If the sounds of people talking, gates closing and machines doing their thing, disturbs you, then a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, like the Sony LinkBuds S, should be on your shopping list. I have been using a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3, for a while now, and I enjoy how they block out the sounds around me. My only issue is that I can’t easily carry them with me, unless I have a bag to store them in. So I seldom have them with me when I need them. Let me introduce to you the new Sony LinkBuds S, which was sent over by Sony recently. These are the improved version of the LinkBuds. According to Sony the LinkBuds S are “the world‘s smallest and lightest, noise cancelling, Hi-Res truly wireless headphones.” The LinkBuds S has become the go-to Bluetooth earbuds that I always have with me. Let me tell you why.
Firstly, what is in the box?
The Sony LinkBuds S comes in a box made only from cardboard. By eliminating plastic, Sony is doing its part to save the environment. In the box you will find:
- Sony LinkBuds S
- USB Type-C Cable
- 6 ear tips in SS, S and LL sizes
- Sony pamphlets and references guides
Let’s talk about the design:
The LinkBuds S can blend into any environment thanks to their minimalist design, with very little branding. In fact, the only branding is on the sides of the buds and at the top of the case. The earbuds are stored in a textured case. The case is made of plastic, has rounded corners and offers a secure place to store the buds, as well as charge them. The case provides loads of grip, so you don’t have to worry about it slipping out of your hand or pocket. There is Sony branding engraved on the lid section, but the rest of the case is very minimalistic. The case has a LED light on the front, which lights up as you open the case. The LED light is either green, to show that the case is fully charged, or red, which means the case needs charging. On the back of the case, you will find a USB-C port and a pairing button. The lid for the case won’t open on its own as it is held down tightly by magnets.
Opening the case you find the left and right earbuds, kept in place by magnets. You really need to give the earbuds a pull to get them out, so you can be sure you won’t be losing them easily from the case.
The Sony LinkBuds S is made of black plastic and features a round shape, with silicone ear tips, that create a snug seal in your ear canal. The earbuds have an ergonomic design and feel comfortable in the ear no matter the activity. It is important to note that the earbuds create a seal in your ear which means you won’t hear your surroundings so much, but ambient mode can fix this, more on this later. This does increase the bass in your music as you are able to listen to music at safer volumes when in a noisy environment like a bus or plane.
There are touch-sensitive controls on the sides of the earbuds and mesh-covered microphones. Touching the earbud and keeping your finger there, turns on ambient mode temporarily, to let you talk to someone. As soon as you remove your finger, it goes back to normal. The Sony LinkBuds S have an IPX4 water resistance rating, so you can use them for a range of activities where water or sweat may splash, but not for swimming!
In an effort to protect the environment, Sony has made the earbuds out of recycled plastic. You can either choose between white, black, cream, or if you are daring, blue marble with a marble finish.
Connectivity and Getting Set Up:
Pairing the Sony LinkBuds S to your device is pretty simple. Located at the back of the case is a pairing button. After pressing this button, search for the earbuds in your Bluetooth devices and once found, simply pair them. Sony has a useful app called “Sony Headphones Connect”, for Android and iOS which lets you get firmware updates, customize the earbud controls, and monitor the battery level of the case, and each earbud individually. There are also EQ options to get the sound right. It is possible to pair the Sony LinkBuds S with two devices simultaneously so that you can use the earbuds on let’s say your computer and then jump onto a call on your phone. If your phone rings and you are listening to music on your computer, Sony LinkBuds S will automatically connect to your phone so that you can take the call.
One of the most useful features of the app is the ability to choose between Noise Cancelling and Ambient Sound Control. But if you don’t want to have to keep choosing, the Adaptive Sound Control feature detects your actions and automatically switches the mode for you. There is also a handy mode called Auto Play, in the Sony Headphones app, which you can use to automatically play music from Spotify or Endel, as soon as you start wearing the earbuds.
The LinkBuds S also supports Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature. This feature lets you easily locate where you left your headphones by tone sound, or checking their last known location in Google’s Find My Device app on your smartphone!
How do they sound? Do they block noise?
I have been pleasantly surprised by the overall audio experience of the Sony LinkBuds S earbuds. Whether listening to music or podcasts or watching Netflix, the experience was very similar to that of my Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones. The Sony LinkBuds S produce crystal clear rich vocals, with detailed sound, good treble and base, and offers a surround sound experience. You can modify the equaliser settings as well, to get the right sound. The fact that these small earbuds produce such a punch still impresses me as I write this.
And let me tell you about the Noise Cancelling mode, it removes so much of the noise around you, you tend to forget where you are and focus on the task at hand. I wore the Sony LinkBuds S next to a busy road, and I didn’t hear the annoying Taxi’s shouting or hooting. I didn’t hear the machines pouring cement. When on a flight recently, I didn’t hear the people behind me chatting or the sound of the engines. I was in my own world!
I did try out the Adaptive Sound Control mode, which uses proximity sensors to detect your activity or location, and then adapts the ambient sound settings for the ideal listening experience. The Adaptive Sound Control also learns your behaviour over time so that it can set the right settings for your needs. It does let in the sounds you may need to hear but the whole idea of wearing the earbuds was to remove the sounds that would annoy me. That being said, the feature is still impressive.
There is also a speak-to-chat feature which when activated in the Sony Headphones app, will pause your music if the microphone on the earbuds hears you talking. Your audio will then resume after a short period of time. I eventually turned this off as I was signing to a song and it paused the song. I guess if you are in an environment where you aren’t singing or mumbling to yourself, like the library, then this feature would work great.
I also used the Sony LinkBuds S for a long call in the airport, and I was able to hear clearly and was told that my voice was crisp and clear! This is all thanks to Sony’s Voice Pickup Tech, which controls the microphones on the inside and outside of the earbuds, as well as adds advanced audio signal processing. You can also connect the Linkbuds S earbuds to a voice assistant, such as Google or Alexa, to easily get things done on the go or hear your notifications! Oh, and if you need to remove the LinkBuds S from your ears, the music will pause, and will instantly resume as soon as they are back in!
How do they feel in the ear?
The Sony LinkBuds S are very lightweight and small and ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in the ear, without being in your face. The design perfectly fits into your ear, and I was able to wear them for hours comfortably without feeling any ear pain. I did experience some pain after wearing them on my return flight recently, but then again I was also sick, so it could have been a combination of my health and something in my ear. The standard ear tips fit perfectly in my ear, but if needed there are various sizes to get the perfect seal in your ear.
Battery and Charging:
As mentioned, the Sony LinkBuds S earbuds are charged in the case. Charging takes place via the USB Type-C cable. The case gives you 14 hours of battery life with an extra 6 hours stored in each earbud. This gives you around 20 hours of listening. 5-minutes of charging gives you up to 60 minutes of use. After opening the case and removing the earbuds, the battery level is displayed as a popup on your phone. You can also see the battery level in the Sony Headphones app. I took a fully charged pair of Sony LinkBuds S earbuds with me on a recent flight. I listened before my flight, during my flight, and then again before and during my return flight. So this is roughly 8 hours of use, and the case is on 65% and the earbuds are fully charged. So the battery life is very impressive!
Price:
On sale in South Africa for R 3,699, from Takealot, from a Sony Retailer, or from Amazon.
Verdict:
After using the Sony LinkBuds S earbuds in various environments, I really started to like them. They are easy to carry, comfortable to wear, produce really good audio, and have many nifty features to help you do what matters. These earbuds will definitely go with me wherever I go, should I need to listen to music, make a call, or just block out some noise!
