Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Feb 26, 2016 at 12:00 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
By Sam Vafaei and Marc Henney
7.0
Mixed Usage
7.1
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
7.1
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.7
Wireless Gaming
7.3
Wired Gaming
6.9
Phone Call
+ Create your own
overview test results deals 0 comments
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
The Samsung Level On Wireless are a surprisingly great set of headphones. They feel flimsy but deliver in the sound department, with accurate audio reproduction. They also do a decent job with noise isolation. Unfortunately, they don't feel as durable as the Level Over and their touch controls can be a bit frustrating to use at times.
Our Verdict
7.0 Mixed Usage
The Level Over make for good everyday headphones. They have sufficient features to handle most test cases.
Pros
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Great audio reproduction.
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Do not leak much sound.
Cons
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Poor build quality.
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Uncomfortable fit.
7.1 Neutral Sound
Above-average for neutral listening. They have a good frequency response that's also adjustable with the aid of the Samsung app. Soundstage is a little limited because of their closed back design, but the sound quality and comfort level, are good enough for long casual listening sessions.
See our Neutral Sound Recommendations
7.2 Commute/Travel
Good for commuting. Their noise isolation performance is decent enough for moderate levels of ambient noise. they're comfortable and decently portable.
See our Commute/Travel Recommendations
7.1 Sports/Fitness
Above-average for sports use. Comfortable and wireless with a good control scheme. However, they're a bit bulky and a little unstable.
See our Sports/Fitness Recommendations
7.0 Office
Good for office use. Noise isolation performance should be enough for the chatter of a busy office, and they don't leak much.
See our Office Recommendations
5.7 Wireless Gaming
7.3 Wired Gaming
6.9 Phone Call
- 7.0 Mixed Usage
- 7.1 Neutral Sound
- 7.2 Commute/Travel
- 7.1 Sports/Fitness
- 7.0 Office
- 5.7 Wireless Gaming
- 7.3 Wired Gaming
- 6.9 Phone Call
+ Create your own
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Feb 26, 2016: Review published.
Compared To Other Headphones
See our recommendations for the best budget noise cancelling headphones, the best wireless on-ear headphones, and the best noise cancelling headphones under $100.
Samsung Level U Pro Wireless
The Samsung Level On Wirelessare a better choice if you want on-ears, but if you prefer a slightly more portable design,go for the Samsung Level U Pro instead. The Level Onhave a longer battery life and are noise cancelling, so they isolate better than the Level U Pro in noisy conditions, especially if your commute involves of low frequency rumbling noise like the sound of a bus engine. On the other hand, the Level U Pro have a much more compact format that you can carry around much easier, since you can just let them dangle from your neck. They also have a lot of customization options, like the Level On, but unlike the on-ears, they also support aptX Low Latency, which makes them a bit more suitable for watching movies as long as you have the right transmitter.
Compare Side-by-Side
SEE OUR REVIEW
Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless
The Sony WH-1000XM2 are much better noise cancelling headphone than the Samsung Level On Wireless. The Sony have a better noise cancelling performance that isolates a lot more in noisy environments. They also have a more comfortable over-ear fit that most will prefer over the fit of on-ears although it is not directly comparable. They also sound better and have a lot more customization option both on Android and iOS, which the Samsung do not. On the upside, the Samsungare more portable. They're also a bit more suitable for watching videos since they have lower latency than the Sony if you have the right transmitter, and their auto-off feature is a bit better handled than the WH-1000XM2.
Compare Side-by-Side
SEE OUR REVIEW
Samsung U Flex Wireless
The Samsung Level On Wireless are a better choice if you want on-ears, but if you prefer a slightly more portable design, then an go for the SamsungU Flex instead. TheU Flex are more portable than the Level On and the Level U Pro, thanks to their flexible neckband design that will fit into some pockets. They also have a bit more customization options than the Level On when connected to a Samsung device, although not by much since they aren't noise cancelling headphones. The Level On, on the other hand, have a longer battery life and support more codec options than the U Flex. Also, since they are noise cancelling, they do a little better in noisy conditions. They also have better sound quality.
Compare Side-by-Side
SEE OUR REVIEW
Sony WI-C400 Wireless
The Samsung Level On Wireless are not directly comparable to the Sony WI-C400 since they are in-ears and the Level Onare on-ear headphones. However, the LevelOn are noise cancelling headphones, so they perform a bit better at isolating you from low-frequency noise like that of an engine when commuting. They also have a better-balanced sound that you can customize thanks to the Level app on Android. They have a better build quality (althoughit's not really comparable) and some may prefer the fit of the on-ears over the in-ear headphones like the Sony WI-C400. On the upside, theC400 are a lot more portable. They also leak a lot less since they are small in-ears, but they are worse for most other categories and have a lot more latency when watching videos.
Compare Side-by-Side
SEE OUR REVIEW
Test Results
Design
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
The Level On look sleek and modern. Their dark blue glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet but works well for the overall aesthetic. The "on ear " cups are circular well padded and look good with the overall design. The headband is only padded on the bottom half but fits the look and feel of the headphones.
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7.0 Design
Weight 0.52 lbs
Clamping Force
Quite comfortable headphones but the ear cup doesn't seem to be the right size. They are a little too large to be considered "on-ear", and a little too small to be considered "over-ear." So unless you have the perfect-sized ears, there's a chance that a portion of your ear will be sticking out of the headphones.
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LEARN ABOUT COMFORT
7.3 Design
OS Compatibility
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Subpar
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
Noise Cancelling Control Yes
Talk-Through
Additional Buttons No
These headphones however lose points for the "Touch Pad". lack of tactile and visual cues mean that mistakes will be inevitable.
