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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a name-brand pair of true wireless earbuds with a genuine ambient sound mode and voice-assistant controls for video calls, choose Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170; if you need marathon battery life, a low-latency gaming mode and a deeper noise-isolating seal for video calls, choose ACAGET Earbuds All Day.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170 — biggest strength: Ambient Aware and Quick Ambient Mode, so you decide how much of the outside world leaks in. That is the headline feature here, and it is the reason this pair stays on my shortlist for anyone who takes video calls while moving through a busy house.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170 — biggest trade-off: The battery story is modest. Up to six hours in the buds plus seven more from the case, and the IPX2 splash rating is the lightest kind of water resistance — fine for sweat, not for a downpour.
• ACAGET Earbuds All Day — biggest strength: Playtime, pure and simple. Three to four hours per charge with four extra charges in the case, and the case itself is rated at 16 hours of average life. A 10-minute USB-C top-up gets you about 60 minutes of music.
• ACAGET Earbuds All Day — biggest trade-off: No ambient or transparency mode. It blocks sound rather than letting it in, so you are sealed off from traffic, announcements and a coworker trying to get your attention.
• Who each pick is for: Pick the Galaxy Buds if awareness and a tuned, name-brand sound signature matter most. Pick the ACAGET if you want long sessions, a low-latency mode for games and movies, and a tight isolating fit.
The Galaxy Buds SM-R170 is the pair you buy when you care about hearing your surroundings on purpose. Ambient Aware lets you dial in how much outside noise reaches your ears, and Quick Ambient Mode is the one-tap version — the mode you flick on when someone walks up to your desk mid-call or when you step off a curb and need to hear what is coming. For video calls, that is genuinely useful: you stay present with the room instead of yanking a bud out every two minutes.
The audio side is a dynamic driver tuned by AKG, with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and an impedance of 140 ohm. The description points to substantial bass and a wider spread of sound rather than a flat, thin output. You also get three sizes of ear tips and wingtips in the box, which matters more than people admit — a good seal is most of what makes in-ear buds sound full. Bluetooth 5.0 handles the wireless link, and the buds pair with both Android and iOS devices. One caveat worth knowing: automatic sync and Ambient Aware Mode are Android-only features, so iPhone users fall back to voice commands and Siri.
Who should buy it? Someone who wants awareness control, a compact charging case that doubles as a wireless charger, and a fit they can tune out of the box. The 40 g total weight keeps it pocketable. Who should skip it? Anyone who needs all-day runtime or serious water resistance. With up to six hours per charge plus seven from the case, and IPX2 splash resistance, this is a commute-and-desk pair, not a marathon pair. If you are shopping for a kids headset for video calls, the light splash protection and small wingtips are friendly, but the runtime will not survive a full school day of back-to-back classes.
The ACAGET Earbuds All Day earns its name from the battery sheet. You get three to four hours per charge and four extra charges stored in the compact case, which the specs list as 16 hours of average life — and the case packs a 300 mAh cell with a 1.5-hour recharge. The quick-charge figure is the one I keep coming back to: 10 minutes on USB-C equals roughly 60 minutes of music. That is the difference between a dead bud before a meeting and a bud that makes it through the call.
For video calls specifically, the microphone story is the selling point. The description cites ENC noise reduction cutting background noise by around 80%, so the person on the other end hears your voice rather than your kitchen. The buds pair that with liquid silicone tips in three sizes that the sheet says seal ambient noise by about 70%. That is the opposite philosophy from the Galaxy Buds: instead of letting the world in, it shuts the world out. If you want an active noise cancelling headphone for video calls but prefer the in-ear format, this isolating seal is the closest thing in this comparison — though to be clear, these are noise-isolating, not active noise cancelling.
The rest of the spec sheet is modern. Bluetooth 5.4 with a 10-meter range and anti-interference tech, plus a Game Mode that drops latency to about 60 ms for mobile gaming and movies. The 13 mm dual-layer drivers with Bass-Boost EQ tuning lean toward punchy low end and clear vocals. Each bud weighs just 4.2 g, which is the kind of number that decides whether you can wear them for a full shift. IPX4 covers sweat and rain. Touch controls handle play, pause, skipping, calls and your voice assistant, and the buds support auto-pairing plus single-bud mode.
Who should buy it? Long-session users: gym-goers, commuters, gamers, and anyone who treats earbuds like an all-day appliance. Who should skip it? People who specifically want ambient sound. There is no transparency mode here, so if you want to hear traffic and announcements, this is the wrong tool. As sleep headphones for video calls, the feather-light 4.2 g build and low profile are appealing, but the touch controls can be triggered by a pillow, so keep that in mind. The 12–70 age range on the sheet also tells you it is built for a broad audience rather than kids specifically.
• Best for ambient sound mode → Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170. Ambient Aware and Quick Ambient Mode are the whole reason to pick it.
• Best for battery life → ACAGET Earbuds All Day. Roughly all-day playtime plus a 16-hour case and a 10-minute quick charge.
• Best for video call clarity → ACAGET Earbuds All Day. ENC noise reduction around 80% targets exactly the person on the other end.
• Best for staying aware on a call → Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170. You can hear the room without removing a bud.
• Best for gaming and movies → ACAGET Earbuds All Day. Bluetooth 5.4 and a 60 ms low-latency Game Mode.
• Best for workouts and weather → ACAGET Earbuds All Day. IPX4 and 4.2 g per bud beat IPX2 on both counts.
• Best for a tuned, brand-name sound → Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170. AKG-tuned dynamic drivers, 20 Hz–20 kHz.
• Best for iPhone users → ACAGET Earbuds All Day. Ambient Aware and auto sync are Android-only on the Galaxy Buds.
In my opinion, the ACAGET Earbuds All Day is the better buy for most people, and it is the one I would order. For video calls, the combination of ENC noise reduction, a 70% isolating seal and battery that actually lasts a working day solves the two problems that ruin remote meetings: people not hearing you, and your buds dying halfway through. The 60 ms game mode and IPX4 rating are useful extras rather than filler. I would only steer you to the Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170 if ambient sound is non-negotiable — if you take calls while walking, cooking or moving through a busy space and you need the world to stay audible. On that one specific job, Samsung wins clearly.
FAQ
what is ambient mode on earbuds
Ambient mode lets outside sound into your earbuds on purpose, usually through built-in microphones, so you can hear traffic, announcements or a coworker without removing a bud. On the Samsung Galaxy Buds SM-R170 this appears as Ambient Aware plus a one-tap Quick Ambient Mode. The ACAGET Earbuds All Day has no equivalent — it isolates sound instead.
what is ambient sound mode in earbuds
what is ambient mode in earbuds
Simply put, it is your earbuds choosing to let the world in rather than block it out. Samsung implements it as Ambient Aware on the Galaxy Buds SM-R170, letting you control how much surrounding noise you want. If that feature matters to you, it is the deciding spec in this comparison.
Yes — this page does not list prices, so use the check-price button to see the current price on Amazon for each pair. Compare that against what you actually need: ambient sound on the Samsung, or all-day battery and call clarity on the ACAGET. Let your priority decide, not the sticker alone.
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