Samsung Galaxy Buds FE / Sony WH-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: Galaxy Buds FE (SM-R400); Graphite or White. The Galaxy Buds3 FE released in 2025 is a separate product.

Sony WH-1000XM5: WH-1000XM5; colours vary by region: black, silver, midnight blue, pink and platinum. The later WH-1000XM6 is a separate product.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Buds FESony WH-1000XM5
Release year20232022
Driver and sound1-way speaker; Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC and SBC codecs

The Scalable codec is Samsung’s codec that adjusts bitrate to connection quality and works with Galaxy devices; other phones use AAC or SBC. The high-resolution SSC Hi-Fi codec is not supported.

Samsung		—
Noise cancellationActive Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Sound

ANC picks up outside sound with microphones and suppresses it with an inverse wave; Ambient Sound lets outside sound in so you can hear without removing the buds.

Samsung		—
Microphones3 microphones per earbud (2 outer + 1 inner)

Samsung says automatic personalized beamforming and a DNN separate speech from background noise.

Samsung		—
BatteryEarbud 60 mAh, case 479 mAh (typical); 6 hours with ANC on (21 hours with case), 8.5 hours with ANC off (30 hours with case); talk time 3.5 hours with ANC on

The case does not support wireless charging; it charges over a USB-C cable.

Samsung		30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, 40 hours off; 24/32 hours of calls

Times are measured under Sony’s test conditions; volume and codec change real-world runtime.

Sony
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.2; Auto Switch, SmartThings Find

Auto Switch moves audio automatically between Galaxy phones, tablets and watches on the same Samsung account. SmartThings Find shows the buds’ last location.

Samsung		—
Fit3 sizes of ear tips and 2 sizes of wingtips

Wingtips grip the ear to help the buds stay in place during exercise.

Samsung		—
SensorsProximity, Hall, touch

The proximity sensor pauses music when a bud is removed; the touch surface controls playback and modes.

Samsung		—
CompatibilityAndroid 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM

Some features do not work on non-Samsung devices.

Samsung		—
Size and weightEarbud 17.1 × 19.2 × 22.2 mm, 5.6 g; case 50.0 × 27.7 × 50.0 mm, 40.0 g Samsung—
Driver—30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony
Frequency response—Bluetooth: 20 Hz–20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC (96 kHz/990 kbps); wired: 4 Hz–40 kHz

The wider frequency range applies only with LDAC and high-resolution sources; over AAC and SBC the upper limit is 20 kHz.

Sony
Bluetooth and codecs—Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC, LDAC; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; multipoint (two devices)

Multipoint keeps the headphones connected to two devices at once. Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair offer quick pairing. Range is 10 m.

Sony
Noise cancelling—Active noise cancelling; Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; 8 microphones in total (4 noise-sensing per earcup)

Auto NC Optimizer adjusts noise cancelling to fit and atmospheric pressure; Adaptive Sound Control switches modes based on the environment. Ambient Sound mode and Quick Attention let outside sound in.

Sony
Call microphones—4 beamforming microphones; AI-based noise reduction, wind noise reduction Sony
Charging—Full charge in about 3.5 hours via USB; about 3 hours of playback from 3 minutes with a USB-PD adapter

Quick charging requires a separately sold USB Power Delivery-compatible adapter.

Sony
Controls and sensors—Touch panel on the right earcup; NC/Ambient button on the left; wear sensor; Speak-to-Chat

The wear sensor pauses music when the headphones are removed and resumes when they are put back on. Speak-to-Chat pauses music and turns on ambient sound when the user starts talking.

Sony
Spatial audio—DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio support

DSEE Extreme aims to restore high-frequency detail lost in compressed music files by estimating it.

Sony
Impedance and sensitivity—48 Ω when on, 16 Ω when off; 102/100 dB/mW

The headphones can be used passively with a cable while switched off; noise cancelling does not work then.

Sony
Weight and in the box—About 250 g; soft collapsible carrying case, 1.2 m L-shaped cable (3.5 mm), USB charging cable Sony
App—Sony Sound Connect: equaliser, shortcut settings, listening history, Safe Listening

Safe Listening tracks sound exposure against World Health Organization guidelines.

Sony