The Sony LinkBuds S are wireless in-ears that stand out because they don’t stand out. The cap-shaped headset is tucked into your ear and has a low weight. You can read more about it in this Sony LinkBuds S review.
Sony LinkBuds S
Recommended retail price € 200,-
Colour black, white, beige
Link bluetooth 5.2
Battery 51 mAh (earpiece), 450 mAh (charging case)
Weight 4.8 grams (earpiece), 35 grams (charging case)
Features microphone, IPX 4, voice control
To upload usb c
Website www.sony.nl
9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Sound quality
- Ambient Sound Mode
- wearing comfort
- Negatives
- No wireless charging
Buy the Sony LinkBuds S at Bol.com
Sony scores well in the field of headphones: the Sony WH1000-XM5 came out excellent in the test and the WH1000-XM4 was previously the test winner in our group test. In the field of wireless in-ears, however, Sony has to pull out all the stops. The Sony WF-1000XM4 (another catchy product name) did not leave such a deep impression on us, while many competitors bring excellent earphones on the market. Often for lower prices too.
The sails are also set by Sony. First of all with the affordable WF-C500, which simply give good sound without fuss. With the LinkBuds, Sony stands out by showing its innovative side by allowing ambient noise to come through in a natural way. Unfortunately, the effect still needs some refinement. Finally, Sony has now also launched the LinkBuds S, high-quality earphones with noise reduction that are mainly intended to make a name for themselves in the field of wearing comfort.
The Sony LinkBuds S stand out thanks to the wearing comfort.
wearing comfort
To achieve optimal wearing comfort, Sony has made the weight of the earphones as low as possible and the cap-shaped in-ears protrude deeply into the ear, so that you hardly notice them on both feel and face.
It makes the ears wonderfully comfortable. Sometimes I caught myself in the workplace that I still had the earphones in while the music had already ended. The ears are not very firmly in the ear, which contributes to comfort. But if you use them for a run, for example, then it is necessary to push them every now and then. Although this experience may be different for others; not all ear canals are the same. By the way, you can adjust the ears to size thanks to three pairs of rubber tips.
Sound quality
With sound quality you are in the right place with Sony audio products. This is also the case with these LinkBuds S. The sound sounds balanced, with all tones clearly distinguishable and nothing drowns out. There is not a lot of power behind the sound, which means that it may come across as a bit flat for heavy music. Although the sound quality is good, given the price I expected a little more. AirPods sound just a bit more convincing, for example.
The earphones are also equipped with noise reduction and a transparent mode, which allows ambient noise to pass through. These playback options are very nice, especially because they work so subtly. For example, you only notice that the noise reduction does its job well when you take the earphones off. No pressure or buzz. However, not all ambient noise is filtered out, making it difficult to completely shut off your environment.
The transparent mode is even more impressive. Not only do you get everything from your environment, such as passing traffic. I was even able to follow entire conversations in the workplace while listening to music with the LinkBuds S.
Functions
Thanks to Headphones app Sony adds all kinds of smart functions. For example, adaptive sound control, which optimizes your settings based on your environment. For example, by turning on noise reduction or the ambient sound mode while on the road or in certain locations. There’s also Speak-to-Chat, which lowers the volume and amplifies the ambient noise when the earbuds sense you’re speaking. In the app you can also choose your favorite voice assistant. Finally, there is 360 Reality Audio, which offers a slightly more spatial sound.
In practice, these functions are nice, but far from indispensable. I used the app in practice to adjust the sound to your liking with the equalizer and to set the tap control on the earphones.
The built-in microphones ensure the operation of the playback modes and smart functions, but also that you have conversations via your earphones when you call or video conference. In practice you are perfectly understood, but wind can make this quite difficult.
Battery(duration)
Depending on your playback mode, your earphones last up to six hours on a full battery charge. For earphones that are so light, that is quite impressive. The charging case ensures that you fully charge the earbuds more than four times.
The charging box itself has a USB-C connection for charging. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not possible. The charging case is beautifully designed with a matte finish, it is also easily tucked away in a pocket. The disadvantage is that the lid feels a bit fragile.
Alternatives to the Sony LinkBuds S
I have enjoyed testing the Sony LinkBuds S, thanks to the decent sound quality and excellent wearing comfort. The playback modes are also fine. In principle, there are two types of earphones that can be used as alternatives: the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 and the AirPods Pro from Apple.
Compared to the Buds 2, these Sony LinkBuds S are a bit more expensive. For that money you do have better sound quality and wearing comfort. The AirPods Pro are in turn a bit more expensive, you only miss functionality if you connect it to an Android smartphone. In terms of noise reduction and sound quality, these earphones are more pleasant than the LinkBuds S. The wearing comfort remains a point that the competition does not compete with.
Conclusion: Buy Sony LinkBuds S?
The Sony LinkBuds S sit almost unnoticed in your ear and provide excellent sound quality. The noise cancellation works nicely and the ambient sound mode even allows you to follow conversations. In short, the LinkBuds S are excellent comfortable earphones, which seem a bit overpriced.
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