I’ve got the same issue and I’m choosing the right model too. Here are options that match what you’re looking for:
JLab JBuds Mini — among the tiniest (~3.3 g per bud); often a great fit for smaller ears. No ANC, but the ultra-compact shell means you’re unlikely to get rubbing.
Soundcore A20i — very small (~25 × 19 × 16 mm, ~5.2 g per bud); comfy and inexpensive. No ANC, but they tend to fit almost any ear.
Sony LinkBuds S (WF-LS900N) — lightweight (~4.8 g per bud) and one of the most comfortable with real ANC; small, rounded housing. If you want a quality sound + secure seal, this is the safest “premium” pick.
Alternative: Sony LinkBuds Fit (WF-LS910N) — even more comfort-oriented. The Air Fitting Supporters distribute contact inside the outer ear (no hooks; they don’t interfere with glasses). If your left concha (the bowl of your outer ear) is very small, these can help spread pressure away from sensitive spots. (~4.9 g per bud).
Sony WF-C700N / C710N — light (~4.6 g per bud on C700N), designed for small ears; ANC is decent. WF-C710N is the 2025 refresh with improved ANC/touch controls.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 — very small, rounded capsule; comfortable with good sound and competent ANC. (Not the FE.) ~5.0 g per bud; 17.0 × 20.9 × 21.1 mm.
I had heard link buds fit was the same driver as the xm5, apparently AI suggested that this is not true, if it can be believed. WF-1000XM5: Uses the full Dynamic Driver X for premium sound with deep bass, rich mids, and clear highs, delivering superior channel separation and detail.
LinkBuds Fit: Also uses a Dynamic Driver X (8.4mm), providing excellent sound for its form factor, but the XM5 generally offers a richer, more detailed, and powerful audio experience.
They sure sound excellent though but I was having a little issue with the seal with ANC. 35 bucks is a great deal!
I heard you are looking to wear them mostly in the gym. The Denon Perl pros are pretty huge but they have a wing tip to help them stay in place during workouts; so does the Momentum tws 4 but during my experience they don't stay as secure as the PerL pros. Also if you want a specific sports pair you can look at the Power beats fit which have sport wingtips. But they won't sound as good as the prior earbuds you mentioned. Also the Sony link buds fit are great for the gym but has 90 percent of the sound quality of the Sony Wf1000xm5.
Same issue here. These should be $30 or less for it to be approaching a deal since they’ll be e-waste sooner than anyone would expect. The first generation Linkbuds Open also suffered the same problem for me.
Now I have both the latest Linkbuds Fit and Linkbud Opens and I’m curious if they’ll suffer the same fate. Only bought them because I was able to get them from private sellers for like $40 a piece. I’ll never spend more than that on a pair of Sony earbuds because of those original Linkbuds experiences.
I'll join in the haters. I got these yesterday to replace some $80 Soundcore earbuds and by far prefer those ones.
The mic is awful. Picks up more background noise than my actual voice. Using Krisp helps a bit. I use this with my macbook though, so the Sony app isn't here to help. I get way better sound quality using my macbook mic in a relatively quiet cafe than with these.
Sound quality is nice but nothing to swoon over.
Noise cancellation is constantly changing so there's a whooshing sound as it switches to match ambient noise. If you live anywhere urban this is insane - it just doesn't work.
Defo taking these back.
Affectionate-Lab644
