Two designs, one clear champ

Sony’s line of LinkBuds merchandise has served two key functions. First, it gave the corporate a playground to introduce wildly totally different designs like the donut-shaped first-gen LinkBuds. It additionally allowed Sony to develop the LinkBuds S, a extra conventional set that supplied a style of its flagship 1000X merchandise for $100 much less. That mannequin was actually extra compelling than the corporate’s primary fashions that go for $120 and beneath.

Two years after the LinkBuds and LinkBuds S, Sony is again with an all-new mannequin and a revamped model of the unique. With the LinkBuds Match ($200), the corporate has developed a full-featured, comfortable set of earbuds with spectacular sound. And on the LinkBuds Open ($200), Sony tweaked its distinctive open-wear components by updating some instruments. Then there’s the third member of the 2024 LinkBuds trio, the LinkBuds Speaker ($180), which is designed to combine seamlessly with the 2 new pairs of earbuds whenever you return residence or to the workplace. Since Sony launched these all collectively, I’ve reviewed them that means, so buckle up since you’re about to get three opinions for the worth of 1.

LinkBuds Match

Sony’s LinkBuds S have been a low-key hit in 2022. They’ve a number of the nice options from the 1000X line, with an identical general form, too. Small and cozy, they provide considerably extra by way of sound and instruments than most $200 earbuds. With this yr’s LinkBuds Match, Sony has debuted the subsequent development in its energetic noise canceling (ANC) LinkBuds.

That is the choice for individuals who desire a closed design and a safe match. Sony utterly redesigned the LinkBuds Match, aiming for the optimum form for most individuals. To get there, the corporate made the primary housing loads smaller, as the entire thing tucks nearly solely into your ear. There’s a so-called Air Cushion silicon assist wing that’s hole as an alternative of strong. This permits extra flexibility, and actually it’s extra snug since you possibly can tuck it into the ridges of your ears nevertheless it’s worthwhile to. The mix of the smaller measurement and the Air Cushion make the LinkBuds Match a number of the most comfortable in-ears I’ve examined. Though they plug your ears closed, they by no means turn out to be a burden, even after hours of fixed use.

Probably the greatest issues concerning the LinkBuds S was the spectacular sound high quality for the worth. That continues on the LinkBuds Match as Sony presents balanced tuning proper out of the field. There’s crisp highs, ample mid vary and snappy bass all through most genres, even with extra restrained, country-tinged rock like Jason Isbell’s Stay from the Ryman, Vol. 2. Plus, the corporate’s DSEE Excessive upscaling can assist restore some audio high quality misplaced over compression for Bluetooth streaming. Audio presets and a 5-band EQ are right here for changes, however I didn’t even consider using them.

The sonic talents of the LinkBuds Match are on full show with BONES UK’s Gentle. The crunchy guitars, droning bass traces and punchy kick drum present a full, deep soundstage for the textured vocals to drift throughout. And for a bass-heavy expertise, the synth-heavy tune “Generator” from Justice’s Hyperdrama is a loud, pulsing observe with an enormous low-end thump whereas the keys nonetheless lower by on high. Curiously, there’s nuance to the bassy beats on the LinkBuds Match, slightly than only a one-note rhythm. All of those sound enhancements are due partly to the earbuds inheriting the Dynamic Driver X and Built-in Processor V2 audio chip from the 1000X. There’s extra enveloping sound on the WF-1000XM5, however not by a lot, as Sony has closed the hole between its flagship mannequin and the LinkBuds line – for now.

Options like Adaptive Sound Management, multipoint Bluetooth and Communicate to Chat make their return on the LinkBuds Match from the LinksBuds S. However Sony has gone nicely past these with a number of recent conveniences. The corporate took a web page from Apple’s e book and now lets you reply or reject calls by nodding or shaking your head. There’s additionally a built-in voice management that doesn’t require your telephone’s assistant, one thing akin to what Bose presents on the brand new QuietComfort Earbuds. And since the earbuds are so small, there aren’t onboard contact controls. As a substitute, Sony employs the Broad Space Faucet gestures from the unique open-design LinkBuds. They work very well, however I’ll by no means be snug tapping my higher cheek to make changes.

