With the appearance of a new brand in early 2022 – LinkBuds – we thought that this name would be reserved for these unique open-ear headphones, but not so. It also applies to the LinkBuds S, which land as a sort of sub model, duplicating much of what the WF-1000X offers, but in a more affordable package. We went back and forth with Sony’s LinkBuds S to see if they’re worth it. Our quick download The Sony LinkBuds S are an excellent set of true wireless headphones. It’s a little on the quiet side, so you might have to turn the volume up a little higher than you do with some rival headphones, but overall, there’s a lot here that you’ll find in the 1000X models – but at a more affordable price. The LinkBuds S benefit from a wide range of Sony audio technologies to make their user experience a little more seamless. The best audio quality is reserved for those connected to devices that support LDAC, which is so likely to be preferred by Android users, with the benefit of Google Assistant integration if you want it. With a great feel, plenty of comfort and a choice of four ear tips for size, the Sony LinkBuds S are up there with some of the most attractive headphones out there. There are others that beat the quality or offer longer battery life, but for the price, this is a serious set of headphones.

Sony Linkbuds S

                                                                    4.5 stars – Pocket fluff recommended                                                             
            For

Comfort and fit Many software functions It sounds great

            Against

Touch response can be a bit slow Not the strongest

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Design and manufacture

Let’s get to the bottom of the name. Sony has a lot of products and while the 1000X has become a brand in its own right, the rest of the range is covered in numbers and letters. The LinkBuds, it seems, are designed to promote another brand. The LinkBuds S product name is WF-LS900N, although Sony is avoiding using it, perhaps to try to make the LinkBuds S stick. As it should, because this is a solid set of true wireless headphones. Pocket fluff The LinkBuds S are compact, slimmed down compared to the WF-1000X to make them 41 percent smaller and 43 percent lighter. The design means they sit nicely in the ear socket, visible but not sticking out, so pulling a hat over them is no problem. They come with four sets of tips in different sizes to help you get the perfect seal. We found them to sit nicely in the ear, comfortable and secure, meaning they don’t need things like flaps or feathers to help lock them into your ear. This means they are safe when running – but of course the fit will vary from person to person. Pocket fluff They are finished in tactile plastic, smooth both on the body of the bud and through the case. They’re IPX4-rated, so they can handle a few splashes, but they won’t survive a soaking like some dedicated sports headphones. The case has a USB-C charging port on the back – no wireless charging – with a back button to enable manual pairing. There’s a nice movement on the case lid, with a colored LED bar to give you some status indication and overall a good quality feel. They come in three different colors, black, white and off-white, which is kind of beige.

Setup and control

Google Fast Pair The Sony Headphones app LDAC support for high resolution music

Thanks to Google Fast Pair, if you’re connecting to an Android device, the LinkBuds S will automatically detect when you open the lid, so you can just tap and go. Once signed in, you’re also offered a link to the Sony Headphones app. While the app isn’t necessary, it unlocks many of the features, so you’ll want to install that app as well. Within this app you can set things like connection quality, with LDAC on devices supporting higher resolution music, as well as surround sound mode and controls. Pocket fluff If you’re connecting to an iPhone, you’ll find yourself in AAC, but Android now offers widespread support for LDAC, not just on Sony Xperia devices, but on many others as well. The Sony Headphones app lets you choose between audio quality or connection quality, as LDAC is more demanding on the connecting device and can occasionally lead to connection issues if the signal isn’t strong enough. The app lets you manage your surround sound system, which automatically adjusts based on your activity. So if you’re walking, for example, it’ll let more sound through, but when you’re sitting still it’ll block out more background noise. This adaptive system is optional, though, and we found it best to turn it off so you know exactly what you’re dealing with. We also found that the LinkBuds S were always connected in ambient sound mode, even though we always used them in noise canceling mode. Pocket fluff You can customize the controls to an extent so that the supported taps offer different functions. Again, this is all mapped out in the app. Like the 1000X, you can have surround sound with a tap of a bud, or you can pause the music when you start talking, which is perfect for ordering coffee, for example. There’s also integration with Alexa or Google Assistant, as well as quick access to Spotify if you want it, meaning you’re fully equipped with services. We’ve also found that occasionally the answers to hits aren’t as easy as we’d like. A double-tap to skip tracks, for example, seems to take longer than it should and has often caused us to pause rather than skip music.

Performance and sound quality

LDAC DSEE Extreme 360 reality audio

The Sony LinkBuds S are loaded with audio technology. There are 5mm drivers in each ear, but there’s also plenty to make your music and calls sound better. LDAC we mentioned and we’ve generally experienced a stable connection using LDAC on many phones, occasionally dropping the connection for a short period when you turn your head. Connection and music are restored quickly, but this didn’t seem to depend on the device we were using, it seemed common to all the phones we tested. Toggling the option for stable connection solves this problem, so if the infrequent breaks in your music are annoying, then make sure you select this option. LDAC will make the most of the highest quality tracks, but for those not streaming from a high quality source, there is the option of DSEE Extreme to boost the sound quality of your compressed tracks. Again, we found it best to enable it. Pocket fluff Sound quality is good from these headphones, with the option to tweak the equalizer if you want to further adjust it to your liking. Why Philips Go headphones are perfect for sports and exercise By Pocket-lint International Promotion March 30, 2022 There is no one size fits all when it comes to finding the right headphones to use during training and exercise. What works for you may be something c… The active noise cancellation is also very effective, ideal for blocking out external noise such as road noise and the whistling of an aircraft – although it won’t give you the feeling of silence you’ll get from over-ear headphones. Easily switching to ambient sound is useful if you want to be more aware of your surroundings when walking down busy streets, for example. The noise cancellation works well on calls too, with those on the other end of the line being able to hear us with minimal disturbance, even in busy locations. Most people didn’t know we were using headphones for the call, which is what you want. Pocket fluff The option for voice assistants is great, although we found the Google Assistant experience to be a bit slow. On an Android device you can have a deep integration, it reads your notifications and offers the option to reply, but everything is a little too slow and after a while it might be easier to use your phone. But in a pinch with your hands full, it’s a perfect fix. The headphones also offer access to 360 Reality Audio, aimed at giving you more immersive audio with compatible apps. The setup for this procedure involves taking pictures of your ears, we’re not sure why. Frustratingly, you’ll have to repeat the process if you move phones or connect to a different device. There is no support for multi-point pairing.

Battery life

The LinkBuds S will give you 6 hours of music playback with ANC on, extending to 9 hours if you turn off the noise cancellation. The headphones take about 2 hours to charge in the case. The case charges via USB-C, which takes about 3 hours to fully charge. The case will give you 20 hours of total battery life, which is pretty average for this market segment, and you can check the battery status through the app. When the battery level gets low, you’ll get an announcement in your ear so you know when to charge. squirrel_widget_12854022 To sum up …