With its Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Samsung is launching its first completely “lossless” Bluetooth headphones, just as all streaming services are launching on this lossless format. But, only Samsung smartphones are compatible.
Are we about to switch to the second era of wireless headphones? Six years after the first AirPods, which redefined the market, the new trend seems to be that of lossless, or “lossless audio”. Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal and Qobuz already offer them, Spotify should not delay any longer. This uncompressed audio, which only the most audiophile can really distinguish, has the main defect of not being compatible with Bluetooth, which makes the use of a jack compulsory to take advantage of it. Problem: there are fewer and fewer jacks.
As we could foresee when lossless became fashionable again, compatible wireless headphones are coming. While waiting for the AirPods Pro 2, rumored to be compatible with a new codec created by Apple, Samsung is the first giant to embark on this adventure. Its Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, sold for 229 euros, support audio files up to 24 bits. A first.
Samsung smartphone required
Concretely, this means that an Apple Music or Deezer HiFi subscriber will be able to listen to lossless music with their Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which was not the case with previous generations. However, to take full advantage of it, he will need a Samsung smartphone updated with the latest version of One UI: it is the only one compatible with the new “Samsung Seamless Codec”, designed to make 24-bit transmission possible. The requirements are software, which means that any recent Bluetooth compatible smartphone can operate the lossless. But, a user of a Google Pixel or an Oppo will not be able to install this codec on his smartphone, which will deprive him of this functionality.
What will happen when listening to music with Galaxy Buds 2 Pro connected to a smartphone from another brand? They will work normally, but 24-bit lossless will not be available. Samsung says its headphones will work in 16-bit with all other devices, but we still have doubts about that. It should work on most Android devices, which support several codecs such as Qualcomm’s aptX, but Apple devices are content with the AAC codec and should be deprived of it. In short, to fully exploit the new headphones from Samsung, it is better to be equipped with Samsung devices.
One wonders if this new trend will become the standard in the market for wireless earphones/headsets. Logically, only iPhones will support the lossless of future AirPods (which we imagine based on the ALAC format, developed by Apple, but for the moment limited to wired). Since the brand does not provide access to other codecs, we imagine that no third-party 24-bit headphones will be compatible with its iPhones. Are we about to pivot into a world where headphones are only fully compatible with products from the same brand?
At 229 euros, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro make you want
At 229 euros, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are very promising wireless headphones, whether you have a Samsung smartphone or not. Very compact, comfortable in the ears, equipped with active noise reduction, a transparency mode and 360 audio, they are among the most complete wireless headphones on the market. Too bad the 24-bit mode is a very limited novelty, otherwise they would have been almost perfect. The ball is now in the competition’s court.
