Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Review: Sometimes The Fit Is Everything

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Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Review: Sometimes The Fit Is Everything
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Offering great sound and impressive noise cancellation for the price, these $100 earbuds redesign the wingtip of the Galaxy Buds Plus.

Chris Welch , personal audio and home theater reviewer. Since 2011, he has published almost 6,000 articles, from news and reviews to useful guides.

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People can strongly relate to the fit and feel of headphones in their ears. When design changes are imminent, manufacturers often tell reporters how much attention they paid to the smallest changes, and they like to discuss how much data (and the number of ear tests) influences these decisions. But did you know? There will always be customers who choose the old-fashioned way. Here come the new Galaxy Buds FE from Samsung, which work with noise cancellation.

Now priced at just $99.99, these are the company's entry-level headphones. Of course, the lower price means you get fewer features than the flagship Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Commercial features at a great entry-level price form the core of the Samsung FE product range. But the most interesting thing about these buds is the design. Unlike Samsung's recent efforts, the Galaxy Buds FE are the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Buds Plus and feature a silicone "case" that ensures they stay firmly in place. The flat touchpad area is also easier to press and makes control easier.

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Let's get straight to the point: The Buds FE miss out on Samsung's 360 audio (read: spatial audio) feature, there's no talk mode, and they don't have advanced gesture controls like the ability to touch the cheek next to the earbud. He stroked his bud. I think the most important thing for potential buyers is that they don't offer wireless charging. This is unusual for Samsung headphones. The aforementioned Buds Plus offer Qi charging in 2020, which is the most obvious sign of the FE's cost cutting. Another thing is their hardness. These buds only have an IPX2 water resistance rating compared to the Status Quo IPX4 (or IPX7 Buds 2 Pro).

The smoother surface makes the headphone controls easier to use.
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However, Samsung retains the basics such as active noise cancellation and transparency mode for transmitting ambient noise. Firstly, the Buds FE are very good considering the price, although the transparency mode is a step behind the Buds 2 Pro and sounds more artificial. If you want the outside world to look natural and believable, you will have to spend more than $100. Samsung has also enabled Game Mode (to reduce lag) and automatic switching between Galaxy devices so the app doesn't lose everything. Unfortunately, these don't have true multipoint Bluetooth, and I don't see the rapid shift Samsung is making to its own ecosystem as a great alternative. The company's SmartThings app lets you find your headphones and get notifications if you leave them somewhere.

But what does this have to do with the installation process? I'm still a fan of Samsung's approach to pairing headphones via the Galaxy Wearable app. The first step is to download the app, which makes sense. Every headphone manufacturer these days has its own accompanying software. However, after that , you'll need to download an add-on that specifically provides support for the Galaxy Buds FE. Why is this a multi-step process? Shouldn't everything be integrated into the wearable app? I can't imagine any other company doing this in 2023. What's even stranger is that it works the same on Samsung phones, where you'd expect more native integration.

You can customize your headphones using the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app.

The entry-level Buds FE are only available in black or white; No bright purple here. The box contains three sizes of ear tips and two pairs of wing tips. You'll need to try the last two sizes to see if the fins help for a more stable fit. This sleek white carrying case is similar in shape and size to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Buds 2 and Buds Live, so the case accessories will likely follow suit.

The sound quality has improved over the older Galaxy Buds Plus, but isn't as good as the Buds 2 Pro. The Buds FE follow Samsung's standard tuning curve, which will appeal to most listeners. They're a little more laid back than the Treble Pro buds, but that also helps avoid annoying patience. You can adjust the sound at any time using the numerous EQ presets in the Galaxy Wearable app. The Buds FE don't have spatial audio for head tracking; It's reserved for the more expensive Samsung headphones, but honestly I can take it or leave it at this point. Most of the time it looks deceptive. Overall, the Buds 2 Pro offer better resolution and greater instrument separation, but the Buds FE don't disappoint, especially for $100. Voice call performance was satisfactory in some phone calls and Google Meet sessions, and you can adjust the earcups to make it easier to hear on calls.

This design is very similar to the Galaxy Buds Plus.

Battery life is another plus point: the Buds FE claim to offer up to six hours of listening pleasure with ANC on and up to 8.5 hours with ANC off. (That adds up to 21 and 30 hours, respectively.) My real-world experience was slightly below Samsung's estimates, but I was able to play continuously for more than five hours with the headphones on several occasions. They never make me want more, which requires the headphones to last a long time.

a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white" style=";text-align:right;direction:rtl;text-align:left;direction:ltr"> Agreed to follow: Samsung Galaxy Buds FE

Every smart device requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. Contracts that no one reads. It is impossible for us to read and analyze each of these contracts. But when we reviewed it, we started counting how many times you had to tap "I agree" to use the device, since for most people it's an illegible and certainly non-negotiable agreement.

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Like most Bluetooth headphones, you can use the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE without any software agreements. However, by using the main Galaxy Wearable app, you agree to this;

  • Samsung Terms and Conditions
  • Samsung privacy policy

This results in two arrangements being required to use all of the headset's features and adjust settings.

With the Galaxy Buds FE, Samsung is completing its headphone lineup with an urgently needed entry-level model. If you're still carrying around a pair of Buds Plus batteries that aren't what they once were, this is a pretty smart upgrade. I still prefer the Buds 2 Pro for their advanced features and higher sound quality, and the fins on these headphones don't do me much good.

But for many people, comfort is crucial. If previous generations of Samsung earbuds fit your ears better than the current product, the Galaxy Buds FE are a welcome return to the old design. It doesn't always have to be a shiny new feature. At $99.99, it's already a good, solid deal, and if the price continues to drop over the holidays, that won't be a problem for Android users who want a solid pair of speakers without the hassle.

Photography by Chris Welsh/The Verge