Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Which earbuds are the best?

Many earbuds fulfill the basics, letting you listen to music and make calls. However, the best earbuds take things a step further and provide cutting-edge features and standout build quality. If you want to do more than listen to music, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 are your buds. These earbuds are the very best from Samsung and Sony. In our Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4 comparison, we’ll find out which buds suit your lifestyle and budget.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: At a glance

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Specs

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 are some of the most powerful earbuds available. On paper, these buds share many features, but how each company implements them varies.

Samsung and Sony’s flagship buds include three sizes of interchangeable ear tips. Sony takes the crown for comfort and fit, though. Its memory foam ear tips mold to the listener’s ear better than Samsung’s silicone offerings. Since foam is a dense material, it blocks out more high-frequency noise too.

Let’s start with the durability differences. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have an IPX7 rating. They can withstand full submersion for up to 30 minutes if they remain at depths less than a meter. In contrast, the WF-1000XM4 have an IPX4 rating. This rating indicates that they can resist water splashes from any direction. Unlike the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the WF-1000XM4 can’t survive a dip in the water.

Moving away from hardware and onto software, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro work best with Samsung devices. For Samsung 360 Audio, “Hey, Bixby,” and access to the Samsung Seamless Codec (SSC), you need a Samsung phone. Most Android phones can access all other features through the Galaxy Wearable app on the Play Store. This lets you choose from a handful of EQ prests to alter the default sound a tinge. Android phone owners can also take an ear tip fit test and customize some controls.

Then you have the Sony Headphones Connect app, which works identically on Android and iOS. With Sony’s app, you may personalize the 360 Reality Audio effect. Remember: the equivalent feature is exclusive to Samsung handsets with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Sony also lets listeners choose between connection stability or streaming quality, yet another thing you don’t get with Samsung’s buds. Lest we forget, Sony’s app supports a five-band custom equalizer. You don’t get a custom EQ with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, even if you pair them with a matching smartphone.

We won’t get into the nitty gritty of Bluetooth codecs, but there are differences to address here too. Sony and Samsung’s buds support SBC and AAC, but their higher-quality codec options differ. Samsung’s buds support SSC, and Sony’s buds support LDAC, which works across Android. SSC is exclusive to Samsung devices, and to get 24-bit audio from it, your device needs One UI 4.0 or higher. LDAC, on the other hand, supports 24-bit audio, but in our testing, we found its audio quality fell short.

Furthering the gap between these two sets of earphones is how the WF-1000XM4 use Bluetooth multipoint, while the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro use automatic device switching. Multipoint connectivity works with any Bluetooth device. Thus, Sony’s earbuds can connect to two sources at once. Samsung’s automatic switching requires Samsung devices under the same account. This doesn’t grant simultaneous connections. Both have their merits, but again, Sony takes a more agnostic approach.

Sony’s earbuds cost $50 more than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but paying more gives you a universal listening experience across devices.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Noise canceling

If noise canceling is the most important feature to you, get the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro instead of the WF-1000XM4. Samsung’s low-frequency ANC knocks the socks off the WF-1000XM4. I want to stress that both sets of earbuds have top-notch active noise canceling. Samsung’s ANC is just leagues ahead of other ANC earbuds. When I reviewed the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the ANC rendered engine roars, and my sputtering A/C unit almost inaudible. Sony’s earbuds hush these same noises, but they can’t keep up with Samsung’s powerful ANC.

While ANC affects all frequencies, it focuses on the lows and mids. Good passive isolation — from properly fitted ear tips — handle the bulk of high-frequency noise. Although Samsung’s ANC is technically more impressive than Sony’s, the WF-1000XM4 ear tips block out the sound of chatter and unpredictable sounds better than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Sound quality

Listening to the earbuds out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sound better than the Sony WF-1000XM4. Samsung’s earbuds have a bit more bass, which some may find excessive, and a slightly boosted treble response. While the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro frequency response is imperfect, it comes close to the mark. Most listeners will prefer Samsung’s tuning to Sony’s quiet treble response.

With a quiet treble response, vocals and instruments can sound strange and unnatural. This can affect the tone of your music, and it sticks out much more than a slightly boosted bass response. Sony has its custom five-band EQ going for it in the Headphones Connect app, though. After trial and error, you can tune the earbuds to match your preferences. Rather than raise the treble response in the EQ module, I recommend cutting the bass and mids to varying degrees. This avoids any added distortion that accompanies boosting quiet frequencies.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Battery life

Officially, Sony’s earbuds last eight hours with ANC. This is much longer than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s official battery life of five hours with ANC. The difference in battery life duration makes sense. The WF-1000XM4 buds have 75mAh battery cells, which are larger than the 61mAh cells in the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Sony’s case provides an extra 16 hours of battery life, and Samsung’s provides an extra 13 hours of playtime.

We put these earbuds through our standardized battery tests, subjecting them to constant music playback peaking at 75dB (SPL). These were the results:

• Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, ANC on: Four hours, 50 minutes.
• Sony WF-1000XM4, ANC on: Seven hours, 43 minutes.

The WF-1000XM4 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cases support USB-C and wireless charging. When you enable Wireless PowerShare on your Samsung device, you can charge the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro case atop your phone. This can come in handy if you’re on a plane and in a pinch. Bear in mind: charging your case from your Samsung phone drains the phone’s battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Microphone quality

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 microphones sound fine in ideal conditions. You’ll notice that Samsung’s mics make voices sound slightly louder than Sony’s. In the WF-1000XM4 demo, the speaker can sound as if they’re standing far away from the mic at times.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have a pleasing noise suppression algorithm that keeps voices sounding clear. The WF-1000XM4 noise suppression works, but not as well as the Buds 2 Pro. Sony’s muffles the speakers’ voices throughout the recording.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro microphone demo (Office conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Price

Sony’s earbuds cost $279 and come in Silver or Black. You can often find the WF-1000XM4 on sale for $30 less than their original retail price. Around the holidays, you’ll see the price drop even more. The lowest we’ve seen the WF-1000XM4 price drop to is $178, but you can find refurbished models for around $160.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro maintain their original $229 price and come in White, Graphite, or Bora Purple. Like Sony’s buds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro go on sale throughout the year. The greatest sales start right before and after the winter holiday season. We’ve seen the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro price go as low as $178, and you’ll find renewed models for around $150.

Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target all sell the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Of course, you can also find each pair of buds on their manufacturer’s website.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Which earbuds should you buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro may have the best noise canceling of these two sets of buds, but the Sony WF-1000XM4 are more versatile. Despite their steeper price, the WF-1000XM4 are a better value for listeners with non-Samsung Android devices. If you want to listen to your earbuds unbound by your phone or tablet’s brand, go with the Sony WF-1000XM4. The quiet treble response is easy to fix in the mobile app, and the fit is more comfortable thanks to the memory foam ear tip material.

That said, if you’re completely on board with all things Samsung, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the better buds for you. Pairing the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to a Samsung device unlocks cutting-edge features like spatial audio playback and recording with compatible handsets. The default sound quality is very good. So good, in fact, that few people will need to play with the Android app’s sound profile presets.

Regardless of which wireless earbuds you go with, you’ll get access to a wealth of features. It’s hard to pick the wrong set of buds here. The decision is really about which buds are more right for your needs.