Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Sm-r180 - Onyx

I researched this product using YouTube and online reviews as I was purchasing it for my husband. I was super impressed the reviews showed how well it compared to it's competition products and also with other Samsung earbuds. There were some disadvantages that were highlighted, such as ambient sound. But this was one of the features that I wanted to ensure my husband could still hear me should I need to get his attention. Now my husband has purchased over 10 bluetooth headphones and earbuds over the years and his one desire was to be able to lie in bed listening to music without discomfort. This was a gift I got him in September 2021 and despite his initial hesitation with how compact the product is, he's said it's the best earbuds/headphones ever. He's used it ... MoreI researched this product using YouTube and online reviews as I was purchasing it for my husband. I was super impressed the reviews showed how well it compared to it's competition products and also with other Samsung earbuds. There were some disadvantages that were highlighted, such as ambient sound. But this was one of the features that I wanted to ensure my husband could still hear me should I need to get his attention. Now my husband has purchased over 10 bluetooth headphones and earbuds over the years and his one desire was to be able to lie in bed listening to music without discomfort. This was a gift I got him in September 2021 and despite his initial hesitation with how compact the product is, he's said it's the best earbuds/headphones ever. He's used it daily since September 2021. Definitely a "Husband approved product" 100%. Whilst wearing the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, he is able to walk, run, dance and lie down without discomfort or the product falling out. I own a BOSE pair of bluetooth earbuds and the discomfort is a 6/10. These earbuds have no discomfort whatsoever! I can see these are on special so I am seriously contemplating purchasing another pair for myself! The battery life is great. Sound quality is comparable with the BOSE earbuds I have. The only con he has found is if he does fall asleep, they will fall out and get lost in the bed. My solution is that he takes them out before sleeping.

Best buds

These are the best buds to me. Regardless of price. They are different that they are not the same in ear design. Healthier for your ears.I've had many wireless buds and earphones. Samsung has them work as you would want.You open the case, they connect. Put them back they power off. You can have one in one off. Either side. No white noise. Good sound. Even noise cancellation option. Not powerful cancellation but appreciated. Don't buy from ebay, you'll probably get fakes like i did. The real deal are fantastic.

Grear fit, flawed features

The design is the perfect fit for my ears.Comfortable and sit tight even for runs.The sound is clear and noice cancelling stellar.Gone are those annoying rubber parts that always got lost or had terrible fit for my ears.But here is the down side, had I not got these for free, I would never ever had paid for them.With no dust or water resistance to write home about, these begs you to have an indoor inactive lifestyle or a extra pair for anything else than sit tight on your bud, or maybe stroll around in an indoor mall.They are not suitable for working in the garden, getting caught in the rain, workout session and so on.So if you got a semi active lifestyle and at risk at getting caught in the rain, then this shojld be a hard pass.I got my for free, so ... MoreThe design is the perfect fit for my ears.Comfortable and sit tight even for runs.The sound is clear and noice cancelling stellar.Gone are those annoying rubber parts that always got lost or had terrible fit for my ears.But here is the down side, had I not got these for free, I would never ever had paid for them.With no dust or water resistance to write home about, these begs you to have an indoor inactive lifestyle or a extra pair for anything else than sit tight on your bud, or maybe stroll around in an indoor mall.They are not suitable for working in the garden, getting caught in the rain, workout session and so on.So if you got a semi active lifestyle and at risk at getting caught in the rain, then this shojld be a hard pass.I got my for free, so I will use them for above activity well-known to me that this will break them at some point. And at that point Samsung hopefully made Galaxy buds Active Live, with same design, but actually made for people who venture out from time to time.

