Sony LinkBuds review: Donut-shaped quirky earbuds. But do they sound good?

In the market flooded with true wireless earbuds, the Sony LinkBuds has an unconventional-looking design (what Sony calls an open-ring design). Technically, each bud has a see-through hole for letting the outside environment sound in, even when listening to music or on calls. But are they comfortable to wear and do they sound any good? Let’s find out.
 
Design and fit
The Sony LinkBuds have a unique design. A circular ring with the 12mm driver, attached to a round casing that houses the battery and other components. Yet, given the design, each bud weighs just 4.1 grams.

To wear the LinkBuds correctly, I had to hold and slide the driver casing downwards into the earlobe for the ring to fit in gently. It’s worn in such a way that the open ring doesn’t cover the ear canals. And the ring is almost hidden, with only the buds visible. Surprisingly, the fit is comfortable, which makes it convenient to wear continuously for hours. Sony has also added four extra fitting supporters in the box to adjust – tighten or loosen the fit.
 
The buds are housed in a compact rectangular case, which is much smaller than Apple AirPods or any of the Samsung Buds. The case houses a button at the front for opening and closing (no, it’s not magnetic) and there is a reset button along with an LED indicator at the rear that assists in pairing the buds.
 
Focusing on the environment, Sony has used recycled plastic for both the case and the earbud. Even the packaging is made from recycled material with no use of plastic. The buds are accompanied with a small cable - for charging the case.
 
Tap to control
Given the compact size, I was a little worried about the controls on the buds. But Sony has handled everything smoothly. The sides of the buds are touch sensitive. This means tapping twice can pause or play the media, and tapping thrice can skip forward a track.

 However, controls can be customised and assigned using the Sony Headphones Connect app. For instance, I switched the control on the left for volume control. Thankfully, tapping on the bud does not make the donout-shaped ring sitting on the folds of the ear uncomfortable.

But if it does, there is a cool alternative - the wide tap area. Yet another unique feature, with this, the same controls can be accessed by tapping just in front of the ear. To some, it may be weird and to others, cool.
 
Always-On
When playing media on noise cancellation buds, there have been situations when my colleagues and family tried talking to me, and I wasn’t even aware of them standing next to me till they tapped on my shoulder. With the LinkBuds, this is not the case. The hole in the ring ensures the ambient sound passes into the ear. So, be it crossing the road, sitting in a café or the office, or a doorbell ringing at home, when wearing the buds, I was always aware of my surroundings.
 
And while this is the unique selling point, it also turns out to be a downside. Especially when in noisy surroundings, as it cannot block the noise. Given the design, there is no active noise cancellation feature either.
 
Sony Connect
Other than the default settings, more can be explored with the Sony Headphones Connect app. For instance, equaliser settings, customising controls, firmware updates and more. The above-mentioned ‘wide area tap’ and ‘adaptive volume control’ can also be accessed through the app. The 360 Reality Audio feature offers an immersive experience like attending a live performance but works with only select apps.
 
Sound clarity
These buds are designed to let the sound in and do not support active noise cancellation. However, this hasn’t compromised the sound output. I tested the buds with a mix of Hindi, English and some instrumental music. I got clean output with pronounced vocals and a well-balanced treble. But the signature Sony bass was a miss across different genres of music. With outside noise coming in, the only respite is the Adaptive Volume Control feature that automatically optimises volume based on the environment noise. But even then, I couldn’t enjoy the music when sitting in an outdoor cafe as it attracted all the unwanted noise.
 
Battery life
The pair of buds lasted me close to 5 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge. And the case had enough juice to charge the buds twice. But when in a rush, a quick 10-minute charge provided over an hour of playback.
 
Verdict
Retailing for Rs 14,990, the LinkBuds are great for those who often wear earbuds when outdoors - such as while running, cycling, biking or spending a lot of time on the field. But if you are looking for buds with active noise cancellation, you would want to consider Sony’s WF-1000XM4 with active noise cancellation and ambient sound mode for Rs 19,990.

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Also read: Sony WH-1000XM5 premium noise-cancellation headphones launched in India