The audiophile in you must already know about Galaxy Buds, Samsung’s true wireless earphones. Though they are a generation old (the Galaxy Buds+ released last month), they come with features worth dying. I might have gone a bit overboard (wink wink), but you get the drift. It bundles a set of nifty touch-sensitive buttons along with a great companion app. Plus, the battery life isn’t bad either. So, it only makes sense to compare the Jabra Elite 75t and the Samsung Galaxy Buds with each other, so that you can make an informed decision. Let’s get started.
Design and Fit
Both earbuds are in-ear canal buds and hence, seals the ear canal completely. That helps in getting a secure fit, and isolates the ambient noise. In the case of the Galaxy Buds, the outer body is a tad big and smooth, which makes it slightly difficult to grip them. This issue comes to light when you have to adjust the buds for a better fit, especially when running. The buds have a tiny non-adjustable fin at the top to give you a better fit. Speaking of the fit, I have had no problems with it. Mind you, I have been wearing them almost every day to the gym (though they are not strictly gym earphones) from the past 3-4 months and never had any issue with the buds falling out. And the same can be said of the connection. Again, you have to find the proper fit for the best experience. Samsung ships three sets of earphones with these buds. The newer Jabra Elite 75t is a tad slimmer and packs a premium look. The Elite 75t’s metal finish accentuates it further. Plus, the fit is perfect. I faced no issues with the buds loosening or dropping to the floor. What makes the deal even sweeter is the grip that these earbuds offer. The inclusion of metal and neat edges makes it easy to grip them. And the exclusion of touch-sensitive buttons means that you won’t be skipping your favorite songs accidentally — something that often happens with my Galaxy Buds — more on that towards the end of this post. More on that towards the end of this post. Plus, the magnets on the Jabra Elite 75t carrying case are super strong. They do not fall out, and the best part is you needn’t spend much time aligning them in position. As opposed to that, it’s quite a task to align the Galaxy Buds, thanks to weak magnets. All it takes is an accidental drop for the buds to scramble out. On the upside, they have a strong build quality and will survive most small drops and fall without any issue.
Volume Controls: Touch Controls vs. Hardware Keys
When it comes to volume controls, there is a sea of difference between the two. For on, the Jabra Elite 75t has physical buttons, whereas the Galaxy Buds have touch-sensitive buttons. And this makes a world of difference when it comes to user experience. In the case of the Galaxy Buds, you just have to touch the touch panel to skip tracks, adjust the volume levels or summon Bixby or Google Assistant. And thanks to the Galaxy Wearable app, these actions are completely customizable. All you need to do is flick on the buttons, and the necessary action will be done. While the physical buttons make possible, a world of things (skip tracks, answer calls, adjust the volume, etc.), repeated flicking of the switches may cause your ear to pain. When it comes to the case of the Galaxy Buds, initially, the touch buttons may come in your way, especially when you try to adjust their position. The good news is that you get used to them in the long run.
App Features: Extras and Miscellaneous
The best part of the companion app for the Jabra Elite 75t and the Galaxy Buds is that the companion apps are feature-packed. The Jabra Sound+ app boasts of many features such as built-in Equalizer, HearThrough, Soundscapes, and Find My Earbuds, among others. Furthermore, it bundles several EQ presets like bass boost, treble boost, etc. to satiate the casual listener in you. I fell in love with the built-in Soundscapes. From White Noise to Rain sounds, it packs a lot. And it’ll take you some time to run through all of them. More importantly, you can pause songs when you take them one of the buds off. Nifty, right? The Galaxy Wearable app also bundles several useful features. Apart from regular features like Find my Buds, there’s a built-in equalizer. For now, you can switch between Bass Boost, Soft, Dynamic, Clear, and Treble Boost, as per your preference. The crux of this app is the Touchpad module which lets you customize the single-tap, double-tap, and long-press function of the earbuds.
Battery Life and Connectivity
The battery life of a pair of wireless earphones is as important as the audio quality of the device in question. After all, you wouldn’t want to charge them every two hours. The Galaxy Buds manage to squeeze six hours of battery life with the case providing an additional seven hours. In short, you get a cumulative battery life of around 12-13 hours. Do note that battery life also depends a lot on the volume levels. The Jabra Elite 75t isn’t bad either. It gives you around 7 hours on battery, with the case yielding around three full charges. Both the earphones have USB Type-C port for charging, with the Galaxy Buds going a step further and incorporating wireless charging. They come with Bluetooth 5.0 support, which allows a longer connectivity range. However, in the case of the Elite 75t, the range falls a bit short. I faced frequent connection drops when I moved about 5-6 feet away from my phone. That wasn’t the scene with the Galaxy Buds in the same location. They stayed connected all the time. Even I moved far from the phone. On the upside, there isn’t any audio latency in these two ear buds.
Audio Quality & Sound Transparency
Now, coming to the most important part of the comparison – Audio Quality. Well, let’s get straight to the point. The Samsung Galaxy Buds are good, and the Jabra Elite 75t is great. I liked the deep and rich bass of the buds, and the near-total passive noise cancellation is the cherry on top. Again, if you are averse to rich bass, then you might prefer Galaxy Buds, purely from music preferences view. Furthermore, there’s sound transparency aptly named HearThrough, which lets you adjust the degree of ambient noise both through the companion app as well as the multi-functional button. This feature comes in good use when you are out walking amid traffic or when you are traveling. The Galaxy Buds also pack the same feature named Ambient Sound. You can tweak things via the touch-based control or through the app. When it comes to the audio quality of the Galaxy Buds, they are good. However, for the price, I found the lack of a thumping bass a bit disappointing. In hindsight, the Jabra Elite 75t is better tuned.
Verdict: Jabra 75t
When it comes to the Galaxy Buds, they are good for their price. The app is feature-rich and lets you play around with plenty of interesting things. Plus, they are comfortable to wear even for long durations. However, the sound is a little flat when compared to the Jabra Elite 7t. On the other hand, the Jabra Elite 75t is IP55 rated, making them fit for the gym for a short duration. Plus, they are comfortable to wear for a longer duration. And one tiny difference that I found was that it doesn’t give the closed-ear effect, which was common with the Galaxy Buds. However, this might differ from person to person. Above all, the audio quality of the Elite 75t was spot on. There isn’t any audio-video latency.