High hopes

I was excited to buy these, but really disappointed as soon as I tried them. Connecting them was super fast and easy, app was supportive and helpful for anything else I wanted to customize. Samsung is usually a very good brand with phones, speakers and electronic accessories. These earbuds were such a miss though. For the price I expected far better. I used Spotify premium to try out the sound quality. Right off the bat the sound was horribly tinny, brash, and harsh to my ears. At the same time somehow it seemed like the music was far away. I have a feeling that problem stems from the fact that the speaker is located towards the bottom of the buds aiming more towards the outer conch of the ear than the canal itself. That was enough for me to return it the very same ... MoreI was excited to buy these, but really disappointed as soon as I tried them. Connecting them was super fast and easy, app was supportive and helpful for anything else I wanted to customize. Samsung is usually a very good brand with phones, speakers and electronic accessories. These earbuds were such a miss though. For the price I expected far better. I used Spotify premium to try out the sound quality. Right off the bat the sound was horribly tinny, brash, and harsh to my ears. At the same time somehow it seemed like the music was far away. I have a feeling that problem stems from the fact that the speaker is located towards the bottom of the buds aiming more towards the outer conch of the ear than the canal itself. That was enough for me to return it the very same day. Fit was great though, and touch commands were flawless. I don't like how shiny the buds are, they're very eye catching and not in a good way. With that said, they did fit my ears pretty well. That was nice because typically I can't find many earbuds that will fit my, ears. If you find that soft-molded earbud tips never work for you, you'll probably find that these fit pretty well and snugly.

Love, love, loved them!

I loved my buds, raved to all my friends and family how fantastic they were. My buds became my best friend, never left my side. So compact and easy to charge using my phone cable. The sound was fantastic and my hubby thought they were the best headphones I'd used making calls home as he could hear me loud and clear. They are such a comfy fit in my ear and I get hours extra life out of using one bud at a time as they work independently of each other. Then the fateful day came just out of guarantee my left earbud became strangely quiet. I asked about repair but as just out of guarantee I cannot have them replaced or fixed under a warranty and to cover the cost myself is nearly as expensive as buying a new set 😭. This is why I gave only 4 stars as I would have ... MoreI loved my buds, raved to all my friends and family how fantastic they were. My buds became my best friend, never left my side. So compact and easy to charge using my phone cable. The sound was fantastic and my hubby thought they were the best headphones I'd used making calls home as he could hear me loud and clear. They are such a comfy fit in my ear and I get hours extra life out of using one bud at a time as they work independently of each other. Then the fateful day came just out of guarantee my left earbud became strangely quiet. I asked about repair but as just out of guarantee I cannot have them replaced or fixed under a warranty and to cover the cost myself is nearly as expensive as buying a new set 😭. This is why I gave only 4 stars as I would have expected the buds to last much longer than 1 year otherwise they would have been a definite 5 stars ❤

Pleasantly surprised!