Maybe the one space the place the LinkBuds Match fall nicely in need of the WF-1000XM5 is ANC efficiency. I’d name this energetic noise discount greater than cancellation. You’ll get some aid from fixed sources like white noise machines or a raucous fan, however these earbuds don’t silence them. In addition they battle mightily with human voices, so should you sit close to a chatty coworker, you’ll need to crank up the quantity to compensate.

For calls, the LinkBuds Match provides you with better-than-average voice readability, which implies you’ll sound higher than should you’re on speakerphone. The earbuds additionally do a good job of blocking background noise, though I observed a slight delay in them choosing up sounds that started throughout calls. Sony additionally boasts that this mannequin has its “best ambient sound,” and whereas I’m not able to bestow that honor, the audio mode does have a pure high quality that makes it nice to make use of. Plus, a brand new Auto Ambient Sound characteristic can mechanically alter the extent of transparency whenever you encounter a loud setting.

With the LinkBuds Match, Sony says you possibly can count on as much as 5 and a half hours with ANC on and 21 hours complete whenever you issue within the case. There are quite a lot of superior options at work right here, and people have an effect on energy consumption. With the quantity at a snug 75-80 %, I solely managed round 4 hours and 45 minutes. That’s with noise-canceling energetic in addition to Voice Management, Communicate to Chat and DSEE Excessive all enabled. The excellent news is that Sony presents a device referred to as Auto Battery Save that may disable the latter three instruments, in addition to any EQ tweaks, to preserve energy. This may lengthen issues past the 5.5-hour mark, however not by a ton.

The LinkBuds Match are an enormous development over the LinkBuds S. In reality, they’re a number of the greatest earbuds Sony has ever made. However they aren’t with no few vital faults. My major gripe is ANC efficiency, and although it is the one one, it’s a biggie. Prefer it often does on the 1000X line, Sony has packed in a ton of options right here, and for essentially the most half they work as marketed. It’s clear the corporate is taking notes from the competitors with the Apple-esque head gestures and automated sound changes, along with the Bose-like built-in assistant. However, in some way, Sony managed to innovate and preserve the worth tag precisely the identical because the LinkBuds S.

LinkBuds Open

Sony

The LinkBuds Open present development from the first-gen mannequin, however they’re nonetheless uncomfortable.

Professionals

• Improved sound high quality
• Extra options than the earlier model
• Distinctive design

Cons

• Dearer than their predecessor
• Nonetheless uncomfortable
• Good sound requires some tweaks

$200 at Sony

The unique LinkBuds have been splendidly bizarre. After years of very normal-looking earbuds (moreover the Xperia Ear Duo), Sony took an enormous swing in early 2022 with the donut-shaped, open design mannequin that sought to offer all-day put on whereas preserving your earbuds unobstructed out of your setting. They have been totally different, however they have been distinctive, with their very own drizzle of Sony’s particular sauce. Nevertheless, general consolation was an enormous subject, and one the corporate sought to treatment on the follow-up with the LinkBuds Open.

To start out, Sony lowered the general measurement of the IPX4-rated LinkBuds Open. Just like the LinkBuds Match, this mannequin additionally has the Air Cushion silicon assist that’s extra versatile. That’s an enormous enchancment from the small hump meant to stabilize the primary model that didn’t provide a lot added assist. Sadly although, the casing for the ring-shaped driver that sits in your ear remains to be arduous plastic. After about 45 minutes, it turned uncomfortable, and after a number of hours it was downright insufferable. On the brilliant facet, the cheek-based Broad Space Faucet controls are again and so they’re dependable, if not barely awkward.

