Honor Magic Earbuds vs Samsung Buds Live Comparison [w/ Video]

Youtube link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1UtCyiDn7w&t=10s

This review will be based on my own personal experience and the amount of time I've spent using both earbuds. As of the moment this review is written, I've been using Magic Earbuds frequently for the past 3 months while I've just gotten a hold of Samsung Buds Live for about 2 weeks. So naturally I've my fair share of thoughts of which one stand out more than the other. Let's get on with the review shall we :)

Packaging presentation 

For the packaging I'll give Magic Earbuds the better edge as the box is made from better and thicker material compare to Buds Live which is not only smaller, but much thinner cardboard being used too. Both comes with usb to usb-c cable without wall charger included. Magic Earbuds have 3 different size ear tip sets whereas Buds Live only have 1 other size open ear tip set.

Magic Earbuds

• Usb to usb-c cable


• 3x in-ear tip size pairs

Buds Live

• Usb to usb-c cable


• 1x open ear tip size pair

Physical appearance

I'm not going to be too technical in this area as we know appearance can be subjective depending on each person's preference. Quality wise though, I'd say both are very similar especially the case. It feels to me like both are using the same exact plastic glossy material on the case. When comes to the earbuds itself, the design are significantly different. Buds Live spot with open ear bean/kidney shaped bud with body length fitted exactly within the ear canal. Magic Earbuds on the other hand spot with a more typical and generic design you'd find across most of TWS markets. Both fit comfortably in my ears after few hours of usage. Although Buds Live does feel a bit more discreet and lighter since I don't feel its presence as much. The dangling down portion of Magic Earbuds can sometime get in the way of being unnoticed. While putting on and off the ears, Magic Earbuds is much more convenient because Buds Live bean shape is harder to hold with its tiny size. I kid you not, despite just used it for couple of weeks I've dropped the beans couple of time while taking it off from my ears. Magic Earbuds on the other hand I've never drop once even after 3 months of using as of now.

App interface

Both have their own different style of interface, with Buds Live having a bit more extra features. One being the equalizer where you can set the music sound system to your preference. Buds Live can also do up to triple tap as oppose to Magic Earbuds up to double tap on the side of the earpiece. Other than that, both interface spot similar option for on/off active noise cancellation and able to customize the tap for different functions. 

Speaker quality

Buds Live - Open ear design   |   Magic Earbuds - In-ear design

Since both designs are quite different, there's no significant advantage over the other as its more to personal preference. As expected open ear won't have as immersive and loud sound compare to in-ear design. But from my test, both have very good bass, mids and highs. Sound doesn't crack at high volume and overall well balance. If you want a bit more sound from your surrounding, Buds Live is better for you. If you are more into cancelling any ambient sounds, Magic Earbuds is the better bet. This is where the ANC is more prominent and effective on in-ear compare to open-ear.  

Microphone quality

With wind noise

- Magic earbuds does better in cancelling wind noise while speaking through the mic compare to Buds Live. It produce much clearer and louder voice. For some reason the Buds Live noise become softer and quieter when its windy in the background. 

Without wind noise

- Buds Live excels much more than Magic Earbuds when there's not much background noises going on. The sound is much more compressed and crisp.

Battery Life

Buds Live - 6-7 hours on a single charge depending on ANC on/off

Magic Earbuds - 2:30-3 hours on a single charge depending on ANC on/off

Buds Live is ahead on battery performance by miles compare to Magic Earbuds. About twice as much battery juice duration. Both cases can charge the earbuds about 3-4 times.

Pricing makes up the difference

This is an area where Honor outshine its competitors with attractive pricing for high value product. Needless to say, Magic Earbuds retailing at RM400 versus Samsung Buds Live retailing at RM700 make this review almost an unfair comparison. The built quality, speakers and microphone on both devices are very similar. Buds Live have much better battery life yes but I'm not very convince that it's RM300 more of a difference. Hence Magic Earbuds is by far the much better choice for value of money.