Just six months after the excellent Galaxy Buds+ , Samsung has a new set of true wireless buds, and they're probably its most anticipated product in this space. The Galaxy Buds Live may look like beans, but they sound a lot better than a pinto in your ear canal.

Fit The Beans are probably the most comfortable true-wireless buds I've ever used; Charging and case The case is compact and has both USB-C and wireless charging; Sound The audio quality is good overall. It might not be the most accurate, but it's fun to listen to.

Noise isolation, or lack thereof Since the Beans don't seal inside your ears, they don't block environmental sound very well; ANC The noise-canceling only makes a tiny difference; Touch controls It's too easy to accidentally trigger the touch controls when adjusting or removing the earbuds.

Samsung should’ve called these things the Galaxy Beans. What a missed opportunity. With that out of the way, let’s talk about the new Galaxy Buds Live. The company’s latest true wireless earbuds and their unconventional design have leaked extensively over the last few months, and I’ve had many...

Bold; unconventional design; Lengthy battery life; Powerful; balanced sound

Noise cancellation isn’t good for much; Might not fit the smallest ears; Occasional signal interference

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are good – but not great – true wireless earbuds. They have a number of neat features and offer a combined 28-hour battery life, but their sound isn’t amazing, and the noise cancellation has a lot of room for improvement. They’re certainly unique, but those interested in high-end sound quality and excellent ANC over a conversation-starting design should look elsewhere.

Surprisingly good fit; Extra helping of bass; Combined 20-hour battery life; ;

Middling sound quality; Poor noise cancellation; Low IP rating

Samsung deserves credit for taking the risk on a weird new design with the Buds Live, not least because for the most part these deliver on their promise. They’re extremely comfortable, surprisingly stable, and honestly after a while you do sort of forget the whole beans bit.

Good audio quality; Active noise cancellation; Very comfortable;

Bad touch controls; No passive noise blocking; ANC is limited;

Have had previous models and these seem to last longer and are much more comfortable to wear

Say what you will about Samsung's Galaxy Buds Live bean-shaped design -- yes, they're affectionately known as the Beans -- but they might just be the most innovative new true wireless earbuds of the year. Available in three colors: mystic white, black and bronze, they certainly look flashy, with a chrome-like finish that you can see your reflection in.

They may look like chrome kidney beans, but the $170 Galaxy Buds Live have an ergonomic fit and mostly perform very well.

Unique, eye-catching design; Comfortable ergonomic fit; Compact charging case with wireless charging; Open sound with good bass and detail; Good noise reduction when making calls; IPX2 water-resistant;

Noise canceling is comparatively mild; Open design lets some ambient sound in; Little bit of distortion at high volume;

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live boasts of an unmistakable design that proves to be surprisingly comfortable while offering good audio quality supplemented by decent active noise cancellation.

Eye-catchingly unique design

Controls mostly can’t be customised

The Galaxy Buds Live feature excellent sound quality, reasonably strong bass and most importantly for me, are incredibly comfortable

Very comfortable; Excellent sound; Cheaper than other high-end earbuds

Battery life isn't great; Not a ton of bass; Might be difficult to stay in some people's ears

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are a pair of attractive bean-shaped true wireless earbuds with good sound and a unique fit. If you don’t like silicone ear tips that block your ear canal, these earbuds are for you. They are light, secure and don’t protrude or have stalks.

Pros: open fit; good battery life; great case; good sound; good controls; ANC; AAC support; seamless device switching; made of recycled plastic; can be repaired; batteries can be replaced

Cons: no noise isolation; ANC is limited; fit may not suit everyone; no water resistance

Fantastic quality sound, fit, colour and look