The Galaxy Buds Live is a great pair of earbuds and after a few software updates, the Galaxy Buds Plus is also a great pair of earbuds. These earbuds are very different from one another and they each have their own pros and cons.
Pros and Cons
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS |
| Wireless and fast charging (USB-C) | Battery life |
| Bold, unconventional design | Comfortable design and fit |
| Very good battery life | Mic quality |
| Average noise cancellation | No auto-resume playback |
| Inconsistent touch controls | No noise cancellation |
General
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS | |
| Price | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Release date | 21 August 2020 | 21 February 2020 |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Colors | Black, Bronze, White | Black |
| Battery life | 11 Hours Buds 10 Hours Case | 12 Hours Buds 12 Hours Case |
| Weight | 42 g | 136 g |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
Depending on your needs, one is going to be better than the other so let’s see which one of these two earbuds is right for you. If you want to learn more about either of these earbuds then, here we are to help you out with all the biggest differences among these. We’re only going to be covering their main differences.
Now first off we should address the price, the Galaxy Buds Plus retail for 150$, whereas the Galaxy Buds Live retail for 170$. If you want to learn more about either of these earbuds then, here we are to help you out with all the biggest differences among these. We’re only going to be covering their main differences.
Design
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS | |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes | No |
| Weight | 42 g | 136 g |
| Foldable Design | No | No |
Now the biggest and most important difference between these two earbuds is going to be the design and fit, the main different trading factor for most people. It is fit, the Galaxy Buds Plus are a pair of in-ear earbuds that come with multiple ear tips and a few earphones as well, so you can customize your fit. The Galaxy Buds Plus has the most secure fit-out of the two and since these are in your earbuds they block out a good amount of ambient noise. It helps make your music sound better because you can hear more detail in your music. As far as in your earbuds go, the Galaxy Buds Plus fit like your standard pair of in-ear earbuds they don’t go in super deep into your ear canal and they also just don’t sit at the edge of your ear canal. Unlike the Galaxy Buds Plus, the Galaxy Buds Live don’t actually go into your ear canal. They just rest right outside of it, the Galaxy Buds Live are significantly more comfortable to wear than the Galaxy Buds Plus. You can easily wear these earbuds for hours on end without any problems.
The Galaxy Buds Live’s superior comfort does come with some drawbacks when compared to the Galaxy Buds Plus. First of all, due to their design, the Galaxy Buds Live do let in a lot of ambient noise and unfortunately, you don’t have as many customization options available in the Galaxy Buds Live. They come included with two sets of rubber feet that help brace these earbuds against your ears and overall these earbuds are secured but the Galaxy Buds plus feel more secure. The main differentiating factor when it comes to choosing between these two earbuds is going to come down to their fit. The Galaxy Buds Live is the first preference because the main concern is about comfort and portability. Whereas, the Galaxy Buds Plus in your design is going to be better suited for someone who plans on wearing their earbuds a lot on public transportation because they do a much better job of blocking out ambient noise.
Features
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS | |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charge | No | No |
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
Now the biggest difference between these two earbuds is that the Galaxy Buds Live have active noise cancellation whereas the Galaxy Buds Plus don’t. Also if you’ve got a good seal with the Galaxy Buds Plus, they’ll block out more ambient noise than the Galaxy Buds Live. Ambient mode is something to be considered, the Galaxy Buds Plus do have an ambient mode, you can clearly hear both your surroundings and content which can be very useful. In general, the ambient mode on the Galaxy Buds Plus is good because it sounds fairly natural and they also do a really good job of blocking out wind noise. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Buds Live doesn’t have a full-on ambient mode as the Galaxy Buds Plus does.
