Tried and tested
Jabra Elite 75t
$150 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy $150 at Walmart
Pros
- Customizable sound
- Long battery life
- Excellent comfort
- Great HearThrough mode
- Better water resistance
Cons
- Lacks wireless charging case
- No active noise cancelation
Jabra hits the right notes with its flagship true wireless earbuds, improving upon key features and design elements that make these easy to enjoy. A better fit, longer battery life, and greater app support help round out one of the industry's best.
Unique and oblique
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
$170 at Amazon $170 at Best Buy $170 at Walmart
Pros
- Long-lasting battery life
- Extremely useful companion app
- Supports Qi wireless charging
- Active noise cancelation
Cons
- Touch controls can be finicky
- Certain features exclusive to Samsung phones
- Design can be polarizing
Samsung took a whole new approach to building a pair of true wireless earbuds by cutting off the actual bud and crafting a design that stands out, not just for how it looks, but also how it fits. While they're equipped with a set of impressive features, there is room for improvement.
Both pairs of earbuds strive to be the best in the business through very different approaches. Samsung reinvented how its truly wireless earbuds fit, but Jabra sticks to the traditions it's built over the last few years by just trying to improve on its features. Let's look at how the two stack up in terms of comfort, sound, and support.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live vs. Jabra Elite 75t: The best fit
Jabra isn't new to contending for top spot in the true wireless space. The company has routinely been there for the last few years, and the Elite 75t are a culmination of that. Samsung chose to veer away from its Galaxy Buds design and make something resembling a couple of beans. The resulting contrasts do stand out in a few respects. We break them down to find the best wireless earbuds for you.
| Jabra Elite 75t | Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | IP55 | IPX4 |
| Bud battery life | 7.5 hours | 4.5 hours |
| Charging case battery life | 20.5 hours | 24 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Digital assistant support | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Bixby, Google Assistant, Siri |
| Supported audio codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Speaker size | 6 millimeter drivers | 12 millimeter drivers |
| Active noise cancelation | No | Yes |
The water-resistance ratings for both are not as far apart as they seem, so you could get away with using either pair for a run or at the gym. Jabra holds something of an advantage because it makes an otherwise identical pair in the Elite Active 75t that ups the protection to IP57. From a comfort point of view, the Galaxy Buds Live are unlike any other pair released. Because they lack a protruding bud entering the ear canal, they just sit in the outer portion of the ear and remove any sense of squeezing.
Based on the specs, it would seem Samsung has a huge edge in output with the 12-millimeter drivers. The extra power is necessary because sound has to travel further to get through your ears while the earbuds ward off outside ambient noise. A consequence of that is the lower battery life. While the 4.5 hours is with active noise canceling on, you only muster an extra 30 minutes when the feature off. High volume levels can also drain it faster.
Jabra used to be in the same boat on battery life until the Elite 75t sprang it up a notch. It's easy to get over five hours per charge at higher volumes, whereas you can get 7.5 hours if you sticl to the default volume level. Jabra supports Alexa and Samsung has Bixby, though Google Assistant and Siri work just fine on both devices, too.
You would think Jabra loses out from the lack of ANC support, but it's not all that handicapped next to the Buds Live. It's neat that Samsung included ANC in such a unique design, but physics get in the way. The buds are still exposed, meaning they don't get much help with passive noise isolation to seal off at least some of the background noise.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live vs. Jabra Elite 75t: Playing for sound
What helps make both of these models dynamic is the additional support. They each use apps to tweak or initiate certain features. Jabra has a slight edge in that its Sport+ app has a customizable equalizer, whereas Samsung relies on a handul of different presets to change the sound. It doesn't hurt that Jabra's design enables excellent passive noise isolation that traps in bass enough to give the soundstage more balance.
You do lose out on ANC, but at least the seal's general success gives the HearThrough mode something to do. Using the microphones to pipe in outside noise makes it easy to hear surroundings or talk to someone without taking them off. Samsung doesn't have that problem because the design isn't immediately conducive to passively isolating anything. That makes the Galaxy Buds Live really effective for everyday listening or activity with added safety.
The Elite 75t have a very balanced sound signature that has enough of the lows, mids and highs to satisfy most musical genres.
Samsung has to work harder when pumping out more bass, which is a big reason why the drivers are 12 millimeter. Despite just having 6-millimeter speakers, the Elite 75t provides a very balanced sound signature with enough of the lows, mids, and highs to satisfy most musical genres. As comfortable as the Buds Live are, Jabra's earbuds are the best the company has done to date. Shaving off excess bulk and weight, including for the case, puts them on a wholly different level. That's not to say Samsung faltered. It's just that such an unusual design with an open concept can trade off with sound.
Both brands play up the voice assistant access and integration they offer, but that's a pretty subjective quality. It's easy enough to access whichever digital assistant you want out of the bunch, and the microphones work with either to capture commands and queries. You do have to be selective in which one you'll be talking to, but that's likely a choice you already made on your phone anyway.
Phone call quality is excellent for both options. Jabra utilizes physical buttons for onboard controls, serving the Elite 75t well because of the consistent feedback you get. The Galaxy Buds Live have touch controls that are more finicky and inconsistent by comparison. If you were to work out or run with either of these, you would probably be touching the Jabra's less.
As for colors, there are some eclectic options. The Elite 75t come in black, titanium black, and beige, while the Galaxy Buds Live come in mystic black, mystic white, and mystic bronze.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live vs. Jabra Elite 75t: Which should you choose?
This comes down to personal preference for the look and feel you're going for. If you've had bad luck with earbuds fitting your ears properly with sustained comfort, the Galaxy Buds Live are made as an alternative design philosophy. If that's not the case, Jabra makes a strong case as the best the industry has to offer through sheer consistency and performance across the board. Even though the Elite 75t lack the ANC Samsung offers, the results aren't good enough to take them down a peg.
Then there's price. Jabra isn't asking for as much money to serenade your ears. You do get more bang for your buck with Jabra's pair, but since the price difference isn't that significant it might be worth paying a bit more if you like how the Samsung version fit in your ears.
Great balance
Jabra Elite 75t
Sound and comfort in one
$150 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy $174 at Walmart
Jabra addresses previous issues surrounding fit and comfort while delivering excellent sound quality and supporting features.
Great comfort
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live
A different kind of fit
$170 at Amazon $170 at Best Buy $170 at Walmart
Samsung's take on earbuds that look nothing like anyone else's proves to be a worthy gamble for the fit and comfort they provide.
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