Skip to main content

Does Sony do it all better than Samsung does?

Taking the lead

Sony WF-1000XM4

$278 at Amazon

Pros

  • Outstanding ANC performance
  • Stellar sound quality
  • Amazing battery life
  • Wireless charging case with USB-C
  • LDAC and 360 Audio support
  • Solid app support

Cons:

  • Touch controls need work
  • Smaller ears may not feel comfy
  • Single-bud mode only in right buds

Sony had a great foundation to work on in making the WF-1000XM4 the envy of the wireless earbud market, and they stand out with some of the best active noise cancelation (ANC) performance you can find to go with improved design and functionality.

Always a Pro

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

$170 at Amazon

Pros

  • Bolder sound
  • Solid ANC performance
  • Dynamic ambient mode
  • 360-degree audio ability
  • Significant water resistance
  • Smaller charging case

Cons

  • Touch controls can be finicky
  • Certain features exclusive to Samsung phones
  • Lower battery life than predecessors

Samsung went all out with the Galaxy Buds Pro, giving them both active noise cancelation (ANC) and better water and sweat resistance. These are among the best available, with excellent sound quality and a slew of features that make them elite earbuds.

A search for the best wireless earbuds will reveal these two pairs at the top of the list. The reasons are many because Sony made the WF-1000XM4 to continue their predecessors' notoriety. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro were made to compete and unseat Sony from the top spot. With stakes that high, it's worth seeing who wins out.

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: What sets them apart?

For both brands, their respective earbuds are flagships setting the tone for not just what they've already released, but for all other competitors as well. Active noise cancelation (ANC) figures so prominently in why they rise above, but there are many other factors to consider that start to put some distance between them. For Sony, the WF-1000XM4 are corrective in the sense that they're also supposed to address previous concerns about the size, fit, and comfort.

Samsung had already crossed that proverbial bridge with the Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Buds Live, except it had to grow the Buds Pro just enough to squeeze in all the tech inside. So what would have been an easy win for Samsung in that way is now a closer race.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
Durability IPX4 IPX7
Bud battery life 8 hours 8 hours
Case battery life 24 hours 28 hours
Wireless charging case Yes Yes
Connectivity Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth 5.0
Digital assistant support Google Assistant, Siri Bixby, Google Assistant, Siri
Supported audio codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC Scalable, SBC, AAC
Speaker size 6mm drivers 13mm drivers
Active noise cancelation (ANC) Yes Yes
Ambient sound mode Yes Yes

The spec sheet indicates that Samsung might have an edge in two key areas: durability and audio quality. The higher numbers make that clear in the former, but the latter is more complicated. But first, it's worth looking at battery life, which isn't dramatically different between them. Both last about the same amount of time, whether ANC is on or not, and their respective cases each support wireless charging. You may eke out a little bit more time from the Buds Pro case, but not enough to suggest there's a big gap between them.

As for size, Samsung has the smaller case, making it more portable, though it's not a knock on Sony, who did a much better job of cutting the WF-1000XM4 case down by a good 40% compared to the previous pair. Even the earbuds themselves are easier to wear because they're also slimmer than before. Samsung holds an edge that way, but this is definitely one of the more comfortable pairs Sony's made to date.

From an audio perspective, it's easier to appreciate how clean and crisp both pairs can be. Sony has a level of audio prowess that Samsung is still trying to catch, and it shows here. There's a touch more clarity in Sony's soundstage, with a balance that sounds like a great foundation to start from if you're looking to customize the sound further. Sony's Headphones Connect app has an equalizer for manual input, letting you set the sound to whatever you prefer.

Samsung has yet to move past offering six predefined presets. There is no manual EQ, and while that doesn't necessarily mean the Galaxy Buds Pro sound bad, it limits the flexibility in making them sound like something else. It's a shame, too, because the Galaxy Wearable app offers several other customizations and tools to add more to these earbuds. ANC is adjustable, giving you two levels to work with. Voice Detect utilizes the Ambient mode to lower audio volume when you start talking, letting you engage in conversation without pausing anything.

And if you're in Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem, you can easily switch between devices without having to switch any settings manually. And if you want to use a single earbud, you can choose either side to do it.

Sony has a level of audio prowess that I would say Samsung is still trying to catch, and it shows here.

Sony has its own audio perks, starting with top-class ANC and 360 Audio for a spatial sound effect when watching content offering surround sound. Then there's the LDAC support for lossless audio, making the WF-1000XM4 more audiophile-friendly than the Galaxy Buds Pro.

Sony also addressed poorer call quality from the previous earbuds and made the WF-1000XM4 just as good as so many others on the market. Not that the Galaxy Buds Pro are pushovers in that regard because they're right up there as well. Just too bad neither pair has touch controls that are overly consistent and easy to manage.

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Cutting it down

Since ANC is so integral in how well either of these earbuds perform, it's worth exploring just how good they are. Sony was already among the best with the previous WF-1000XM3, but the XM4 improved just enough to easily be at the top of the hill. They do a great job snuffing out low-frequency sounds and are better at cutting down high-frequency sounds as well. That also works the other way when the mics filter in background noise. So it's not a surprise that these features — including phone calls — are better if Sony went with better mics on both sides.

Samsung had also done the same when crafting the Galaxy Buds Pro, except there was no real heritage to build on that way. The Galaxy Buds Live had ANC, and only their unusual design hindered that feature from the start. Here, ANC is excellent, with a fair bit of success in blocking out the background. They just don't do it with the same muffling level that Sony has achieved thus far.

Sony WF-1000XM4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Which one should you go with?

Neither pair is a bad choice. This isn't a resounding win, nor is it really fair to say that Sony's WF-1000XM4 are superior in every respect. What is clear when testing them together is that Sony has the edge in the key areas of audio quality and ANC performance, whereas the Galaxy Buds Pro are better for workouts and additional features via the Galaxy Wearable app.

That's why it's hard to pass over the WF-1000XM4, even though both pairs are among the best wireless earbuds currently available. Sony's pedigree for great audio and industry-leading ANC is a combination that few others can match in the same way.

Top of the class

Sony WF-1000XM4

The top of the heap

$278 at Amazon $280 at Best Buy $278 at B&H

The Sony WF-1000XM4 continue a trend of top-class active noise cancelation mixing well with superb audio features.

Consummate pro

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Still among the best

$170 at Amazon $170 at Best Buy $170 at B&H

Samsung puts everything it can into the Galaxy Buds Pro, equipping them with the tools and abilities to take on the best.



Source: androidcentral

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c