Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Which wireless earbuds win?

Since debuting last summer, the Sony WF-1000XM5 have maintained their status as the best wireless earbuds overall. Upgrades to active noise cancellation, design, and sound, along with the inclusion of Sony technologies like 360 Reality Audio and DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscaling, have given them the edge over every formidable rival. 

Samsung has their sights set on the true wireless crown and they believe that artificial intelligence is the key to elevating them atop the product category. The all-new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro come with supercharged AI features and retain series hallmarks such as 24-bit audio, robust ANC, and UHQ (Ultra High Quality) sound. They also take on a new, but familiar, design. 

Are the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro smart enough to conquer the undefeated WF-1000XM5? Here’s our in-depth analysis breaking down both models.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Specs compared

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Price and availability

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Buds 3 at $249 / £191 / AU$399 worldwide. Color options are silver and white. The Sony WF-1000XM5 were released back in July 2023 for $299, though they’re occasionally discounted and have recently been seen for as low as $238 at Walmart – both the black and white versions.

These are equally valuable entries that boast premium performance and specs. You can purchase either sets of buds from popular online retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy, or from their respective company website.

Winner: Tie

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Design

Rather than adopt the Apple AirPods design, which has been copied by endless headphone manufacturers, including Samsung, Sony developed a striking true wireless oval design with sleek detailing. This was introduced on the critically acclaimed WF-1000XM4 and perfected on their successor.

Small touches, like the flush mesh grilles, gold branding, and memory foam tips that provide outstanding in-ear stability, are superbly executed. IPX4 certification makes these buds sweat- and water-resistant. The charging case is just as handsome with a minimalist appearance and small size that’s conveniently portable.

Why Samsung revamped their true wireless design is bewildering, especially when the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro displayed fine craftsmanship, from the oval shape to the super-compact charging case. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are a downgrade that jack the AirPods Pro 2’s appearance and try too hard to stand out.

Certain details like the in-ear sound port, IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, and the LED strip are appreciated. Others are a detriment to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s aesthetic appeal. They have sharply angled long stems that make these buds look extra bulky when worn. Then there’s the charging case with translucent lid that looks and feels generic.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Controls

The WF-1000XM5’s controls aren’t groundbreaking, but they’re responsive and swift in execution. That’s really all you can ask for from a pair of wireless earbuds. You can go hands-free with head gesture controls that accept incoming calls by shaking or nodding your head. Quick Attention lowers volume to 10 percent when performing the long-press gesture, while Speak-to-Chat automatically pauses content when detecting your voice.

Sony’s mic array demonstrates superb speech recognition when enabling your phone’s native voice assistant (e.g., Google Assistant, Siri). Most importantly, the WF-1000XM5’s touch panels accurately register tap and long-press inputs.

Samsung botched the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s force sensors. They’re difficult to locate because of the very slim stem, and they require a forceful press to enable functions, which work less than half the time. At least the volume strip does a commendable job of adjusting volume levels through swipe gestures.

The AI voice-activated features miss more than they hit. Call management and playback voice commands are fine. Bixby is buggy and often crashes or freezes when speaking the wake-word phrase. Voice Detect is self-explanatory and works well, but Siren Detect struggles to pick up high-frequency sounds to alert of situational emergencies.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Sound quality

Sony has too much sonic firepower at their disposal. The WF-1000XM5 pack in a variety of audio enhancement features that elevate your listening experience. First, there’s the customizable EQ in the Sony Headphones Connect app. DSEE is tremendous for upscaling the fidelity on poorly engineered tracks and ripped MP3 files.

The recently introduced Find Your Equalizer easily tailors audio to your hearing based on a series of listening tests. Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec results in smooth, clear-sounding streams at fast bitrates (990kbps). Sony’s stellar soundstage delivers punchy bass and well-balanced frequency range. Lastly, there’s 360 Reality Audio with headtracking that adds a sense of realism to music and movies by producing natural sound, which is properly adjusted to head movements.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are no slouch on the audio end and take advantage of several proprietary Samsung technologies to boost sound. A new adaptive EQ was developed to effectively tweak sound to your surroundings, much like the AirPods Pro 2. The Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC) dynamically scales bitrate (up to 512 kbps) on Galaxy smartphones to unveil more details in recordings with minimal latency.

