Sony’s LinkBuds Get New Features That Rival Apple’s
If there’s one brand that I consistently recommend as an AirPods alternative, it’s Sony. The company has developed noise cancellation and sound quality, and while this is most evident in its WH-1000XM series of on-ear headphones , the much more vocal LinkBuds are quite acceptable as a more affordable alternative. Until now, you’ve had two options for LinkBuds—the noise-canceling LinkBuds S and the open-ear LinkBuds—but this year Sony is changing up the lineup to focus on comfort and a few easy-to-use features that rival Apple’s. .
The LinkBuds S are now joined by the new LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open, and while they will still be on store shelves, the old basic LinkBuds are being discontinued. In conjunction with this shake-up, Sony is also releasing a new LinkBuds speaker to go with its new headphones.
With these updates you get the typical improvements in battery life and sound quality: the new LinkBuds feature a new driver and a new chip; When I tested them, vocals were clear and bass was deep. But beyond meeting typical expectations, these new buds stand out because they focus on a better quality of life.
Starting with LinkBuds Fit, the most noticeable change is in the name. There are shorter ear tips that will make them fit more comfortably in your ear, as well as a new support bracket that will help keep them in place while you wear them. I’ve found them to be much more stable than the old model’s basic round design and even my AirPods Pro, which sometimes get wobbly when I work out.
But there were also internal updates. Battery life with the headphones alone is slightly shorter (by half an hour), but to compensate, battery life with the charging case is increased by an hour. What’s even more impressive is that there’s an automatic ambient sound feature that filters out the noise around you depending on whether you’re in a quiet or loud environment, or if the headphones detect that you’re talking. This should help them keep up with similar Apple features like Conversation Awareness, as well as an Automatic Noise Canceling Optimizer that helps you test the fit of your headphones and make sure you’re getting the best ANC experience.
The LinkBuds Open don’t have many unique features, but they do have support, plus they’re a little smaller. They still have the unique donut-shaped driver so you can hear ambient noise while you wear them. They also have significantly improved battery life, up to eight hours (up from five hours) with the headphones and up to 22 hours (up from 17.5 hours) with the case.
However, no matter which model you choose, both will be able to take advantage of Sony’s new audio app. Called Sound Connect, it replaces Headphones Connect and offers voice control, gesture controls, and a fancy effect called Background Music.
Voice control lets you control your headphones with the command “Hey, headphones” in case your phone’s virtual assistant doesn’t interact and can affect volume, noise canceling, playback—pretty much anything you can use physical controls for. Gesture controls are more limited: you simply nod to accept a phone call or shake your head from side to side to decline it. Background music, meanwhile, allows you to choose from multiple environments, after which your headphones will try to adjust your music to sound like you’re listening to it in that space. For example, you can use the Cafe setting to pretend you’re in a café, and the headphones will adjust your song and introduce appropriate ambient noise.
Less interestingly, there’s an “Automatic Battery Saver” feature that automatically turns off features like voice control when you have 20% battery remaining. I would probably turn this nanny feature off immediately.
Unlike previous models, it uses touch controls to physically control the headphones. You can tap the headphones directly or, impressively, the side of your head (they’ll feel the vibration). Presses are detected well enough, but while it’s convenient to not have to fiddle with the buds themselves, it’s difficult to remember how many presses do what in a pinch. Turning noise canceling on and off can be as simple as two taps, but it can take up to four to increase the volume, and the controls will sometimes be different for each ear. This can be distracting if you just need to quickly turn off the music when your boss approaches your desk.
What’s not distracting is the new LinkBuds speaker, which thankfully doesn’t bother Alexa or any call assistants. It’s a simple portable music player and speakerphone with one woofer, a passive radiator, a tweeter and a top-mounted microphone. Battery life is highly dependent on volume, but the package also includes a charging puck if you just want to leave it stationary.
What stands out to me about the LinkBuds speaker is that, like AirPods with Apple TV, it can automatically switch music between headphones and speaker playback on LinkBuds Open, Fit or S headphones, as well as on Sony WH-1000XM5 or WF-1000XM5. headphones.
The LinkBuds Fit and Open are available to pre-order now for $199, so choosing between them just depends on whether you prefer noise canceling or ambient noise with your ear open. The LinkBuds speaker costs $179. They’re all available in black and white, but the LinkBuds Open also come in purple, while the Fit comes in purple and light green. Sony also sells additional colors separately as cases exclusively through its website.
It’s currently unclear whether the price of the LinkBuds S will be reduced to make room for new models.