TECH CAFE

THE BUDS LIVE SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR

A PARAGRAPH OF SILENCE TO GALAXY BUDS LIVE (LIP)

No, I did not misspell RIP, that is indeed LIP (Lost in Peace). I know, I know this is meant to be a review for the galaxy buds 3 but hold on and help me pay some respect to my love galaxy Live which happen to get lost during my trip to Mombasa. Over the last few years, I have been rocking the galaxy buds live as my audio gear of choice, even prioritizing them over my Sony headphones in situations like a noisy flight… ahem… Jambo Jet (those propellers noise is no joke). And on December 7^th, 2024, the buds live took their last trip with me to Mombasa with the hope of returning safely, but the ocean swept them away, may their souls Rest In Peace. (stay silent for 1 minute then continue reading, means a lot)

Fast forward, after careful researching the buds that would work for me (A task I was not ready for) I finally settled on galaxy buds 3. Why? Simple, open style earbuds are my preferred type over the ones with silicon tips. Reason? Hygiene and comfort. Also, I have a tiny ear-canal, and this makes no silicon tip buds able to sit put in the hole (came out wrong).

Sorry about my lengthy and unnecessary introductions, let’s get straight to the unboxing experience and the features and why you might want to consider the Samsung galaxy buds line-up. Yes, take off that Oraimo junk from your ears (Kidding, Oraimo was one of the brands I considered and highly recommend them if you are looking for sound quality at a budget)

I bought mine from grandhub . Click on the name to visit the store, they have tons of good electronics from earbuds as good as these to videogame console and even amazon kindle for the bookworms. Why buy an e-reader? Check out my previous article here

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

The box looks pretty much like what we’ve come to expect from Samsung Buds packaging. You can tell the similarity side by side with Galaxy buds’ live box (which is as empty as your love life). The buds’ picture on the front with the colour matching the buds inside.

I went with the bronze sorry silver colour (oh my buds live). They are also available in white. I think the white ones make them look even more like the airpods which already is the design Samsung is going for, God know why. Also, I sometimes think the white earbuds with stems make it look like some liquid I shall not mention is dripping from your ears, yes you can use the washroom really quick then come back and keep reading. So that I do not write so much I will drop the photos of everything in the box.

As you can see, it is a standard packaging: the buds, type-c to type-c charging cable and a manual which no one is ever going to read (Until you encounter a problem and it says “refer to the manual” and still you decide to use YouTube to troubleshoot, or randomly google stuff to see if everyone is experiencing the same thing and feel good about your problem. Who are you kidding)

CONNECTING AND SET-UP

See you did not need that manual, because this part is also going to cover exactly the crap written in that tiny booklet. You can connect the buds 3 to any phone out there even iPhone (wearable app for buds setting controls not available in iOS though

Setting up the buds 3 to your phone is remarkably simple, even simpler if you are using a Samsung Phone. With a Galaxy phone you just pop open the case of the buds and the phone will ask you to fast pair, no hassle. For any other device, simply open the buds’ case and press the pair button at the bottom of the case for around 3 seconds and pair them as normal from the phone or whichever device you use Bluetooth setting. Again, remarkably simple.

For maximum pleasure sorry again, for maximum experience you need to download the galaxy wearable app from the play store, it is preinstalled in the (not available on iOS)

The app as you can see gives you control over the buds’ feature like ANC, touch controls, battery percentage and software update among so many other stuffs I will touch on in the next chapter.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Audio and Sound Quality:

• Speaker: Equipped with a 1-way 11mm dynamic driver, the Buds3 deliver clear and balanced sound.
• Audio Codec Support: They support 24-bit Hi-Fi audio at 96kHz, ensuring high-resolution audio playback.

Connectivity:

• Bluetooth Version: Utilizes Bluetooth 5.4 for a stable and efficient wireless connection.

Battery Life:

• Playback Time: Offers up to 6 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) turned off, and up to 5 hours with ANC enabled.
• Total Battery Life with Charging Case: The included charging case extends the total listening time to up to 30 hours with ANC off, and up to 24 hours with ANC on.

Noise Control:

• Adaptive EQ and ANC: Features Adaptive Equalizer and Active Noise Cancellation to tailor the sound to your environment and preferences.

Design and Controls:

• Water and Dust Resistance: Rated IP57, making them resistant to dust and water immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
• Controls: Includes intuitive swipe and pinch controls for easy management of playback and calls.

Additional Features:

• Super Wideband Calling: Enhances call quality by providing a broader audio bandwidth.
• 360 Audio: Delivers an immersive surround sound experience by tracking head movements.
• Voice Command: Allows for hands-free control using voice commands.

MY FINAL TAKE

the buds 3 have few things that are a game changer to me. I have always loved voice command but mostly the implementation of voice commands have never been as good as they advertise them. This is the first time I can say the voice command is absolutely stunning and responsive because it is being done on the device (buds). Making them work even without internet. Definitely the voice commands are my top feature.

Do I like the design? I do not know time will tell; I’m still not onboard with Samsung abandoning their previous design language in favour of Apple’s.

Comment below if you would like me to do my top buds 3 feature or hints and tricks or any other topic you want me to ever cover (tech topics)