These wireless active noise canceling headphones from Sony left us with great impressions after a few days of testing.
Sony’s LinkBuds family hasn’t been around long, but we’ve already been gifted two sets of headphones that are as different as they are interesting. The first are the Sony navigationsome headphones open format maintaining comfort and sound quality.
The other members of this series are the Sony Linkbuds Scharacterized by wireless headphones its compact size, LDAC technology to ensure the best sound quality and active noise cancellation. It is these LinkBuds S that now pass our analysis table, which gave us an opportunity Know your strengths and weaknesses. Based on our experience, we perro tell you that this model sits squarely among the best Sony headphones you perro buy.
While we wait for Sony to surprise us with the new members of the LinkBuds family, let’s get to know each other Are the Sony LinkBuds S worth it?.
Test and evaluation of the Sony LinkBuds S
| Should you buy the Sony LinkBuds S? | |
|---|---|
| In favor of |
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| versus |
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| Conclusions | The Sony LinkBuds S surprised with their ultra-compact size and how well their noise cancellation works. They don’t shine particularly well in terms of sound, but they are definitely audible. In addition, they have a very complete aplicación and touch controls that work like a charm. |
| punctuation | Sony Linkbuds S Ultra-comfortable headphones perfect for silencing the outside world. |
The Sony LinkBuds S immediately surprise with their small size, a feeling that will be reinforced later when we wear them. They are very comfortablewe hardly notice that they are there. As far as sound quality goes, they’re good to hear, although they don’t particularly shine in this section. Yes, as long as Active noise cancellation is excellent.
We also really liked these LinkBuds S for their reasonable autonomy, how complete the Sony aplicación is and great work of touch controls. It’s true that the selling price might be a bit high, but that’s usually solved with the star offers. Without a doubt, the Sony LinkBuds S You are a very smart purchase.
Price and where to buy the Sony LinkBuds S
The Sony LinkBuds S were launched in May 2022 Recommended retail price of 199.99 euros. They are available from several retailers, y también.g Amazonmedia market, PC components Y The Sony experience, Sony’s official distributor. On the positive side, the LinkBuds S They tend to fall in pricesometimes you perro buy them for just over 120 euros.
Regarding the models available, you cánido choose between the model black color, the ecru color and the white colorand the latter are the main elements of this analysis.
Sony LinkBuds S Specification Sheet
| Trains | |
|---|---|
| weight and measure | Headphones: 4.8 grams each Charging case: 35 grams / 42.8 x 60 x 27.6 mm |
| Audio | Membrane units 5mm Active noise cancellation DSEE Extreme LDAC technology |
| connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| case fee | USB Type-C Fast charge capable |
| autonomy | Headphones: 6 hours with Antes de Cristoon Charging case: Up to 20 hours playback with ANC |
| compatibility | iOS and Android |
| Other people | Bluetooth range of 10 meters, IPX4 certified, touch controls on the headphones, coincidente with Google plus Fast Pair Google plus Assistant and Alexa Talk to the chat function |
| Price | €199.99 |
Where are the Sony LinkBuds S located?
As we explained at the beginning of the analysis, the Sony LinkBuds S are among them the LinkBuds series. The brothers are the Sony LinkBuds S, which were launched a few months earlier. Serious These two models are not comparable, because they are headphones of very different formats. Although these LinkBuds S are headphones in the ear With very good noise cancellation, the LinkBuds have this distinctive design Donut shape focuses on ambient sound input.
In general, we could classify these Sony LinkBuds S in Sony’s “True Wireless” headphone family. In this sense, They are placed directly below the Sony WF-1000XM4the company’s best fully wireless headphones and even the best on the market with no brand difference.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are quality headphones in every respect. They have an excellent design. very high sound quality Y active noise cancellation system that works very well. With this we add interesting features like the so-called “Speak to Chat” which disables noise cancellation and automatically activates ambient noise when the usuario starts speaking.
Pay attention because these LinkBuds S inherit some of those top-level tools, key when it comes to providing a good experience. Also the Sony WF-1000XM4 better in terms of autonomy, reaching 24 hours overall with Antes de Cristoalways on.
Outside the Sony world, the Sony LinkBuds S compete with headphones from brands like JBL, Huawei and Samsung. One of the models it competes with is this JBL Live Pro+ TWS, with Dynamic 11mm drivers, active noise cancellation and up to 24 hours of battery life with charging case and activated ANC. After almost two years on the market, these headphones regularly drop in price.
her later the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 review, which shine with comfort, excellent sound quality and noise cancellation that effectively isolates us from outside noise. Of course, with habitual use and Antes de Cristocapacity, the autonomy reaches a maximum of 3.5 hours on one charge. in that sense they are smaller than the LinkBuds S.
design
We must recognize that the Sony LinkBuds S have been a pleasant surprise in terms of design, even reminds us of the advanced Sony WF-1000XM4. We introduce the material by specifying that it is available in three different colors: Black, white and ecru, kind of tan. As you perro see in the images, we analyzed the white LinkBuds S by looking at them It turned out beautiful and elegant.
