Sony - LinkBuds S

I didnt have a good call quality experience with linkbuds S, I currently have huawei freebuds pro 3 and i really like it’s call quality especially in windy conditions

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. 

Beats have always been crap, I've never had one pair that has lasted or even sound good. Sony all the way, I've been using my S-linkbuds for three years now with zero issues.

I still use the Comfobuds as my keep in the pocket pair, for the comfort, unobtrusiveness, and speed of connection after removing them from the case. They have developed an issue where sometimes they'll wake up inside their case and connect to my phone when I don't want them to. For my home listening I use a pair of Soundpeats Air buds. The music quality is better and being open air I still feel "present" in the room and can sing along without sounding weird. My work pair is now some Linkbuds S. They have good call and music quality and really excellent active and more importantly passive noise isolation, along with low latency mode I can game with. Their downside is they stick out a bit far from my ears. I tried Bose QC 2s and hated them. 

I have two trusty pairs. 1. Sony WH-1000XM4 - Over-Ear and very nicely adjustable in the App. 2. Sony Linksbuds S - In Ear and my go-to when i leave the house. They always sit in my backpack and are my daily-driver when i use trains or busses. Also i rather like to use Loops Earplugs in the meantime. When i really need it to be as quiet as possible i also double up and use Loops while putting my Over-Ears on top. Saved me a few times when i got very overstimulated without a possibility to leave fast.[](https://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/OffersOfProduct/200278049_-wh-1000xm4-sony.html#reviews)

Linkbud S are my all time favorite

Link buds s was my best until it died due to bateery drain and went to liberty 4 NC and never looked back at ear buds these pairs are wonderful

What do you think about the WF XM5? I’m thinking of pulling the trigger. Just lost my Link Buds S and I was a huge fan.

Have been using linkbud s. It was awesome, great ANC, clear sound and heavy base. But it was pricey, 200 SGD. I bought it 2 years ago. Then my wife accidentally threw it. So I started researching, and saw so many people recommending earfun air pro 4, people was saying the sound quality is crazy good for its price. So I bought it from Lazada for RM 270. Fucking garbage. I shouldn't have wasted my RM 270. So if I were you, just spend good money on a good pair of earphone/headphone, and enjoy it. Don't go cheap, not worth it. Btw, I still have my Sony wh-1000 MX 2 headphone, I bought it for RM 1200 around 6 years back. And I'm still using it until now, and it is working great.

I’m happy with my Sony link bud s

Linkbud S is best sound but not best ear protection. It is enough ear protection, but if you want to play it safe, get a set of loop earplugs and get a bone conducting head phone. Those two options ensure sound clarity. Plugs and cardo is ok, but no sound clarity (good luck listening to podcasts) and you have to blast the sound. I ride a really loud MT10

I use Sony Linkbuds S and the sound quality doesn't disappoint. Great noise cancelling as well

Never ever again something by Sony. 2 of 2 defective after 2 years. sony wh-1000xm5 (bass fluttering sound from right ear) and Linkbuds S (left earbud battery zeroes after 15 minutes). Both are absolutely common defects.

Sony Link Buds S. If I want noise cancelling Sony Link Buds if I don´t :D

Sony Link Buds S. If I want noise cancelling Sony Link Buds if I don´t :D

Linkbuds S are great until the batteries go bad on them. I had them for a year, used them every day for video calls and music, no problems. ONE MONTH after the warranty ended, the batteries started draining faster than usual. Now the right bud lasts for 1 hour, and the left bud lasts for 5 MINUTES. Needless to say, I do not recommend the Linkbuds and my next pair of earbuds will not be from Sony.

Yes the c700n sound great, but no better than the c500. I have the linkbuds s and these are superb, going cheap now aswell

As somebody who owned the xm4, xm5, and Linkbuds S. I glad it’s not on this list. Sony’s ANC and transparency mode are great, but the sometimes hour long firmware updates and battery drainage issues I’ve had with all of them is actually why I’m on the sub now looking for new recommendations 😂

That’s the issue both head phones have to last 45 mins out of the charging case to update.

I feel your pain, I'm also in the market for a new pair as my Linkbuds S have the dreaded battery issue that seems to plague them, although I have had them 2 and a bit years and use them everyday so I don't know if the drain should be normal for that use. For the last 4 days that's been my daily search, I almost bought the liberty 4nc but it only takes one thing and then it's back down the rabbit hole looking at every review or site or comparison looking for the right ones.

