Samsung Galaxy Buds FE  Headphones Review

These buds have a warm sound profile. Their companion app comes with a few EQ presets that can help tailor the sound to your needs. The frequency response also changes based on whether the ANC is enabled, with a slight reduction in bass when the feature is disabled.

The frequency response consistency is amazing. You'll get a consistent sound with each wear once you get a good fit using the included ear tips and stability fins.

The Samsung Buds FE comply well with our bass range target. However, the whole range is somewhat overemphasized, particularly in the low and mid-bass. Consequently, the kicks in club-ready tracks like Darude's Sandstorm have plenty of thud and slam. Whether all that thump is a little overwhelming is a matter of taste, but bass heads will appreciate the rumble. 

These headphones have remarkably compliance with our mid-range target. The response is pretty flat and neutral, so in songs like Mitski's My Love, Mine All Mine, her vocals and the soft instruments surrounding them are present, natural, and clear throughout the track.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have excellent compliance with our treble range target. A bit of treble roll-off in the lower part of the range slightly reduces the upper harmonics of vocals, which can affect intelligibility. And a more significant dip in the response between the mid and high-treble can detract from the breathy brilliance of whispery vocals.

The peaks and dips performance of these buds is passable. Mostly, the response is pretty flat and neutral, especially through the bass and mid-range regions, which means that the headphones don't deviate much from their sound profile. However, the treble response is less well-managed, so sounds like cymbals are rendered dull or piercing depending on their pitch.

The left and right drivers are well matched in both amplitude and phase response. The biggest mismatch in frequency response occurs in the mid-treble region, so you might notice that a centrally-panned hi-hat sounds slightly off center. But, in truth, it's very hard to notice this discrepancy with regular content. The phase response mismatch also falls below the audibility threshold, ensuring kick drums feel punchy and cymbals are crisp and clear. 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have great group delay performance. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold, ensuring tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. 

These earbuds bypass your outer ear by design, so they don't produce audio that interacts with your pinna.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have outstanding distortion performance. They reproduce your audio clearly and cleanly. 

These are truly wireless buds, they don't plug into an output port. 

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds2, these headphones don't support 360 Audio for a more spacious and immersive sound.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Samsung Buds FE look closer to buds produced by Jabra like the Jabra Elite 10 than to the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro. Instead of a rounded bud shape, they have a flat surface that doubles as their controls. They come in a couple of different colors: 'Graphite' and 'White'.

These buds have a pretty comfortable fit. They rest nicely on the outer edge of your ear canal, so they don't need to be forced further into your ear. The buds themselves are a little bit smaller than the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, but they also have wingtips, which help keep them in place and feel very comfortable compared to their otherwise hard plastic edge. That said, their bud shape may not be the most comfortable for all users, depending on the shape of your ear. If you find an earbud-style fit gentler on your anatomy, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds3.

These buds have very simple controls. There's a touch-sensitive surface on each bud, which is a little too responsive since you can easily register a command by accident. There are no volume controls by default either, which is a little disappointing. You can enable this feature by changing the 'Hold' option in the companion app. You'll lose out on other controls, though. There are chimes to let you know when you've reached min/max volume and when you play or pause audio or cycle between different ANC modes.

On either bud:

• One tap: Plays and pauses audio.
• Two taps: Skips the track forward.
• Three taps: Skips the track backward.
• Touch and hold for two seconds: Cycles through ANC on and ambient sound, which allows you to hear your environment without pausing your audio. You can add ANC off via the companion app though.

Like most truly wireless earbuds, these buds are pretty portable. They're small, lightweight, and easily fit into your pockets or bags.

Their carrying case is good and is nearly the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2. The case is lightweight and has a glossy shell with a matte interior. There are LED lights to indicate the case's charging status as well as the buds' battery status. The hinge feels sturdy, too. Unfortunately, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, the carrying case doesn't support wireless charging.

The build quality of these buds is good. They're mostly made of plastic with silicone ear tips and stability fins, so they feel sturdy. The buds are also certified IPX2 for resistance against light rain, though this is less than the IPX7 of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, which have protection against water submersion. Unfortunately, the silicone ear tips can rip if mishandled.

