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Samsung Level On Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Feb 26, 2016 at 12:00 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
Samsung Level On Wireless Picture
7.0
Mixed Usage
7.1
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
7.1
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.7
Wireless Gaming
7.3
Wired Gaming
6.9
Phone Call

The Samsung Level On Wireless are a surprisingly great set of headphones. They feel flimsy but deliver in the sound department, with accurate audio reproduction. They also do a decent job with noise isolation. Unfortunately, they don't feel as durable as the Level Over and their touch controls can be a bit frustrating to use at times.

Our Verdict

7.0 Mixed Usage

The Level Over make for good everyday headphones. They have sufficient features to handle most test cases.

Pros
  • Great audio reproduction.
  • Do not leak much sound.
Cons
  • Poor build quality.
  • Uncomfortable fit.
7.1 Neutral Sound

Above-average for neutral listening. They have a good frequency response that's also adjustable with the aid of the Samsung app. Soundstage is a little limited because of their closed back design, but the sound quality and comfort level, are good enough for long casual listening sessions.

7.2 Commute/Travel

Good for commuting. Their noise isolation performance is decent enough for moderate levels of ambient noise. they're comfortable and decently portable.

7.1 Sports/Fitness

Above-average for sports use. Comfortable and wireless with a good control scheme. However, they're a bit bulky and a little unstable.

7.0 Office

Good for office use. Noise isolation performance should be enough for the chatter of a busy office, and they don't leak much.

7.3 Wired Gaming
  • 7.0 Mixed Usage
  • 7.1 Neutral Sound
  • 7.2 Commute/Travel
  • 7.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.0 Office
  • 5.7 Wireless Gaming
  • 7.3 Wired Gaming
  • 6.9 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
  5. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  6. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  7. Updated Feb 26, 2016: Review published.

Compared To Other Headphones

Samsung Level U Pro Wireless

The Samsung Level On Wireless are a better choice if you want on-ears, but if you prefer a slightly more portable design, go for the Samsung Level U Pro instead. The Level On have a longer battery life and are noise cancelling, so they isolate better than the Level U Pro in noisy conditions, especially if your commute involves of low frequency rumbling noise like the sound of a bus engine. On the other hand, the Level U Pro have a much more compact format that you can carry around much easier, since you can just let them dangle from your neck. They also have a lot of customization options, like the Level On, but unlike the on-ears, they also support aptX Low Latency, which makes them a bit more suitable for watching movies as long as you have the right transmitter.

Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless

The Sony WH-1000XM2 are much better noise cancelling headphone than the Samsung Level On Wireless. The Sony have a better noise cancelling performance that isolates a lot more in noisy environments. They also have a more comfortable over-ear fit that most will prefer over the fit of on-ears although it is not directly comparable. They also sound better and have a lot more customization option both on Android and iOS, which the Samsung do not. On the upside, the Samsung are more portable. They're also a bit more suitable for watching videos since they have lower latency than the Sony if you have the right transmitter, and their auto-off feature is a bit better handled than the WH-1000XM2.

Samsung U Flex Wireless

The Samsung Level On Wireless are a better choice if you want on-ears, but if you prefer a slightly more portable design, then an go for the Samsung U Flex instead. The U Flex are more portable than the Level On and the Level U Pro, thanks to their flexible neckband design that will fit into some pockets. They also have a bit more customization options than the Level On when connected to a Samsung device, although not by much since they aren't noise cancelling headphones. The Level On, on the other hand, have a longer battery life and support more codec options than the U Flex. Also, since they are noise cancelling, they do a little better in noisy conditions. They also have better sound quality.

Sony WI-C400 Wireless

The Samsung Level On Wireless are not directly comparable to the Sony WI-C400 since they are in-ears and the Level On are on-ear headphones. However, the Level On are noise cancelling headphones, so they perform a bit better at isolating you from low-frequency noise like that of an engine when commuting. They also have a better-balanced sound that you can customize thanks to the Level app on Android. They have a better build quality (although it's not really comparable) and some may prefer the fit of the on-ears over the in-ear headphones like the Sony WI-C400. On the upside, the C400 are a lot more portable. They also leak a lot less since they are small in-ears, but they are worse for most other categories and have a lot more latency when watching videos.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Level On look sleek and modern. Their dark blue glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet but works well for the overall aesthetic. The "on ear " cups are circular well padded and look good with the overall design. The headband is only padded on the bottom half but fits the look and feel of the headphones.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.52 lbs
Clamping Force
0.57 lbs

Quite comfortable headphones but the ear cup doesn't seem to be the right size. They are a little too large to be considered "on-ear", and a little too small to be considered "over-ear." So unless you have the perfect-sized ears, there's a chance that a portion of your ear will be sticking out of the headphones.

