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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC may be a more suitable choice for air travel and noisy environments due to its active noise cancelling, and it's generally more affordable. Its over-ear design and longer battery life are ideal for extended listening sessions, but its bulkier size reduces portability compared to the compact Sony Linkbuds. The Sony Linkbuds, while typically pricier, offer an open-ear design with stemless form factor, making them better for users who want to stay aware of their surroundings. Additionally, they support wireless charging and have an ear detection feature, which is not available in the Skullcandy Hesh ANC. 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 Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Excellent for air travel
Advantages of the Sony Linkbuds
- Good for exercise
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Phone Calls
5.3
6.8
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
7.8
The Sony Linkbuds is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
Noise Reduction
8.7
2.5
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is very good for noise reduction, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
23.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has 23 hours of battery life. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$135
$178
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has a price of $135 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
Build Quality
7.0
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds has excellent build quality, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
6.7
6.6
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Sony Linkbuds are both only fair for music.
Gaming
5.6
5.5
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.8
5.4
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Skullcandy Hesh ANC and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Skullcandy Hesh ANC | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$135 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Skullcandy | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2020 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.8/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.6/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 23 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.6 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 17.5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.8/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | No | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | No | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 226.7 Grams | 4.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Maike Paeßens | 2021
"Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost."
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."
Get a great deal on the Skullcandy Hesh ANC or the Sony Linkbuds
About Skullcandy
Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.
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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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.
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