There’s a hole in Sony’s new LinkBuds earphones
15/2/2022
Sony unveiled new in-ear headphones today. The LinkBuds have a completely novel design: they have a hole so you can hear your surroundings while listening to music. I had the opportunity to try them.
The LinkBuds from Sony are novel, open in-ear headphones. Many earphones offer noise cancellation. Sony’s LinkBuds do the exact opposite: they let all ambient noise in. Located in the centre of the speaker is a hole. I received a test device from Sony a few days before the launch, so I’ve already had the opportunity to test how this works.
Specs: lightweight and well equipped
The first thing I noticed is how light each earbud is: each weighs just 4.1 grammes. For comparison, one AirPod Pro bud weighs 5.4 grammes. The new Sony headphones also pack other impressive specs. But they do have one shortcoming: they don’t have Bluetooth multipoint, meaning you can’t actively pair them with multiple devices at the same time.
- Battery life: 5.5 hours
- Battery life with charging case: 12h (+ fast charging)
- Weight per earbud: 4.1 grammes
- Driver: proprietary ring-type driver
- Waterproof: IPX4 (splashproof)
- Headphone type: open in-ear headphone
- Arc support: 5 sizes
- Controls: touch and Wide Area Tap (in front of the ears)
- Modes: ambient mode and clear phone call
- Features: Speak-to-Chat (stops playing during a conversation)
- Bluetooth: version 5.2, codec AAC/SBC (no LDAC)
- Bluetooth pairing: Android Fast Pair, Windows 10 Swift Pair
- Voice assistants: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
Comfortable fit
The second thing I notice is that the LinkBuds are not only lightweight, but also sit comfortably in the ear thanks to their shape. When there’s no music playing, I sometimes forget I even have them in.
However, it takes a bit of practice to position the headphones properly in the ear, since they have to be tucked under the ridge inside your ear. Contrary to typical in-ear headphones, it feels like I’m placing rather than plugging the LinkBuds into my ear. Once I’ve got them in, they sit excellently and don't fall out even when I turn my head quickly.
Hear your surroundings – with balanced sound
While on a walk in the city, a jog and a short bike ride, I notice that I can clearly hear all the cars, trams, buses and people around me. Unlike awareness modes on other headphones, you hear your surroundings as they really are – not through microphones. Accordingly, the noise doesn’t sound fake or far away. Because the LinkBuds can’t offer any noise cancellation due to their build, they’re obviously less suitable for the morning commute on the train (unless you want to eavesdrop on the golden agers sitting next to you).
I perceive the sound of the buds to be balanced, clear and warm. Compared to conventional in-ear headphones, they do have a bit less bass, but that doesn't bother me. Sony provides some equalisers in the app, as usual, and the option to customise controls. Do keep in mind that because the app is still in beta, this is only a first impression.
Pre-order, questions and review
You can pre-order the headphones as of now. Shipping is set to start on 18 February 2022. For 30 days after launch, Sony is running a Buy and Try promotion: if you don’t like the headphones, you can return them to Sony for a full refund.
I’ll keep testing the LinkBuds with the full app and then report back with a detailed review. If you have any questions about the headphones, feel free to ask them in the comments. I’ll try to address them in my review.
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Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
