A feature that sounds impressive but feels more like a novelty
In the quiet competition between tech giants over how we experience sound, Samsung has extended a premium feature — spatial audio — to a more accessible tier of its earbuds lineup. A firmware update arriving in early April 2022 brings 360 Audio to the Galaxy Buds 2, a capability once reserved for the pricier Buds Pro, alongside refinements to voice call quality. It is a small act of democratization in a market where yesterday's luxury often becomes tomorrow's baseline — a reminder that the distance between flagship and mid-range is always shrinking.
- Samsung is closing the gap between its premium and mid-range earbuds by pushing 360 Audio — a spatial sound feature — down to the Galaxy Buds 2 via firmware update R177XXU0AVC8.
- The feature tracks head movements to anchor sound in space, positioning Samsung directly against Apple's Spatial Audio on the AirPods Pro — but the rivalry reveals real differences in approach and ambition.
- Unlike Apple's content-specific implementation, Samsung's version attempts to work across most apps, a broader bet that comes with an uneven payoff — notably stumbling on Spotify.
- The quieter win in this update may be the improved voice call audio, a practical upgrade that touches everyday use more reliably than any spatial novelty.
- Owners can trigger the update manually through the Galaxy Wearable app, nudging a relatively young product — launched mid-2021 — further into competitive relevance.
Samsung is rolling out a firmware update to the Galaxy Buds 2 that delivers two things: a spatial audio feature called 360 Audio, and improved voice call quality. The update, version R177XXU0AVC8, began arriving in early April 2022, bringing a capability that had previously been exclusive to the more expensive Galaxy Buds Pro.
360 Audio works by tracking head movements and shifting the stereo image accordingly, creating the impression that sound originates from a fixed point in space. It is Samsung's counterpart to Apple's Spatial Audio — but the two take different approaches. Apple's version is designed around content specifically mixed for spatial playback. Samsung's casts a wider net, attempting to reposition stereo audio from nearly any app based on head orientation. In practice, that ambition has limits: the feature reportedly struggles with Spotify, suggesting its reliability across the app ecosystem is inconsistent.
The more grounded improvement may be the voice call enhancement. It's the kind of refinement that serves people in their daily routines rather than impressing them on a spec sheet.
The Galaxy Buds 2 launched in the second half of 2021, and firmware updates have been infrequent — the last notable one added Windows app support. For owners looking to apply this update, the Galaxy Wearable app on mobile provides a manual trigger under Earbuds software update settings. It is a modest increment, but in a crowded audio market, staying current is its own form of staying competitive.
Samsung is pushing a firmware update to the Galaxy Buds 2 that brings a spatial audio feature called 360 Audio—technology that previously lived only on the company's pricier Galaxy Buds Pro. The update, version R177XXU0AVC8, began rolling out in early April 2022, and it does two things: it adds the 360 Audio capability and it improves how the earbuds handle voice during phone calls.
360 Audio works by tracking your head movements and shifting the stereo image to follow them, creating the illusion that sound is coming from a fixed point in space even as you turn. It's Samsung's answer to Apple's Spatial Audio feature, which debuted on the AirPods Pro and later the AirPods 3. The difference is in how they're designed to work. Apple's Spatial Audio is meant to pair with content specifically mixed for it—movies, shows, certain music tracks. Samsung's version takes a broader approach: it works with audio from most apps, simply repositioning the stereo channels based on where your head is pointing.
The catch is that it doesn't always work as advertised. Testing the feature revealed that it struggled with Spotify, one of the most common music streaming services, raising questions about how reliably the technology performs across the app ecosystem. It's the kind of feature that sounds impressive in a spec sheet but can feel more like a novelty than a practical tool in everyday use.
The more meaningful improvement in this update is probably the voice call enhancement. Samsung says the firmware refines audio quality during phone conversations, which is something people actually use their earbuds for regularly. That's the kind of under-the-radar improvement that matters more than a flashy spatial audio gimmick.
The Galaxy Buds 2 themselves are relatively new—they launched in the second half of 2021—so firmware updates have been sparse. Before this one, the most significant addition was Windows app support, which let users adjust settings from a PC instead of being tethered to the Galaxy Wearable app on their phone. The Buds 2 have also cycled through a few sales promotions since launch, making them an increasingly accessible option in Samsung's audio lineup.
If you own a pair and want the update, the path is straightforward: open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone, go into Earbuds settings, and look for the Earbuds software update option near the bottom of the menu. The update should arrive automatically, but you can also trigger it manually from there. It's a small thing—a firmware bump on a pair of earbuds—but it's the kind of incremental improvement that keeps a product feeling fresh and competitive in a crowded market.
Citas Notables
360 Audio works with audio coming from most apps by shifting the positioning of the stereo channels based on head movements— Samsung firmware update documentation
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Why does Samsung need to add this 360 Audio feature to the Buds 2 now, months after they launched?
It's partly about keeping up with Apple, partly about justifying the product line. The Buds Pro had it, so the Buds 2 felt incomplete without it. Now they're more feature-parity.
But you said it doesn't even work well with Spotify. Isn't that a problem?
It is. It's a feature that looks good on paper but stumbles in practice. That's why the voice call improvement probably matters more—it's something that actually works and people use every day.
So this is more marketing than substance?
Not entirely. The voice quality bump is real and useful. But yes, 360 Audio feels like the headline feature when it's really the secondary benefit.
How many people are actually using spatial audio on their earbuds?
That's the question nobody asks. It's a nice-to-have, but most people are just listening to music or taking calls. The tech is there if you want it, but it's not why you buy the earbuds.
What does this say about Samsung's strategy?
They're playing catch-up with features, but they're also being smart about it—they're not charging extra to add it. It's a free update that makes the Buds 2 feel more complete without asking customers to pay again.