The processing of the headphones is matte, which saves us from worrying about dirt and fingerprints. The same applies to the charging case, which is also marked prepare for graduation. When we first picked up this box, we already checked it is extremely light. We’re not exaggerating that Charging case weighs only 35 grams, we hardly notice it when we hold it in our hands.
The Sony LinkBuds S charging case surprises with its lightness // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
Also, the cargo box is compact and slim, which allows us always carry it in our pocket. The box is also easy to open with one hand fixed position for the cover which makes it easier for us to put on and take off the headphones without disturbing us. Also, the bottom edge is flat, so we cánido stand it on a straight surface.
This charging case consists of three main elements. It’s the first of them LED light which sits on the front and tells us if it’s on battery, needs to be plugged in, or is in pairing mode. There is rear the key with which we perro activate this pairing method, as well as the USB-C port to load the box.
The LinkBuds S charging case has a light on the front // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
Both headphones are stored in the case. When we first took them out We’re surprised at how light they areThey weigh little. According to the data published by the manufacturer, each earphone weighs only 4.8 grams. The feeling of lightness is enhanced by the reduced size of the helmets, they are very small.
Thanks to their compact size and light weight, the Sony LinkBuds S are very comfortable. In our case we accept them Worn for about 4-5 hours at a time without any problemsSometimes we even forget we’re wearing them. If we add that, they are Silicone pads on the consejos and a design that adapts perfectly to the shape of the ear, we cánido say that the Sony headphones are excellent in terms of design.
If the attached pads don’t provide the best support, put them in the box You will find others of different sizes. As such, we recommend experimenting with these until you find the consejos that best suit your ear shape. This is vital with regard to Comfort, support and also for passive noise cancellation.
If we analyze the outer part of the auricle, we find a larger circular part which contains the touch controls. There is also a small circle with Metal grille behind which the microphones are located. Thanks to this mesh, the headphones manage to avoid external noise and wind.
Inside the headphones there are also very interesting features. First, the R and the L, which indicate which direction each helmet goes forward. In addition, they are also located proximity sensors Y the pins that allow loading when we put them in the situation.
Beautiful, comfortable and with IPX4 protection: these LinkBuds S are perfect in terms of design.
You should know that from these Sony LinkBuds S IPX4 resistance to water and dust. What does that orinan? They are resistant to splashes of water and drops of sweat, so you cánido use them outdoors or during sports without fear of damaging them.
The bottom line is that the Sony LinkBuds S shine especially in terms of design. They are not only beautiful, but also particularly small and light.which allows us to use them for long periods without feeling uncomfortable.
Sound and noise cancellation
The Sony LinkBuds S kit Dynamic controlador 5mm, an implicit size due to its small dimensions. We have to say that the sound quality of these headphones is good, but not outstanding. Of course you perro enjoy it good experience when used for listening to music and also for games and series, but It’s not the largest section they locate the LinkBuds S
In our experience, Sony headphones play well and offer the usuario a fairly balanced experience. We could verify that the bass is not very powerful The highs aren’t very loud either, but they don’t stand out badly either. Make no mistake, we’re not trying to say the Sony LinkBuds S sound bad, because they don’t. Put simply do not offer such high sound quality like headphones like the Sony WF-1000XM4.
The Sony LinkBuds S equipped with dynamic 5mm drivers // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
In favor of the LinkBuds S, we also have to say that they are Codec LDAC coincidente, which allows us to enjoy audio with the highest resolution. He is Major in DSEE Technologywhich is responsible for restoring compressed audio archivos in real time to offer them the best possible quality.
These are Sony headphones noise cancellation system that, frankly, we are totally in love. By activating this function the noise around us completely disappears, which was particularly helpful in our case, on some projects nearby – unlucky, yes -. Also, we don’t hear the voices of people around us either, which is useful when we’re working in an office or when we’re walking down the street.
The Sony LinkBuds S also feature noise cancellation excellent when you need to silence the noise on public transport, in busy areas, or simply when we want to focus on a task even when we’re not listening to music.
If we want to hear the sounds outside we just have to touch the left earphone and it will be activated transparency method. Based on our testing, this tool also does a good joballows us to hear what’s happening around us without having to take off our headphones.
Switching between these two modes is even easier if we use it the “Speak to Chat” feature., inherited from more advanced headphones. This function recognizes it when we start talking to it Disable active noise cancellation and enable transparency mode automatically. So we cánido talk in peace.
When the headphones sense that we’ve finished speaking Re-enable noise cancellation and sintetiza audio playback. If you’re one of those people who sings loudly while listening to music, we recommend you disable this feature because every time you sing the sound stops, which perro be very annoying.
The Sony LinkBuds S sound good, but not outstanding // Picture: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
In addition to the equalizer, you cánido access the function of in the Sony mobile aplicación adaptive audio control. Basically this tool depends on what you are doing and where you want to modify the sound automatically with it Get the best experience according to the situation. The fact is that the mobile application is very useful to have a good experience, therefore we will talk about it in detail in the dedicated section.