7.3
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Subpar
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control Yes
Talk-Through
Yes
Additional Buttons No

These headphones however lose points for the "Touch Pad". lack of tactile and visual cues mean that mistakes will be inevitable.

7.7
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 2.6 °C
6.2
Design
Portability
L 4.72"
W 6.3"
H 2.76"
Volume 82 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Level On are decently portable headphones. They are bigger than average on-ear headphones but do not take up as much space in a bag as some over-ear models. They also fold up into a more compact design for easy transportation. They are maybe too big to fit in most pockets but will comfortably fit into a handbag or backpack.

5.5
Design
Case
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

Comes with a soft pouch that will protect the headphones from scratches and does not add too much bulk. However, the soft fabric will not shield the headphones from water damage, hard falls or heavy physical stress.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

Feels cheap and flimsy. Especially the point where the ear cups connect to the headband doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Solid click on headband adjustment and they retain their position well.

6.5
Design
Stability

The Level On are decently stable headphones. They stay in place during casual listening sessions, and their wireless design is devoid of cables that can get tangled or hooked on something, which would pull the headphones of your head. Unfortunately, they're not made for sports and are not tight enough to maintain their position while running. They will slip off your ears if used while doing high-intensity exercises at the gym.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Samsung Level On Wireless Headphones
  • Carrying pouch
  • Audio cable
  • USB cable
  • Manual

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-2.2 dB
Treble Amount
-1.68 dB
8.6
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.28 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.9
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.8 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
34.62 Hz
Low-Bass
-3.06 dB
Mid-Bass
0.98 dB
High-Bass
4.17 dB
8.5
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.02 dB
Low-Mid
2.24 dB
Mid-Mid
1.08 dB
High-Mid
-1 dB
7.5
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.89 dB
Low-Treble
-1.15 dB
Mid-Treble
-2.17 dB
High-Treble
0.99 dB
7.2
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.87 dB
Dips
1.42 dB
8.5
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.28
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.71
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.72
Weighted Phase Mismatch
5.44
2.3
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.82 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
-1.19 dB
PRTF Distance
-4.98 dB
Openness
2.9
Acoustic Space Excitation
4.1
7.6
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.244
WHD @ 100
0.151
Isolation
7.0
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-17.62 dB
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
-11.27 dB
Mid
-17.09 dB
Treble
-25.05 dB

Decent noise cancelling, especially considering these are advertised as on-ears (even though the cups are a little larger than most on-ears). Low-end isolation is not the best we have tested, but still good. There also seem to be a weak point around 2KHz, which actually could be useful if one wants to be able to have a conversation with ANC On.

6.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
41.02 dB

The majority of leakage with these headphones happen around 400Hz to 2KHz, which covers most of the mid-range. There is a steady drop-off below and above those points.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-line
Yes
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes
6.2
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
144.62 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
4.59 dB
HFE
3,517.32 Hz
Weighted THD
43.901
Gain
27.5 dB
7.2
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
21.86 dB
Active Features
8.0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
14.9 hrs
Additional Charges
0
Total Battery Life
14.9 hrs
Charge Time
2.3 hrs
Power Saving Feature
Yes
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port micro-USB

The Level On Wireless have a decent battery life that delivers up to 15 hours of continuous playback. They're not the fastest charging headphones at 2.3 hours but have an auto-off timer, which saves quite a bit of power when they're not in use. However, they're not the ideal headphones to take on particularly long road trips, as you may have to charge them throughout the day.

7.5
Active Features
App Support
App Name Samsung Level
iOS No
Android Yes
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
Yes
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
No
Playback Control
Yes
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

The Samsung Level app is well-designed, easy-to-use and provides a good set of features. It has a clean and straightforward interface that gives you access to a to two types of graphic equalizers, an adjustable auto-off timer, and a noise canceling on/off button. The app feels complete and practical. However, the battery indicator is little small and doesn't provide enough information.

Samsung Level On Graphic Equalizer 1

Samsung Level On Graphic Equalizer 2

Samsung Level On Presets

Samsung Level On Auto-Off Timer

Connectivity
8.7
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
3.0
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
NFC Pairing
Yes
Line of Sight Range
151 ft
Default Latency
184 ms
aptX Latency
161 ms
aptX(LL) Latency
35 ms
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable Yes
Length 4.08 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A