I use the LinkBuds S, and while they’re great, they’re also a bit odd. At home, they don’t seem very loud (I like my music blasting), though the noise cancellation is excellent. But when I’m out walking, the experience is completely different—the sound is much louder, which I prefer, and the noise cancellation remains top-notch. Even in noisy environments like busy streets or around screaming kids, no one on the other end of a call hears the background noise, and I can hear them clearly. I’m not sure why there’s such a difference between using them indoors and outdoors, but it’s a bit frustrating. For flights, though, I’d probably recommend the Sony WH-1000XM series instead. I use them for long train rides, and they’re perfect—over-ear design, super comfortable, and much more relaxing to wear. I’d imagine they’d be just as great for long flights.

i use the Sony Link Buds S on my Pixel 8 and god i really love these earbuds. It is the comfiest piece of earbuds, very small and light. no matter what kind of facial expression i do, the earbuds didn't move the slightest. i got 5 years warranty for it too so i can replace the battery when it starts to detoriate

So weird. I am almost in the exact same position. I bought my linkbuds s almost bang on 2 years ago. I noticed around last week that the left earbud drains battery really quickly now (about 30 mins - 45 mins) and the right will still be at about 85%. I've just bought a new set of batteries for £20 (they sell them on Ali Express for half that but I wanted them fixed asap). The replacement doesn't look too difficult based on the YouTube video and if it fixes the battery life, then it will be way worth it! There's nothing wrong with the headphones other than this so it seems ridiculous throwing them away when new batteries are £10 a set and will last another 2 years. I can let you know how the repair goes

You need to use a lot of heat to get the casing to separate. More than you think. It separated for me but the inside electronics were still glues to the outside casing and it made replacing the battery very challenging. After a day or so, the active noise cancelling stopped working (plays a really high pitch squeel) so I tried to fix it again. Didn't work so I just turned it off. They work, but no ANC or pass through now. I guess it's still better than E waste

Thanks for the review ! Just got the exact same model yesterday at discount. The sound is great but the noise cancelling feels kinda of. I cannot say it does not work, it reduces ambient noise to certain degree, but I can still hear cars, chating in the metro and stuff like that. For comparaison I have a pair of Sony linkbud S earbuds, and the isolation is much better as I can barely hear anything and they come at half the price. I know comparing in ear and overear headphones is not really relevant, but considering bose reputation with ANC and the price gap, I was expecting at least similar levels of performance. But maybe my expectetions are just too high. Does anybody shares this feeling regarding the bose QC ANC ? How much of ambiant sound reduction is it fair to expect ? Hard for me to tell because I don t have other devise to compare apart form the sony s earbuds. Cheers !

Mine are the Sony Linkbuds s. Great quality, discreet, great ANC and a good value for the money.

I just got a pair of Cambridge m100s ($90 on sale on their website) and I'm loving them so far. The battery life is insanely good and the sound quality is very good as well. My only gripe is that they are a good big bigger than my old Linkbuds S's (batteries went out so I had to get something else), which will take some getting used to.

x2 for Linkbuds S. Pairs no problem, barely even any lag while gaming or watching movies. I’m sure other Bluetooth earbuds would be the a similar deal. IMO the Bluetooth is one of the best reasons to have a Go other than the more pocketable form factor and extra 16GB for whatever media on top of the 128GB mSD full of games/emu.

Linkbuds S - decent ANC, and you can get some good bass esp. with the app’s EQ.  Idk much about calls other than, they do work on calls lol 

Only if you want the Apple ecosystem conveniences  Otherwise, Sony XM5, Linkbuds S, or Galaxy Buds Pro 2 are my top picks. Yes even as an iPhone user I prefer Samsung Buds over Airpods

Idk. My linkbuds S have been fine for a year. I haven’t heard about xm5 having the issue at least not as widespread as xm4 did But, I get all my Sony stuff from Secondipity @ eBay now, for the 2yr ebay refurbished warranty

Jlab go air pop, or jlab mini buds  Or you could go for sleep buds: Anker A20 which actually sounds decent (better sounding than jlab too imo). They also just announced A30 which will have ANC.  I also like Linkbuds S - best sounding but biggest of the bunch, but it’s got flat profile that makes it usable in bed 

Linkbuds S are very comfy, and flat profile makes them a good candidate.  JLAB Go Air Pop or even their Mini buds Heard good things about Anker A40 for this too

Sony Linksbuds S, love them!