There’s a low-latency Gaming Mode for reducing lag when playing mobile games. A 9-band EQ with presets is available in the Galaxy Wearable app, along with an Accessibility setting to adjust sound balance between the left and right channel. 360 Audio is a respectable spatial audio format for enlivening music and movies, though we wish it were available on non-Galaxy devices. Samsung’s soundstage is also pleasant with impactful bass that blends nicely with transparent mids and vibrant highs.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Active Noise Cancelation

These are two powerful noise-cancellers, but the WF-1000XM5 are the only model to give the class-leading Bose QC Ultra Earbuds a run for their money. Additional mics, dual processing, and wind-resistant grilles reduce background noise by about 90 percent. Low- and mid-frequency sounds go unnoticed. Very few high-frequency sounds are audible, and whatever is heard might be mistaken for background effects on your favorite songs. That’s how convincing the technology is.

The real trophy is Sony’s 20-level ambient listening mode that can pick up conversations from across the street and noises from several blocks away. It’s a must for those wanting to increase situational awareness without pausing music.

We really like the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s ANC technology. It’s capable of blocking out 85 percent of external sounds. Active Noise Canceling mode eliminates low- and mid-frequency noises better than most models in the category. High-frequency noises will catch your attention, but they aren’t too distracting.

Ambient Sound mode on the Buds 3 Pro is dependable for eavesdropping on conversations and keeping tabs on your environment. Adaptive mode is where ANC performance dips. There were no noise reduction improvements when maneuvering through different indoor and outdoor settings.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5s: Special features and apps

The WF-1000XM5’s feature set is more expansive and available on Android and iOS devices via the Sony Headphones Connect app. You can enable audio-centric perks like 360 Reality Audio, ANC, DSEE, EQ, and LDAC (Android only). A second app is also available called Auto Play that links with some of the best music streaming services to play music at preferred times, as well as receive audio notifications for important events without turning to your phone. Outside of the app is Bluetooth multipoint to pair the buds with two devices simultaneously and one-tap Google Fast Pair.

Many of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s features are accessible through the multiplatform Galaxy Wearable app (iOS/Android). However, Samsung users receive exclusives like 360 Reality Audio, automatic pairing, audio switching, Game Mode, multipoint technology, PowerShare (more on that later), and SSC. AI-powered features like Interpreter Mode that read and translate foreign languages in real time require Samsung devices running the latest One UI 6.1.1 software (currently the Galaxy Z Flip6 and Galaxy Z Fold6). Bluetooth 5.4 operates smoothly, and connectivity holds up strong on all first-party and third-party devices. 

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Call quality

Call quality was once Sony’s kryptonite, but the previous-gen WF-1000XM4 fixed that and the WF-1000XM5 up the ante. Voice and video calls sound loud and clear. Sony’s noise-cancelling mics heavily reduce background noise and pick up every spoken syllable.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are also a solid calling headset, with the only flaw being minor muffle during outdoor calls. Other than that, the buds produce crisp, transparent voice calling and display some of the finest noise reduction, thanks to Samsung’s AI-powered mics that preserve fidelity.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Battery life

Expect longer playtimes from Sony’s buds. A full charge gives the WF-1000XM5 up to 12 hours of use (8 hours with ANC on), plus you get an additional 36 hours from the wireless charging case. Samsung limits battery life on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to 6 hours per charge. The wireless charging case holds up to 34 and supports PowerShare technology to charge it when placed on the back on a Galaxy device. Bear in mind that high volume and spatial audio use decrease playtimes on both devices by 2 to 3 hours.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 vs. Sony WF-1000XM5: Verdict

Nothing is topping the near-perfect Sony WF-1000XM5. Their excellent overall performance combined with top-tier sound technologies and an ultramodern look has set the standard for true wireless releases moving forward.

ANC and sound are terrific on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Advancements in call quality and speech recognition are noteworthy as well. But it’s tough to overlook the divisive design, poor controls and underwhelming AI features. As admirable as these buds are, they’re also proof that Samsung must hunker down in the lab and make the next-gen Galaxy Buds revolutionary to stand a chance against the market’s best offerings.

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