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The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE, being the cheaper version of the Buds3 Pro, does have a lot of features missing. It really is a back to basics approach here, emphasizing more on what people do need in a pair of earbuds. So it’s got the same graphic equalizer and sound presets, the same touch and squeeze gestures, adjustable noise canceling, and the case does hold a bit more charge for up to 30 hours compared to the previous 26.

But you don’t get the Buds3 Pro’s Adapt Sound to Fit feature, no adaptive noise canceling, no auto-switch to ambient sound which is a useful feature for general awareness, no head tracking for spatial audio, no wireless charging, the mics don’t support super wide band speech for clearer voice pickup, and it doesn’t do UHQ or Ultra High Quality audio.

No blade lights either but honestly, not many would care about that. What everyone does care about is performance, performance in terms of sound, mic pickup, noise canceling, and transparency, and is there any area in which the Buds3 FE beats the Buds3 Pro? Heck, is there anything it does better than the much older Buds2 Pro? We’re going to find out so buckle up!

Microphone Quality

In terms of microphone quality, The Buds3 FE is very comparable to the Buds3 Pro. In quiet conditions, my voice sounded a little more clear on the Pro but they’re both very close, and in noisy, windy conditions, they both applied aggressive noise gating that almost completely cut my voice out.

👉 Listen to the mic quality samples

For the Buds3 Pro, it wasn’t this way before. I remember when it first came out, mic pickup was so excellent that I gave it an S-rank. But after recent firmware AY series updates, I’ve got no choice but to kick it down to C-rank which is where the Buds3 FE also is.

On the other hand, I’m actually quite impressed with how the much older Buds2 Pro performed. Even though my voice sounded very muffled and robotic, at least it’s somewhat legible with a very faint hint of background noise, so I’m giving it a rank B.

Active Noise Cancelling

In terms of active noise canceling, the Buds3 FE is actually a little weaker than the Bud3 Pro, from the canceling of low frequency noises to the mids. In that area, it’s quite similar in performance to the Buds2 Pro. But somehow it’s able to deal with upper mids and highs a little better. This basically means you’ll get more noise coming through on public transport, but it can deal with droning higher pitched noises a little better, from the noise of fans to air conditioning. Something that certain people might also prefer about the Buds3 FE is that it doesn’t have much white noise hissing when in noise canceling mode, which the Buds3 Pros have, especially audible in quite situations.

👉 Have a listen to the ANC quality samples

Transparency Mode

In terms of their ambient sound mode, the Buds3 FE is more similar to the Buds3 Pro than the Buds2 Pro. That’s a good thing because the Buds3 Pro right now is still one of the best for transparency. So transparent that there’s little difference between not wearing the earbuds and wearing them.

Awesome for general awareness and verbal exchanges. I can say the same for the Buds3 FE. Although it sounds a little more dull in the higher frequencies, so vocals do sound a smidge less crisp. But it is still a huge improvement over the older Buds2 Pro which sounded more occluded in general. It even has a big roll off in the upper mids to high treble.

Sound Quality

As for sound quality, the Buds3 FE does have a smaller single driver compared to the dual-driver with planar setup in the Buds3 Pro. When measuring them, they don’t look too far off from the Buds3 Pro in terms of tuning, but for starters, they do sound a little thinner in the bass. Even on max bass settings, they can’t extend as low or have as much tactility in the upper bass.

Mids bass separation is a little more dull, so vocals do sound a bit more muddy, and there's less sizzle and airiness in the highs which in turn, affects the sensation of space. Compared to the Buds2 Pro, the older pro model has cleaner and brighter sound, even if bass response is more similar.

What I do like about the FE compared to the Buds3 Pro and the Buds2 Pro is that they’ve got less sibilance so it doesn’t sound as hot, but critical listeners might find this wanting, and people who want a more visceral, exciting sound may enjoy it less. However, less discerning listeners who want a flatter, more neutral sound, closer to the Harman curve by default, might prefer this instead.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples

Verdict

Overall, I get that the Buds FE is meant as a budget alternative. My gripe with it is that it’s cut to the point where at its current price point, it’s not competitive. Even without factoring in the countless alternatives from brands like Soundcore, Earfun and Nothing, you can literally get a legit Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for less, and depending on where you look, the Buds3 Pro at a similar price. What would have made better sense is if Samsung chopped the features but maintained their dual drivers and noise canceling. I would certainly wait till the FE’s on discount before getting them.

Check latest prices:
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE - https://amzn.to/4mhGDQ6
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro - https://amzn.to/4fvUNLn
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro - https://amzn.to/46gdsaa

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