Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro / Sony WH-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro: Galaxy Buds2 Pro (2022); Graphite, White and Bora Purple. The Galaxy Buds Pro (2021), Buds2 and Buds3 Pro are separate models.

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 Buds2 ProSony WH-1000XM5
Release year20222022
DriverCustom coaxial 2-way speaker (tweeter + woofer)

In a coaxial design the tweeter and woofer share one axis, aiming to keep sound from coming from two separate points.

Samsung		30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony
Sound quality24-bit Hi-Fi; 360 Audio with Direct Multi-Channel

24-bit audio only works with Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 4.0 or later and in supported apps. 360 Audio positions sound according to head movement.

Samsung		—
Noise cancellingANC; 3 high-SNR microphones (2 outer + 1 inner); Ambient Sound; Voice Detect

According to Samsung, cancellation is 40% better than the Buds Pro (50 Hz–1 kHz average). Voice Detect switches to ambient mode and lowers media volume when you start speaking.

Samsung		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
Connectivity and codecBluetooth 5.3; Auto Switch; Samsung Seamless Codec HiFi, AAC, SBC

The Seamless Codec is only used with Samsung phones; other phones fall back to AAC or SBC. Android 8.0 and more than 1.5 GB of RAM are required; some features are missing on non-Samsung devices.

Samsung		—
BatteryEarbuds 61 mAh, case 515 mAh (typical); with ANC on 5 hours / 18 hours with case; ANC off 8 / 29 hours Samsung30 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
Talk timeWith ANC on 3.5 hours / 14 hours with case; ANC off 4 / 15 hours Samsung—
SensorsAccelerometer, gyro, proximity, Hall, touch, Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) Samsung—
Water resistanceIPX7 (earbuds; up to 30 minutes in 1 m of fresh water)

The charging case is not water resistant; beach and pool use is not advised.

Samsung		—
Size and weightEarbud 19.9 × 21.6 × 18.7 mm, 5.5 g; case 50.1 × 50.2 × 27.7 mm, 43.4 g Samsung—
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
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