Sony made two key changes to enhance the sound high quality on the LinkBuds Open. First, it constructed a revamped ring-shaped driver and paired it with the Built-in Processor V2 chip from the 1000X line. These two modifications make for louder sound and richer bass, in accordance with Sony. And the declare holds up. You’ll solely want round 65-70 % quantity, until you endure from some extent of listening to loss. And there’s extra pronounced low-end tone, although you’ll need to coax it out with an EQ tweak.

By default, the inventory tuning is closely reliant on treble, which implies vocals are inclined to overpower a lot of the combine. Nevertheless, Sony’s EQ instruments really assist stability issues out, and including extra mids and bass makes the LinkBuds Open’s sound profile extra well-rounded. After this adjustment, the kick drum thumps below vocals and guitars, an enchancment over the default sound profile for Higher Lovers’ thunderous, crunching single “A White Horse Covered In Blood.”

Prefer it did with the LinkBuds Match, Sony introduced over quite a lot of the helpful instruments from the 1000X earbuds to the Open. These embody multipoint Bluetooth and Communicate to Chat, however Adaptive Sound Management automation isn’t right here. Sony did add its voice assistant, Adaptive Quantity Management and head-gesture recognition for answering calls. The corporate additionally presents a match verify through your telephone’s digital camera, one thing it is performed for different merchandise to verify your positioning for 360 Actuality Audio. Most of those work nicely, although in my expertise Communicate to Chat remains to be tripped up once I coughed or cleared my throat. And it appeared to be much more delicate on the LinkBuds Open than different fashions I’ve examined.

Due to the design, the LinkBuds Open are good to put on throughout calls since, nicely, you possibly can hear your self. Nevertheless, the standard of your voice on the opposite finish isn’t as clear as what I encountered on the LinkBuds Match. It can get the job performed, however I did sound barely muffled. And background noise, whereas subdued, is noticeable at occasions once I’m speaking.

Sony says it’s best to have the ability to eke out eight hours of use on the LinkBuds Open, a big enchancment over the 5 and a half hours on the primary LinkBuds. Certainly, I had no bother hitting that quantity throughout my exams with DSEE Auto and different power-taxing instruments enabled. If you end up in a pinch, Sony devised a quicker fast cost resolution that provides you an hour of use in three minutes. What’s extra, Auto Battery Save from the LinkBuds Match is in play right here, mechanically disabling superior options whenever you hit 20 % battery to increase listening time.

The LinkBuds Open provide some enhancements over the first-gen mannequin, however Sony hasn’t addressed an inherent subject with the design. Merely put, they aren’t snug to put on for longer than a couple of minutes and that can be an issue for lots of people. I perceive the outer shell across the ring driver must be strong sufficient to guard it, however there must be even the slightest little bit of cushioning to alleviate the stress. If Sony fixes that, it would have a extra compelling product slightly than a novelty.

LinkBuds Speaker

Sony

The LinkBuds Speaker is designed to be a stationary companion to Sony’s earbuds and headphones, but it surely doesn’t provide something greater than that.

Professionals

• Tiny however loud
• Charging dock is included and handy
• Auto Play routines are helpful

Cons

• Expensive for the scale
• Restrained bass, absent mid vary

$180 at Sony

The LinkBuds Speaker is an sudden a part of the brand new LinkBuds lineup. It’s a small Bluetooth speaker that’s designed to be your go-to gadget whenever you’re stationary, and is provided with a number of options that sync with the LinkBuds Match and LinkBuds Open in a bid to make your life simpler – no less than by way of listening to music or podcasts.

The LinkBuds Speaker gained’t win any design awards, however that’s par for the course with small Bluetooth audio system. Up high are quantity and playback controls which you can even use to begin music from choose streaming providers with one faucet (Amazon Music, Spotify and Endel). There’s additionally a microphone for calls, should you’re okay with a no-frills speakerphone possibility. Round again, the ability button sits on the backside simply above a USB-C charging port. There’s additionally an hooked up loop right here so you possibly can hold the LinkBuds Speaker on a hook or carabiner. That USB-C port is technically the backup charging technique although, for the reason that IPX4-rated speaker comes with a charging cradle that connects through steel contacts on the underside.