After hearing lots of hype about the Buds Live, with it's solid sound quality, and of course their cutting-edge / innovative earbuds design. I been wanting to get my hand on them, and try the Buds Live out for myself. Especially with the flash sale the Galaxy Buds Live had, at the time of this review. Initially, I had some reservations with giving the Buds Live a try — due to the amount of negative and of concerned reviews. However, thankfully I am pleasantly surprised with my experience, thus far.The buds case is smaller than I expected, and has a very strong magnetic lid. I do wish, all of the colour options would have had a nice satin / matte finish. As the (white) glossy Buds Live case finish looks rather cheap and lackluster. However inside the case sits the ... MoreAfter hearing lots of hype about the Buds Live, with it's solid sound quality, and of course their cutting-edge / innovative earbuds design. I been wanting to get my hand on them, and try the Buds Live out for myself. Especially with the flash sale the Galaxy Buds Live had, at the time of this review. Initially, I had some reservations with giving the Buds Live a try — due to the amount of negative and of concerned reviews. However, thankfully I am pleasantly surprised with my experience, thus far.The buds case is smaller than I expected, and has a very strong magnetic lid. I do wish, all of the colour options would have had a nice satin / matte finish. As the (white) glossy Buds Live case finish looks rather cheap and lackluster. However inside the case sits the buds themselves, in a clamshell-like case. The buds themselves looks nicer in person, even in it's glossy finish. Best of all, the case can be charged rather quickly (and wirelessly, which is great for a accessory product). I do wish there were other colours options. As I don't care for the metallic bronze look, white is boring, and black is pretty standard looking — to each their own. The earbuds themselves has a interesting fit. And takes a bit of time getting adjusted too. However, after some time breaking them in, they seem to fit pretty well and are comfortable enough. Unfortunately, they do not seem to be the most practical, say when going out and about. As I have some concerns about them falling out of my ears. Since they don't have a very tight fit. Plus, they're not exactly fully waterproofed (only have minimum splash protection). This is pretty disappointing, especially for a $200+ pair of premium wireless earbuds. It's okay, for the slash price I got them for (via a recent sale). However, it's a bit unfortunate to have such a non-practical earbuds. I have some concerns with how long the Bud's Live will actually last, longevity wise. Again, if these were sub $100 earbuds, I wouldn't really care. Like others have mentioned, the touch controls are pretty finicky and not very reliable (probably due to the earbuds hardware design).Thankfully, the sound quality of these earbuds are fantastic — and even exceeded my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised, due to the earbuds design and passive like noise isolation (they naturally have). The sound profile is rather rich and full, especially with music playback. Vocals, mids and highs sound clear, crisp and full. Bass is definitely present, yet not overwhelming (like on some other earbuds). The Buds Live, also has an app with a few EQ toggles to choice from. I have mine selected to "dynamic", and it sounds great. Definitely makes music listening a bit more puncher and dynamic sounding. The Buds Live even sound better than my Airpods (gen two) or my Google Pixelbuds. The marketed "ANC" mode is well, rather lackluster with minimum effect. To this day, I'm still not sure what Samsung was thinking to promote these earbuds having "ANC". But anyways, it's there if one wants to help "block" some very, very low frequency sounds. But it's definitely no true ANC. So yes, like other reviewers have pointed out — do NOT get the Buds Live for ANC. Because it's pretty much a non-existent feature. At least not to my expectations, for how ANC is supposed to sound. As for phone call quality, truthfully I haven't really tried that out yet. However, I would suspect it's good enough. The Buds Live (Samsung Wearable) app has plenty of settings and toggles, one can choose from to better customize your earbuds experience. It's a pretty decent app, and should work just fine with any Android phone. I'm sure the sound quality is even better via using a Samsung phone, as these earbuds support Samsung's very own custom Bluetooth codex. Plus you get a few extra features, for what it's worth. Battery life seems pretty solid thus far, especially if one doesn't have ANC on all the time. For me, it's just not worth, having ANC on most times. As one can get up to 8 hours vs. just 5 hours with "ANC" always on. Thankfully, Bluetooth stability / connection seems solid and is pretty reliable — no issues there.In closing, I'm pretty impressed and pleasantly surprised with my Galaxy Buds Live. I do admit, these earbuds are not necessarily the most practical out there. And I do believe, paying anything over $150 (CAD) for the Buds Live is overpriced. Especially considering, they're already almost a year old. Plus the "ANC" quality (or lack of it), is pretty embarrassing and disappointed to say the least. I also don't think these earbuds are the most durable or practical, in terms of daily outdoor activities / working out etc. Otherwise, they do have a innovative design, fantastic sound quality, and solid battery capacity. For me, the Buds Live is certainly worth looking at — if one can get them on sale. And if one wants something similar feeling to Apple's Airpods, but for Android. Then they're a home runner.