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LEARN ABOUT CONTROLS
7.7 Design
Avg.Temp.Difference 2.6 °C
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LEARN ABOUT BREATHABILITY
6.2 Design
L 4.72"
W 6.3"
H 2.76"
Volume 82 in³
Transmitter Required N/A
The Level On are decently portable headphones. They are bigger than average on-ear headphones but do not take up as much space in a bag as some over-ear models. They also fold up into a more compact design for easy transportation. They are maybe too big to fit in most pockets but will comfortably fit into a handbag or backpack.
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LEARN ABOUT PORTABILITY
5.5 Design
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
Comes with a soft pouch that will protect the headphones from scratches and does not add too much bulk. However, the soft fabric will not shield the headphones from water damage, hard falls or heavy physical stress.
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LEARN ABOUT CASE
7.0 Design
Feels cheap and flimsy. Especially the point where the ear cups connect to the headband doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Solid click on headband adjustment and they retain their position well.
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LEARN ABOUT BUILD QUALITY
6.5 Design
The Level On are decently stable headphones. They stay in place during casual listening sessions, and their wireless design is devoid of cables that can get tangled or hooked on something, which would pull the headphones of your head. Unfortunately, they're not made for sports and are not tight enough to maintain their position while running. They will slip off your ears if used while doing high-intensity exercises at the gym.
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LEARN ABOUT STABILITY
Design
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Design
—
Design
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Design
- Samsung Level On Wireless Headphones
- Carrying pouch
- Audio cable
- USB cable
- Manual
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Sound
Bass Amount
Treble Amount
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LEARN ABOUT SOUND PROFILE
8.6 Sound
Avg. Std. Deviation
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LEARN ABOUT FREQUENCY RESPONSE CONSISTENCY
Sound
—
LEARN ABOUT RAW FREQUENCY RESPONSE
7.9 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Frequency Extension 34.62 Hz
Low-Bass
Mid-Bass
High-Bass
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LEARN ABOUT BASS ACCURACY
8.5 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Mid
Mid-Mid
High-Mid
—
LEARN ABOUT MID ACCURACY
7.5 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Treble
Mid-Treble
High-Treble
—
LEARN ABOUT TREBLE ACCURACY
7.2 Sound
Peaks
Dips
—
LEARN ABOUT PEAKS/DIPS
8.5 Sound
Weighted Group Delay
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
Weighted Phase Mismatch
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LEARN ABOUT IMAGING
2.3 Sound
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
PRTF Size (Avg.)
PRTF Distance
Openness 2.9
Acoustic Space Excitation 4.1
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LEARN ABOUT SOUNDSTAGE
7.6 Sound
WHD @ 90
WHD @ 100
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LEARN ABOUT WEIGHTED HARMONIC DISTORTION
7.0 Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
Mid
Treble
Decent noise cancelling, especially considering these are advertised as on-ears (even though the cups are a little larger than most on-ears). Low-end isolation is not the best we have tested, but still good. There also seem to be a weak point around 2KHz, which actually could be useful if one wants to be able to have a conversation with ANC On.
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE ISOLATION
6.7 Isolation
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
The majority of leakage with these headphones happen around 400Hz to 2KHz, which covers most of the mid-range. There is a steady drop-off below and above those points.
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LEARN ABOUT LEAKAGE
Microphone
Integrated
In-line
Boom
Detachable Boom
Mic Yes
—
LEARN ABOUT MICROPHONE STYLE
6.2 Microphone
Recorded Speech
LFE
FR Std. Dev.
HFE
Weighted THD
Gain
—
LEARN ABOUT RECORDING QUALITY
7.2 Microphone
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE HANDLING
8.0 Active Features
Battery Type
Continuous Battery Life
Additional Charges
Total Battery Life
Charge Time
Power Saving Feature
Audio While Charging
Passive Playback
Charging Port micro-USB
The Level On Wireless have a decent battery life that delivers up to 15 hours of continuous playback. They're not the fastest charging headphones at 2.3 hours but have an auto-off timer, which saves quite a bit of power when they're not in use. However, they're not the ideal headphones to take on particularly long road trips, as you may have to charge them throughout the day.
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LEARN ABOUT BATTERY
7.5 Active Features
App Name Samsung Level
iOS No
Android Yes
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
ANC Control
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
Playback Control
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A
The Samsung Level app is well-designed, easy-to-use and provides a good set of features. It has a clean and straightforward interface that gives you access to a to two types of graphic equalizers, an adjustable auto-off timer, and a noise canceling on/off button. The app feels complete and practical. However, the battery indicator is little small and doesn't provide enough information.
Samsung Level On Graphic Equalizer 1
Samsung Level On Graphic Equalizer 2
Samsung Level On Presets
Samsung Level On Auto-Off Timer
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LEARN ABOUT APP SUPPORT
8.7 Connectivity
Bluetooth Version
Multi-Device Pairing
NFC Pairing
Line of Sight Range
Default Latency
aptX Latency
aptX(LL) Latency
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LEARN ABOUT BLUETOOTH
0 Connectivity
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
Non-BT Latency
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LEARN ABOUT NON-BLUETOOTH WIRELESS
9.5 Connectivity
Analog Audio
USB Audio
Detachable Yes
Length 4.08 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
—
LEARN ABOUT WIRED
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Analog
PC / PS4 Wired USB
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT PC / PS4 COMPATIBILITY
Connectivity
Xbox One Analog
Xbox One Wired USB
Xbox One Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT XBOX ONE COMPATIBILITY
0 Connectivity
Type
USB Input
Line In
Line Out
Optical Input
RCA Input
Dock Charging
Power Supply
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LEARN ABOUT BASE/DOCK
