Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro / Sony WH-1000XM4

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro: Galaxy Buds2 Pro (2022); Graphite, White and Bora Purple. The Galaxy Buds Pro (2021), Buds2 and Buds3 Pro are separate models.

Sony WH-1000XM4: WH-1000XM4 closed over-ear wireless headphones; Black, Platinum Silver and Blue. The WH-1000XM3 (previous) and WH-1000XM5 and XM6 (later) generations are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Buds2 ProSony WH-1000XM4
Release year20222020
DriverCustom coaxial 2-way speaker (tweeter + woofer)

In a coaxial design the tweeter and woofer share one axis, aiming to keep sound from coming from two separate points.

Samsung		—
Sound quality24-bit Hi-Fi; 360 Audio with Direct Multi-Channel

24-bit audio only works with Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 4.0 or later and in supported apps. 360 Audio positions sound according to head movement.

Samsung		—
Noise cancellingANC; 3 high-SNR microphones (2 outer + 1 inner); Ambient Sound; Voice Detect

According to Samsung, cancellation is 40% better than the Buds Pro (50 Hz–1 kHz average). Voice Detect switches to ambient mode and lowers media volume when you start speaking.

Samsung		HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; two noise-sensing microphones per cup; adaptive sound control

QN1 works with a new Bluetooth audio chip to sample ambient noise many times a second and cancel it with an inverse signal.

Sony
Connectivity and codecBluetooth 5.3; Auto Switch; Samsung Seamless Codec HiFi, AAC, SBC

The Seamless Codec is only used with Samsung phones; other phones fall back to AAC or SBC. Android 8.0 and more than 1.5 GB of RAM are required; some features are missing on non-Samsung devices.

Samsung		—
BatteryEarbuds 61 mAh, case 515 mAh (typical); with ANC on 5 hours / 18 hours with case; ANC off 8 / 29 hours Samsung—
Talk timeWith ANC on 3.5 hours / 14 hours with case; ANC off 4 / 15 hours Samsung—
SensorsAccelerometer, gyro, proximity, Hall, touch, Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) Samsung—
Water resistanceIPX7 (earbuds; up to 30 minutes in 1 m of fresh water)

The charging case is not water resistant; beach and pool use is not advised.

Samsung		—
Size and weightEarbud 19.9 × 21.6 × 18.7 mm, 5.5 g; case 50.1 × 50.2 × 27.7 mm, 43.4 g Samsung—
Driver and frequency—40 mm dome-type driver (CCAW voice coil, aluminium-coated LCP diaphragm); wired 4–40,000 Hz; Bluetooth 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz), with LDAC 20–40,000 Hz (96 kHz, 990 kbps) Sony
Bluetooth and codecs—Bluetooth 5.0; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; SBC, AAC, LDAC; about 10 m range

LDAC enables up to 990 kbps with compatible Android phones; iPhones use AAC.

Sony
Multipoint—Simultaneous connection to two Bluetooth devices with switching between them

For example, you can switch between a phone and a laptop without re-pairing.

Sony
Battery and charging—Up to 30 hours with NC on, 38 hours off; full charge in about 3 hours over USB-C; about 5 hours of playback from 10 minutes

The 5-hours-from-10-minutes figure is given with the optional AC adaptor.

Sony
Wired use—Detachable cable of about 1.2 m with OFC strands and gold-plated 3.5 mm plug Sony
Microphones—Five microphones for Precise Voice Pickup Sony
Smart features—Wear detection sensor; Speak-to-Chat; DSEE Extreme

The wear sensor pauses music when the headphones come off. Speak-to-Chat stops music and lets in ambient sound when you start talking. DSEE Extreme tries to upscale compressed files in real time with AI.

Sony
Design—Closed dynamic, circumaural; cups swivel inward to fold into the carry case Sony