Sony LinkBuds: Expensive TWS that you need every hour

Although the Sony LinkBuds are a good addition to the TWS market with their distinctive design and features, their price may just be the deciding factor in their success.

Sony has introduced its new TWS called LinkBuds, which is unlike most TWS available on the market today. It has distinctive features such as an open ring design, a wide tap and is extremely lightweight. In the crowd of true wireless ANC headphones, the new Sony LinkBuds have something special for you. Let’s find out!

Design

The Sony LinkBuds are one of the lightest TWS I’ve come across in the recent past. Even with the case, it is like a feather and hardly occurs in the ears. Sony used an open-air design in the LinkBuds, which is unique. We’ve all used ANC headphones that cancel out ambient noise to some degree, the extent depends on the price, but the LinkBuds let you monitor your surroundings. I personally feel that this is a good thing, and especially when we go out to crowded places with a lot of traffic. The Sony LinkBuds fit easily in the ears, but it can also depend on the shapes and sizes.

A circular diaphragm or driver is attached to the Sony-branded tips, while the tips have a silicone fin to fit in the ears. The circular design has a hole in the middle that allows air and thus ambient sound to pass through. The buds themselves have negligible weight, which is good for long wear.

battery

Sony’s LinkBuds claim to offer around 17 hours of playback, but the buds don’t last that long. If you wear them around the clock, the LinkBuds can work for up to 5 hours, as use is limited to music and chat. The charging case is good for power backup for the buds and can charge them quickly. The battery drains a little faster during a call – DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) functions are activated.

Performance

Sony LinkBuds are true to their philosophy of enabling ambient sound while maintaining quality. The LinkBuds produce a clear sound to some extent, but the clarity decreases a bit when the volume is turned up. Overall, the LinkBuds have a good sound output even in a chaotic environment with the adaptive volume control feature. Don’t try to find ANC here because it’s not meant to be. Bass and accuracy could be better, but it’s not bad either.

The LinkBuds come with this unique wide-angle tap that lets you control your music without touching the buds. Just tap near the buds and the function will start. The talk-to-chat feature pauses the music when you start talking and resumes it when you end it. I find it quite useful in everyday conversations.

Connectivity

Sony LinkBuds connect quickly. With Google’s Quick Pairing support, it becomes even better with Android devices. We used it on Windows too and the connection was smooth. Despite this, the LinkBuds faced a challenge when trying to connect to an iPhone. To do this, we need to switch to the Sony Headphones Connect app. The handcuffs support Bluetooth version 5.2 and above and come with a range of 10 meters.

Conclusion

Sony LinkBuds live up to their design. The open-air design makes you aware of the environment while having a good sound output. Talk-to-chat functionality is something we need today in this hybrid work culture. Pairing is absolutely fast, while the whole package of LinkBuds makes it a good choice in the TWS segment. Battery life depends on usage, but can last a day at work. The price of the Sony LinkBuds (₹19,990) is something that will bother people as there are many good options available at this price point.