We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation and a voice assistant in your ear, choose Samsung Galaxy Buds 3; if you need open-ear clip buds that stay put around glasses and let you hear traffic while you run, choose crowm Third-generation Open Headphones.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 — biggest strength: in-ear silicone tips plus Active Noise Cancellation, so outside noise gets pushed down instead of leaking in.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 — biggest trade-off: it seals your ear canal, which is exactly what some runners and cyclists don't want, and the voice-first controls mean there's no touch panel to tap.
• crowm Third-generation Open Headphones — biggest strength: a 4.1g-per-bud clip-on design with a flexible C-shaped silicone bridge that's built to sit around glasses and earrings without pressure.
• crowm Third-generation Open Headphones — biggest trade-off: the open-ear shape and the fact that noise control is listed as "None" means you'll hear the world around you — great outdoors, less great on a noisy plane.
• Who each pick is for: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 for commuters, call-heavy workdays and anyone who wants to shut the world out; crowm for runners, cyclists, glasses wearers and people who need to stay aware of their surroundings.
The Galaxy Buds 3 FE is a classic sealed in-ear true wireless earbud. Silicone tips, a 16-ohm dynamic driver, and a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz — that's a full-range tuning on paper, and the impedance figure suggests it's designed to be easy to drive from a phone rather than needing a headphone amp. The gray finish is understated and the charging case is part of the package, so the whole thing lives in your pocket.
What stands out to me in the spec sheet is the feature list rather than the driver. Active Noise Cancellation is listed as the noise control method, and the marketing bullets talk about outside noise, call clarity, and battery life. That combination points at one clear buyer: someone who takes calls in shared spaces, rides public transit, or works in an open office where they want to reduce the drone around them. The voice control angle is real too — Bixby and Gemini are both named, and the control method is listed as voice with volume control, so you're meant to talk to these rather than tap them.
Battery is rated at 30 hours average life, which in a true wireless context normally means combined playtime with the charging case. Bluetooth 5.4 is current-generation, and the connection is fully wireless with no jack. The bundle includes the charging case and eartips, and the item weight is 1.84 ounces for the package as listed.
crowm Third-generation Open Headphones: Who It's For
The crowm Third-generation Open Headphones take the opposite approach to almost everything. These are earclip buds — open-ear, no silicone tip jammed into your canal. Each bud weighs 4.1g, and the C-shaped bridge is described as soft, skin-friendly silicone that flexes so it doesn't irritate. The spec sheet calls out small ears, glasses and earrings specifically, which tells you the target buyer immediately: someone whose ears have never gotten along with traditional buds.
The audio side is a 13mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz frequency response and 110 dB sensitivity. A 13mm driver is a large unit for this category, and the listed design goal is deep bass with minimal sound leakage. Latency is listed at 60 ms with a dedicated gaming mode, which is a genuinely useful number for anyone who plays on their phone — 60 ms is in the range where lip-sync and gunfire timing stop feeling obviously delayed.
Bluetooth here is listed as version 6.0, with a 33-foot (10-meter) range and anti-interference claims. Pairing is automatic on removal from the case. Controls are touch-based rather than voice, with taps for play/pause, track skipping and calls — the manual covers the exact gestures, so plan on reading it rather than guessing.
Battery: 6 hours of standalone playback per charge, 30 hours total with the case, and a 1.5-hour charge time. Noise control is listed as None, and that's not a defect — it's the whole point. Open-ear means you keep ambient sound, which is why the listing frames it around running, cycling, outdoor sports and safe calls. A 1-year warranty is stated, and the package includes the case, cable, manual and earbuds.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to block out a plane cabin, a train, or a loud office. With no ANC and an open acoustic design, these are the wrong tool for noise reduction.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancellation → Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. It's the only one of the two with Active Noise Cancellation listed.
• Best for glasses wearers → crowm Third-generation Open Headphones. The clip-on bridge is explicitly designed to work with glasses and earrings.
• Best for voice control and hands-free assistants → Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. Bixby and Gemini are named, and the control method is voice with volume control.
• Best for low-latency gaming → crowm Third-generation Open Headphones. A 60 ms gaming mode is a concrete figure the Samsung sheet doesn't match.
• Best for long single-session listening without the case → crowm Third-generation Open Headphones. 6 hours standalone per charge is spelled out; the Samsung sheet lists 30 hours average life without separating bud time from case time.
• Best for touch controls you can tap without talking → crowm Third-generation Open Headphones. Touch control versus voice control is the cleanest split between these two.
• Best for current Bluetooth standard → Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. Bluetooth 5.4 is listed, versus 6.0 on the crowm sheet — check both against your phone if the version matters to you.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you want the world muted or do you want the world audible?
If you take calls, commute on transit, or work in a shared space and want Active Noise Cancellation plus a voice assistant, I'd buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. If you run, cycle, wear glasses, or simply can't stand sealed ear canals, I'd buy the crowm Third-generation Open Headphones — the 4.1g clip-on build and the 6-hour standalone battery fit that life better than any sealed bud will. Neither is universally better; they solve opposite problems.
how to pair true wireless earbuds
For the crowm set, the listing says they auto-pair as soon as you remove them from the case — no manual step. For the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, pairing runs over Bluetooth 5.4, and the voice-first control scheme means you can ask your assistant to handle it. In both cases you enable Bluetooth on your phone, select the earbuds from the device list, and confirm.
how to connect true wireless earbuds
Both are fully wireless with no headphone jack, so connection is Bluetooth only. The crowm model lists a 33-foot range, so you can set your phone down and keep listening indoors. The Samsung model lists Bluetooth 5.4. Keep the case nearby for the first pairing — that's where the buds draw power and, for the crowm, where auto-pairing triggers.
how to use true wireless earbuds
Control style is the real difference. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 uses voice control with volume control and supports Bixby and Gemini, plus a translator feature. The crowm set uses high-sensitivity touch control — tap to play or pause, skip tracks, and answer or end calls. The crowm listing notes the exact gestures are in the manual, so read it once before you rely on muscle memory.
how to bluetooth true wireless earbuds
Turn on Bluetooth on your phone, put the buds in pairing mode, and select them from the list. The crowm buds pair automatically when lifted from the case, per the listing. The Samsung buds connect over Bluetooth 5.4. If you have an older phone, check which Bluetooth version it supports before you buy, since a newer standard on the earbuds won't upgrade the phone side.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: ASMRBAND Sleep Headphones Bluet00th vs TuneFlux Kids Headphones, Audiovox MTGHP1CA vs Snug Play+ Kids Headphones: Compact on, Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones vs EaseBurn Open Ear, Gemini Over-Ear Headphones vs PUSOKEI Gaming Headset