Most of the premium true wireless earbuds these days boast Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and that’s what separates them from the clutter.
But what if premium TWS earbuds don’t offer that, instead, you get something opposite? Sounds strange but Sony has done just that, its latest earbuds – the Sony LinkBuds – don’t cut the external noise while you listen to the music, it’s instead designed this way so that you can actually hear what’s going around you.
What’s the logic in doing that?
Well, Sony wants you to be connected to the outside world as you enjoy your music or while talking to someone on a call.
This is rather strange, especially for those who have used Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds which are best in class when it comes to sound quality, ANC, and other features.
So, how is the experience really with the Sony LinkBuds in the usual everyday use? Let’s talk about all that in this review:
Sony LinkBuds: Build and Design
I’m not really sure how to describe the shape of Sony LinkBuds. You get two tiny earbuds with a donut-like ring attached to the round body and there is a rubber fin for the grip.
So, Sony has stuffed the driver inside the ring and there is no space for any silicone tip or anything like that. It looks simple yet complex.
The earbuds are surprisingly tiny, it’s amazing how so much has been stuffed inside this small body. Sony should get some praise here to think of a design different from others.
But is that a practical design?
In my experience, I really wanted earbuds tiny enough so that I can wear them for hours and Apple’s AirPods did make the cut, but I liked the LinkBuds better as the grip is really good and you won’t even realise you’re wearing the earbuds even if you wear them for 1-2 hours. But for that, you would have to pick the right rubber wing; I picked the medium ones and it worked really well for me.
There are touch controls too but instead of the buds, you will have to tap near your ear to skip a song, pause music, or accept a call.
Is that effective? I would say pretty much, but it will take some time for the user to get used to it. The downside is you can’t adjust the volume using these gestures.
That said, the charging case is really small but not much attractive and it feels that it’s made of inferior quality plastic. I believe Sony could have done a better job here. There is a USB-C port for charging, however, you don’t get a wireless charging feature with Sony LinkBuds.
Sony LinkBuds: Build and Design
We usually talk about ANC, and bass, among other features when it’s a Sony audio device, strangely, the LinkBuds don’t offer both of these popular features.
The earbuds are built to make you listen to the noise around you.
So, you would have to make do with whatever sound output you get with these earbuds. This doesn’t mean the sound quality is bad or inferior; you do get a clean and dense sound output, but make sure you wear the earbuds properly else the experience wouldn’t be too great.
Yes, it’s tough to imagine a Sony product without the signature Sony bass and you do miss a good smooth bass as you listen to different genres of music.
So, at times, I did feel the audio quality is not enough for you to fully enjoy the music tracks you like and it leaves one asking for more.
But then there is this comfort and convenience of listening to everything around you. This also means you can keep on listening to your music or a podcast or take calls and still be aware of announcements on a metro train, railway station, office, airports, etc.
I felt the LinkBuds are a great device for those into running, jogging, or cycling as they can hear the horns of cars or the sound of a speedy vehicle coming from behind.
I usually listen to music or podcasts while working and even take several calls on a regular basis, the Sony LinkBuds do fit well for a person like me who wants to wear earbuds for hours and do all of it.
That aside, they don’t seem practical for a general user looking for a pair of good TWS earbuds for sound quality.
Sony LinkBuds: Battery Life
Sony has pitched the LinkBuds as a device to keep you connected to the outer world but sadly, the earbuds can’t do that for long as the battery drains quickly.
Sony claims a total of 18 hours of playtime on a full charge, which means arond 6 hour of playtime each time your charge the earbuds from the charging case.
Sadly, the earbuds offer around 4-5 hours of playtime on a single charge. You do get a decent charge in 10 minutes if you’re in a hurry, but I believe the battery life should have been better.
There are anyway fewer features that LinkBuds offer and if you use Speak-to-chat, DSEE, and adaptive volume control, then the battery drains quickly.
Sony LinkBuds: Verdict
Although Sony has introduced an interesting concept with the LinkBuds, I believe it’s still a work in progress as they don’t have sufficient battery to stay in your ears for long and there are no other practical features they offer.
They are quite useful for those into running, cycling, or gym workouts but there isn’t much for others.
For the asking price of Rs 19,999, the Sony LinkBuds are really expensive and don’t do anything extraordinary.
For those looking for a great TWS earbuds experience, I would recommend Sony’s WF-1000XM4.
