Samsung Newsroom met with Helen Nam and Donggi Kim from the Wearable Product Planning Group, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, to learn about what went into creating the new Galaxy Buds3 and Buds3 Pro.

▲ (From left) Helen Nam and Donggi Kim

Creating a Comfortable Fit Using 3D Ear Data and AI

Q. What was your biggest concern when planning the Galaxy Buds3 series?

Nam: For the Galaxy Buds3 series, we had an internal goal of planning the new products from scratch — instead of improving previous versions. Fit is the most important factor for the Galaxy Buds series since an ergonomic fit is the foundation of premium sound quality and convenience. Because the human ear is as unique as a fingerprint, we conducted extensive research on ear shapes and collected a variety of 3D ear data. Based on our findings, we were able to come up with a new design boasting a more secure fit.

▲ Helen Nam explains the planning process behind the new Galaxy Buds3 series.

Q. How has Galaxy AI affected planning the Galaxy Buds3 series?

Kim: We aimed to deliver a personalized listening experience to every individual with AI. When users wear the Galaxy Buds3 series, the Active Noise Canceling (ANC) feature and sound are optimized based on AI-powered algorithms that analyze real-time differences in sound through internal and external microphones. Galaxy AI seamlessly completes the wearability and functionality of the new exterior design.

▲ Donggi Kim introduces the Galaxy Buds3 series’ AI features.

Nam: Thanks to Galaxy AI, the communication experience offered by the Galaxy Buds3 series has significantly improved. More specifically, call quality has been enhanced as AI technology can restore the caller’s voice in various noise environments. Also, Listening Mode can be utilized in the Interpreter feature when connected to a Galaxy smartphone.¹

Superior Sound Quality Meets Optimal Usability

Q. What was the most memorable part of the planning process?

Kim: We visited various speaker stores and listened to different types of speakers to gain insights into sound quality. In addition, we attended in-depth seminars on sound led by a renowned audio professor and employed various methods to achieve sophisticated, ultra-high-fidelity audio. We’re pleased that our efforts have been rewarded by positive feedback from users who appreciate the Galaxy Buds3 Pro’s balanced sounds ranging from bass to treble.

Nam: Conducting consumer evaluations during the early stages of production was memorable. According to our research, many users wanted detailed control over sound and noise cancellation — which is why we added a custom feature that allows users to fine-tune the equalizer (EQ) and noise control to suit their tastes. Reflecting the user feedback collected at the beginning of product development was very meaningful to us. Also, I would like to thank the developers for their active support throughout this entire journey.

▲ (From left) Helen Nam and Donggi Kim share insights into the development of the Galaxy Buds3 series.

▲ (From left) The Galaxy Buds3 Pro and the Galaxy Buds3

Q. What is your favorite feature of the Galaxy Buds3 series?

Nam: I would like to highlight Voice Command — a feature that lets users control their Galaxy Buds3 series with their voice, eliminating the need to touch their smartphone or earbuds. When users’ hands are busy washing dishes or taking out the garbage, they can adjust volume, change music or even answer calls with a simple voice command. Every feature in the Galaxy Buds3 series has been thoughtfully designed to cater to various user scenarios.

Tuning Into the Future of Sound Innovation

Q. In one word or sentence, how would you describe the new Galaxy Buds3 series?

Kim: For me, the project is the combination of my passion and profession. As an audiophile with a keen interest in audio products, I made sure the Galaxy Buds3 series delivers the best performance. The Galaxy Buds3 series is a product I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.

Nam: I would say it is like a “vitamin.” From planning to launch, I felt energized during every stage of the Galaxy Buds3 series’ development. I hope that users also immerse themselves in this new world of sound and acquire vitality with the Galaxy Buds3 Pro.

Q. What’s next for the Galaxy Buds series?

Nam: We want to develop the Galaxy Buds series into a product that leverages AI to better understand individuals. Beyond delivering perfect sound tailored to each user, we hope the device can offer user-optimized solutions across various areas including interpretation.

Kim: Sound innovation is a never-ending journey. We are constantly collaborating with developers to elevate the richness and authenticity of sound. We appreciate the continued support and interest from our users.

▲ (From left) Donggi Kim and Helen Nam pose for a photo with the latest Galaxy Buds3 series.

The Galaxy Buds3 series marked a significant milestone in the history of Galaxy Buds with a new design and powerful AI capabilities. Samsung looks forward to how the Galaxy Buds will continue to deliver refined audio experiences and enriched sound.