Link buds s are fantastic

I have the sony link bud S and it is incredible until it suddenly stopped working. I tried searching the issue and it seems a battery issue and lots of other link bud S users experienced it.

Words cannot express how good value for money (somewhat) Link Buds S are. Their crazy good with noise cancelling and bass. Great for phone calls/music/meetings.

Sony link buds s are amazing fit however they are complete garbage quality and I tell everyone to stay away from Sony audio wearables.

Xm3s caught fire, link bud S wind noise and then died, xm4 died. Sony is trash

With headphones, I prioritize comfort as much as the sound. You want something you can wear for hours without being uncomfortable on/in your ear. For me it is about the fit. It's 50% comfort and 50% sound. I have more expensive headphones, but I always pick up Link buds S whether traveling or just in house for casual listening. It is light and comfortable. I use my speakers for critical listening.

I feel your pain. Your best bet is the Steelseries Gamebuds. They are almost 0 latency with the dongle. The ANC is terrible though. I didn't like the fit, even though the functionality was excellent. I've tried various BT-LE buds which are lower latency than normal buds but even they only ever get to about 120ms which I can still notice. Most recently I tried the Sony Linkbuds S in LE mode and while much better than normal BT buds, there was still noticable latency. Too much for any kind of competative gaming. It seems that no one makes a good set of 2.4GHz dongle buds that have top end ANC and sound quality. In the end I went with an over-ear headset on 2.4GHz I have just ordered the Jlabs by the way. I'll have them tomorrow and will report back.

I feel your pain. Low latency Bluetooth is a total mess at the moment what with LE audio (LC3) being locked behind Intel EVO PCs in the PC space or having to buy a dongle such as the Creative BT-W6. Some devices that support LE audio that I have tested and know work: Creative Aurvana Ace 2 Earfun Air 4 Pro Jlab Epic Lab Edition - also has a dongle that uses Opus that's even lower latency Sony Linkbuds-S Sony WF1000XM5 Aptx-LL is on hardly any buds at all. Aptx-Adaptive-LL is on several. Look for buds with Snapdragon sound. However, many devices don't backwards support Aptx-LL correctly from Aptx-Adaptive. I've tested Aptx-Adaptive-LL with Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra and it worked reasonably well.

Jabra Elite 18 gen1.samsung galaxy bur 2 pro.sony links buds S.Never fell down.dilby atmos and head tracking very sweet.

I have samsung galaxy bud pro 3,bud pro 2,sony links bud S, jabra elite 10,and wired headphones jbl tune 310 c.i liked only wired headphones to get looseless proper music.

Sony Linkbud S. Amazing and cheap.

Better fit, better sound, better price. Slightly worse ANC.

Does sony still have the battery issue that killed my linkbuds?

I see. My linkbuds battery died after 2 years. Suddenly one of them is draining 90% faster than the other... They have of course designed them so you cannot swap the battery easily :)))) Let us fill the landfills!

Pixel buds pro 2s Sony LinkbudsS Believe it or not I think my sinus sound alot better than the pixel buds.....

I really liked my linkbuds s, I got them just over a year and a half ago, but I'm looking for new ones now as the battery is noticeably getting worse in both the case and the earbuds themselves, particularly the right one. I'm kind of disappointed because I really liked them but my last earbuds lasted double the time, just over three years (the sony xm3 i think? not sure though)

same here. Took me a while to get them because their official store sent me an empty box first xD They are okay. Do not buy them MSRP. I use them on my PC when it's too warm to wear my usual wired and wireless closed/over ear headphones. I used to carry my Linkbuds with me but the Bluetooth delay was way too noticeable for playing games with audio feedback. It's okay enough for Factorio or Dave the Diver but anything lip synced I can't use Bluetooth. For Netflix/YouTube you can tune the delay on Samsung phones but that doesn't work with interactive content. It buffers the video to achieve the same delay. The Bluetooth multipoint audio (using two devices) doesn't work at all. I can't hear my game when my phone makes a single notification sound. No idea how this is allowed to be advertised as using two sources.

I highly recommend the Sony Link Buds S are great and on sale right now from $199 to only $60 - [https://youtube.com/shorts/r4ooq5oCOkQ](https://youtube.com/shorts/r4ooq5oCOkQ)

From all accounts the Sony WF series still have the best ANC, but I prefer the linkbuds s + earmuffs for really nousy environments like around construction/flights/power tools.

I just bought the Sony WF-LS900N LinkBuds S True Wireless after seeing [excellent reviews](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/linkbuds-s-truly-wireless), and I am very pleased with them. They suit my use case very well.