Let’s talk about listening to music with these earbuds. The Galaxy Buds Live sounds good enough to get the job done. These earbuds have way too much bass which can be overpowering and makes it hard to hear everything else. Due to their design, these earbuds do let in a lot of ambient noise so you’re really going to have to crank. Whereas the Galaxy Buds Plus sounds much better than the Galaxy Buds Live specifically because they don’t let in nearly as much ambient noise and they also have much better clarity and instrument separation. With the Galaxy Buds Live, everything sounds very narrow and close together, whereas with the Galaxy Buds Plus they sound more open. The Galaxy Buds Plus doesn’t have nearly as much bass as the Galaxy Buds Live. So if you’re really concerned about sound quality to really listen to music then we recommend you to go with the Galaxy Buds Plus. Whereas with the Galaxy Buds Live it’s more for passive listening for listening to audiobooks or podcasts. If you’re someone that’s really after that base then you’ll just go with the Galaxy Buds Live.
Battery
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS | |
| Battery Type | 1 Lithium ion | 2 Lithium ion batteries |
| Battery Life | 11 Hours Buds 10 Hours Case | 12 Hours Buds 12 Hours Case |
| Charge Time | Approx. 2 Hours | Approx. 2 Hours |
| Charging Port | USB-C | USB-C |
Another significant difference between these two earbuds is going to be their battery life. Now both of these earbuds have decent battery life. But the Galaxy Buds Live has better battery life depending on how you use them and how you see it. The Galaxy Buds Plus has a combined battery life of 22 hours whereas the Galaxy Buds Live has up to a combined battery life of 29 hours. The galaxy buds live managed to have a longer combined battery life because their carrying case has a larger built-in battery than the Galaxy Buds Plus Case. The case on the Galaxy buds live has a 1.81 WATT hour battery whereas the case on the Galaxy Buds Plus has a 3 WATT hour battery. But the thing in the favor of the galaxy is that you can wear them for up to 11 hours straight. Whereas with the Galaxy Buds Live, you can only wear them for up to 8 hours straight because they have 0.2 WATT hour batteries which are the same as the original Galaxy Buds. They both have to carry cases that charge via a USB-C port and both of these cases have wireless charging. In general, both of these cases are really good because they’re both very small, so you’re not really going to notice them when you’ve got them in your pocket.
Connectivity
| BUDS LIVE | BUDS PLUS | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| Multi-Device Connection | Yes | Yes |
When it comes to the touchpads on these earbuds are a little different for the most. The touchpads on the Galaxy Buds Live are a little less accurate than the touchpads on the Galaxy Buds Plus. Also, the media controls on the Galaxy Buds Live are a little more limited by comparison. You can always remap touching and holding so that you can adjust your volume, whereas, with the Galaxy Buds Plus on top of being able to control, you can also make it so that you can tap on the edges of these earbuds to adjust your volume. So overall if you have them set up correctly you’re able to do more straight from the Galaxy Buds Plus and you can with the Galaxy Buds Live
When it comes to Bluetooth connectivity, both of this euro budge is perfectly fine. They both have stable connections both of these earbuds, each establish a connection with your phone. So if you just want to use one earbud at a time you can use either one it doesn’t matter. Both of these earbuds have zero-latency across the board.
Finally, let’s talk about the microphone, Both of these earbuds have decent microphones for phone calls. The microphone on the Galaxy Buds Plus does have a little harder time handling. Whereas with the Galaxy Buds Live, the microphone does a much better job of handling.
Which is better
Even though the Galaxy Buds Live are new but they aren’t here to replace the Galaxy Buds Plus. When it comes to choosing between these two earbuds it’s mainly going to come down to preference and needs do you want in your earbuds or do you want non-in-ear earbuds. The Galaxy Buds Live are a great pair of everyday carry earbuds and are more preferred ones, because of their comfort you can easily wear these earbuds for hours on end without any problems. And since their carrying case has a larger built-in battery than the case on the Galaxy Buds Plus you can go a little longer in between charges. The only thing missing is a proper ambient mode. If you’re really concerned about sound quality then it’s highly recommended to go with the Galaxy Buds Plus instead because of their in-ear design and better instrument separation. Also, the Galaxy Buds plus might be up your alley, if you need longer on time. You want a more secure fit or because you want to be able to customize your fit but nonetheless both of these earbuds are very solid.