¹ Interpreter Listening Mode is available on Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6 and all Galaxy Buds series.

Wireless earphones have become essential accessories for anyone active and on the go including music lovers, students and office workers. Even though people have listened to music through wired earphones for decades, the arrival of wireless ones rapidly changed people’s behavior thanks to the freedom of movement, ease of connection and wealth of features packed into their compact frame.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds series distinguishes itself from other wireless earbuds available on the market through enhanced sound quality, comfortable fit and a smarter sound experience powered by Galaxy AI. Samsung Newsroom revisited the history of the Galaxy Buds series — a device that has become a must-have item with smartphones.

[2019] Galaxy Buds

Focusing on the Essentials: The Beginning of Galaxy Wireless Earbuds

In February 2019, Samsung launched the wireless Galaxy Buds for consumers who value a more convenient and exciting lifestyle. Accented with a glossy texture and round design, the wearable was compact enough to conveniently fit into the user’s pocket. The earbuds could also be secured with wingtips once placed in the ear, so they don’t slip out during intensive exercise.

However, the most impressive feature was sound quality — the essence of earbuds. Samsung focused on enriching audio so users could hear crystal-clear sound regardless of their environment. The Galaxy Buds featured technology from Harman’s premium acoustic brand AKG to deliver a rich auditory experience that resembled the original sound. Adaptive Dual Microphone technology was another key to the clear sound quality whereby two mics located on the inside and outside of each earbud adjusted to ambient noise. Users could expect smooth sound quality even when taking phone calls in noisy public places.

The portable Galaxy Buds boasted a long-lasting battery life. On a single charge, these earbuds provided up to 6 hours of play time or up to 5 hours of talk time. In addition, users could enjoy up to 13 hours of music playback with a dedicated charging case. Through the Galaxy S10’s Wireless PowerShare feature, the Galaxy Buds could be charged using the smartphone as well.

[2020] Galaxy Buds+

Clearer Sound, Longer Hours of Use

Introduced in February 2020, the Galaxy Buds+ showcased enhanced sound quality. Featuring 2-way speakers with a tweeter for crisp, clear highs and a woofer for powerful bass, these earbuds created a balanced sound. The three mics — one inside and two outside — reduced external noise while capturing the user’s voice accurately to allow for clear communication in any environment.

The Galaxy Buds+ provided up to 11 hours of play time on a single charge. Users could enjoy 11 additional hours with the charging case for a total of 22 hours. Through Android and iOS device compatibility, more people could enjoy the latest features of the Galaxy Buds+.

[2021] Galaxy Buds Pro

Evolved Noise Canceling, Dressed in Sustainable Materials

As a response to the expanding wireless earbuds market, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds Pro in January 2021. Offering premium performance, these wearables highlighted the intelligent Active Noise Canceling (ANC) feature — reducing background noise significantly so users can dial the world up or down. When the Buds Pro recognized a user’s voice, the device would automatically switch to Ambient sound and adjust the music volume. By reducing unnecessary noise, users could tune into what they really wanted to hear.

For unparalleled sound quality, Samsung innovated both the interior and exterior design. The new structure minimized the effect of wind for clearer sound, and the 2-way speaker delivered dynamic audio across the entire sound range. By incorporating recycled polycarbonate (PC) into some components of the earbuds, the Galaxy Buds Pro provided the same level of performance and durability as the original but in a new, sustainable design.

[2021] Galaxy Buds2

Smaller, Lighter Earbuds in Sync With Life

Samsung launched the smallest and lightest earbuds in the Galaxy Buds series with Galaxy Buds2 in August 2021. Each earbud only weighed 5 grams, making the wearable perfect for users with active lifestyles. Equipped with 2-way dynamic speakers, Active Noise Canceling (ANC) and a new machine learning-based solution that responded to different noise levels, the Galaxy Buds2 effectively blocked out background noise during phone calls to deliver a clear voice to the person on the other line.

Since earbuds are used throughout the day, the Galaxy Buds2 offered ear tips in three sizes and an Earbud Fit Test to ensure users could comfortably wear the device for long periods. If the earbuds didn’t fit snugly, the test result would indicate a “poor fit” and give users instructions on how to adjust. The Auto Switch feature allowed users to freely and conveniently switch connection between their Galaxy devices including smartphones, watches or tablets without disconnecting their Galaxy Buds2 each time.

