Sony launched the LinkBuds in February, a strange set of headphones with an open-back design unlike any other in-ear offering on the market. We picked up a set of Sony's strange LinkBuds to see how they stack up against Apple's third-generation AirPods.
LinkBuds, which sell for $178, have a bare donut-shaped earphone that fits in your ear. Much like the AirPods 3, the LinkBuds don't contain any form or silicone tips.
The hole on LinkBuds is an open ring driver designed to allow users to listen to music while keeping their ears open to their surroundings, similar to headphone products such as audio-equipped sunglasses and Bone conduction headphones. The sound quality, while not AirPods-level, is above average.
Adaptive volume control optimizes music based on sounds in your surrounding environment and controls playback with a double tap on your ear. The double-tap gesture can be used to play/pause music, adjust volume or skip tracks and can be set up in the Sony app. There is also an option in the app for EQ adjustments.
A secondary bulb with small fins holds the LinkBuds in place, and Sony describes them as ultra-small and lightweight. In our testing, comfort was not far off that of the AirPods. They can be worn for quite some time before irritating the ears, and are light enough not to feel uncomfortable after a few hours of use.
The battery in the LinkBuds lasts 5.5 hours and comes with a charging case for a total of 23 hours of listening time. The charging box is compact and portable.
For those in the Apple device ecosystem, LinkBuds can't really compare to AirPods, as they lack features like automatic device switching and quick pairing. However, people who don't care about these features and are looking for earbuds suitable for cycling, running, and other similar uses may want to check out the LinkBuds.
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