The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are versatile headphones that are great for sports. They're super portable and stable enough for running and working out. They have a decent sound quality and block enough noise to be suitable for most environments. They also barely leak, so they're a great choice for the office and commuting. Unfortunately, they have too much latency for watching movies and gaming.
Our Verdict
The Samsung Gear IconX are decent truly wireless in-ears for mixed usage. They're great for sports and commuting, thanks to their compact, stable design and surprisingly good passive isolation. They're also sufficiently comfortable for an in-ear and barely leak even at high volumes. Unfortunately, they have high latency for gaming and watching movies, and their touch-sensitive control scheme can be a bit of a hit or miss at times. They only have one additional charge in the case, which means they have a slightly shorter total battery life than other truly wireless designs.
- Great design.
- Good passive isolation.
- Stable and breathable for sports.
- High latency.
- Sub-par microphone performance.
The Samsung Gear IconX are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a well-balanced bass and mid-range but a relatively underemphasized treble reproduction. They also have a slight bump in the low-end that makes them sound a bit boomy, but it's not as noticeable as the treble spikes. Unfortunately, they have a poor soundstage and won't be the ideal headphones for more neutral listeners.
The Samsung Gear IconX are good for commuting. They're very compact and easy to carry around on your person. They also passively isolate better than some noise cancelling headphones. Their control scheme can be a bit tricky to use at times, but their comfortable design and decent battery life should be enough for most trips.
The Samsung Gear IconX are great for sports. They're stable and compact truly wireless headphones with a decently comfortable in-ear fit. They're very portable and come with a charging case that's not too bulky. Unfortunately, their control scheme is somewhat unreliable, and they only come with three tip sizes and three stability fins which may not be ideal for all ear shapes and sizes.
The Samsung Gear IconX are satisfactory for office use. They isolate well and barely leak even at high volumes, making them suitable to use in a lively or quiet office environment. Their battery life might not be ideal for long continuous listening sessions at the office but should be good enough for most use cases.
The Samsung Gear IconX are sub-par for gaming, with a mediocre-at-best microphone and too much latency for gaming. Their companion app isn't as customizable as most gaming-oriented software.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 18, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Mar 15, 2018: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Samsung Gear IconX are compact truly wireless in-ears with a durable design and a balanced sound profile. They're decently comfortable and block a lot of noise passively, making them a decent option for commuting. They also come with an excellent charging case that's very portable but only has one additional charge. Unfortunately, they have quite a bit of latency, and since they have no other connection options, they won't be a suitable choice for movies or gaming.
See our recommendations for the best true wireless earbuds, the best noise cancelling earbuds, and the best wireless earbuds for iPhone.
The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are a much better truly wireless headset than the Apple AirPods (1st generation). The Samsung have an in-ear fit that isolates better in noisy conditions and produces more bass than the Apple thanks to the better seal they create in your ear. The Samsung also have a dedicated app that gives them access to a preset equalizer, sports data, and a built-in coach to keep track of your progress, whereas the Apple feel lacking in features. The Samsung also have 4GB of onboard storage. On the upside, the Apple are better integrated into the iOS platforms, which gives them a few advantages over the Samsung if you have a lot of Apple devices already. They also have a much longer 25-hour battery life than the Samsung and a more stable and reliable connection with less latency, especially on iOS devices.
The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are much better, truly wireless headphones than the Jaybird Run Truly Wireless. The Samsung have 4GB of onboard storage and a more health-focused app that includes a built-in coach to keep track of your workout progress. They're more compact and easier to carry around than the Jaybird, and thanks to all the additional features, they're slightly better for sports. On the upside, the Jaybird have a more customizable sound thanks to the 5-band EQ provided by the Jaybird MySound app. The Jaybird also have slightly less latency than the Samsung, although neither would be ideal for watching a lot of video content.
The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are a better truly wireless headset than the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless. The Samsung have more features that make them more suitable for sports than the Bose. They have a customizable app with a built-in coach to keep track of your workout progress. The Samsung are also a lot more portable than the Bose and have 4GBs of onboard storage, which makes them a bit more suitable when running and working out, since you do not have to carry around your phone. On the other hand, the Bose have an earbud fit that most will find a bit more comfortable than the in-ear fit of the Samsung. The Bose also have better-balanced sound quality, a slightly sturdier design, and longer battery life.
The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are much better headphones than the Sony WF-1000X Truly Wireless. The Samsung isolate better in noisy environments despite not having ANC like the Sonys. They also have more features that make them better for sports than the Sony. They're also more portable and have a better latency performance. The Sony, on the other hand, have a better more premium-looking build quality. Their noise cancellation also does a bit better in the bass range than the Samsung, and their app is slightly more customizable.
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