This list of top earbuds features the 5 best models for Samsung phones and tablets. You’ll find the best wireless and wired earbuds in two popular styles: open-fit and in-ear models. These are versatile true wireless earbuds for all sorts of tasks, from music and video to gaming and calls.
Samsung’s own earbuds work fully only with Samsung phones, tablets, and TVs. If you have other devices, you can’t use the proprietary audio codecs SSC and SSC-UHQ, nor will you get access to features like the translator, spatial audio, and more. For Apple devices, there isn’t even the Samsung Wearable app. Plus, only owners of flagship Samsung phones and tablets get the full feature set. You can use the newest Samsung earbuds with other Android and iOS devices, but only with basic codecs like AAC and SBC. Expect a sound quality loss of up to 30% with these codecs.
Our ranking of the best earbuds for Samsung is based on: sound quality (50%), microphone quality (12.5%), noise cancellation and transparency quality (12.5%); controls, app, and battery life (12.5%); and comfort, design, and durability (12.5%). These are the key factors when choosing the best Bluetooth earbuds. Learn more about how we rate earbuds.
EMMA — Experts + Methodology + MyChoozers + Algorithm.
Every model goes through identical tests; the score is calculated automatically with fixed weights — a spot in the rating cannot be bought.
TOP 5: Best Samsung Wireless Earbuds (2026) and Wired:
1. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro 8.99Best Wireless Earbuds for Phone – Samsung, Android and iPhone
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a fantastic update to the 3 Pro. They offer reference-level sound, features, and a very comfortable build. They hit all the marks, not just on flagship Samsung devices but on all Android and Apple devices. You get reference transparency mode and excellent noise cancellation, plus a great microphone. They’re like AirPods, but with better sound and compatibility across all ecosystems.
The downsides include artificial limitations for non-Samsung devices: only basic codecs with a 15% quality drop, no low-latency mode, no translator or voice assistant, no spatial audio, Auracast, or seamless device switching. There are also minor sound flaws in the treble. Everything else is just top-notch.
- Top-tier sound, reference-grade with the proprietary SSC UHD codec.
- Includes a translator, voice assistant, spatial audio.
- Reference-grade transparency, activation by saying your name.
- The SSC UHD codec, translator, voice assistant, and spatial audio only work on Samsung flagship devices.
- No companion app for Apple.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 9.13 A wide soundstage, cool punchy bass, prominent vocals that separate cleanly from other instruments, and gorgeous detail retrieval. The main downside of the sound is perhaps the highs, which felt slightly lacking for me in both quality and quantity. The main plus of the sound is everything else, the soundstage is absolute reference material at 10 out of 10.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 9.50 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 9 Gorgeous quality, it has gotten better than the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. It fell just a hair short of the Huawei reference.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 9.25 Noise cancellation is excellent—9 out of 10, falling slightly short of the AirPods Pro 3 reference. It handles street noise, laptop hum, and PC fans well. Transparency is reference-level with a slight digital processing feel. Battery life in our tests on base codecs is 8-10 hours. Touch controls, plus voice control for the player and calls. The companion app is user-friendly and only for Android devices. Moreover, some features are only available on Samsung devices.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.25 The earbuds are very comfortable, the case is compact. After a couple of hours of use, only minor fatigue. The build is sturdy and reliable, though the finish is a fingerprint magnet. Available in 3 colors: gray, white, and rose gold. Personally, I liked the design, while parts of our team didn’t. What about you?Read more.
2. Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro 8.18Best Samsung Earbuds — Samsung SSC, SSC-UHQ Proprietary
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The main draw here is the top-tier sound, even with the AAC codec, along with reference transparency and a robust, reliable build. However, these earbuds really only make sense if you have a flagship Samsung device. That’s how you get the top SSC-UHQ codec, translator, spatial audio, and other proprietary features. For non-flagship Samsung devices, there’s no real benefit; you’ll only get the regular SSC codec, and other proprietary features are unavailable. They’re definitely not worth buying for general Android and iOS use.
- Top-tier sound on Samsung flagship devices.
- Reference-grade transparency mode for true wireless earbuds.