Right ear discomfort/pain

I'm not a music or bass/sound savvy but I can say they sound very good. The only problem I have with this earbud is the fact that it hurts my ears. I got it as a part of promotion after pre ordering the galaxy watch 5 Pro. If I bought it with my money, I would have returned it immediately. I understand that others might find it comfortable in their ears, in fact I don't feel discomfort in my right ear, just my left ear. So I only wear the right one most times. At first I thought my ears were getting used to it but it's been almost 1 month now and it still hurts.Now I'm not sure what galaxy earbud to buy as there is a risk that I might experience the same discomfort with other ones as well. The good thing about this earbuds is that I'm able to switch between my ... MoreI'm not a music or bass/sound savvy but I can say they sound very good. The only problem I have with this earbud is the fact that it hurts my ears. I got it as a part of promotion after pre ordering the galaxy watch 5 Pro. If I bought it with my money, I would have returned it immediately. I understand that others might find it comfortable in their ears, in fact I don't feel discomfort in my right ear, just my left ear. So I only wear the right one most times. At first I thought my ears were getting used to it but it's been almost 1 month now and it still hurts.Now I'm not sure what galaxy earbud to buy as there is a risk that I might experience the same discomfort with other ones as well. The good thing about this earbuds is that I'm able to switch between my galaxy devices easily.

Solid headphones, if you know what it does

*Warning, Long review* I recommend reading through before buying (TLDR at the bottom)It's been about a week since I got my pair in the mail, and from the first experience I've been very satisfied with these headphones, from the fit to the finish, everything is perfect. I will warn people though, do your research properly because these may not be for you.I got these headphones for something to just slip in my ear before watching a tv show, or listening to a virtual lecture, and for those use cases, it couldn't be better. Right off the bat I did have low expectations about sound quality and the noise cancellation, especially after my experience with a pair of other open style earbuds (I think you know which ones). I can confidently say that the sound quality is a ... More*Warning, Long review* I recommend reading through before buying (TLDR at the bottom)It's been about a week since I got my pair in the mail, and from the first experience I've been very satisfied with these headphones, from the fit to the finish, everything is perfect. I will warn people though, do your research properly because these may not be for you.I got these headphones for something to just slip in my ear before watching a tv show, or listening to a virtual lecture, and for those use cases, it couldn't be better. Right off the bat I did have low expectations about sound quality and the noise cancellation, especially after my experience with a pair of other open style earbuds (I think you know which ones). I can confidently say that the sound quality is a non-issue (apart from noise bleed, which is natural for the form factor) and the noise cancelling is sub par at best.Audio quality: Excellent overall response and sound signature for the form factor, the noise bleed is expected so I'd recommend turning down the volume in a quiet room full of people. They do get very loud so you'll be covered in all situations wether it's a walk in the park, a road trip or a casual movie on your phone. The call quality as well is really good, the commercials are pretty legit, the buds use accelerometers to detect your vocal vibrations, so even if it can't pick up actual sounds, it picks up the vibrations of your voice and uses that.Noise cancelling: Don't get it for noise cancelling, if that's what you want, you might want to look elsewhere. When I got mine, noise cancelling wasn't a feature I cared about since I already have a pair of sony noise cancelling headphones. I will agree that the noise cancelling works, and when you have the buds on you can tell that they're doing something, but it makes your environment sound very unnatural, especially if you're trying to talk to someone with your buds in, it makes their voice very hazy (for lack of better terms) I'd recommend turning off noise cancelling and just enjoy the 2 extra hours of battery life that you'll get per charge.Battery life: They're solid, Haven't had them die on me once yet, the buds can last for up to 10 hours of use on a good day as long as you keep noise cancellation and bixby wake off (let's be honest, you won't need either) and the 2-3 extra charges that the case will give you will last you easily over 26 hours of listening. My recommendation if you're at home all the time like I am, just leave the case on a wireless charger, pull out the buds when you need them, put them back in the case when you don't.Features: Pretty standard stuff, it's really nice to have an app to play around and change settings, the earbuds themselves don't have any standout software features, but the bean-inspired design is without a doubt one of it's greatest physical features as long as you don't have tiny ears, with the 2 included rubber tips these are guaranteed to fit in most ears, but those with very small ears may have trouble getting them to stay in their ears. Another bonus is how small the carrying case is, in my opinion, the buds live have a much easier to carry and operate case than the pill shaped case of the normal galaxy buds and buds +, and the jewelry box design has an aesthetic that you're unlikely to find anywhere else.Overall (TLDR): These earbuds are solid, they have exceptional sound quality, they fit well and have solid battery life. These aren't earbuds that I'd recommend getting as an impulse buy, rather you should do your research first (or read what I've written above) to make sure that these buds are well suited for you. You shouldn't get these for the noise cancellation at all, as it's a gimmicky feature at best, rather I recommend keeping the noise cancellation off all the time in order to get longer battery life. Apart from the lackluster noise cancelling, the earbuds redeem themselves in all other aspects, and have earned not only my recommendation, but the recommendation of many tech reviewers in the industry, Samsung has done an outstanding job in an overcrowded market of truly wireless earbuds, and to that all I can say is, good job Samsung, you've outdone yourself once again!P.S. If you have friends in the ios space that are considering airpods over these, I would recommend these, the fact that the galaxy wearable app is available on ios and android means that no matter the platform the buds will be supported and the features will be available to everyone that uses it.

