Premium buds for the premium phone
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one heck of a smartphone. Besides its serious general specs, the device is also strong on the audio front. It has surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus included) and ultra high-quality audio playback through its built-in AKG-tuned speakers, Bluetooth 5.3 connection, or via the type-C port. Plus, it streams music on Bluetooth using SBC, AAC, Scalable Codec, and LDAC.
If the audio comes from such a great engine, do justice to it; pair it up with a set of really good earbuds. However, the market is teeming with a mind-boggling amount of true wireless earbuds — which one to pick? We sieved out some great options that best fit your new Fold 5. These premium earphones (and some budget ones) will do their best to take advantage of the phone’s advanced audio engine.
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Source: Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Best overall
Only a Samsung device can take advantage of another Samsung device (without considerable hacking), and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro pair perfectly with the Z Fold 5. These buds boast Bluetooth 5.3, 360-degree spatial audio, SBC/AAC, and Samsung Seamless Codec support, great ANC, and IPX7-grade waterproofing. The phone and the buds match like cheese on pizza — and the phone brings a lot of extra functionalities like reading notifications aloud.
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Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX
Premium pick
Looking outrageously stylish, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX seems to have set out to ruin all other earbuds. These buds deliver the best studio-grade sound money can buy in this form factor. The ANC is just short of industry-leading as well. Fitting snugly and comfortably, these overpowered earbuds support aptX to get the most out of their awesome drivers. And the IP57-grade waterproofing makes these a great pick if you can afford them.
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Anker Soundcore Liberty 4
Best value
Emptied your bank purchasing the Fold 5? Don’t worry; these excellent earbuds won’t break the bank. The Soundcore Liberty 4 from Anker come in four stylish colors (nova red, cloud white, midnight black, and sky blue) and CloudComfort ear tips designed to fit most comfortably. The buds support LDAC that the Fold 5 can process and channel out; the buds do justice to that quality are dual dynamic drivers with ACAA 3.0.
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Sony WF-1000XM5
Best sound
The Sony WF-1000XM5 provide excellent sound quality, ANC, a sleek design, and comfort in a tiny package. Especially the sound processing is of notable quality — not studio quality, but artificially imbued with just the right amount of range compression and extra bass that hits the sweet spot. To a non-expert, nothing could sound better. Plus, these buds are smaller, lighter, and fit more comfortably than their predecessors.
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Source: Google
Google Pixel Buds Pro
$150 $200 Save
$50Google audio devices are coming up fast in the market. The Pixel Buds Pro are right up there among the champions, with excellent ANC and nice, dynamic sound quality. These are among the easiest to control and have pretty amazing battery life. A great choice for any Android phone. Unfortunately, they only support SBC and AAC. Still, these lightweight, stylish buds are a direct competitor to Airpods on the Android side.
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Source: Bose
Bose QuietComfort II
Best ANC
If you are looking to drown the outside world, there is no better pair of earbuds for that than the Bose QuietComfort II. These buds are imbued with the most powerful and intelligent ANC technology available. However, you can’t turn it off. The frequency response choice of these buds do come under question as well. Ignoring that, these are some premium-grade buds to go with your Fold 5.
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Sennheiser Momentum 3
What do you get when you glue great sound, excellent ANC, and flexible fit together? The Sennheiser Momentum 3, of course. These premium earbuds are a great companion for your Fold 5, with advanced codec support and superb audio reproduction. Their noise-canceling is better than most options, with useful features like wind noise suppression. With firmware updates, the connection is solid as well.
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Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
The only earbuds on our list without ear tips, the Apple AirPods (gen 3) are successful in upholding the prestigious company name. Right off the bat, you will notice how comfortable they are, tucked in your ears, and they sport a minimal design. However, this also makes them fit a bit loose. When paired with Apple devices, the sound is larger than life; however, you will only get the basic functionalities with a Galaxy Z Fold 5.
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Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9
Do you have a craving for studio-quality sound, but have trouble finding buds that fit? Don’t fret; the Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 earbuds are here to help. They come with 12 pairs (seriously) of ear tips, varying in tip size and fit depth. Add to that true studio-quality sound and near-perfect ANC at 50 dB, and you got a seriously premium bit of device. Pity it had to be such a dust magnet.
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Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2
A prince of style plus performance, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 can serve as great studio monitor earphones; their frequency response is that precise. The sleek combination of metal and plastic build looks as stylish as it is comfortable, and their sound quality stays as the artists intended. A lackluster ANC and weak Bluetooth connection detract a bit; however, you can still take advantage of the lossless aptX codec with modern phones.
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JBL Tune Buds
Experience the JBL signature sound with the JBL Tune Buds that offer decent audio at a low price. True, the audio output would sound non-original, but the bassy, dynamic-range-compressed audio sounds great when concentrating on something else, like lifting weights. The buds connect seamlessly via Bluetooth 5.3 and support advanced codecs. They are also great for calling and meetings with their quad beamforming mics. With 12 hours of battery, they are among the longest-lasting.
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Source: Jabra
Jabra Elite 7 Pro
$120 $200 Save
$80Need premium features at a low price? Try the Jabra Elite 7 Pro earbuds. These little beauties come with adjustable ANC and ambient sound modes, IP57-grade water and dust protection, and wireless fast charging. They are well-built, and the protection means you can use them in rain or shine, in the gym, or outdoors. The companion app augments the performance and usability of these buds astronomically, while firmware updates add more features like multipoint connectivity.
Best Earbuds for your new Galaxy Z Fold 5
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a premium smartphone and supports lots of advanced audio processing. As such, only a premium pair of earbuds could take advantage of its prowess. The buds would have to be able to reproduce audio with perfect frequency response while being able to process advanced lossless audio codecs like LDAC and aptX. A
There are a few earbuds that fit the bill. The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pros are the best positioned to take advantage of the phone’s features, coming from the same manufacturer. Their advanced audio processing features, such as positional audio, may make your head spin. However, if you’re ready to spend a lot more, we suggest the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX for its sheer studio-grade sound quality, comfort, and style. Only with such pure reproduction will you truly appreciate the power of lossless codecs.
However, if you need a pair of affordable earbuds that do the job for the time being, you’re in good hands with the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4. These buds are great for their easy style, comfortable fit, and okay-grade sound. They support LDAC too.
