[Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro] Eliminate white noise during ANC and Ambient mode

All the following thoughts are my own. Product was paid for by me; no third party was involved. Pricing: With a launch price of approximately $250 (purchased for $110), Buds 4 Pro compete with big boys like Apple’s AirPods 3 Pro, Sony’s WF-1000XM6, Technics’ EAH-AZ100 and others. While I cannot make a direct comparison with these, what I can do is compare them to their predecessor – the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Unboxing: The experience is very basic. What we get is buds themselves, a charging case, and a set of 3 eartips S, M & L alongside a manual. No charging cable like with the Buds 3 Pro. Pay more for less, I guess. Case – It now appears visually smaller and has less heft to it – it’s overall more portable. However, opening the lid with one hand is no longer possible. Unfortunately, no longer do we have a metal hinge. Instead, it’s been changed to plastic, raising questions as to its durability. There is a nice magnetic feel to opening and closing the lid though. Unlike in Buds 3 Pro’s case, with these, it’s very easy to reach for and put back the buds. There are magnets that make everything snap in place. The big plastic see-through part is a nice touch, but it’s probably prone to scratches – buy yourself a carrying case. Earbuds – oh my, these do look stunning. It’s like if Apple were to make AirPods Pros back in iPhone’s 4S era. And that’s a compliment. The metal strip provides a distinct, but elegant look. Cyberpunk-like style of the stem on Buds 3 Pro was problematic to some while using the touch controls. Now, it’s much more natural due to more reassuring shape and sensor placement. What Buds 4 Pro lack compared to their predecessor are stem lights. It looked cool, but I myself didn’t find it particularly useful, so no biggie here. The plastic finish is semi-matte. It helps earphones stay in ear more securely and is more forgiving to light scratches than other manufacturers’ glossy finish, or Buds 3 Pro’s easily scratchable silver paint (don’t know about other colours though). Eartips – honestly not much to write about. Slightly oval shaped, made of silicone with the same mounting mechanism as in previous gen. They fit the buds securely, maybe even too securely, but you probably won’t rip them apart like with the 3 Pros due to a thicker material at the base. Fit – I find the new fit to be much more secure. Samsung perfected its design here, where Buds 3 Pro would fall out easily with some sweat. But here is the thing – what fits me well may not fit you at all, so take this section with a grain of salt. Overall, I’m quite happy with the new design, it looks premium to me, there is no cheap plastic smell like with the Buds 3 Pro, and it seems like most if not all design quirks have been ironed out. Sound: !!Disclaimer!! sound is very subjective. There are many variables like ear-shape, age, fit, etc. I have no professional equipment to measure these earphones, nor can I vouch for not having any impactful hearing loss. My amateur impressions cover both sets of buds on their default EQ presets. In addition, Samsung locks its proprietary lossless codec (SSC-Samsung Scalable Codec) to its devices only. My impressions are based on usage with the Samsung Galaxy S25. I find the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to be a step-up in audio quality with some new characteristics which could be for better or for worse depending on your preferences. I by no means find them to sound as close to Galaxy Buds 3 Pro as some claim, that’s for sure. Bass - For starters, Buds 4 Pro sound warm and more impactful. There is a lot more of sub-bass and it’s a good quality bass. Even with more congested, bass-heavy tracks (Electric Wizard; Dopethrone – 2004 Remaster), there is some bass bleed to mids, but overall instrument separation remains good. Mids – instruments like piano, harpsichord and saxophone may come as having a grainy and “dry” texture. Buds 3 Pro have this issue as well, but to a lesser extent. Female voices are thinner, no longer as forward sounding in the mix. Male voices are less affected, but still off-balance. If you listen mostly to classical music or lots of female vocals, you should probably look elsewhere to find a more “correct” sounding set. Highs – new buds take an edge off the borderline sibilant, fatiguing Buds 3 Pro. Unfortunately, treble seems to be less extended. Cymbals and overall the higher notes attack may come as slightly flat and muted. Scene width – average with mids, but a good sub-bass extension helps in building a more holographic feeling. Definitely an upgrade to the Buds 3 Pro. ANC: white hissing that other people post about – it’s there and it’s annoying when using Buds 4 Pro on lower volume levels with ANC on. When it comes to positives, ANC is more consistent in use, blocks more external noise like wind, bus engine and plane cabin noise, but still struggles with voices, silverware clinking in environments like coffee shops or restaurants, and office noises like keyboard typing. Sound profile with ANC on is better than on Buds 3 Pro, there is no more need to EQ a weird spike in highs/treble. Ambient mode: an absolute win for the Buds 4 Pro. Don’t get me wrong – Buds 3 Pro were already good, but Buds 4 Pro take it to another level, closing the gap with AirPods 3 Pro substantially. Everything is clearer, while having less metallic/high pitched tone to it. Ambient loudness on max setting makes the environment sound very similar with Buds 4 Pro on and off. The issue? Again, lots of white noise. In conclusion, would I recommend the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro over Buds 3 Pro? Yes, any day.  Would I recommend Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for their launch price? Meh, probably not, unless you really need a top-of-the-line ambient mode for Android right at this moment. If not, I would probably wait for the price to drop like the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s price did. However, if you are already a Samsung user and can get a good deal on them – go get them. The integration with Samsung’s One UI is flawless and hopefully the white noise issue will be addressed by Samsung.   Sorry for a long text, I hope it helped someone lol