If you’re looking for a wireless earbuds with ANC and ambient mode right now in Malaysia, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE is definitely going to ticked a lot of boxes for your audio needs. However, the curious question is how’s the overall experience being delivered by the Galaxy Buds FE ?
Let’s go in depth on the Galaxy Buds FE at below.
Design – Refreshing looks
The Galaxy Buds FE’s design is different from the Galaxy Buds series, allowing it to have its own characteristic. The combo of matt and glossy surface (for touch control), brings a feel of premium. The shape of the Galaxy Buds FE has a unique “wing tip” at the side, which helps to stay sturdy when wearing it.
The ear tips delivers good grip when wearing on to your ear canal. There is also additional small and large ear tips to fit each individual ears.
There is IPX2 rating for splash-proof so you can wear it for outdoor runs or walks. For colour options, not much to choose as it is offered in black and white colours.
One thing to note, the charging case is identical size to Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, where you can get the Minions Bob Eco-Friends Cover to protect it. You can get the Minions Bob Eco-Friends Cover for free when you purchase the Galaxy Buds FE in Malaysia from 10-31 October 2023.
Audio – Slightly above average performance
The audio performance on the Galaxy Buds FE is on the slightly above average quality. It delivers bass-y audio which will suits youngsters, however, I find myself to head to Galaxy Wearable app and head to equaliser to set “Clear” for better clarity. Speaking of the equaliser, you’re only able to use the preset settings (Normal, Bass Boost, Soft, Dynamic, Clear and Treble Boost) and there is no custom option.
In terms of volume loudness, you definitely will feel the volume come to life at the 30% volume. I usually set around 30-40% volume on the earbuds for casual listening. During workout session, I find myself hovering in the 50-70% volume as it will get too loud once above that level.
ANC and ambient mode – Surprisingly good ANC and ambient mode performance for the price point
One thing I have to give a shoutout on the Galaxy Buds FE, is the ANC performance. For its price range, the ANC perform well despite it won’t totally eliminate the surrounding sounds. On a busy streets, it will eliminate about 80% noise surrounding with the remaining 20% noise being muffled down. For long term usage of ANC, I am glad to report that I don’t feel any pressure that cause any discomfort.
As for the ambient mode, it works averagely good out of the box and you can adjust the ambient mode volume like its premium siblings, albeit it was hidden and need to manually turn on to access the ambient mode volume. The ambient mode provides an adequate surrounding sound for the users to be aware of the human speeches and incoming cars.
Battery life – Good for the casual users
According to Samsung, they claimed that the Galaxy Buds FE charging case can deliver up to 30 hours on a single charge without ANC and 21 hours on a single charge with ANC. For the earbuds itself, Samsung claimed it can last for 8.5 hours without ANC and 6 hours with ANC.
As I averagely used it on a 2-3 hours daily with ANC, the earbuds is capable to maintain good battery life for another couple hours more of playing. As for charging speed, I charged it when the LED light is in yellow, it took around an hour to be fully charged.
Others
For the touch controls, they work accurately good with long hold, single tap, double tap and triple tap. There is an in-ear detection sensor on the Galaxy Buds FE, but they work for calls only as I tried removing the earbuds when playing media, it doesn’t pause.
Verdict – Solid performer for its price range
Priced at RM399, the Galaxy Buds FE did a solid job to provide one of the best wireless earbuds experience for the price range. It delivers bass-y audio, great ANC & ambient mode, IPx2 rating and long battery life, it’s easy to see why it should be in your shopping list.
Unless you’re a hardcore audiophile, the Galaxy Buds FE is certainly gets a “must buy” for those who plans to purchase or upgrading to a wireless earbuds. With that said, it earns a solid 8 out of 10 rating.
This review is made possible by a review unit provided by Samsung Malaysia. Since, this is not a paid content, hence, there is no creative input nor final approval is needed by the brand. The review is based on 2 weeks of usage with the first update released.