Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Review: Budget Brilliance in Wireless Earbuds

The Galaxy Buds FE stands as a streamlined iteration within Samsung’s premium headset collection. Retaining pivotal features like active noise cancellation and crosstalk management, these earbuds offer a commendable music listening experience without straining the wallet. It’s a wallet-friendly Samsung headset, but does it truly deliver value within the sub-$100 range? Discover more in this Galaxy Buds FE review.

Notably, these creative Samsung Galaxy headphones are also furnished with wingtips akin to the Galaxy IconX. This addition bolsters stability, rendering the headset robust and resilient—a perfect match for individuals engaging in regular physical activities like gym sessions or jogging.

Galaxy Buds FE Review

Design

The Galaxy Buds FE’s charging case boasts a sturdy build crafted from hard plastic, mirroring the glossy finish reminiscent of the Galaxy Buds 2 case. Internally, the box harmonizes with the earbuds’ color, while its external hue remains a consistent white, irrespective of the chosen version.

Our Galaxy Buds FE review unit is white and we have reservations about this color option as the gleaming white exterior is prone to scratches and dirt. For a longer-lasting and aesthetically pleasing experience, investing in a protective case is highly recommended.

Matching the size and outer structure of the Galaxy Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro (Hands-On), the charging case helps Samsung maintain uniformity across its headphone lineup. This consistent design serves as a distinguishing feature, simplifying user recognition when selecting earbuds. Moreover, it enables seamless compatibility with protective cases, offering users added convenience.

Weighing merely 5.8 grams per ear, the Galaxy Buds FE exudes a lightweight quality that ensures comfortable wear without causing undue strain.

The securely designed rubber button further enhances user comfort. Despite the inclusion of wingtips for enhanced stability, users have the flexibility to remove them entirely and use the earbuds conventionally. Samsung provides supplementary ring accessories within the packaging, affording users versatile options.

While the material used for the Buds FE shell may not match the premium quality of the older Buds 2 series, its sanded texture offers a superior tactile feel, significantly reducing slippage during use, whether worn or affixed to the ears.

Additionally, the Galaxy Buds FE’s touch surface is distinctly designed, minimizing the likelihood of inadvertent touches. This design refinement allows for easy adjustments to the position of the Samsung Bluetooth earbuds within the ears without the concern of accidental taps, unlike the Buds 2 (REVIEW).

Features

To offer a more affordable price compared to its forerunner, Samsung made slight adjustments to the features of the Galaxy Buds FE. Concerning water resistance, it adheres solely to the IPX2 standard, protecting against light water splashes, like drizzles or sweat during workouts.

Regrettably, the Galaxy Buds FE lacks the 360 sound mode, yet since we scarcely utilize this feature, its absence doesn’t seem overly crucial to us.

Despite being a budget-friendly Samsung headset, the Galaxy Buds FE delivers a value that far surpasses its cost. It remains equipped with commendable noise cancellation, boasting three microphones on each earbud. This enhancement significantly improves noise handling and adjustment, presenting itself as a noteworthy contender among earbuds priced under $100.

With an impeccable ear fit complemented by wingtips that enhance stability and augment noise-cancellation efficiency, the Galaxy Buds FE astounded us with its noise-canceling prowess. It curtails bass frequencies by approximately 70-80%, while also reducing ambient sounds by 60-70%, emphasizing midrange tones—an ideal fit for office settings, buses, and flights.

The automatic wind protection feature on the Galaxy Buds FE operates exceptionally stable and effectively. These earbuds efficiently nullify the sound of blowing wind from nearby fans or the rustling of wind while traveling.

Additionally, it features an integrated Gaming mode that minimizes sound latency during gaming sessions. This functionality can be accessed through the Labs section within the Wearable app on smartphones.

The app also presents various other distinctive features, including independent volume adjustments for each ear, the ability to activate noise cancellation on just one side of the headset, and personalized sound quality settings while using ambient sound mode.

For users of Samsung phones or tablets, connecting to the Galaxy Buds FE becomes remarkably convenient—simply open the charging box cover, and a connection notification promptly appears on the screen, akin to the experience provided by Google’s Fast Pair or Apple products.

Sound

The sound quality of the Galaxy Buds FE offers an easily approachable audio profile, handling various music genres proficiently. However, the earbuds aren’t particularly strong in the bass department. While the sound spectrum possesses considerable richness, the bass only attains a satisfactory level of depth and resonance. For more dynamic music, it falls short of expectations.

In terms of the mid-range frequencies on the Buds FE, we appreciate their ability to impart a velvety smoothness to vocals while rendering instrumentals with clarity. Yet, the soundstage feels transient, lacking expansiveness and occasionally creating resonance. Our impression of the treble is somewhat limited, although it manages to perform reasonably well.

Overall, the Galaxy Buds FE’s sound quality caters well to a wide range of users, delivering a balanced audio performance across various spectrums. Its consistency in sound quality across genres makes it a versatile choice for diverse musical preferences.

Battery life

With the noise-canceling mode switched off, the Galaxy Buds FE grants a span of up to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted usage or up to 30 hours when paired with the charging case. In practical terms, engaging the noise-canceling feature diminishes usage time to approximately 6 hours at 60% volume, extending to about 25 hours with the charging case. The Galaxy Buds FE also supports fast charging, requiring just 5 minutes of charging to yield 1 hour of usage.

While lacking wireless charging, these Samsung earphones compensate admirably with their rapid charging capabilities. Via the USB Type-C port, a mere 10-minute charge can fuel nearly two hours of continuous music enjoyment.

Final line

The Galaxy Buds FE, an affordable yet remarkable offering from Samsung, boasts an easily accessible sound quality while supporting various features like noise cancellation and crosstalk. Compact and exceedingly comfortable to wear, it maintains its appeal despite a reduction in some features and the absence of the 360 sound mode. Nevertheless, the Buds FE capably fulfills the remaining features, offering users a valuable overall experience.

Priced at just $79.99 on Amazon.com and £74 on Amazon.co.uk (at the time of writing Galaxy Buds FE review), this headset proves itself as a worthwhile option from Samsung for anyone seeking a new True Wireless Earbud experience.

Pros:

• Affordable Pricing
• Decent Sound Quality
• Noise Cancellation
• Compact and Comfortable
• Fast Charging

Cons:

• Reduced Features
• Lack of 360 Sound Mode
• Average Battery Life with Noise Cancellation
• No Wireless Charging