Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (2020)

Always-on Bixby ; Customizable touch controls ; Wireless charging case ; iOS compatibility

Subpar sound quality (especially at high volumes) ; ANC disappoints ; Battery life suffers with the most attractive features ; Fit takes some getting used to

Surprisingly good fit ; Extra helping of bass ; Combined 20-hour battery life

Middling sound quality ; Poor noise cancellation ; Low IP rating

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are good – but not great – true wireless earbuds. They have a number of neat features and offer a combined 28-hour battery life, but their sound isn’t amazing, and the noise cancellation has a lot of room for improvement....

Bold, unconventional design ; Lengthy battery life ; Powerful, balanced sound

Noise cancellation isn’t good for much ; Might not fit the smallest ears ; Occasional signal interference

Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Live have a very unique, bean-shaped design that sets them apart from AirPods. They sit in your ears without any silicone ear tips, but they still deliver good sound quality and long battery life.

Design doesn't plug up your ears ; Solid battery life and Bluetooth range

Poor noise cancellation ; Mediocre sound quality ; Bixby often gets confused

Samsung's bean-shaped, wire-free Galaxy Buds Live earphones are high on innovation, but fall short on noise cancellation.

Comfortable, clever design ; Impressive bass weight ; Clear and open presentation

Beaten for timing and dynamics ; Charging case issues ; Some bugs in the system

Samsung’s ambitious wireless earbuds boast a neat design and tick a lot of boxes, but the sound quality and software need to be better

Great-sounding Packed with features Active noise cancellation

Low IP rating

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live deliver a well-balanced sound and active noise cancellation, wrapped up in a unique bean-shaped design that we haven't seen in a pair of true wireless earbuds before.

Unique design ; Comfortable to wear for long periods ; Good battery life ; Decent sound quality ; Plenty of features

Lack of isolation reduces effectiveness of active noise-cancellation

A unique design that's comfortable to wear, sounds great, offering customisation through the accompanying app. But without a proper seal, Samsung can't deliver the active noise cancellation (ANC) as effectively as some rivals.

Balanced, spacious audio quality ; Extra-long battery life ; Fun, eye-catching design ; Useful features

Weak active noise cancelling ; Design can be uncomfortable on smaller ears

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offers an avant-garde design, spacious soundscape and extremely long battery life, but the ANC needs work.

Exceptionally portable, lightweight design. Very stable fit. Low wireless latency on mobile devices. Soundstage seems wide and spacious. Good build quality.

Relatively low IPX2 rating for water resistance. Control scheme has limited functionality. Leak quite a bit of audio. Inconsistent audio delivery. Middling microphone recording quality and noise handling capability. Mediocre overall noise isolation...

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are okay for neutral sound. They don't have an in-ear fit, making them prone to inconsistent sound delivery. Ηowever, this design also helps them create a more spacious-seeming passive soundstage than most closed-back...

Surprisingly comfortable ; Solid battery life ; They have ANC

Sound basic next to the best rivals

An ingenious design that should inspire some imitators, but sound quality needs to catch up