The Most Helpful, Unhelpful Review

Overall these are probably really great but I've been spoiled by earbuds. I had the Buds for awhile which have superior sound to these but lacks noise cancelation (which works as expected, nothing is going to block ALL NOISE) and these also have better mics and wearability. Earlier this year I got the Buds Pro which were the absolute best in Samsung's lineup but very strangely, I was allergic to the materials and had to get rid of them. So I was going into the Buds Live expecting REALLY good sound but it just sounded lifeless to me. Call audio is perfect but going into music I just could not get into it at all. These are by far the most comfortable earbuds I've ever used and really like that you don't have to jam them into your ear canal but they just aren't for me ... MoreOverall these are probably really great but I've been spoiled by earbuds. I had the Buds for awhile which have superior sound to these but lacks noise cancelation (which works as expected, nothing is going to block ALL NOISE) and these also have better mics and wearability. Earlier this year I got the Buds Pro which were the absolute best in Samsung's lineup but very strangely, I was allergic to the materials and had to get rid of them. So I was going into the Buds Live expecting REALLY good sound but it just sounded lifeless to me. Call audio is perfect but going into music I just could not get into it at all. These are by far the most comfortable earbuds I've ever used and really like that you don't have to jam them into your ear canal but they just aren't for me when it comes to the quality of sound for music. But it could also just be my ears. I've heard others say the sound quality is amazing. You can't really just go be reviews when it comes to an item like this though. The best thing to do is try them out for yourself, go purchase them and see how you like them and exchange them if they don't meet expectations.

Very comfortable for even the most sensitive ears!

I am so happy with the Buds Live! I have veryyyy sensitive ears so earbuds hurt and irritate me all the time. Because these don't go directly in the ear, they're much more comfortable to wear. It still takes some time for your ears to adjust and get comfortable with them, but a lot more comfortable than other earbuds I've tried. It only took an hour or two for my ears to completely adjust to them. If noise cancelation isn't a necessity for you, then these are perfect as you can still hear your surroundings. As a woman, it's important for me to hear my surroundings. They sound great and the bronze colour is beautiful and looks as pictured. My right ear is larger than my left so I'm glad it comes in two different sizes. I tried using the smaller sizes on both ears but ... MoreI am so happy with the Buds Live! I have veryyyy sensitive ears so earbuds hurt and irritate me all the time. Because these don't go directly in the ear, they're much more comfortable to wear. It still takes some time for your ears to adjust and get comfortable with them, but a lot more comfortable than other earbuds I've tried. It only took an hour or two for my ears to completely adjust to them. If noise cancelation isn't a necessity for you, then these are perfect as you can still hear your surroundings. As a woman, it's important for me to hear my surroundings. They sound great and the bronze colour is beautiful and looks as pictured. My right ear is larger than my left so I'm glad it comes in two different sizes. I tried using the smaller sizes on both ears but my right ear was too loose so I use the small on my left and large on my right and they fit perfectly. They don't fall out or feel like they're coming out when wearing the correct size. The app lets you customize options which I appreciate. Overall, they're comfortable and the performance is great. Highly recommend!