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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Arya Stealth offers exceptional sound quality and a wide soundstage, ideal for an immersive music experience, but they lack a microphone for calls and are not suitable for exercise or travel due to their size and open design. Sony Linkbuds, being less expensive, provide good sound quality with a microphone, are more portable, have wireless capabilities, and are sweatproof, making them versatile for everyday use, calls, and use during exercise, but they won't match the Arya Stealth in terms of pure sound quality and immersion. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HifiMan Arya Stealth
- Best in class for music
- Good for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony Linkbuds
- Good for exercise
Key differences
Music
10.0
6.6
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is best in class for music, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
Gaming
7.1
5.5
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is good for gaming, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
6.8
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the HifiMan Arya Stealth is poor.
TV and Video
9.4
5.4
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is excellent for TV and video, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
N/A
5.5 Hours
The HifiMan Arya Stealth does not have a battery. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$599
$178
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Arya Stealth has a price of $599 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
7.8
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HifiMan Arya Stealth to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony Linkbuds is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
2.5
The HifiMan Arya Stealth and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for noise reduction.
Build Quality
9.0
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds and HifiMan Arya Stealth both have excellent build quality.
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How the HifiMan Arya Stealth and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Arya Stealth | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$599 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2018 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 10/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.2/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 17.5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 408.2 Grams | 4.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
HifiMan Arya Stealth
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | October 2022
"The Arya can easily be end-game headphones for 99% of consumers, satisfying most audio desires. Priced well above USD$1000, the Arya are obviously and gloriously not for the mass market consumer; they are designed and built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts – especially those who view their expenses on this level of gear as investments."
Sony Linkbuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Sam Moore | February 2022
"The Sony LinkBuds is definitely the most unique audio product to release so far in 2022, and it largely executes well on it's unoccluded design. However, it's hamstrung by all the same things as other unsealed earbuds."
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About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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