August 28, 2019
Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback! Today, I finally swapped my Gear IconXs for this year's Galaxy Buds, and goddamn, best decision I've made all year so far. As a Samsung stan, let's be honest: the IconXs freaking SUCK. There's the constant, seemingly unprovoked disconnecting, the gratuitous skipping, the fucking incorrigible and ENRAGING "Workout resumed" announcements... Today was the final straw.Not only is the fit of the Galaxy Buds lightyears ahead of the constant drill-them-into-my-ears-and-hope-for-the-best way of the IconXs (seriously, I spent more time positioning the IconXs in my ears, than I did actually listening to whatever media content with them), but as a complete neat-freak, I couldn't be happier that Samsung got rid of that God-awful "soft touch" rubber-type material that the IconX case is coated with. The sound is richer, the mini speaker grill is METAL this time, instead of that stupid little circular adhesive paper cover thingy on the older, totally useless version that is the Gear IconX. The improvements are so great and sensible, in my book, that both earbud models don't even seem like they're from the same company, and only two years apart. I'm stunned. I've been so loyal to Samsung, in terms of cell phones and cell phone accessories, for over a decade at this point, and while I've raved about every other Samsung product I've owned, I've always maintained that the IconXs were the worst mobile electronic device ever made. And the thing is, I purposely waited a year, and entire generation after the very first truly wireless earbuds Samsung released a year or so before the 2018 IconX model because, "First gen ANYTHING is never good; always wait for Gen 2 or later." Well...Honestly, this year's (2019) Galaxy Buds are the very best truly wireless earbuds that I've ever owned (and I've owned more than just these, and the IconXs). Excellent, excellent purchase on my part, and an even better product on Samsung's.