Samsung Galaxy Buds FE / Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: Galaxy Buds FE (SM-R400); Graphite or White. The Galaxy Buds3 FE released in 2025 is a separate product.

Sony WF-1000XM5: WF-1000XM5 · Black, Platinum Silver, Smoky Pink; colours share the same hardware

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Buds FESony WF-1000XM5
Release year20232023
Driver and sound1-way speaker; Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC and SBC codecs

The Scalable codec is Samsung’s codec that adjusts bitrate to connection quality and works with Galaxy devices; other phones use AAC or SBC. The high-resolution SSC Hi-Fi codec is not supported.

Samsung		—
Noise cancellationActive Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Sound

ANC picks up outside sound with microphones and suppresses it with an inverse wave; Ambient Sound lets outside sound in so you can hear without removing the buds.

Samsung		—
Microphones3 microphones per earbud (2 outer + 1 inner)

Samsung says automatic personalized beamforming and a DNN separate speech from background noise.

Samsung		—
BatteryEarbud 60 mAh, case 479 mAh (typical); 6 hours with ANC on (21 hours with case), 8.5 hours with ANC off (30 hours with case); talk time 3.5 hours with ANC on

The case does not support wireless charging; it charges over a USB-C cable.

Samsung		—
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.2; Auto Switch, SmartThings Find

Auto Switch moves audio automatically between Galaxy phones, tablets and watches on the same Samsung account. SmartThings Find shows the buds’ last location.

Samsung		—
Fit3 sizes of ear tips and 2 sizes of wingtips

Wingtips grip the ear to help the buds stay in place during exercise.

Samsung		—
SensorsProximity, Hall, touch

The proximity sensor pauses music when a bud is removed; the touch surface controls playback and modes.

Samsung		—
CompatibilityAndroid 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM

Some features do not work on non-Samsung devices.

Samsung		—
Size and weightEarbud 17.1 × 19.2 × 22.2 mm, 5.6 g; case 50.0 × 27.7 × 50.0 mm, 40.0 g Samsung—
Type—Closed, dynamic true wireless in-ear; active noise cancelling Sony
Driver—8.4 mm Sony
Frequency response—20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz); 20–40,000 Hz with LDAC at 96 kHz / 990 kbps

The extended range applies only with LDAC-capable sources, mostly Android phones.

Sony
Codecs—SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3

LDAC carries more detail at a high bit rate; LC3 is the efficient codec designed for LE Audio. The profile list includes LE Audio profiles (TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP, CCP).

Sony
Battery (music)—Up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on, 12 hours with it off

The figures are for one charge of the earbuds.

Sony
Battery (calls)—Up to 6 hours with noise cancelling on, 7 hours with it off Sony
Charging—Earbuds about 1.5 hours; case about 2 hours over USB; wireless charging on the case Sony
Bluetooth—Bluetooth 5.3; about 10 m range; multipoint

With multipoint the earbuds stay connected to two devices at once.

Sony
Sound features—DSEE Extreme, Ambient Sound mode, Quick Attention

DSEE Extreme aims to restore detail lost in compressed music. Quick Attention lowers the music and lets outside sound in while a finger is held on the earbud.

Sony
Water resistance—IPX4 equivalent

It protects against splashing water; do not submerge.

Sony
Weight—About 5.9 g per earbud (with M tips); case about 39 g Sony
Case size—About 64.6 × 40.0 × 26.5 mm Sony
In the box—Charging case, Noise Isolation foam tips, reference guide, USB cable Sony
Staying connected in the case—Earbuds may stay connected while in the case

Sony attributes this to earbuds not seating fully in the case or dirty charging contacts, and suggests opening and closing the case, updating the firmware and wiping the contacts with a dry cloth.

Sony