The Galaxy Buds2 earn a 5 out of 10 on our repairability scale.
![big buds big buds](https://www.alchimiaweb.com/images/m/cbd-big-bud-super-skunk_7677_1_.jpg)
I’m especially glad we were able to get a peek at the dual drivers, and I love that the case is easier than ever to open and swap a battery in. On the back, you can see the contact pads where this meets the springs on the circuit board underneath.Ī couple more screws for the lid of the case, which separates with ease, and I’m actually going to stop there, because the rest of this is pretty familiar! We’ve got a circuit board with more contact pins to wirelessly charge the buds, charging indicator LEDs, then around back the USB-C port, solder joints where the wireless charging coils connect to the circuit board, and a plastic bracket between the main board and the charging coils.Īll-in-all, this was an interesting adventure! I’m disappointed that a soldered connection seems to be the new Bud standard, but these are still very far from the worst wireless earbuds on the market to fix. That’s even better than previous cases.įrom here, you could unstick the 1.8 watt-hour cell from its well, or replace them together. An opening pick and a spudger to pry up the buds’ bed, loosen a few screws, and woah! Battery comes right out. Not easy to get to or replace, but pretty cool to see and think about how so much sound comes from such a tiny package.įinally, let’s do a speed run through the case, which hopefully is just as good as all the other buds cases. Sure enough, they’re in here! Each of these tiny metal boxes is a little speaker.
![big buds big buds](https://dutchpotseeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/big-bud-fem-1.jpg)
Where a lot of wireless earbuds have a single speaker, Samsung, since the Buds+ last year, has been stuffing two speakers into some of their buds: a tweeter for high frequencies, and a woofer for the low. I’ll start with some heat, and then begin some careful prying. To help us feel better, I’m going to try to dig out Samsung’s dual drivers, which look more accessible here than they usually do. So, that’s a bummer for these buds’ repairability.
![big buds big buds](https://bigbudsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/high-co2-levels-cause-crops-to-lose-nutrients-but-not-marijuana.jpg)
The simple fact is, for now, most people don’t have a soldering iron or the know-how to wield one. Soldering doesn’t necessarily make something impossible to repair-it’s actually pretty easy, like you just saw!īut here at iFixit, when we think about and measure repairability, we’re thinking about DIY repair, usually done at home. I hate to say it, but I think we’ve seen a shift in the Buds team’s design preferences. We have been such big fans of Galaxy Buds for the last few years precisely because they have not used soldered connections for their batteries. Now, over at our soldering station, two quick pokes liquefy the solder holding the battery contacts in place. To get there, I have to take the shell off the battery so I’m not accidentally melting it with a soldering iron. I can already tell we’ve got some soldering ahead of us, so let’s get that out of the way. This clump of stuff in the center is the rechargeable button-cell battery, housed in a plastic shell. The board is lightly adhered in place, and I can fully remove it right away thanks to the connector toward the back of the bud here. We’re off to a good start! The top comes off cleanly, and inside we are treated to a nice pink shell with a tiny circuit board resting on top. That adhesive was definitely less sticky than the Buds Pro-probably thanks to the lower IP rating. Our trusty green vise deforms the green egg just enough for me to get a pick in and separate the two halves. Those buds were promising more ingress protection than these though, so my guess is these will be at least slightly better.
#BIG BUDS PRO#
But earlier this year, the Buds Pro were a bit of a disappointment to us, with their soldered battery connection and tougher-than-average glue. Weird nomenclature aside, Samsung actually has a pretty good track record for making these things repairable. Believe it or not, this is not Samsung’s second pair of wireless earbuds … it’s their fifth. Okay! Today I’m looking at Samsung’s newest addition to their Buds lineup, the Buds2. Seriously though, if, somehow, your wireless earbuds only come with one bud, get a refund. Use the find an earbud feature in the Galaxy Buds app. If you are missing an earbud, do not buy a new pair. ( Text on screen) iFixit cannot guarantee that Galaxy Buds2 will come with two earbuds. Now you can listen in sweet, sweet stereo.
![big buds big buds](https://previews.123rf.com/images/openrangestock/openrangestock1601/openrangestock160100015/51240869-marijuana-plants-with-big-buds-ready-to-harvest-at-indoor-cannabis-farm-with.jpg)
That’s right, each case comes with two earbuds: one for each ear. Has this ever happened to you? You need two wireless earbuds, but all your cases only have one earbud! So frustrating! Today, we have the answer for you. Intro: frantically opening wireless earbud cases, all cases only have one earbud.