They're both winners, but for different reasons

Samsung and Sony are two of the most established names in electronics, each making great wireless earbuds. Sony's flagship WF-1000XM4 have been the gold standard for ANC earbuds since they debuted in 2021, but the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have a lot going for them, too — including a more svelte form factor. It's not an easy decision, especially when the Sony buds are on sale (which they often are). Here, we'll try to make your choice a little simpler.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4 are very different buds aesthetically. The Buds 2 Pro are compact compared to most other TWEs on the market right now, but they look downright dainty next to the bulky XM4s. Credit where it's due, the WF-1000XM4 are smaller than the XM3 that came before, and no true wireless earbuds are truly big. To give you an idea of the size discrepancy here, each XM4 earbud weighs 7.3 grams, meaning they're 33 percent heavier than the Buds 2 Pro, which are 5.5 grams each. And if you have smaller ears, the buds might not physically fit — or worse, need a few days of painful wear for the cartilage in your ear to shift and make room for them.

But all that mass is in service of stellar battery life: the Sony WF-1000XM4 can crank out eight hours of audio with noise cancellation on, whereas the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can only manage five. Five hours is enough for most people, but if you do a lot of long-distance travel or want to listen to music non-stop during your entire workday, you'll surely appreciate the XM4's better longevity. Both pairs' cases charge over USB-C or wirelessly, and each will fully recharge its respective buds about two times before needing a top-off.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro come with standard silicone ear tips; the Sony WF-1000XM4 have pliable foam tips instead. Sony says this type of ear tip isolates sounds better. (Your mileage will vary; Android Police's Ara Wagoner found much better isolation after swapping to silicone tips.) The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are rated IPX7 for water resistance, meaning they should be okay even if they get soaked. The WF-1000 XM4 carry a lesser IPX4 rating, which means they're resistant to splashes, but an unexpected dip in a puddle could spell the end.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are, as we noted in our review, some of the best-sounding wireless earbuds money can buy. Their sound isn't quite as bassy as many other high-end TWEs on the market right now — including the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro — but the XM4s have a very clear, accurate flavor to their audio, which many premium earbud shoppers will likely appreciate. If you want a little more low-end oomph, the WF-1000XM4 lets you manually tweak the frequency response using EQ sliders. And they've got support for Sony's LDAC codec, in case you want to listen to some high-bitrate audio on the go.

Sony's WH-1000XM4 earbuds sound great, but they're very large.

The XM4s also feature what could safely be described as the best ANC available in true wireless earbuds today. It rivals the noise canceling in some pairs of over-ear headphones, which is a very impressive feat (and another reason the things are so chunky). There's hands-free access to both Google Assistant and Alexa, so you can get a lot done without taking your phone out of your pocket, and Fast Pair support for easy pairing with Android phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro also sound very good, but not quite as good as the XM4s. Samsung's earbuds are bassier, which, depending on your preferences, could be a good or bad thing for you. The Galaxy Wearable app offers a handful of EQ presets, so you can dial that bass down (or up) if you want. There's no LDAC here, but if you've got a Samsung phone or tablet to pair them with, the Buds 2 Pro do support 24-bit audio playback in certain apps (not including Spotify or YouTube Music) by way of Samsung's proprietary Seamless codec.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are relatively low-profile.

ANC in the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is good, effectively muffling low-end sounds while tamping down mids and highs to a lesser extent, but it can't match Sony's. The Buds 2 Pro won't respond to "Hey Google" the way the Sony buds can, but they do allow for hands-free Bixby access, which might be close enough for some. They also have a head-tracking feature that can create the illusion of the sound you're listening to emanating from the device the buds are paired with, provided that the device is a Samsung phone or tablet. Volume in the left and right buds shift independently as you move your head, as if you were listening to in-person sound, without earbuds. It's a neat trick but probably not a deciding factor for most.

While the Sony WF-1000XM4 launched at a very premium $280, they're often available for $230 on sale. That puts them in realistic competition with Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which also go for $230 (at full price). In a head-to-head audio contest, the Sony earbuds win pretty handily. They sound fantastic. Add to that industry-leading ANC and actual all-day battery life, and it seems like a cinch for Sony.

But earbuds are meant to be worn out and about, and the XM4s are big and bulky for true wireless buds. So if you have smaller ears or want earbuds you can comfortably wear out during intense workouts (a dicey proposition for the Sony buds), the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro might be a better pick for you. Samsung's buds still sound great and offer thorough ANC — they're just not quite in the same league as the WF-1000XM4 there.

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Taylor was an amateur phone nerd for the better part of a decade prior to joining Android Police in 2018, where he's since authored more than a thousand articles about all things Android. Taylor serves as Gadgets Editor, and you'll see his byline on editorials, reviews, comparative buyer's guides, and technical explainers, as well as the occasional piece of breaking news. He's got soft spots for personal audio, wearable tech, smart lights, and mobile photography. There's a good chance he's carrying a Pixel phone right now. In his time away from AP, you'll probably catch Taylor hanging out with his two dogs, playing Xbox, or out shooting with his beloved Fuji X-T20. Send him memes and fan mail at taylor@androidpolice.com.