Just tried my linkbud s ones again,anc is rubbish,my old jabra elite 4 active are better,now prefer half ear ones like soundpeats air, everyone is different that's why we have so many to choose from 😀

I’ve been using Sony linkbud s’s and have liked them a lot more than AirPods. I’d get a cardo but $$$$

Fuck Linkbuds S bro, battery life sucks

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 work fine with both devices. You even have multipoint, which allows you to connect to multiple devices with the same earbuds. I have the first Gen Pixel Buds Pro and they're great.

how are the ambient sound features in earbuds other than airpods pro 2? Just got them and this is the feature I like the most, more than sound quality and noise cancellation. I would like to know if others have similar or better quality environmental sound reproduction. My last non-airpod earbuds were the galaxy buds 1 and they were definitely NOT good in that sense.

About 6 months now. No battery problems, still getting me through nearly 10 to 12 hours with ANC or Transparency. I've used the XM4s and LinkBuds before, and I can say that I've had issues with both in terms of connectivity. As for battery, I think that's an issue with earlier models, it should be a lot less prevalent with the XM5s

I've just replaced mine, I have weird shaped and small ears so I ordered like 7 different pairs, from Bose ultras down to some odd Amazon knock-off brands to compare both fit and quality. The Sony Linkbuds S were far and away the winner for me, quality is great, I think it spent £109, and I personally found the noise cancelling better on them than the Bose at twice the price. Partly due to the fit I'm sure, but still really impressed My previous pair were Melomania 1+, I loved them at the time but I think my Sony's are even better now

Can confirm I love my Sony link buds!!

I use a Linkbuds S. Feels special to me keeping it Sony branded and amazing to have ANC and quality sound while gaming on PSP.

They’re older, but the most comfortable wireless earbuds I’ve encountered are the Sony Linkbuds S. The main reason I bought them was because I read so many comments about how comfortable they are compared to everything else out there, and it really is true. And the sound quality is very good as well.

Jabra elite 7 active or sony link buds, both great mics and all rounder daily use.

Shokz open run pro for secure fit or sony linkbuds for better calls in open ear style.

As someone with similar struggles - soft in-ear hooks. There's the occasional unicorn design that just works, but your best bet is something that fits securely not just into your ear canal. Unfortunately most of that category is sports gear that's both very bassy and uncomfortable to outright painful for longer sessions, but something like the Sony Linkbuds, basic Beats Fit Pro or previous gen of Bose QuietComfort might pop up just within your budget if you keep an eye on sales and discounts.

I have sony linkbuds s but they got damaged so i wanted to ask should i buy this or look for som more premium to compare to the sony linkbuds s? Please any opinion please share really confused

Hahaha That’s the problem with earbuds. When I started caring about sound quality, I went from AirPods 3 to Beats Solo buds, returned them, got sony linkbuds S. Then, upgraded to the Samsung galaxy buds 3 pro. Then I got some Simgot IEM, then I tried AirPods Pro 2, Sony xm5, I’m now trying the JBL tour pro 3 and I just ordered the AZ100 to compare with JBL and finally stick to one. In short, I got in the rabbit hole of looking for my end game and got obsessed with it. There is always a newer or a more expensive one that sounds better than what you have.

Avoid WF xm4, and link buds they have battery problem

Link buds series

I am on my second pair, the batteries just completely drain in 20 minutes. They're not built for life

Hi I’m considering buying someone new headphones. After the issue i am having with my current Bose quiet comforts. That I’ve had less than a year. I got them back in October. My issue is that whenever im outside the audio cuts out or glitches. Most of the time this is on the aware mode. But i realized the other day that it happens on noise cancellation aswell. Less often but still happens. It’ll cut out with the slightest noise ( like the wind is barely blowing or a car drive by) I’m not even in that noisy of an environment. For example a single car will go by like every 10 minutes or so. They seem to work mostly fine indoors though. Just getting fed up with the audio cutting out for a second or 2. I’ve had some Sony link buds s before that did pretty much the same thing. So please what are some of your recommendations? They would need to at least be able to play a podcast or music for 4hours without a break.

I can attest to both Sony Linkbuds S and Sony WF C510 as being super small

Sony linkbuds fit only one u can sleep on and good sound quality tws

I have a pair of Sony Linkbuds s, they're a great little set of noise cancelling ear buds - highly recommended!

I got Sony Linkbuds S. A little overpriced in my opinion. I think it probably makes sense to stick to wired earbuds.

