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Sony LinkBuds Open
No noise cancelling, 8 h, Wireless
Sony LinkBuds Open – the best in-ears I’ve ever tried
31/10/2024
Translation: Eva Francis
There’s a huge range of in-ear headphones on the market. But I’ve found my favourites: Sony’s LinkBuds Open. They might look a bit strange, but they’re almost perfect.
The first generation LinkBuds Open, launched in 2022, was based on the same unusual concept: an open design that doesn’t shield you from the outside world, but lets ambient sound through. Each earbud literally has a hole punched through it – like a doughnut.
My first love – and the reunion
I really liked the first generation LinkBuds Open, but lost them after a few months. I’m always testing headphones for work – models from Nothing, Oppo, Samsung, Apple and the like – so I just used those and didn’t buy new ones. After years of testing, I must say all others are decent, but I like the LinkBuds Open best.
And now Sony has surprised me by launching a second generation. Of course I ordered them right away – and fell in love with them all over again. This time I’ll look after them better.
Their supposed weakness is their greatest strength
Not only do the LinkBuds Open have no noise cancellation, they’re the pure opposite. The hole in the middle of the earbuds means they’re open, and you can hear the ambient noise. I love that.
When I’m working from home and listening to music, I can still hear the cats bicker, the doorbell ring or the washing machine beep. And when I’m at the office, I can hear when someone speaks to me from behind and am aware of what’s going on around me. Also, all I need to do is pause the music to have a conversation with someone – without accidentally screaming or whispering.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Other manufacturers achieve the same effect with a so-called transparency mode. This involves microphones recording ambient speech and sounds and playing them back via the headphones. With Sony, the sound from the earbuds and the outside world mix in a much more natural way.
This works well for me. In fact, that’s the whole point: the LinkBuds Open are my favourites because they do exactly what I like. I usually don’t want to isolate myself completely. Even if I have noise cancelling earphones, I usually switch off that function.
If I ever do feel the need to block out the outside world, on a plane or long train journey, for instance, I use conventional over-ear headphones with good noise cancelling. They’re more comfortable and much more effective in cancelling out ambient noise than in-ears. My over-ears of choice are Sony’s WH-1000XM5.
Speaker-quality sound
There’s another reason why I like the LinkBuds Open so much. Instead of having to wedge the bud into my ear, the ring with the drivers is clamped in my ear. The sound therefore feels more as if I were sitting close to a speaker. For me, it sounds more natural, more spacious, and the entire range of a song comes into its own.
The supporting bass lines are present, but not overwhelming. The treble remains clear. Individual instruments or sound ranges are clearly distinguishable. With podcasts, it sounds as if someone’s sitting next to me and talking to me instead of playing voices in my head..
What’s also great is that the Sony app lets you set the tone colour and many other functions just the way you like them.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Nothing’s perfect
As much as I love these in-ears, I must admit the 2nd gen earbuds aren’t much different to the 1st gen ones. The sound quality’s similar, but the battery life in everyday use is around eight hours instead of five.
The biggest flaw, however, wasn’t fixed, but mad even worse. Sony’s completely redesigned the case, but the lid’s even more wobbly than before. I’m not a fan of the design either – a shiny top and a matt bottom. Plus, the shiny lid’s such a dust trap.
Source: Lorenz Keller
The only advantage about the case is it’s probably the smallest one out there. However, that’s at the expense of battery capacity. The case only gives the earbuds another 14 hours of playback. Other manufacturers’ models offer 20 hours or more.
I’m glad the new design of the case hasn’t had a negative effect on the earbuds’ fit. Instead of a stem, they feature a small silicone tip that helps fit them in your ears. I find them comfortable and they stay in place well.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Despite these weaknesses, the LinkBuds Open are my absolute favourites. At least until another manufacturer copies the open design and launches even better earbuds.
What are your favourite in-ears? Let me know in the comments.
Header image: Lorenz Keller
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.