[2022] Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Taking Immersive Sound to the Next Level: An Expansion of Seamless Connectivity

Released in August 2022, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro offered the most immersive sound experience in the Galaxy Buds series. Complete with High-Dynamic Range and wireless 24-bit high fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio, the earbuds reimagined how users listen to music. The 360 Audio Recording feature allowed users to vividly capture surrounding sound on smartphone-recorded videos, delivering multi-dimensional audio that makes users feel as if they are actually inside the video.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds were designed to be 15% smaller with an ergonomic design, so users could watch media content more comfortably. Extending beyond the realm of mobile devices, the wearable “can” be connected to a Samsung TV but can automatically connect to a paired smartphone if a call is received while watching. When the call “is” finished, the earbuds would seamlessly reconnect to the TV.

The Next-Generation Galaxy Buds Will Be…

This February, Samsung released a software update for the Galaxy Buds series. Now, users can enjoy the Galaxy S24 series’ AI technology along with various other hands-free AI features on the Galaxy Buds series. In addition, the update strengthened the Samsung device ecosystem experience by connecting the Galaxy Buds series to more products including the Galaxy Book4 series, Samsung TVs and more.

Though sound cannot be seen, it has the power to evoke emotions, trigger memories and stimulate people. As the Galaxy Buds series constantly evolves to reflect the values and needs of users, Samsung is changing the listening experience by delivering earbuds with comfortable wearability that produce quality sound and expand connectivity. The Galaxy Buds series will continue to serve as a friendly medium — allowing users to enter a new world of sound every time they wear their earbuds.

With so much content available at our fingertips, wireless earphones have a unique ability to improve users’ daily lives. Packed with cutting edge software and hardware, wireless earbuds have become an “all-in-one” audio solution that deliver a rich sound experience no matter where you are.

The well-loved Galaxy Buds series has returned with the powerful Galaxy Buds Pro, offering a new standard for wireless earphones. With cleaner call quality, active noise canceling, and a comfortable ergonomic design, Galaxy Buds Pro bring listeners closer to their audio than ever before. We were curious to find out what would happen when an audio expert tried out Galaxy Buds Pro, so Samsung Newsroom sat down with Sung Yonjin, editor-in-chief of “High-Fi Magazine,” to find out his thoughts on Samsung’s newest earphones.

Capturing the Texture of Sound for Clearer Audio Quality

The most important feature for earphones will always be their sound quality. With dynamic vocal range, and an organic, smooth balance for natural sounding audio across genres, Galaxy Buds Pro’s biggest advantage is clean, clear sound.

These earphones really delivered on the low pitches, with drum kicks hitting clear and punchy. Their ability to deliver on the deep sounds makes them perfect for tracks with heavy bass. Sounds in the middle range were warm and rich, while the high-pitched sounds carried surprising detail and openness. Where Galaxy Buds Pro really shined was in capturing things like sharp but fine vocals and the texture of violins without missing any of their warmth.

Galaxy Buds Pro also have an excellent ability to recreate the spatiality of sound. In the case of classical music, they reenacted the sound of deep brass instruments and the voice of a choir all while capturing the feeling of hearing the music in a concert hall. At the same time, they proved able to deliver on the minute details of a performance with clarity.

Dual concentric drivers also play a major role in delivering a sense of space with Galaxy Buds Pro. The earbuds are equipped with a two-way driver consisting of 6.5mm tweeter and 11mm woofer. Samsung has developed an all-in-one two-way driver that places the tweeter at the center of the woofer, improving sound efficiency and raising sound quality to a new level. Galaxy Buds Pro prove that wireless earbuds can deliver clean and clear studio-like sound.

Active Noise Canceling: Hear the Sounds You Want, Not the Ones you Don’t

Galaxy Buds Pro are loaded with functions that help deliver an immersive sound experience, but perhaps the most notable is Active Noise Canceling.

A must-have feature for high-performance wireless earphones, Galaxy Buds Pro do Active Noise Canceling especially well by allowing users to focus on the audio they want without feeling like they’re simply having their ears plugged.

