Sony has announced their new wireless earbuds – the LinkBuds, which have a very unique design, to say the least. The new earbuds feature a circular, donut-shaped 12mm driver, with a hole in the middle. Yes, you read correctly, a HOLE in the middle of the driver.
This open-back design is made for a natural-sounding conversation while using the earbuds, without the need for an ambient mode like in other earbuds such as the WF-1000XM4 and the AirPods Pro. It comes after the rising need for awareness of the environment during our daily routine. The earbuds are made with the intention to be used in public spaces, while walking in the street, and to be more suitable for office work and chat. Sound pass-through allows for a surprisingly natural sound compared to an isolated pair of earbuds, and during voice calls they block outside noise very effectively.
In typical Sony fashion, the LinkBuds comes with several features and specifications. The earbuds have CCAW voice coils, aluminum-coated crystal, and silicone sleeves. They also include support for connectivity via Bluetooth 5.0, A.S.P, and NFC – as well as a built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
(Sony almost called them WF-L900 and make life a little more frustrating for us, but in the end, they decided not to. Thank you, Sony.)
The materials used for the housing of the LinkBuds are recycled plastic, which brings the weight of each earbud to only 4g for unnoticeable using experience during the day. Battery life is up to 5.5hr on a single charge plus 12hr with the case, and a quick 10-minute charge in the case will give them 90 minutes of use if you find yourself without any battery. The earbuds have an IPX4 rating, so you don’t have to worry about them while working out or walking in the rain.
The earbuds come in gray or black color options, and because of the small size of the case, it – unfortunately – doesn’t have wireless charging. In addition, they have interchangeable flexible wingtips that ensure a secure comfortable fit for long hours on end. The controls are something entirely new: for play/pause, skip forwards or backward you can tap the side of your head near the earbud two or three times, and you can even customize them in the app.
At the end of the day, it all comes to personal use-case and preference. If you find yourself in need of frequent use of ambient use, these might be a great option for you, and if you’re looking for a very unique and stylish pair of earbuds with great sound quality, the LinkBuds are definitely worth considering. but if not – you can find yourself annoyed by the total lack of control over the noises that enter your earbuds.
The Sony LinkBuds come with a $179 price tag, which makes it a real competitor in the space of wireless earbuds, thanks to Sony’s reputation and reliability.
Get the Sony LinkBuds in the link here
1 comment
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