Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

Samsung deserves credit for taking the risk on a weird new design with the Buds Live, not least because for the most part these deliver on their promise. They’re extremely comfortable, surprisingly stable, and honestly after a while you do sort of forget the whole beans bit.

The Galaxy Buds Live are an interesting set of true wireless earbuds, featuring an atypical bean-shape design. On paper spec sheet is impressive and matches, if not beats, their main AirPod competition. But sadly, they still fail to fully deliver in one crucial area: audio.

I’d take these over Apple's basic AirPods in a heartbeat. They may not be my favorite model from Samsung—to be honest, I still like the Galaxy Buds Plus a titch more—but the Buds Live are good enough that I see them appealing to people who want something stylish. Given how outlandish they appeared at first, that's a pretty big win.

Samsung’s latest true wireless earbuds have a unique “open type” design that will keep you from cramming them in your ears. While that does make them a bit more comfortable, you do have to sacrifice sound quality and the effectiveness of ANC. There are some attractive features here, but the company’s Galaxy Buds+ are the better option at this point.

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.

Taken as a whole package, the Galaxy Buds Live exceeded what I came in expecting based on the leaks and the uncertainty I had about what the bean shape would mean for comfort and sound quality. Neither wound up being a concern after actually using them. If you’re okay living with a healthy dose of outside sound when listening to the Galaxy Buds Live, there’s a lot to like.

They're pretty unique-looking, discreet and not only do they fit securely but they're comfortable to wear for long periods. Alas, the noise canceling isn't what I hoped it would be, but it is a challenge to do with open earbuds like these. Even so, they're easily among the best earbuds of 2020.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are a baffling product: the earbuds boast noise cancelling without the crucial ability to seal to the ear. Yet, the noise cancelling actually works to some degree. Listeners who like the idea of being aware of their surroundings, and want something that makes a statement will be drawn to these earphones. They fit better than the AirPods, and include wireless charging to boot. If you aren't compelled by the Galaxy Buds Live, consider the Galaxy Buds Plus instead.