The beauty of Galaxy Buds Pro’s natural noise canceling comes through in the low-pitch range. Active Noise Canceling works to cancel out unwanted sounds by generating sound waves that have the same wavelength as the external noise but move in the opposite direction. While other earphones tend to focus on eliminating noise in the mid-to-low band frequency, Galaxy Buds Pro cover a wider spectrum, eliminating unwanted sounds in the high-pitch range as well. At 118Hz, 99 percent of noise was removed, leaving only a clean sound no matter what your taste in music calls for.

Smart Conversation Detection and Better Call Quality

We’ve all struggled through that awkward moment of removing our headphones and interrupting our music to talk with someone. Galaxy Buds Pro take a unique approach to solving this problem. Equipped with a conversation detecting function, they automatically turn on Ambient Sound by recognizing your voice when you start speaking. This makes it possible to communicate with people around you even when your music is playing. If Galaxy Buds Pro then detect that you haven’t spoken in a while, they’ll assume your conversation has ended and go back to Active Noise Canceling. They can even adjust external volume levels, so small sounds can be amplified to a maximum of 20 dB if necessary, much like how a hearing aid works.

There is also a noticeable improvement in call quality. Galaxy Buds Pro use three microphones to get the job done, including a high-sensitivity microphone and voice pickup unit. When used indoors, they matched the quality of a speaker and microphone on a smartphone, and when used in noisier environments like subways and buses, it was still possible to have clean and clear calls without a drop in quality. Meanwhile, Galaxy Buds Pro’s windshield chamber and mesh coverings also stop wind from cutting through your calls, allowing you to talk worry free, even if you find yourself in some harsh weather.

Game Mode & 360 Audio: Immersive Viewing & Gaming Experience

The job of earbuds has grown more complicated in recent years. Users demand more than just crisp call quality and rich music experiences as they also seek better audio for games and movies. Galaxy Buds Pro are uniquely equipped to meet those demands with the Game Mode that reduces the delay time often felt when using Bluetooth devices, so that your game screen and sound remain perfectly in sync. Features like Sound Play set the Buds Pro apart when it comes to live gaming situations where accurate real-time audio is crucial to the experience.

The 360 Audio feature also adds a sense of immersion while watching movies and other videos. The technology tracks the movement of the user’s head, so it can accurately arrange sound on a virtual landscape. This ensures that sound remains centered and accurate, and that the user stays immersed in the experience even when moving around.

With their comfortable fit, best-in-class sound quality, unique design, and a long list of functions, Galaxy Buds Pro are the perfect companion for users that want to immerse themselves deep into their audio experiences —anytime, anywhere.

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of Samsung Electronics.

Today, this technology is known as noise cancelation technology, and is used around the world in headphones and earbuds to help people focus on the music, podcasts and other audio that they want to hear while blocking out the sounds that they don’t.

Putting Sound Waves to Work

Simply putting on any pair of earphones will block outside noise to some extent. But unless you completely seal off your ear, it is impossible to stop outside noise filtering in and interrupting your audio experience. In order to understand the process of capturing and filtering the noise that leaks in that is key to noise cancelation technologies, it is necessary to first look at how sound waves work and how they are transmitted into your ear.

Sound waves are produced by vibrations which then travel long-distance through a surrounding medium to reach your ear. The most common example of this is the air around us. The reason why we can effortlessly carry on a conversation in a café is the same reason we cannot hear sound in space – it is dependent on the presence of air as a medium.

Noise cancelation works by harnessing the unique characteristics of these sound waves and their medium. The first method for canceling noise is called Active Noise Canceling (ANC), which works by creating its own noise-like waves that work to offset the unwanted noises entering your ears from outside. The second method is called Passive Noise Canceling (PNC), which blocks outside noise from entering your ear by limiting the mediums through which the sound is delivered.

Active Noise Canceling: Using Sound Waves to Offset Sound Waves

It is said that the most effective tool to cut a diamond is with another diamond. Similarly, sound waves can be offset or even canceled by other sound waves. Just like the waves we see in the ocean, sound waves have peaks (the highest point) and troughs (the lowest point). When sound waves with the same distance from peak to trough come from different directions and collide with each other, the respective peaks and troughs clash, leaving the sound wave at a near zero value.

ANC uses this principle of destructive interference to cancel out unwanted sounds before they reach your ears. Sounds from outside are collected through an external microphone mounted inside the earphone. The earphone uses its internal circuits to analyze those sounds and then replicates them to produce sound waves that are similar to the unwanted external sound but that move in the opposite direction. Through this process, the earphone cancels out the unwanted sound waves before they can reach your ears.

