Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: Galaxy Buds FE (SM-R400); Graphite or White. The Galaxy Buds3 FE released in 2025 is a separate product.
Sony WH-1000XM5: WH-1000XM5; colours vary by region: black, silver, midnight blue, pink and platinum. The later WH-1000XM6 is a separate product.
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy Buds FE | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2023 | 2022 |
| Driver and sound | 1-way speaker; Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC and SBC codecs Samsung | — |
| Noise cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Sound Samsung | — |
| Microphones | 3 microphones per earbud (2 outer + 1 inner) Samsung | — |
| Battery | Earbud 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 Samsung | 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, 40 hours off; 24/32 hours of calls Sony |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2; Auto Switch, SmartThings Find Samsung | — |
| Fit | 3 sizes of ear tips and 2 sizes of wingtips Samsung | — |
| Sensors | Proximity, Hall, touch Samsung | — |
| Compatibility | Android 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM Samsung | — |
| Size and weight | Earbud 17.1 × 19.2 × 22.2 mm, 5.6 g; case 50.0 × 27.7 × 50.0 mm, 40.0 g Samsung | — |
| Driver | — | 30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony |
| Frequency response | — | Bluetooth: 20 Hz–20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC (96 kHz/990 kbps); wired: 4 Hz–40 kHz Sony |
| Bluetooth and codecs | — | Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC, LDAC; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; multipoint (two devices) Sony |
| Noise cancelling | — | Active noise cancelling; Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; 8 microphones in total (4 noise-sensing per earcup) Sony |
| Call microphones | — | 4 beamforming microphones; AI-based noise reduction, wind noise reduction Sony |
| Charging | — | Full charge in about 3.5 hours via USB; about 3 hours of playback from 3 minutes with a USB-PD adapter Sony |
| Controls and sensors | — | Touch panel on the right earcup; NC/Ambient button on the left; wear sensor; Speak-to-Chat Sony |
| Spatial audio | — | DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio support Sony |
| Impedance and sensitivity | — | 48 Ω when on, 16 Ω when off; 102/100 dB/mW Sony |
| Weight and in the box | — | About 250 g; soft collapsible carrying case, 1.2 m L-shaped cable (3.5 mm), USB charging cable Sony |
| App | — | Sony Sound Connect: equaliser, shortcut settings, listening history, Safe Listening Sony |