When Samsung launched its original Galaxy Buds Pro noise-canceling earbuds, one of its headline marketing messages was the attention it paid to their sound quality. Indeed, they delivered on that front, but a certain subset of users, including me, found them to be a less than ideal fit for https://businesslogr.com/is-grace-loan-advance-reviews/ their ears. In my case, none of the included ear tips allowed me to get a tight seal, so I had to swap in a larger set of tips from a rival set of earbuds. So, needless to say, I was curious to see what Samsung's engineers had come up with for the second-gen Galaxy Buds 2 Pro ($230, £219, AU$349), suspecting they'd address that fit issue. 

Sure enough, they did. The first thing you'll notice about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro -- which are launching alongside the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 -- is that they simply have a better all-around design than their predecessor. Not only are they 15% smaller, according to Samsung, but they weigh slightly less (5.5 grams per bud versus 6.3 grams) and have a matte finish on both the buds and case that gives them a nicer feel and makes them a bit more grippy.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2022

That makes the compact case a little less likely to slip out of your hand and -- more importantly -- it helps keep the buds in your ears a little more securely. And thanks to their new shape and smaller size, I was able to get a tight seal with the largest set of included ear tips and didn't have to supply my own. Additionally, the earbuds don't stick out of your ears as much as the original Galaxy Buds Pro did, and they look more discreet. They're available in three colors -- Bora purple, white and graphite -- and while I can't say they'll fit all ears equally well, they should provide a better fit to more ears than the original Galaxy Buds Pro. 

Proprietary high-res audio and other Galaxy-exclusive features

Aside from the revamped design, Samsung is touting the buds' improved noise canceling and support for 24-bit high-resolution audio. The catch is to get that 24-bit audio you'll need a Galaxy device equipped with Samsung's One UI 4.0 and a music streaming service like Qobuz, Tidal or Amazon Music that streams high-res audio tracks. On all other devices, including Android phones and iPhones, the buds default to the AAC audio codec. They use Bluetooth 5.3. 

Alas, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro don't support the more common AptX Adaptive audio codec for Android devices, only the new Samsung Seamless Hi-Fi codec, which Samsung says delivers 256x more sound data than 16-bit (CD quality) audio. Numbers like that are a bit deceptive because, based on my experience, you're really only going to notice a slight difference when streaming higher bit-rate tracks. But more on that after I round out the rest of the feature set.

The buds didn't stick out of my ears too much. 
David Carnoy/CNET

Like their predecessor, these have touch controls (you can turn certain ones on or off, or you can turn them all off) along with an option to activate hands-free Bixby, Samsung's voice assistant. Additionally, Samsung's 360 Audio virtual surround feature (with head tracking) returns in an "Enhanced" version and now works with a variety of Galaxy devices out of the gate, though it's not compatible with other Android devices. It works along the same lines as Apple's spatial audio feature for AirPods and can enhance your movie and TV watching experience, though it doesn't seem to be as pronounced Apple's spatial audio, which I think is slightly better overall. It also works with music or any audio you're listening to.  

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are IPX7 water-resistant, which means they can withstand being fully submerged in 1-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes. I had no problem running with them and they didn't slip out of my ears.

Like their predecessors, battery life is rated at five hours with noise canceling on and eight hours with it off at moderate volume levels, plus you get about three additional charges from the case (it charges via USB-C and wirelessly). You could quibble that five hours is pretty mediocre and that no improvements have been made to the battery life, but it's hard to shrink buds while increasing battery life. Also, when you drop the buds in the case, there's a quick charge feature that nets you an hour of use with a five-minute charge and double that with a 10-minute charge. 

Samsung says the buds have an improved air vent (to relieve pressure) and wind shield.
David Carnoy/CNET

Sensors detect when the buds are in your ears and will pause your music when you take both buds out of your ears and but won't resume playback when you put them back in without you tapping on one of the buds (you can use a single bud while leaving the other one in the case). Additionally, you can opt to activate a "voice detect" mode in the Galaxy Wearable companion app that automatically turns off noise canceling and switches to "ambient sound" mode when you speak, allowing you to hear the outside world and engage in a conversation with someone. Sony offers a similar feature with its WF-1000XM4 and LinkBuds S earbuds.

Another new feature worth mentioning has nothing to do with audio. You can toggle on the "neck stretch reminders" setting that detects your head position and alerts you when you've bent your head downward for 10 minutes. As I've written this review, I've been alerted several times to stretch my neck.  

Like the AirPods and some other earbuds these have a find-my-buds feature that Samsung calls SmartThings Find. It can tell you your location when the buds were last connected to your device, but it doesn't offer the more precise tracking capabilities of Apple's enhanced Find My in its latest AirPods. 

