Sony's LinkBuds are unlike any other pair of headphones I've ever worn, namely because a donut-like ring sits in your ear.
This design allows outside sound to persistently flow through, which is ideal for heading back to the office, studying in a library, or hanging out around the house.
There are plenty of headphones you can buy with more features for the same $179 LinkBuds price, but none of them are designed solely to always let outside sound in.
Let's unpack them and see if they're worth listening to.
Whether you're a student, a worker preparing to return to the office, or at home working with a group of family members, LinkBuds could be more useful to you than active noise canceling (ANC) headphones. ).
You just have to weigh which features you value most.
The who, what and how
Who's this for:
Sony's LinkBuds are best for those who don't care about active noise cancellation and prefer to always hear their surroundings.
They are ideal for those who work outdoors, avid runners, and parents who are at home working with children.
What you need to know:
LinkBuds offer the best transparency mode and offer exceptional audio quality for their small size.
They have a unique design that may not fit all ears, i.e. those with smaller ear canals.
They will want to take their time to find the right rubber tip that is the best fit.
And while these earbuds deliver loud sound, they don't provide a secure seal and there's no active noise cancellation.
How they compare:
LinkBuds offer a better transparency mode than other earbuds, as they have a physical hole in the design to let in unfiltered ambient sounds and conversations.
It's a more natural ambient noise experience than the Galaxy Buds Live (
$99.15 USD or
MX$ 2,038) and works better than the AirPods Pro (
USD$164 or
MX$ 4,999) that have a similar function.
Sound quality is on par with Sony's more expensive WH-1000XM4s (
USD$348 or
MX$6,482), but since they don't seal your ear, it's not the most immersive experience and the battery life is only around five and a half hours.
A design with purpose
LinkBuds have a physical hole, and it's not there by accident.
Sony calls this an "open ring design", but we prefer to call it a doughnut.
It took me a few days to get used to this design.
My ears are a bit smaller and I needed to play with the rubber tips, which rest around the main ear cup.
This transparent piece of elastic prevents the LinkBuds from swinging around in your ear or, in the worst case, falling out.
Sony includes five sizes in the box (extra small, small, medium, large, and extra large), and I recommend trying them all.
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After about two days, I found the right fit, and for the most part, the LinkBuds stayed snug.
Even during my running outings.
LinkBuds are also IPX4 rated, which means they can handle sweat and even a light rain shower.
And like most true wireless earbuds, Sony's LinkBuds live in a small combo charging and carrying case.
It can easily fit into a relatively small pants pocket or even a breast pocket.
You'll need to charge it via USB-C, as Sony didn't include wireless charging here.
The earcups and case are made from recycled plastic, which feels softer to the touch than typical plastic, but is still fairly durable.
You can also choose between the black or white model of LinkBuds.
Given the lack of touch space on the LinkBuds, Sony's control situation is a bit unique and strange at first thanks to the built-in sensors and its Wide Area Tap feature.
You don't need to be super forceful, but two quick taps to the side of my face paused or resumed playback.
The headphones will play a noise to let you know they recognized the command.
You can also touch the top of the LinkBuds to control them.
Hearing aids for the outside world
It bears repeating, but the LinkBuds don't completely seal your ear or offer noise cancellation.
This is because they are designed to keep you in tune with the world around you.
After I got the right fit, I started wearing the LinkBuds at the beginning of my workday, taking them off during lunch and putting them back on for the rest of the day.
As I typed at my desk, I could hear someone knocking on my door, even with the volume at around 70%.
It also sounds quite natural, considering the LinkBuds aren't using microphones to let in ambient noises.
Sometimes I could hear my upstairs neighbor's dog running around.
It gives you extra awareness in your space and is an absolute joy to use at home, even more so while working.
From a personal safety standpoint, you may find this to be especially useful in circumstances where it pays to be more vigilant, such as walking at night, taking public transportation, or cycling to new places.
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However, there isn't a way to block out these noises, and if that's a must, you won't enjoy or like the LinkBuds.
Even with music at higher volume levels, you can still hear most ambient noises.
You'll also find more sound leakage at higher volumes, something to be aware of if you're in a shared space.
Sony has an adaptive volume mode (which can be activated in the Headphones Connect companion app), which intelligently adjusts the level based on where you are.
It uses the microphones to hear the noise levels around it and set the levels well in my tests.
Solid battery life and microphones
One area where we wish Sony would offer more is battery life.
The LinkBuds are small, offering only about five hours of listening time.
I could stretch it closer to five hours and 45 minutes, but that was at lower listening volumes.
It trails similarly priced headphones.
The charging case provides approximately 12 hours of additional listening time and 17 hours total, shorter than the AirPods 3 which top out at 30 hours.
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Microphone quality is pretty solid, working best when you're indoors.
LinkBuds feature built-in microphones and a custom algorithm that works to identify your voice, minimize distortion and provide a clear result.
And since you can hear your own voice while you talk, calls feel a little more natural than in other hearing aids.
In conclusion
The $179 Sony LinkBuds stand out as the first headphones that don't completely cut you off from the world around you.
They are unique and offer some very rare use cases.
Ultimately, you'll need to weigh what you value most for this premium price point.
Those who want noise cancellation are better off with the Beats Fit Pro (
USD$151 or
MX$ 3,177) or the Galaxy Buds Pro (
USD$109 or
MX$3,299).
But if you want robust sound and the ability to hear the world around you, the LinkBuds are worth a shot.
Just be very patient to find the right fit.
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