Samsung Galaxy Buds FE SM-R400 Review: A Budget-Friendly ANC Marvel

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The world of wireless earbuds is brimming with options, and finding a pair that aligns with your budget and ears is a challenge. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds FE SM-R400 aims to address this with a familiar design, promising impressive features at an attractive price. But do they live up to the hype? Let’s take a closer look and see what the Galaxy Buds FE are all about.

Noise Cancellation and Isolation

The Galaxy Buds FE’s active noise cancellation (ANC) punches above its weight, mainly in controlled environments. It skillfully dampens low-frequency rumbles like the whir of appliances or the distant thrum of traffic. While it won’t completely silence higher-pitched sounds, it significantly reduces their intensity, creating a more serene soundscape for your listening enjoyment. Even outdoors, the ANC holds its ground against the din of traffic and city life. You might catch that whooshing sound sneaking through when the wind picks up.

The Galaxy Buds FE also have an Ambient Sound mode. This mode lets you stay aware of your surroundings by filtering in some external sounds. Although, the audio might feel slightly unnatural and quieter than you prefer.

Sound Quality

Detailed Analysis of Sound Performance:

Bass: The low-end is where the Galaxy Buds FE truly shine. The bass is prominent, adding warmth and depth to your music. It’s particularly well-suited for genres like rock, hip-hop, or electronic music, where a thumping bassline can enhance the listening experience. Those who prefer a more neutral or balanced sound may find it a tad overpowering.

Midrange: While not as forward as the bass, the midrange maintains reasonable clarity. Vocals and instruments remain discernible as the low-end’s dominance can occasionally overshadow them.

Treble: The treble is present and adds some sparkle to the sound. It doesn’t extend as far as high-end audiophile earbuds. Still, it avoids any harshness or sibilance, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable listening experience.

Soundstage and Imaging: The soundstage is pretty average for a pair of earbuds in this price range. It won’t make you feel like you’re in a concert hall, but it does offer a decent sense of space and directionality.

Supported Codecs: The Galaxy Buds FE support the AAC and Samsung Scalable codecs. While they don’t offer the highest-quality audio transmission (like aptX or LDAC). They are sufficient for most listeners and ensure a stable connection with Samsung devices.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy Buds FE sport a sleek and minimalist design, with a comfortable, secure fit thanks to their wingtips. The earbuds have a pleasant feel and rest lightly in your ears, making them suitable for extended listening sessions.

Samsung provides three sizes of ear tips. These ear tips ensure a proper seal, contributing to comfort and passive noise isolation. The wingtips enhance the fit, keeping the earbuds securely in place even during workouts or other physical activities. The Galaxy Buds FE only carry an IPX2 water resistance rating. They can handle a bit of sweat or light rain.

Battery Life and Charging

Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds FE offer 6 hours of playback time with ANC activated and 8.5 hours with ANC off. In real-world scenarios, the earbuds delivered around 5.5 hours of continuous listening with ANC and close to the advertised 8 hours without ANC. The charging case significantly extends the total listening time, providing approximately three additional full charges.

Although not explicitly advertised as a fast-charging feature, a quick 5-minute charge in the case yielded about 1.5 hours of listening time, which is a convenient bonus for those on the go.

Connectivity and Controls

The Galaxy Buds FE use Bluetooth 5.3, providing a generally stable connection with good range. Pairing the earbuds is straightforward: simply open the case and a long press on both touchpads initiates pairing mode.

While seamless switching between Samsung devices is possible, true multi-point connectivity is absent. As a result, you can’t seamlessly switch between a Samsung phone and a non-Samsung laptop.

The touch controls on the earbuds are responsive and intuitive. However, customization options are somewhat limited. You can adjust the tap-and-hold function on each earbud, but other gestures remain fixed.

Integrating with the Galaxy Wearable app unlocks additional features like an equalizer, Bixby voice wake-up, and the ability to read notifications aloud. These options enhance the overall user experience, especially for Galaxy device owners.

Additional Features

The Galaxy Buds FE integrate well with voice assistants like Bixby. A long press on either earbud can activate Bixby, allowing you to control music playback, check the weather, and perform other tasks with voice commands.

Within the Galaxy Wearable app, you’ll find a customizable equalizer to fine-tune the sound to your liking. Several presets are available, catering to different music genres and personal preferences.

The earbuds also feature wear detection that automatically pauses the music when you take an earbud out and resumes it when you put it back in. The Galaxy Buds FE lack spatial audio or other high-end features found in more expensive models.

Call Quality

Making calls with the Galaxy Buds FE is a breeze at home or indoors. The earbuds filter out background noise so the other person on the line will hear you clearly. Things get trickier in noisy environments. Your voice will still be understandable, but background noise will become more intrusive. In a nutshell, the Galaxy Buds FE are up to snuff for everyday calls, as long as you’re not battling too much background racket.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE carve out a compelling niche in the budget earbuds market. They excel in comfort, active noise cancellation, and battery life, making them a solid choice for everyday listening and workouts. While the sound quality leans towards bass-heavy and lacks some of the finer details found in pricier models, it’s still enjoyable for casual listeners.

The absence of features like wireless charging and multi-point connectivity is disappointing. The overall package is hard to beat, especially considering the potential for discounts. The Galaxy Buds FE are worth spending money on for those seeking comfortable, reliable earbuds with decent sound quality and active noise cancellation.