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have three microphones on each earbud along with ear-detection sensors.
David Carnoy/CNET

Lastly, like their predecessor and the more affordable Galaxy Buds 2, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro don't offer true multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to pair them with two devices, such as a phone and computer, at the same time. But Samsung says they seamlessly pair with all the Samsung devices logged into your Samsung account, including Samsung TVs built in 2022 or later and Samsung Galaxy Books laptops built after 2020. 

The Buds 2 Pro offer automatic switching between those devices. So if, for instance, a call comes in on your phone as you're watching a movie on your Tab S8 tablet, the audio will automatically switch to your phone when you answer the call. That's similar to how Apple's AirPods auto pair with any Apple devices logged into your iCloud account. Note that I haven't thoroughly tested the auto-switching feature with many Samsung devices (because I only own a few) so I can't confirm exactly how reliable it is. I spent more time manually switching my audio between a Galaxy Flip 3 and non-Samsung devices.   

Impressive all-around performer

Samsung says it's improved the noise canceling on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by 40% (it calls it "Intelligent ANC"). I found it an improvement on the original Galaxy Buds Pro, but noise-canceling performance is affected by how tight a seal you get from the ear tips (as is sound quality), so your perception of how much it's improved may vary by how good a seal you get.

I thought the noise canceling was close but not quite there, compared with the noise canceling of the Sony WF-1000XM4, but it did a good job muffling a variety of noise on the streets of New York and underground in the subway. You can turn the noise canceling off or activate ambient mode, the equivalent of Apple's transparency mode, which I thought sounded natural. But there's no setting to adjust noise canceling levels; it automatically adapts to your environment.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are equipped with two-way drivers (10mm woofer, 5.3mm tweeter), which is nice, and three microphones, two of which are beam-forming for voice calls. I paired them with a Galaxy Z Flip 3, iPhone 13 Pro and Google Pixel 4 XL and streamed music using Qobuz. I also streamed some movies from Google Play and Netflix.

According to Samsung, there's no way to check whether you're getting 24-bit audio (nothing indicates whether you are -- or aren't), but if your audio setup meets the requirements listed -- a Galaxy phone with Android 8.0 or higher and One UI 4.0 or higher with at least 1.5GB of RAM -- you'll be using the Samsung Seamless Codec, which transmits in 24-bit, assuming your audio files support it. (Qobuz files do.) I find it irritating that there's no way to tell what bit rate you're streaming at, but I'll have to take Samsung's word that I was getting 24-bit audio. 

I did notice a slight difference when streaming with the Galaxy Z Flip 3. However, using the iPhone 13 Pro, the sound quality was also very good with an amply wide soundstage. I went back and forth with Spoon's Knock Knock Knock track and a few other songs. The Flip 3's sound came across slightly more accurately (a bit more clarity) with a touch more detail and depth. The bass is punchy and well-defined and I didn't experience any noticeable distortion at higher volumes. In short, they're excellent-sounding buds, though I'm not sure they're superior to other top earbuds in their price range, including the Pixel Buds Pro, Beats Fit Pro and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3.

I mostly went with the default sound setting, though you can tweak the signature profile in the Galaxy Wearable app with some preset equalizer settings, including a bass boost setting. The truth is a lot of these premium earbuds are starting to sound pretty similar and it's really the fit -- and how they fit your particular ears -- that's going to make you like one more than another.

I'll finish by saying that once again Samsung has delivered a set of Galaxy buds that work quite well as a headset for making calls. They have good voice pick-up from the beam-forming microphones while providing good background noise reduction. Callers said they could hear me relatively clearly in the noisy streets of New York and the buds did a decent job reducing wind noise. They're in the upper echelons in terms of voice-calling performance.  

Galaxy Buds 2 Pro final thoughts

For better or worse, Galaxy Buds have always been an accessory for Galaxy smartphones and, as a result, more geared toward owners of Galaxy devices. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are no exception. They're excellent earbuds, but you lose some of their key features if you're not a Galaxy device owner. For that reason, it's easy to see them as the Samsung equivalent of the AirPods Pro, which may very well get some sort of high-resolution wireless streaming option with the arrival of the AirPods Pro 2 that will likely use proprietary Apple technology that only works with its devices.

By comparison, the Pixel Buds Pro have fewer features geared exclusively toward Pixel owners (virtual surround), and such features as hands-free Google Assistant and true multipoint Bluetooth pairing are available across all Android devices. However, the Pixel Buds have no enhanced audio codec support, which may be important if you're convinced it makes a big difference. I personally think it makes only a slight difference with this class of earbuds, which may have a premium price tag but aren't high-end.   

The bigger question will be whether it's worth upgrading to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro if you already own a pair of Galaxy Buds, particularly the original Galaxy Buds Pro. I think that will largely depend on what price you can get the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for. While their list price is $230, Samsung is currently offering trade-in deals (any Galaxy Buds in any condition) that bring their price down to around $155 and you can often get deals on them as part of a bundle with a new Galaxy phone.  