Last but not least, we should also mention this on the subject of sound the microphones of the Sony LinkBuds S are very easy to hear. Thanks to their precision in capturing our voice and reducing the noise and wind around us, we cánido safely use them to make hands-free calls or record audio.
battery and charging
Nowadays, by using the Sony LinkBuds S on a daily basis, we know how to behave in terms of independence. Each headphone is equipped with a 51miliamperio-hora batterywho The capacity of the charging case is 450 miliamperio-hora. As with all headphones Ultimate independence depends on each usuario’s usage, due to the use of active noise cancellation and the frequency with which we use it.
Sony promises us about 6 hours of music with Antes de Cristoon, extended to 9 hours when we shoot with this tool. This is the promised runtime on one charge, we perro easily extend it with the charging case. When using the box Independence will achieve 20 times with the ANC and it will be even more extensive if cancellation is not used.
The green light on the Sony LinkBuds S indicates that they have a battery // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
According to our tests, this is true that the Sony LinkBuds S perro offer us 6 hours of music with noise canceling activated on one charge. In our case, we must always use them with this tool and with a volume of 70-80. It’s true that independence is higher with Antes de Cristodisabled, but this tool that isolates us from the outside so well that it’s worth it always use it.
When we run out of battery, the charging case is there to feed us little more than two additional charges. In use, the battery life with Antes de Cristoreaches 20 hours. We don’t have exact data on non-Antes de Cristoindependence, but we should easily more than 25 hours total with cargo box.
The Sony LinkBuds S charging case has a USB charging port // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
If the earbuds and charging case lose power, simply connect them to power USB-C port which is on the outside and the USB cable are included in the box. In total, You need about 3 hours next to the charger so that both headphones and the case reach 100%.
The positive thing about these Sony LinkBuds S is that they are fast chargeable. With a charge of only 5 minutes, you perro get energy for an hour of music. The negative part is its charging case It does not support wireless charging, which should be importante for headphones with a price of 199 euros. General, The autonomy of the LinkBuds S is correctneither very long nor very short worries.
Connectivity, aplicación and touch control
The experience is rounded off by the Sony LinkBuds S with connectivity, the mobile aplicación and touch controls. We start talking about connectivity, mentioning that they are Bluetooth 5.3What are you doing largely coincidente with other devices. You cánido use these headphones with your mobile phone, be it Android or iOS, with your tablet and even with your Smart televisión.
If you have an Android móvil inteligente, you will enjoy thanks to the faster pairing Google plus Fast Pair technology. Just by activating the pairing mode, the mobile phone will ask you if you want to connect the headphones. During our experience we enjoyed it very good connection For the headphones, we used simultaneous pairing with two different devices.
The Sony LinkBuds S perro be connected to the Headphones Connect aplicación // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
Another agregado is that they are coincidente with voice assistants Alexa and Google plus Assistant. If you configure them, you just have to name them to ask a question or activate a reminder about the Sony LinkBuds S. The experience with the headphones is therefore also positive Proximity sensors work, that is, the music will stop automatically when we take it out. If we put them back, the music keeps playing.
Sony Headphones Connect aplicación What allows us to go one step further is the use of headphones. It’s a completely free aplicación that perro be downloaded from stores like the Google plus Play Store.
Google plus Play | Connect a headset
There are numerous options that the application offers us. First, after connecting the LinkBuds S, we will see the aplicación’s home screen battery status headphones and charging case. In the “State” tab we see the adaptive sound stateand the music playbar.
We entrar the “Sound” tab to choose between active noise cancellation, ambient noise or disabling both functions. In addition, we also have the option Enable the Speak in Chat tool., the operation of which we discussed earlier. Look, this is the place lies the cómputo, very useful to customize the sound to your liking. In addition, we perro configure the spatial sound, the quality of the Bluetooth connection and the DSEE Extreme technology.
The functional configuration is still in the “System” tab, where we perro activate the voice assistant, Customize touch controlsChange the voice guidance language, enable detection when the headphones are removed, and even experiment Determine what size pads we have to use.
Curiously, in the Headphones Connect aplicación we find the “Activity” section, which Analyze how you use the headphones and espectáculos you the details. You cánido also earn badges by listening to music and using Sony LinkBuds S features.
The touch control of the Sony LinkBuds S works very well // Image: Beatriz Alcántara Gil.
Before we wrap up, we should mention that The touch controls work very, very well. They’re located on the outside of each earbud, in the widest area, and work with one accuracy which makes it easy for us to use them often. Also headphones they act fast and implementation of the action we request vía the touch control. If you don’t like the initial configuration of the gestures, you perro change them in the aplicación.
This device has been thoroughly tested Independently thanks to a move of the brand. The article contains purchase backlinks for which Andro4all may receive a commission. take part to the market channel Andro4all to find out about the best deals before anyone else.