Inside, Sony paired considered one of its X-balanced woofers with a single tweeter and a passive radiator. The corporate says this combo gives “well-balanced” and “pleasant and clear sound” that’s tuned so it isn’t exhausting to take heed to for lengthy durations of time. Ultimately, the LinkBuds Speaker suffers an identical destiny to comparable Bluetooth gadgets with an absence of general constancy. Whereas it’s true the treble is shiny, clear and punchy, the bass is restrained and the mid-range is missing proper out of the field. There are not any audio presets to help you there, however Sony does provide a full 5-band EQ for changes, together with a separate Clear Bass slider. It can save you modifications as customized settings for future use, should you hit on one thing you want.

After I made the mandatory tweaks to handle the sonic shortcomings, the speaker sounded barely higher, however there was nonetheless an absence of crisp element a number of the competitors presents (just like the Beats Tablet). The one place you’ll discover respectable readability is within the vocals and high finish of the EQ. And for out of doors use, you may be glad the excessive finish is extra pronounced so you possibly can higher perceive the lyrics within the open air.

The LinkBuds Speaker works with Sony’s new Sound Join app for entry to varied settings. There’s one key characteristic I’ll focus on because it’s distinctive to this gadget. First, the app lets you arrange routines in order that your music begins at particular occasions in the course of the day. There’s additionally an automated switching component to this that works with the LinkBuds Match and LinkBuds Open, together with extra assist for the LinkBuds S, WF-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM5. All of that is managed within the Auto Play part of the app.

When you sync a set of earbuds or headphones with the LinkBuds Speaker, Sony’s app walks you thru the method of establishing morning and bedtime routines. Proper now although, these are the one two choices, which is irritating since I would like to regulate issues all through the day too. You possibly can set them to any time you need, however they’ll nonetheless be labeled “Get Ready” and “Bedtime.” Oddly sufficient, Apple Music is listed on Auto Play, however Amazon Music isn’t – which is totally different from the one-tap play setup. Right here, you possibly can have the speaker decide up the place you left off out of your chosen music service or you possibly can have a particular playlist or album set for these two occasions.

After a routine is about, any music will mechanically swap from the speaker to earbuds or headphones whenever you put them on, and vice versa whenever you take them off. It really works very well, shortly making the change and step by step growing the quantity on the speaker so that you’re not blasted from the beginning. Within the mornings, the speaker will even announce the date, time and climate if you need it to (and grant it actual location entry). You can even have the gadget inform you the time on the hour. Lastly, the speaker stays in low-power mode when it’s not in use, which is what lets you swap the audio whenever you’re in vary.

Sony guarantees as much as 25 hours of battery life on the LinkBuds Speaker, you probably have the quantity set to “level 23.” Since that’s 23 out of 100, that’s not likely a viable situation. For snug, informal listening, you’ll need one thing round 60 % – or stage 60 in Sony-speak, I assume. At most quantity, which is deafening, the speaker supposed to last as long as six hours. I wouldn’t suggest something above about 80 % although, as a result of the pronounced treble begins to cancel out every thing else within the combine from that time upwards.

I can see avid customers of Sony’s earbuds and headphones having fun with the LinkBuds Speaker’s routines and automated switching. Nevertheless, there’s significantly better audio high quality from the competitors, and in just a few instances it’s out there for lower than the $180 Sony is asking for. I’d wish to see Sony incorporate one of these hand-off characteristic in a speaker designed on your front room or workplace. With one thing that’s larger and presents higher sound efficiency, the corporate would have a extra compelling bundle for a LinkBuds sidekick.