For me anyway, while the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer some small performance improvements over their predecessor, their design is the biggest upgrade. That makes them the best Galaxy Buds yet.

In addition to forgiving up to $20,000 in student debt for qualified borrowers, President Joe Biden announced he was extending the current moratorium on student loan payments and interest until Jan. 1, 2023.

Student loan payments have been paused since March 2020, when the CARES Act was passed by Congress. They were set to resume in Sept. 2020 but the freeze was extended three times by former President Donald Trump and now a total of four more times by Biden.

Here's what you need to know about federal student loan payments, including which loans are paused, what happens to borrowers who are in default, and whether there will be any further student loan payment pauses.

For more on student debt, find out if you qualify for a public student loan forgiveness waiver, if you should keep paying off your loan during the pause, and the benefits (and drawbacks) of refinancing your student loan.

Which student loans are currently paused?

The moratorium on student loan payments and interest includes all federally held student loans, regardless of what company is servicing the loan. Eligible student loans include:

• Direct federal student loans
• Federal Family Education Loan program loans held by the Department of Education, aka FFEL
• Federal Perkins Loans held by the Department of Education
• Defaulted FFEL loans not held by the Department of Education
• Defaulted Health Education Assistance loans, aka HEAL

Student loans that are not eligible include:

• Nondefaulted FFEL loans not held by the Department of Education
• Federal Perkins Loans not held by the Department of Education
• Nondefaulted HEAL loans
• Private student loans

If your student loans are eligible, payments and interest were automatically paused on March 13, 2020. If you're not sure whether your loan payments are paused or not, contact your loan servicer.

Will the student loan payment freeze be extended again?

The pause on federal student loan payments is slated to expire on Dec. 31, 2022, with payments expected to resume on Jan. 1, 2023. Nothing is set in stone, but in his announcement, Biden said he was continuing the moratorium "one final time" to the end of the year.

Some industry experts had predicted Biden might extend the payment moratorium until July 2023, the earliest point at which federal student loan programs could be overhauled. However, Wednesday's announcement of $10,000 to $20,000 of widespread student loan forgiveness likely preempts any further extensions.

In addition, private servicers of federal student loans have lobbied to end the payment moratorium this year.

Will there be any more student debt forgiveness? 

Judging by the length of time it took Biden to make a decision on widespread student loan debt forgiveness, it's unlikely that any further forgiveness will be given to all student loan borrowers via executive order. It's not clear yet if Biden's current order to cancel $10,000 to $20,000 for all federal student loan borrowers will be challenged in court or if anyone even has the standing to file a lawsuit against it.

The political climate on student loan debt forgiveness is likewise murky: An Ipsos/NPR poll found that a majority of Americans approve of canceling $10,000 of student loans, but support for forgiveness decreased at higher levels of relief. In addition, 59% of Americans are worried that student loan forgiveness will make inflation worse.

According to a separate CNBC/Momentive survey from early August, nearly a third of respondents (30%) opposed student loan forgiveness for anyone.

While further widespread student loan debt forgiveness is unlikely, the Department of Education continues to discharge loans of specific borrowers -- the agency has canceled $32 billion of student loans during Biden's term. Following temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program in October 2021, more than 175,000 borrowers have had their student loans extinguished, totaling more than $10 billion as of August 2022. 

Members of Congress have proposed the Simplifying and Strengthening PSLF Act, which permanently codifies the changes to the PSLF program, but it's not clear whether the measure has enough support to pass. Otherwise, the temporary changes to PSLF will expire Oct. 31, 2022.

The Department of Education has also discharged loans to students from certain colleges. On Aug. 4, a federal judge preliminarily approved a settlement that would give $6 billion in debt relief to roughly 200,000 borrowers who say they were defrauded by colleges like Lincoln Tech, American National University and https://businesslogr.com/is-grace-loan-advance-reviews/ Keiser University.

What happens to borrowers who were in default?

Borrowers in default will automatically be given a "fresh start," according to the US Department of Education. All defaulted accounts will be returned to good standing, and any delinquencies will be "cured," allowing borrowers to repair their credit and access programs like income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a student loan relief program designed for borrowers who work for the government or nonprofit organizations.

Since the federal student loan payment pause began in March 2020, collections on defaulted debts have been put on hold.

In an April 2022 statement, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, "During the pause, we will continue our preparations to give borrowers a fresh start and to ensure that all borrowers have access to repayment plans that meet their financial situations and needs." 

Correction, Aug. 26: This story earlier misstated that Keiser University is a for-profit school. Keiser University converted from for-profit to nonprofit status in January 2011.