Galaxy Buds On: Sound Bleed, Calls & vs. Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Quick summary: You had a lot of questions about the Samsung Galaxy Buds On, and I’ve honestly been enjoying them more than I expected. I tested a phone call on my bike, checked how much sound leaks out, and compared them with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Key takeaways

• Calls on a bike: my friend couldn’t hear wind and said I sounded really good, even at about 20 mph.
• Sound bleed: yes, people near you can hear it at max volume, similar to Meta glasses.
• vs. Buds 4 Pro: the Buds 4 Pro sound clearer, while the Buds On sound slightly more muffled but get really loud.
• Battery: better than the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro in my use.
• Single bud: works fine, with music and the mic both working.

I love open earbuds

I’m so used to the open-ear sound of my glasses, and these add to that. They sound way better than the speakers on my Meta glasses, I’ll admit that. They sit on top of your ear, not in it, which lets your ear breathe. If in-ear buds give you irritation or ear infections, these won’t do that, and because they’re so close to your ear, they sound better than almost any other open-ear earbuds I’ve tried.

Phone call test on a bike

I ride my bike a lot, including taking my son to and from school. With my glasses, nobody ever complains about wind on calls, so I wanted to test the Buds On the same way. I called my buddy Hector from Gadget Beard (go give his channel a follow) while riding at about 20 mph.

He said I sounded really good and he couldn’t really tell I was on a bike. Once I started riding, he said it sounded a bit like I was in a bigger room, but he couldn’t hear wind. We recorded part of the call, and he said it sounded even better live than on the recording. On my end, I didn’t hear excess wind and could still hear the call and my music. Two thumbs up.

Are they like the Galaxy Buds Live (the “Beans”)?

No. The Buds Live went in your ear. I loved how those looked, and I wish Samsung would bring back a new generation. I don’t have mine anymore, so I can’t compare directly, but from what I remember these don’t sound like them.

How bad is the sound bleed?

I played the loud part of a song at full volume and recorded the audio with my iPhone Duo. You can definitely hear sound bleed, no doubt. Am I worried about it? Not really. It’s very similar to my glasses. If you’re listening to something embarrassing at max volume, the person next to you will probably hear it. My son does this to me all the time: “What are you watching? That’s so cringe.”

Galaxy Buds On vs. Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Three different people asked this. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro go in your ear and have more features, including active noise cancellation, so they sound clearer. The Buds On sound slightly more muffled in comparison, though not muffled on their own. They also snap into the case magnetically, which is so satisfying.

What I haven’t really mentioned yet: these get really loud. Maxed out, I couldn’t hear much around me even though they’re open-ear. I like loud earbuds, since I can always turn them down.

Airplanes, battery and one bud

For flights, I’d still probably use the Buds 4 Pro because of ANC and the closed fit. I’m flying soon, though, so I might test the Buds On on a plane.

Battery life has been excellent, better than the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. And yes, you can use just one bud. Music keeps playing and the mic still works.

Who the Galaxy Buds On are for

I really like them. If you’re active and want to hear what’s around you, like on a bike (keep the volume reasonable), or you want good sound and phone calls while still hearing the baby cry in the next room, they’re great. If you’re thinking about getting them, I’d say get them.

• Galaxy Buds On at Samsung
• Galaxy Buds On at Best Buy