Because ANC uses collected sound and responds based on analysis of this outside noise, noise cancelation takes place regularly and continuously. If the earphone picks up a sound that is similar to a noise it has analyzed previously, a reverse wavelength can be emitted at the exact right time in order to eliminate the unwanted noise. This is why this sound offsetting technology is highly effective in places where the background noise is consistent, for example on an airplane or a busy subway. On the other hand, ANC can be less effective in cases where the external noises are random and more difficult to predict, such as during a conversation between two people or when a sudden noise is emitted unexpectedly.

ANC is more effective at mitigating low pitch sounds than it is high pitch sounds. The system requires time to analyze external noises, and that potential time delay can affect how well it offsets external sound and how much external noise the user hears. In other words, unwanted external sounds might come in faster than the ANC can cancel them out. “In the case of bass sounds, which have a relatively long wavelength, the gap between the peak and trough of the waves is wide(more time gap), so a slight lag in the offset timing will not impact the quality of ANC,” noted Kim. “However, high-pitch sounds with short wavelengths have a shorter gap between the peak and trough points, meaning that even a small delay can make it hard for the ANC to match the waveforms up correctly, causing ANC performance degradation.”

Passive Noise Canceling: Stopping Sound in Its Tracks

When they hear a sound they don’t like, most people cover their ears – this is because this is by far the easiest way to block out noise. Since sound waves travel the air to reach your ear, the sound cannot properly enter the ear if there are obstacles, such as hands, in the way. This is also why communication underwater is so difficult, given the amount of water in the way between a noise’s source and a person’s ears.

This is essentially how PNC works. PNC-enabled earphones are designed to physically block noise out by closing the ear off from its surroundings or using a sponge that absorbs sound. Headphones with over-ear padding covering the entire ear and in-ear earphones that completely block the entrance to the ear are some of the best examples of PNC technology.

Unlike ANC, which requires microphones and analytical circuits to offset unwanted noise, PNC earphones are fairly easy to make, making them generally cheaper than ANC earphones. Furthermore, if PNC earphones have been made to fit the shape of your ear perfectly, they can block outside noise almost entirely, making them more practically effective than ANC earphones. However, as PNC headphones fit right into the ear canal, some users can find these kinds of earphones uncomfortable to use.

Putting Safety First in Noise Cancelation

In the end, it is not just the noise cancelation technique that matters when it comes to cutting out those unwanted sounds, but also the shape of the earphones themselves. Up until now, most noise-canceling earphones were produced as canal-type earphones since this shape fits right into your ear compared to open-type earphones, which leave more space around the ear and are subsequently less effective at noise cancelation. Open-type earphones have rarely been equipped with noise cancelation technology, but when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds Live on August 5, the company expanded users’ options by applying ANC technology to an open-type wireless earphone.

While noise cancelation technology can help you fully immerse yourself in your music or better focus on an audiobook, it can also present dangers if you cannot hear exactly what is going on around you. “It is difficult to recognize a dangerous situation when wearing earphones with noise cancelation technology as they block out all surrounding sounds,” noted Professor Kim. The volume inside a pair of earphones can reach up to 70 to 80 dBspl¹ – the same as a car horn – but since the sound from a user’s earphones is much closer to a user and more immersive, it is easy for a user to become insensitive to external noises. On top of this, the activation of ANC technology further reduces external noise by around 30 dB while maintaining the sound in the earphones at 70 to 80 dBspl, making it more difficult for users to detect any auditory signs of danger.

When using their noise-canceling headphones, users need to keep their own safety top of mind and have a good understanding of the situations in which they are using their earphones. If you are looking to enjoy your favorite audio indoors, earphones that feature effective noise cancelation are a great choice. However, if you enjoy using your earphones while doing outdoor activities such as jogging, you should be sure to stay mindful of your surroundings at all times and choose earphones that offer a reasonable level of noise cancelation, allowing you to stay aware of the world around you.

¹ Decibel (dB) is originally a relative unit of measurement, representing the difference between the level of a base measurement and that of comparison. When used in the context of sound, 0 dB is defined as the lowest sound level a person can hear and is used as an absolute measure (dBspl = dB + sound pressure level (‘spl’)). In other words, dB is used both when representing the difference between the sound of people conversing in comparison to that of a car horn and when expressing the sound of the car horn in absolute terms, but the latter simply omits ‘spl’ from dB.