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Buds Live don't work in consistent manner to be able to use them.

(Topic created on: 06-01-2021 12:39 AM)
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dougzz99
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I have a set of Galaxy Live Buds, which I intended to use with my S20. If I sit perfectly still indoors they mostly work, say about 95%, although there is some loss and interference, on the left one mostly. As soon as I start to move the cutting in and out, echoing and loss of quality becomes enough to make them unusable. I read various threads and tried the larger ear tips, which did improve things markedly, although still not anywhere near usable. A long chat thread with Samsung ended with them being collected for repair. The repair actually seems to be a replace, and the new ones worked just as badly as the previous ones. A further chat with Samsung resulted in the second pair being returned, with additional notes on file. This time I was called by the repair centre who said they'd been on test for an extended time with no problems, and they were returned.

During the first exchange the replacement set were sent with the smaller ear tips, so I now had no larger tips. On the second call I asked them to send me some larger tips. They asked via email for proof of purchase and the colour. I sent this and told them the colour was black. Rather than ear tips they sent a set of bronze silicon covers, like boots that fit over the smaller end of the buds, these have holes in to match the grills on the buds. Aside from them not being tips, and being the wrong colour once fitted the buds no longer fit in the charging case.

I've updated firmware, removed and reinstalled the wearable app, all to no effect. I have other bluetooth devices (air pods) and these work flawlessly with the same phone. I've separately bought some larger ear tips, using these I think it is generally better, but in truth you don't get through a single 3 minute song without interference or cutting out of some sort.

I'm sure this is all in some way related to the size and shape of my ears, and that these devices just don't work with certain ear shape sizes, which Samsung don't want to admit. Does anyone else have any experience of this, or similar problems. I seem to have exhausted the official Samsung route to any help.

Given the almost non-existent ANC it seems the best thing to do is write these off as a bad purchase and move on.

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GreyMatter
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no issues with mine
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dougzz99
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Useful response. Thanks.

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dougzz99
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A further update to this. I googled some more and found the boots* needed to be tucked under the ear tips to fit properly, then they do sit snugly in the case to charge.

So I fitted these boots (*the ones with 3 holes in for the narrow end of the buds, seemingly also described as tips confusing them with the oval rings supplied with the buds) and like magic the buds worked properly without any loss whatsoever on a 90 minute walk.

Whether my ears are too big/small/fleshy/boney or wrongly shaped I don't know. But I do it find it interesting that the basic design simply doesn't meet the needs of all ear types, and Samsung either don't know this, or choose to conceal it from their support staff who could have solved this on the first contact had they mentioned the possibility. I'd give Samsung a 3/10 on this matter, if only because they use DPD as their courier service who give timed delivery slots that they adhere too, excellent service from DPD, poor from Samsung.

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GreyMatter
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welcome 👍🙂
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