These buds have good stability. They'll stay in place with moderate head movements thanks to their stability fins. If you're wearing them during tough workouts, they can loosen up a bit, but they won't fall out of your ear.

• Samsung Galaxy Buds FE headphones
• Charging case
• 3x pairs of ear tips
• 2x pairs of silicone wingtips
• USB-C to USB-C charging cable
• Manuals

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE's full-range noise isolation performance is impressive. Essentially, their already isolating fit, which handles high-pitched and mid-frequency noises effectively, is advantageous for setting the ANC up to cut out even more low-pitched environmental sounds. The ANC mainly handles the deep, low sounds of your surroundings and the midrange ambient din, though the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro cut out more low-pitched noise. However, the mids aren't evenly reduced, which can give the impression of a relatively narrow span of frequencies poking through and reaching your ears. Still, not everyone will notice that, and it depends on your sensitivity. Their passive isolation is great, though, and they actually block trebly noises better than their successors, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro.

It's worth noting that we've had several user reports of white noise, hissing, and popping when either ANC or 'Ambient sound' is activated. No concrete fix has been found, so if you encounter the issue, consider returning them under warranty and grabbing an alternative with similarly solid noise isolation like the CMF Buds Pro 2.

In common scenarios, the combined ANC and passive isolation of the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE do an amazing job of cutting out audible distractions like the whoosh of cars in traffic and the HVAC at your workplace. Higher-pitched sounds, like dish clatter, are dampened the most comprehensively. Their ANC effectively reduces low engine rumbles from buses and people's chit-chat, comparable to the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

These earbuds don't have a wind reduction mode to help reduce the popping sound of 'anti-noise' produced by the ANC system when air hits the microphones. That said, they perform better than their sibling, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, although both are sensitive to the direction of the wind.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have an outstanding leakage performance. Leakage is mostly concentrated in the bass range, which sounds full-bodied. However, overall leakage is very low, so if you're listening to your favorite tunes at a high volume, people around you won't hear it unless you're in a very quiet environment.

The integrated mic has a decent recording quality. There are slight differences in frequency response compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, particularly in the treble range, which improves their high-frequency extension and, in turn, how bright and open your voice sounds. Overall, your voice is clear and intelligible.

The mic has a great noise handling performance. The mic can separate your voice from background noise quite well, so you're understandable, even in busy environments like a train station.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have a mediocre battery performance. The manufacturer advertises that these buds last 8.5 hours with ANC off and six hours with ANC on. That's similar to the over six hours we measured with ANC on. Battery life varies depending on use, though, and volume and features like voice call can impact battery life. The carrying case holds 2.5 additional charges if needed, and you can even use one bud while the other charges. If you're looking for better continuous battery life, earbuds like the Beats Solo Buds run for much longer between charges.

The Galaxy Wearable app is good. However, it's unavailable on iOS devices, so you can't adjust your headphones' settings to your liking unless you use an Android device. There are features like EQ presets, an earbud fit test, and a 'Game Mode,' which lowers latency on Samsung devices. You can customize your control layout and manage features like ANC and in-ear detection. You can see a video of how it works here. The manufacturer added live AI translation in a subsequent update, but you need a Samsung account and a compatible phone by the brand, such as a Samsung Galaxy S24 or newer. If you want to sidestep too many brand-exclusive features, you can consider the Nothing Ear (a), which offers most of the same support across operating systems, plus greater EQ customization.

You can't use these headphones wired. They come with a USB-C to USB-C cable to recharge the case.

These buds have good Bluetooth connectivity. While they don't support multi-device pairing, they have some unique features for Samsung devices. They have a 'Game Mode,' which considerably lowers latency on Samsung devices so that you can game with minimal lip sync issues. They also support the brand's proprietary codec, the Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC), intended to yield higher quality audio while adjusting for factors like connection strength by changing the bitrate, which, like 'Game Mode,' requires a compatible Samsung device. That said, they otherwise only support AAC and SBC codecs. Their latency via SBC is quite high, and you'll experience a delay between your audio and visuals. Some apps and devices compensate for latency, though.

These headphones can only connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs. On the upside, you'll have full audio and mic compatibility.

These headphones come with a carrying case that holds roughly 2.5 extra charges. There's a USB-C port for recharging the case. However, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds2, the case doesn't support wireless charging.