The Sony LinkBuds Open is quite the unique pair of wireless headphones. They’re “open” because they’re designed that way to let ambient noise pass through. This design is rather special, sporting a little circular appendix containing the speakers and looking like no other headphones on the market. I share my honest opinion in this Sony LinkBuds Open review.
Good
- Comfortable, discreet design
- Surprisingly effective support
- Very good battery life
- IPX4 certified
- Comprehensive Sony Audio Connect application
Bad
- Bass is far too subdued
- No wireless charging for the case
- One size does not fit all
Sony LinkBuds Open: All deals
Sony LinkBuds Open design
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The Sony LinkBuds Open has a two-compartment design. For each earbud, there’s a tiny bubble containing all the essential electronics (battery, chips) and a small disk with a hole in the middle that houses the driver.
In general, open headphones are fitted with hooks to hold them to the ear. Since they don’t fit into the ear canal, they have to be held in place somehow. Sony opted for another approach with a small silicone wing. This fin is hollow and therefore flexible, making it more comfortable than a rigid piece of plastic.
The pierced disk-shaped part is rigid and covered with silicone. However, it takes a one-size-fits-all approach that could get in the way in a long session. Personally, I had to push them in a little to wedge the fin in. I had no problems with stability and the earbuds never fell out of my ears. With this unique size, there’s a risk that the earbuds still won’t fit your ears properly. The earbuds are IPX4 certified which means they can be used for sports.
The Sony LinkBuds Open housing is very compact and has a very cute, rounded design that reminds me of a stack of pebbles. However, I’m not so keen on the marbled coating found across the entire LinkBuds range this year.
Sony LinkBuds Open: Audio quality
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Unsurprisingly, the Sony LinkBuds Open was not designed to offer dazzling audio quality. Yes, we have the LDAC codec support and the same V2 processor as in the Sony WF-1000XM5 (review). However, there’s also a hole right in the middle of each earbud. Passive noise isolation is obviously very poor, but this is deliberate. There’s no Active Noise Cancellation, either.
Most of the time, I had to crank up the volume. I also found the audio signature to be too timid when it came to bass. So timid, in fact, that I felt that the high-volume emphasis on the rest of the musical message, especially the treble, sometimes got in the way.
On the other hand, the rendering of ambient noise was infinitely more natural than any competitor’s most natural transparency mode available in the market today. You almost don’t get the impression of wearing headphones. Just bear in mind that the LinkBuds Open is aimed at a specific target audience.
Sony LinkBuds Open application and features
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Sony completely redesigned its companion application this time around. The interface is more intuitive and less minimal. Do note the Sony Audio Connect application is now the one and only app for all the manufacturer’s audio products.
Apart from that, Sony is as generous as ever with its features. The equalizer is very comprehensive and precise. You can also create your own audio signature with “Find my equalizer”, an interactive quiz that helps Sony better understand how you perceive sound.
I know I moan a lot about gimmicks in general, but the Wide Tap Area function for the controls is absolutely brilliant. The controls are tactile, but you have to tap, not the earbuds, but your temple. Surprisingly, it works better than I could have imagined. On the other hand, the controls are not very customizable.
There’s also the “Background Music” function I mentioned in my LinkBuds Fit review. The idea is to modify the sound scene to provide the impression that you’re listening to music via a speaker in a room, rather than headphones in your ears. It works more or less as intended, but I was not totally impressed.
Another new function is auto play. It allows you to configure things like your music application and favorite music in advance. The headphones then switch on automatically when you wear them, without you having to interact with your smartphone.
Sony LinkBuds Open: Batteries and charging
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The Sony LinkBuds Open boasts an advertised battery life of 8 hours. Personally, I used the Sony headphones within these parameters:
- 100% charge.
- No charging during my review duration.
- 60% listening volume.
- Paired with an Android smartphone.
- LDAC codec.
It lasted just over 8 hours without any problems. Sony claimed a total battery life of 22 hours with the case. This means that the headphones can be recharged three times via the case. According to the manufacturer, 3 minutes of charging will recover the equivalent of one hour of listening.
Should You Buy the Sony LinkBuds Open?
Would I recommend the Sony LinkBuds Open at $180? Yes, but I might not have done so at their launch price of $199.99.
The Sony LinkBuds Open is a unique pair of wireless headphones. So unique, in fact, that I don’t even view them as headphones. The idea is not to isolate yourself in your corner with your music without the clutter of headphones as with wireless headphones with ANC.
Think of them as Bluetooth mini-speakers that you can use in public without annoying everyone around you. They’re the kind of headphones you use when riding your bike around town to hear the cars and traffic around you. Or when you’re hanging out with buddies and want to chat without having to take off your headphones. They almost have an analog feel to them, which I find charming, if not 100% impressive.
In the open headphone market, I found Sony’s candidate to be very convincing. Sony is trying to find another use case for this type of product than sports, which is already well covered by manufacturers like Shokz and others.
What do you think of the Sony LinkBuds Open after this comprehensive review?
Where to Buy the Sony LinkBuds Open?
The Sony LinkBuds Open has been available since October 2024 with a launch price of $199.99. However, you can purchase them for $178 now on the official Sony store or Amazon. If you’re interested in this pair of headphones, we’ve also reviewed the in-ear version of this model, the Sony LinkBuds Fit (review).
