite features, seamlessly handing off your audio connection between Apple devices depending on what you’re actively using.

You’ll be watching something on your iPad, making a call on your iPhone, then joining a FaceTime call on your Mac, all without manually switching off Bluetooth. It’s one of those features that you don’t fully appreciate until you live with it, and then it seems impossible to go back.

Review: AirPods Max 2

Spatial audio with head tracking is another benefit of Apple’s first-party advantage. Instead of algorithmically spatializing a stereo mix (which can sound quite mediocre), Apple uses the actual Dolby Atmos mix for a more solid experience – especially with movies and TV shows. Charging is also convenient, as the case works with USB-C, MagSafe, and even Apple Watch chargers, so it’s easy to keep your AirPods charged if you already have a lot of Apple accessories.

3. You want advanced health and hearing features

The AirPods Pro 3 venture deeper into health-tracking territory than any other wireless earbuds. The big main feature is heart rate monitoring. A custom sensor inside each earbud sends infrared light into your ear 256 times per second to read your heart rate. Thus, you can track heart rate during workouts without wearing an Apple Watch, using the accelerometer and gyroscope already inside the earbuds to cover more than 50 workout types.

Also: 5 AirPods Pro features that made me abandon my old pair immediately — and how to access them

If you wear an Apple Watch, Apple combines data from both devices to fill in the gaps and give even more accurate readings. That said, the AirPods aren’t a full Watch replacement; If tracking metrics like steps, sleep, blood oxygen, and ECG are important to you, you’ll still need an Apple Watch.

Beyond fitness, the hearing health features are really worthwhile. Hearing Test, Hearing Assistance, and Hearing Protection modes let you assess your hearing in just minutes, apply a personalized profile that compensates for any hearing loss, and even set up a hearing aid feature that boosts specific frequencies that cause you trouble.

You should buy Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro if…

1. You want better overall battery life

Battery life is where the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a clear advantage. Turn off the ANC, and you can enjoy up to seven hours of continuous listening from the buds, for a total of 30 hours once included with the charging case. With ANC on, this drops to six hours per charge and 26 additional hours with the case.

The AirPods Pro 3, meanwhile, offer eight hours of continuous listening with ANC on, but only 24 hours total including the case. So the AirPods actually last a long time on a single charge, but the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a larger battery in the case, which is probably more important to most people.

Review: Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

This difference matters most during long trips or when charging the case isn’t easy. The AirPods Pro 3’s case is a bit more compact and portable than some people will happily accept, but if you’re looking for overall stamina, the Samsung wins here.

2. You like customizable sound

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro deliver excellent sound right out of the box. They are clean, crisp and detailed, their bass performance is very impressive. Their dual-driver setup, combining an 11mm woofer with a dedicated tweeter, delivers excellent textural clarity and deep, smooth sub-bass that most wireless earbuds simply can’t match.

Where a lot of earbuds have bass that feels badly bolted down, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro handle low frequencies with a level of sophistication that’s truly striking. The highs are crisp, too, and the soundstage is wide enough to create a real feeling of immersion.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs. Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: I tried both – here’s which one to upgrade to

The AirPods Pro 3 sound great too, but they’re not as customizable. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro give you an eight-band EQ in the companion app, complete with six presets and a custom option to tweak frequencies from 63Hz to 16kHz.

The AirPods Pro 3 don’t offer anything like that; There’s no real way to EQ your audio other than toggling hidden presets in the Accessibility settings, and Apple clearly expects most people to stick with the default tuning. If you’re a listener who wants to fine-tune their sound signature, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro give you that control while the AirPods Pro 3 don’t.

3. You use a Samsung device

Just as the AirPods Pro 3 are purpose-built for Apple’s ecosystem, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are designed to work best with Samsung Galaxy devices. Pair them with a Samsung phone, and you unlock 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio via Samsung’s proprietary codec, which makes sense for audiophiles with access to high-resolution files.

You also get special features like 360-degree spatial audio with head tracking, interpreter mode for live translation, and automatic switching between Samsung Galaxy devices – none of which are available on non-Samsung phones.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2: I tested both, and here’s the winner

However, this ecosystem dependence cuts both ways. Samsung users are less likely to have the entire lineup of Samsung devices, while Apple users are more likely to stick solely to Apple products, and the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also lack Bluetooth multipoint – meaning you can’t stay connected to two non-Samsung devices at the same time. This is quite a notable omission at this price, where most wireless earbuds have multipoint support.

The earbuds support the LC3 codec for better call quality on any Android phone, and they connect via Bluetooth 6.1, so they’re not useless outside of Samsung’s ecosystem, but they’re clearly the best within it. If you’re a Samsung user who wants earbuds that integrate tightly with your phone, tablet, and other Galaxy devices, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the obvious choice and arguably the best wireless earbuds for that purpose.

author’s choice

The AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are both excellent earbuds, but I prefer the AirPods for one major reason: the ecosystem. With iPhone, Mac, and other Apple products, it’s easy to switch between devices in my home, plus I mostly use earbuds for podcasts and audiobooks, and over-ear headphones for listening to music, so the ability to customize the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro’s audio quality doesn’t matter as much to me.