- Sturdy and reliable build.
- The companion app lacks information. No app for iPhone.
- Awkward triangular earbud stems.
- AI translation, 360 Audio, audio switching — only work on Samsung flagship devices.
- SSC codec at 96 kHz and 24-bit — only works on Samsung flagship devices.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.33 Detailed and engaging, just slightly lacking in the low-frequency department. Frequency-wise, I would describe the sound as moderately balanced and V-shaped. Superb detail retrieval thanks to the dual-driver system and planar tweeter. Soundstage is wider than the head. Excellent timbre reproduction without distortion for both instruments and vocals. Most importantly, drum hardware sounds natural. The kick drum and bass are not boomy. The earbuds offer a high level of musical engagement. Once you put them on, you want to listen to more and more tracks, and the listening experience is far from background noise. Everything is listened to in one go, which is an important factor.Learn more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.00 In quiet environments: 8 In noisy environments: 8Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 8.05 The earbuds feature average active noise cancellation, suppressing light ambient noise. Transparency mode is reference-grade. Battery life is up to 7 hours and up to 30 hours with the charging case. Touch controls support up to 5 taps with basic playback and call management. Features in the companion app are only available to Samsung flagship devices, while for other Android devices, the app is practically useless.Learn more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.00 The earbud fit is comfortable; the large ear tips from the box fit me well. The build is solid and reliable with IP57 dust and water resistance. Only the design is awkward. The earbuds look good and stand out among competitors. 2 colors to choose from.Learn more.
3. Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 8.10Best Open-Fit Earbuds for Samsung and Android
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The sound in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 is significantly improved over the previous generation, though you’ll want to spend a couple of minutes with the EQ. You can now consider these earbuds for daily use at home or outdoors, not just for background listening. Plus, you can get a pleasant and detailed sound on any source using basic AAC or SBC codecs. Connecting to a Samsung phone is now desirable, not mandatory, as you’ll get more detail and proprietary features that mainly work on flagship models. The core functionality is still available on phones from other manufacturers.
- Balanced sound with an emphasis on mids.
- Top-tier transparency mode and active noise cancellation (ANC) among open-fit earbuds.
- Samsung ecosystem: translator, Spatial Audio, seamless switching, etc.
- Maximum sound quality only with Samsung flagships.
- Key ecosystem features require flagship devices.
- No dedicated app for iOS.
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 8.13 They sound pleasant with basic codecs, although out of the box, they lack a bit of bass, and the treble is slightly subdued. Transparency is also somewhat lacking, and the sound feels a bit constrained. However, there’s a generational improvement in sound, and the EQ offers potential for tuning. A couple of taps can unlock more detail and increase immersion. The earbuds’ strongest points are detail retrieval and naturalness. With basic codecs, the sound is on par with competitors using LDAC or aptX Adaptive. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 fall into the silver league. With the EQ and proprietary codec, they move up to the gold league.More.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 7.00 In quiet conditions: 7 In noisy conditions: 7 Noticeably unchanged in overall quality compared to the buds 3 version. The earbuds are below average for the market regarding microphone quality, especially in noisy conditions—it is better to switch to your phone, but in quiet environments, you can chat comfortably.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 7.58 Feature-wise, the earbuds excel in active noise cancellation (ANC) for open-fit earbuds, and they also feature a reference-quality transparency mode. Good controls with swipes up and down for volume and pinching the stem to manage playback, active noise cancellation (ANC) / transparency, and calls. There is an app for Android, but none for iOS. Stable connection with Bluetooth version 6.1. Battery life is 5-6 hours for the earbuds themselves, sitting at the lower boundary of the standard. Other weaknesses: no control customization, and maximum features require flagship Samsung devices—translator, Spatial Audio, multipoint, etc.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.83 The earbuds are comfortable to use, small, and lightweight. The fit is comfortable—in Vladimir Papazov’s tests. In Alexander Moyseenko’s tests, there was discomfort when the sound nozzle pressed against the base of the ear canal. The build is sturdy and reliable, with downsides limited to a drop in dust and water resistance from IP57 to IP54 and a fingerprint-magnet glossy finish. The earbuds look good, better than the 3rd generation.Read more.
4. Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 7.64Best Samsung Open-Fit Earbuds
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 are the best open-fit earbuds for Samsung phones, offering great sound and features. The main reason to buy: a proprietary codec with 24-bit/96 kHz sound quality and proprietary features like a real-time translator, voice assistant, adaptive noise cancellation, and EQ. They only make sense if you have a flagship Samsung phone, providing a sound improvement of up to 25%.
- Best sound among open-fit earbuds with the proprietary SSC codec
- Sturdy earbud and case build quality
- Detailed microphone
- Sound and features are tied to the proprietary ecosystem.
- Minor cons: Lacking air (highs), low punch (lows), weak noise cancellation, high latency (gaming)
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 7.73 With the proprietary audio codec, these earbuds satisfy a music lover’s needs and will delight audiophiles. The sound is bright and engaging! I appreciate the expressive mid-range that brings vocals and instruments to the foreground. I also liked the detail retrieval and expansive soundstage. Cons include uneven highs that strip the sound of “air” or add harshness in certain tracks. There is a slight lack of truly deep bass—in complex arrangements, this can affect clarity and soundstage depth.Read more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 8.00 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 7Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 6.92 Active noise cancellation blocks light background noise, with no transparency mode. Controls are convenient, and the claimed battery life checks out. The companion app is ergonomic and functional with Samsung phones, but useless for other phones. The signal is stable at 10-15 meters.Read more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 8.50 The earbuds are comfortable, lightweight, and ergonomic. Minor discomfort arises after 4-5 hours of use. Dust and water resistance is IP57. No complaints regarding build and materials. The build feels solid and reliable in hand. They look great and modern.Read more.
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds FE 6.54Budget Bluetooth Earbuds Samsung
Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.
DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.
DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).
PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and fast response).
BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).
BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.
LDAC – high quality, high speed (Sony).
SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.
AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.
aptX – Qualcomm standard, good quality, low latency.
LC3/LC3plus – new Bluetooth LE Audio codecs, efficient compression.
Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.
Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with the AAC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.
Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.
Support for new audio technologies.
Improved connection stability.
Reduced power consumption.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are budget Bluetooth earbuds for Samsung phones that include noise cancellation. They’re an excellent affordable option with a good microphone and basic IPx2 water resistance. The earbuds have a pleasant design, a comfortable fit, and stay securely in your ears, making them well-suited for sports or gym activities.
- Good microphone in quiet environments
- Comfortable fit.
- Balanced sound
- No widely supported high-quality codec
The final sound score is calculated using this formula:
Frequency balance + Detail retrieval + Soundstage + Natural timbre / 4 = Final Sound Score.
. 6.13 These earbuds are a compromise between price and features (including ANC). Ideal for users of the Samsung ecosystem, but not for sophisticated music lovers who value detailed sound.Learn more.
Microphone – We assess speech transmission quality by testing the microphone in two main scenarios: quiet and noisy environments.
Quiet environment – This involves recording indoors with minimal background noise. Noisy environment – This means recording outdoors near a six-lane road with maximum traffic noise.
. 7.00 In quiet environments: 7.5 In noisy environments: 6.5 The microphones demonstrate decent quality in quiet environments, such as an empty room or when there is no noise, providing clear and intelligible voice transmission. However, in noisy environments, difficulties with isolating external sounds can arise, occasionally degrading speech clarity.Overall feature score — this is the overall score for all device features. This score comes from individual feature ratings (battery life, controls, app, connection stability, and others) and shows how easy and smart the device is for daily use.
. 6.71 Expected performance for a budget model. On one hand, they added a bit of everything; on the other hand, feature quality is average. Essentially, there is nothing here that makes the model stand out.Learn more.
Final build quality score is the overall score for build quality and materials: comfort, durability, and design. It shows how nice the device is to hold and use, and how long it will last.
. 7.33 Comfortable and sturdy. With the wingtips, the earbuds stay fixed in the ears better and do not fall out during active workouts. Build and materials are budget-friendly, yet there is nothing to complain about. The earbuds look normal, with 2 colors to choose from.