The Galaxy Buds Live aren't only the most unique wireless earbuds to hit the market in a long time, they're also among the best you can buy. The Buds Live are incredibly comfortable, and thanks to the original design, can fit in ears of all shapes and sizes. They also sound great, have excellent battery life, and a fully-featured companion app that elevates the experience. If you set your expectations for what active noise canceling can do for earbuds with an open-ear design, the Galaxy Buds Live still stand out in 2022.

They may look like chrome kidney beans, but the $170 Galaxy Buds Live have an ergonomic fit and mostly perform very well.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live offer great sound quality and battery life for the price, but those seeking true ANC earbuds should look elsewhere.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are good – but not great – true wireless earbuds. They have a number of neat features and offer a combined 28-hour battery life, but their sound isn’t amazing, and the noise cancellation has a lot of room for improvement. They’re certainly unique, but those interested in high-end sound quality and excellent ANC over a conversation-starting design should look elsewhere.

Taken as a whole package, the Galaxy Buds Live exceeded what I came in expecting based on the leaks and the uncertainty I had about what the bean shape would mean for comfort and sound quality. Neither wound up being a concern after actually using them. If you’re okay living with a healthy dose of outside sound when listening to the Galaxy Buds Live, there’s a lot to like.

The bottom line here is this: if you like how they look and want earbuds that really stand out, the Galaxy Buds Live are for you. They have solid performance and great Active Noise Cancellation that make them worth the price. But, if you want Galaxy Buds that are newer, a little cheaper, and more traditional in design, consider the Galaxy Buds 2.

When I concluded my Galaxy Buds+ review, I noted how I missed the Sony WF-1000XM3's sweet active noise cancellation. That set high hopes for the Galaxy Buds Live and its active noise cancellation as the highlighting feature. When looked at through this myopic lens, the Buds Live are underwhelming, and you'd be disappointed if you bought them only to experience ANC in its glory. The sound quality is good, but the lack of noise isolation is a regular speed breaker in your journey of tranquility.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live aren’t the best true wireless earbuds on the market, but they are our favorites. As we spelled out quickly up top, the design impresses, the sound is vibrant and battery life is seriously strong. All of this for $20 more than the Galaxy Buds+ and $50 more than the original Galaxy Buds.

Samsung took some risks with its noise-canceling true wireless earbuds. Design-wise, the Galaxy Buds Live offer a more comfortable fit that sits outside of your ear canal. Of course, that means there are some sacrifices to sound quality and the effectiveness of the ANC. When you add in mediocre audio and the battery life caveats, these are hard to recommend. If Samsung can iron out a few of these issues, the Galaxy Buds Live could be a compelling option, but that may be hard to do because of the design.

They don't have an in-ear fit, making them prone to inconsistent sound delivery. Ηowever, this design also helps them create a more spacious-seeming passive soundstage than most closed-back earbuds. Their default sound profile is well-balanced, but unfortunately, their treble response is a little uneven, which can cause some notes to sound a little piercing. Their companion app also lacks an EQ for sound customization, but it does offer a couple of different audio presets to adjust your listening experience.

Innovative design. Decent sound. Easy to use. Sweat- and water-resistant. Good battery life. Case charges wirelessly.

The Galaxy Buds Live are an interesting set of true wireless earbuds, featuring an atypical bean-shape design. On paper spec sheet is impressive and matches, if not beats, their main AirPod competition. But sadly, they still fail to fully deliver in one crucial area: audio.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are one of the most unique-looking true wireless earbuds out there. Their kidney-bean-shape design is instantly recognizable. It fuels people’s curiosity about what you’re wearing.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is a baffling product: the earbuds boast noise cancelling without the crucial ability to seal to the ear. Yet, the noise cancelling actually works to some degree. Listeners who like the idea of being aware of their surroundings, and want something that makes a statement will be drawn to these earphones. They fit better than the AirPods, and include wireless charging to boot. If you aren't compelled by the Galaxy Buds Live, consider the Galaxy Buds Plus instead.

While the clever new design proves a hit, the Galaxy Buds Live are severely let down by ineffective ANC

Samsung's bean-shaped, wire-free Galaxy Buds Live earphones are high on innovation, but fall short on noise cancellation.

Samsung’s ambitious wireless earbuds boast a neat design and tick a lot of boxes, but the sound quality and software need to be better

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live feature good sound quality, ANC, and decent battery life. Unfortunately, most of this is ruined by the unique design which is uncomfortable and makes noise cancellation less effective.

These earbuds boast noise-cancelling without the ability to seal to the ear. Yet, the noise-cancelling actually works to some degree. Listeners who want something that makes a statement may want to wear these buds: they fit better than the AirPods, and include wireless charging to boot. Most of us, though, are better off with the Galaxy Buds 2 instead.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are going to be polarizing. There are many folks who will hail these as their favorite, or near favorite, buds on the market. They probably like the look, the small size, the feel of the buds’ fit, and the battery life (especially with Bixby wake word off). If those things are great, then that’s all they are looking for.

They sound better than open-fit rivals such as the AirPods but their active noise cancelling is only effective for deep rumbles. They last a long time between charges, have a good, compact and pocketable case, and work with Android, iOS, Windows and others.