JOIN USSony LinkBuds review: Unique pair of TWS earbuds
Sony recently launched the LinkBuds with an intriguing bit-sized donut-like True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphone design in India.
I used the LinkBuds for close to a week and here are my thoughts on the Sony earbuds.
Design and build quality
Sony's LinkBuds are really unique. They feature an open-ring design and are made to ensure the user is always aware of his surrounding at all times and yet be able to hear music or understand the voice of the person on the other side of the call clearly (more than that later).
It has a compact form factor and the protective surface covering the speaker diaphragm is said to be integrated within the housing to save space.
It has no cone-like tips to fit into the ear canal's opening. But the ring with the speaker is placed to fit at the opening, but it relies on the tragus, a small protrusion in front of the opening, to stay fit to the ears. This is where it gets tricky for someone like me, who have smaller ear openings.
At the start, it was a struggle to fit the LinkBuds into my ears. After several trials, I finally managed to put them in the slot and silicone-based supporter in the upper concave part of the ear opening. The company offers multiple pairs of ring supporters in four sizes-- XS, S, L, and XL. The medium-sized ring is pre-fitter to the earbuds.
However, this user experience while wearing LinkBuds is subjective as this may work well with those with bigger ears.
After an initial experience of anxiety about the buds slipping out of the earphones and a chafing sensation while wearing them, I finally got accustomed to the LinkBuds.
It comes with an IPX4 splash-proof and sweat-proof rating. Also, key components and the package are made of recycled plastics. The earphones look premium and worth the asking price.
The case is tiny but exudes sturdy hand-feel and also, has a strong lid with an auto-lock feature. The company has incorporated a dedicated button at the front to unlock the case. And, another at the back to reset the earphones and to re-initiate the pairing process.
Performance
It is easy to set up the LinkBuds with Sony's Headphones Connect app with an iPhone or an Android mobile. It just takes a few minutes to complete the process.
Besides the unique design, LinkBuds boasts an innovative Wide Area Tap feature. The ultra-sensitive sensors on the LinkBuds can register input from finger taps in front of the ears.
Users need not have to repeatedly touch the tiny earphones, they can do double or triple taps in front of either of their ears to skip songs or go back to the previous track. This is a very impressive feature.
And, also the audio delivery is fantastic too. It has a 12mm driver, inside. The earphones automatically increase the volume when it senses the outside environment is noisy. It worked well and I also tried listening to various genres of music to test the sound output it is on par with any premium open-designed earphones.
With the app, users can customise their equaliser with options such as Treble Boost, Vocals, Bass Boost, Speech, Mellow, and Manual in addition to custom options to set the equaliser audio frequency to match their taste.
Also, it supports the Speak-to-Chat feature, which pauses the music if it senses the user is speaking to a person in front of him or her. However, it has to be activated via the app.
Even the mics are great at picking up the owner's voice and transmitting high-quality audio during the phone call.
Battery life
As far as the battery life is concerned, it works as advertised. They can deliver up to five and a half hours of listening time at a stretch and additional 12 hours with a fully charged case. I never went beyond two hours at a time and usually listen to music or watched blogs during my commute between the home and the office. But, with the app, I was self-aware of the battery capacity and ensured, the case was charged whenever it went below the 20 per cent mark.
Even if you forget, the earphones support fast charging. With 10 minutes of charging, the earbuds can last for 90 minutes.
Final thoughts
Sony LinkBuds' mini donut design language is definitely unique and standout among the pears. However, it is just not for everybody. I always find uni-size earbuds without tips create a sense of anxiety, as the ears are not the same for all and there is a risk of them slipping out of the place.
And, here the LinkBuds at least for me, did not easily fit the ear. It took several trials to finally fit them into my ears and there was always a lingering chafing sensation, which sometimes kills the listening experience. However, as said earlier, this aspect is very subjective as I happen to have small ears. But, others with a bit bigger ears, may not feel any irritation as such. I insist prospective buyers should try them at retail or experience stores.
On the bright side, the innovative sensors that enable the Wide Area Tap feature on the LinkBuds are just phenomenal. It flawlessly picks the touch inputs based on the tap of the fingers on the facial skin near the ear.
Though, it performs two functions-- skip songs and go back to the previous track--, I am very impressed with this feature and I hope to see similar technology coming to other Sony earbuds with more capabilities.
As far as the other two critical aspects-- the sound quality and battery life are concerned, Sony LinkBuds fare well and are par with any open-ear class of earbuds.
Sony LinkBuds costs Rs 19,990 on official retail stores. However, the Sony TWS earbuds are also available on e-commerce sites such as Amazon for as low as Rs 12,990.
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