In early 2022, Sony took a gamble on a unique design for open-design earbuds. The company built tiny buds with a circular, donut-shaped speaker that were designed to be worn all day. It then followed those with a more “traditional” set, the LinkBuds S, just a few months later. That second model delivered a lot of the key features from the flagship WF-1000XM5, but at $100 less.
Now Sony is expanding the LinkBuds line once again, adding three new options with very different designs. A second-gen version of the LinkBuds are now called LinkBuds Open (pictured above), with an all-new design debuting alongside them in the LinkBuds Fit. Lastly, there’s a LinkBuds Speaker that allows you to automatically switch the audio between it and a set of earbuds as needed.
LinkBuds Open
My key gripe with the original LinkBuds is that they weren’t very comfortable. Sony did well to pack in a ton of features, including tapping your face in front of your ear for the onboard controls (Wide Area Tap). However, the rigid casing for the ring driver was too firm and the earbuds overall didn’t stay in place that well. To address this, the company redesigned the “fitting supporter” for the LinkBuds Open, opting for a more common fit wing shape off the top edge. Sony also says it reduced the size of the second-gen model to further assist with a more comfortable fit.
Inside, Sony built a new 11mm ring driver that’s still open at the center for an inherent transparency mode. Thanks to a carefully selected high-compliance diaphragm and a powerful magnet, the LinkBuds Open can better replicate clear highs and mids along with louder, richer bass, according to Sony. The company also upgraded the earbud chip to its Integrated Processor V2, the same component that’s found inside the WF-1000XM5. Sony says this update should provide connectivity that’s more stable compared to the LinkBuds.
Sony also extended the battery life on the LinkBuds Open, offering up to eight hours on a charge. That’s up from five and a half on the first model. What’s more, the quick charge feature now gives you an hour of use in three minutes, as opposed to 90 minutes of playback in 10 minutes on the original version. Sony included a fit check tool in its new app this time, allowing you to have the positioning analyzed with a photo (Sony has done this before with other models). Other key specs include an IPX4 rating and multipoint Bluetooth.
The LinkBuds Open are available for preorder today for $200, $20 more than the 2022 model. They’re available in black, white and Olivia Rodrigo-collab purple (purple is US only). There are additional colors of case covers ($20) and additional fitting supporters ($10) to further customize your look. Those are available in blue, green, pink, purple and black.
LinkBuds Fit
The new LinkBuds Fit are a completely new design and the successor to the LinkBuds S. Based on consumer polling, Sony determined that fit and comfort were the two primary concerns for its customers. So, the company used its analysis of “extensive ear shape data” for the new curves. The earbuds are smaller and shorter, and a new Air Fitting Supporter is hollow to make it more flexible. Plus, a new ear tip is here to further enhance overall comfort.
Inside, a new Dynamic Driver X handles the audio, powered by the WF-1000XM5’s Integrated Processor V2 chip that also assists with the active noise cancellation (ANC). That component also enables a new Auto Ambient Sound mode that automatically adjusts transparency audio based on your surroundings and an Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer that tweaks ANC in real time — all aided by dual noise sensor tech and multiple microphones. Sony called the ambient sound quality on the LinkBuds Fit the “best-in-class,” which is a lofty claim when you consider the high bar Apple set with the AirPods Pro.
Battery life is slightly shorter than the LinkBuds S at five and a half hours. That’s 30 minutes less than that previous model. Other key specs include an IPX4 rating and multipoint Bluetooth. Like the LinkBuds Open, you’ll tap on the side of your face by your ear for the onboard controls (Wide Area Tap).
The LinkBuds Open are available for preorder today for $200, the same price as the LinkBuds S was at launch. They’re available in black, white, green and Olivia Rodrigo-hued purple (purple is US only). There are additional colors of case covers ($20) and additional fitting supporters ($10) to further customize your look. Those are available in blue, green, pink, purple and black.
LinkBuds Speaker
The third member of the LinkBuds trio isn’t another set of earbuds, it’s a speaker. The LinkBuds Speaker is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker with an IPX4 rating and built-in loop for hanging it up. You can expect up to 25 hours of battery life and a 10-minute rest on the charging dock will give you 70 minutes of use. The driver setup includes a woofer, a passive radiator and a tweeter, and Sony says the speaker is tuned for “well-balanced… pleasant and clear sound that does not tire the listener.” There’s a top-mounted microphone for calls that’s flanked by volume and playback controls. A Quick Play button lets you get the music going with a single button press.
The key feature of the LinkBuds Speaker is Auto Switch with compatible Sony earbuds. Those include the new LinkBuds Open and Fit, but the LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM5 are also on the list. The speaker’s hand-off tool will work with the WH-1000XM5 headphones, too. Just like it sounds, the feature allows you to quickly swap the audio between headphones or earbuds and the LinkBuds Speaker. You can also use the Sound Connect app to set routines for the speaker so that things happen automatically during the day based on your schedule. You can set Auto Switch to occur daily when you’re heading out to the gym or office, for example.
The LinkBuds Speaker is available for preorder today for $180 in black and grey color options. A charging dock is included in the box, but the speaker is only available in the US at this time.
Sound Connect app
During this new LinkBuds series launch, Sony is replacing its Headphones Connect app with a new one called Sound Connect. Starting today, all headphones which were compatible with the old app will now work with this new software. What’s more, ULT speakers and the new LinkBuds Speaker will also work with Sound Connect. If you have Headphones Connect installed, you’ll automatically change over the next time the app updates.
Sound Connect provides a much-needed redesign and a UI that looks more modern than the aging aesthetic of Headphones Connect. All of the key settings are right on the main screen and the app will provide tips for headphone and earbud use on the Discover tab.
For LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit, the app delivers a few unique features that should make your life easier. First, there’s a built-in voice control tool that allows you to control the earbuds with a “Hey Headphones” command. It’s just like Bose offers on its new QuietComfort Earbuds. You can use it to control music, adjust volume, enable/disable ANC and check battery life. Taking a page out of Apple’s book, Sony will also enable head gestures for accepting or rejecting calls on its two new sets of earbuds. An Auto Battery Save feature will disable things like EQ, DSEE upscaling, Speak to Chat and Voice Control to conserve energy when you hit 20 percent remaining. Lastly, a Background Music Effect can simulate less distracting sound as if it were playing in a bedroom, living room or cafe.
A full review of the LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Speaker is in progress. Stay tuned to that detailed evaluation in the coming days.