Sony Linkbuds

Sony Linkbuds

Sony Linkbuds

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BEST RATING
Podcasts & Audiobooks:
4.3
MUSIC: Fair6.6/10
CALLS: Fair6.8/10
GAMING: Poor5.5/10
TV: Poor5.4/10
PODCASTS & AUDIOBOOKS: Good7.8/10
EXERCISE: Good7.0/10
AIR TRAVEL: Poor5.2/10
NOISE REDUCTION: Poor2.5/10
BUILD QUALITY: Excellent9.3/10
BATTERY: Good7.3/10

Sony Linkbuds are unique earbuds with an open design, featuring an open ring driver that allows for natural ambient sound. These earbuds are wireless with good build quality and comfortable fit, which makes them suitable for use during exercise, thanks to their sweatproof certification. They offer a midrange price point, and their sound quality is considered poor, but with very good soundstage. They have a fair battery life on their own but come with a case that extends their total use time significantly. The Linkbuds also include app customization for equalizer settings, controls, and audio, and they are optimized for both Android and Apple devices. They support AAC codec for better audio quality with Apple devices but do not offer lossless codec support. They are not the best choice for gaming, TV, or video due to their poor scores in those areas; this could be due to high latency issues which aren't suitable for such activities. With mic style integrated and some included secure fit accessories like silicone fins, these earbuds also facilitate calls and meetings. However, they don't offer active noise cancelling, so noise isolation is poor, which could be a concern in noisy environments. If portability, natural sound experience, and exercising use are your priorities, Linkbuds may fit your needs, but if you want superior sound quality for focused listening or noise isolation for travel, they might not be the best option. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.




Evaluation

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Pros
  • Open, natural sound experience
  • Comfortable for long sessions
  • Good build and control quality
  • Optimized for Android and Apple
  • Sweatproof for exercise
Cons
  • Poor overall sound quality
  • Limited noise isolation
  • Not suitable for gaming
  • Not suitable for TV, video

Ratings by Category

Podcasts & Audiobooks:
4.3
This score evaluates the product when used solely to listen to podcasts or audiobooks. It takes into account sound quality and sound signature, to be able to keep voices clear and intelligible. It also considers battery life, when available, and comfort.
Battery Life:
4.1
The Battery Life rating is based on hours of typical, actual usage.
Exercise:
4.0
This score evaluates the product when used for exercise and physical activity. It mainly takes into account comfort, whether or not the products are sweatproof and how secure are the earbuds or headphones while wearing them. We also consider products with wireless capabilities to be more suitable for this particular scenario
Calls:
3.9
This evaluates the product when used solely to make and receive calls. It takes into account how well the products are able to clearly reproduce the human voice, the quality of the integrated microphones and the battery life, when available, to be able to use them for longer sessions or conferences.
Music:
3.7
This evaluates the product when used solely to listen to music. It takes into account the sound quality, whether or not they support high quality codecs, their ability to reproduce soundstage, and whether or not it has any virtual surround capabilities.
Portability:
3.0
The Portability score is based on an overall assessment that includes volume and maximum dimension of the product (and case, if relevant), and its weight. Special features like foldability for headphones are also taken into account.

Full Specs

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GENERAL

Price
$178
Brand
Sony
Release Date
February 1, 2022
Form Factor
Earbuds
Connectivity
Wireless

SOUND

Music Score
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6.7/10
Phone Calls Score
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6.9/10
Gaming Score
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5.6/10
TV and Video Score
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5.4/10
Exercise Score
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7/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
5.5 Hours
Wireless charging
No
Charging time
1.5 Hours
Bluetooth version
5.2
Case Battery Life
17.5

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
No
Noise Reduction Score
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2.5/10
Virtual Surround
Yes
Android App
Yes
iOS App
Yes
Mic Quality
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7/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
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9.3/10
Comfort score
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7.6/10
Size
Small
Weight of single earbud
4.5 Grams
Microphone style
Integrated

Sony Linkbuds

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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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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

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,900
Recommendations made
18,435
Consumer hours saved

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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

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.

Luis Torres

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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