I had them. The ear shape is really important here. They kept falling out whenever I was doing basic things, let alone skating. Switched to Sony Linkbuds S. They sit tight

I am skating with Sony Linkbuds S. They are tight and I never worry about them falling out

Also the Sony linkbuds S are a good option for $150.

Heavy on the linkbuds s

Sony Linkbuds S, love them

I'm using the Sony LinkBuds S at the moment as my Jabra's Elite Active 8's died and the store I bought them from gave me the choice between the Linkbuds which were the closest price/feature comparable product or a refund. The Linkbuds take a beating I jog in them without issue. ANC is good, Multipoint is good, battery life is ok, I'm getting about 4-5 hours with ANC on, 6-7 with ANC off. Hearthrough is also good and picks up a lot without being annoying. My only bugbear coming from Jabra is * I miss real/actuated buttons that Jabra has * The earbuds don't have any mute button which is annoying for calls/confrencing * Microphone isn't all that good, can randomly sound like I'm speaking in a toilet or a room with echo and voice isolation is not good, there is too much background pickup. * Pairing requires them being in the case or using the app, you can't put them into pairing mode using buttons like you can with Jabra. Mine are ususally paired with phone, laptop, ipad, android tablet & Nintendo switch and it can get annoying when I need to switch.

I have the Sony link buds s. My biggest motivator in choosing them is that they have the smallest most pocketable case that I could find. They're comfortable for me and sound pretty good. AAC works well as well and they're relatively affordable.

The Sony Linkbuds S is also worth noting imo. I’ve been using them for almost everything in the past year and a half and it sounds great for the price. I got a deal on Amazon for them (probably like 20% I don’t remember entirely) and they still sound great today. Though I have overtaxed it now and the right side is starting to die super early. I still feel like it was worth the purchase

I really like the sony linkbuds s, they are very lightweight, have pretty decent sound and very good ANC if you care for that at all. They can last for a very long time. After two years of multiple hours a day one of the buds wouldn't last more than half an hour, but I don't know why and I don't think it is that common. I would still recommend them, they are great especially when purchasing during a sale which happens pretty often for them.

Forget what I said then, but yeah apart from that they are great

I cant emphasize enough how good sony linkbuds fit for this kind of activities

You need to get a pair of Sony Linkbuds S. They're not that expensive and honestly incredible. Best active noise csncelling I've seen by far on earbuds, great audio quality and ambient sound mode (also pretty impressive). I used a pair heavily on a daily basis and just got another pair 2 years later (batteries were at the end of their life cycle). I've rarely been more impressed by headphones, let alone earbuds as I was by the Linkbuds S.

Go with a set of good earbuds, they’ll last all day and then some. I liked the jbl tunes, but upgraded to the Sony link buds and they’re awesome and comfortable, you forget you even have them in

I have the Linkbuds S and they're great! They do not fall off even if I headbang aggressively (as a test since I'm not a metal head). And sometimes you don't even notice that you're wearing them. I just wish they had a longer battery life on the earphones + case and they would be top-tier.

I have sony linkbuds s and technics az80.  I wfh and switching between calls and teams etc, I always get told how clear and good the technics are for voice and no background noise (the multipoint is always perfect t too!) Technics has an adjustable "just my voice" feature and works well!  with the sony the multipoint is hit & miss (unreliable) and I get told I sound like I'm in a empty hall. Lots of background noise etc. 

I can confirm this problem with the Linkbuds S as well, I got mine a couple of weeks ago, and after just 1 day a scretching sound came from the right earbud, then the sound like the wind is heard only when the ANC is activated. I took them to Sony, so hope they can give me a refund. Anyways thanks for informing about the linkbuds fit, 'cause I was thinking in getting them instead of another Linkbuds S pair.

I wear the Sony Linkbuds when biking. They are great for hearing noise around me and listening to music at the same time. I'm trying to see if there are any great alternatives because the battery has gone to crap in them. Otherwise I think they are great. I would never use any kind of ANC earbud when biking.

The Sony LinkBuds S which are MFI-certified and are the only earbuds that fit perfectly in my ears. I’ve tried the normal Airpods, the AirPods Pro and Huawei FreeBuds Pro, but neither fit well. Every time I smiled, they would pop out and cause significant discomfort.

I use sony linkbuds s with iphone 15 and i’m very satisfied with it.

Sony Linkbuds S for in-ear. They are very small. Soundcore Aerofit 2 for on-ear.

Just wanted to chime in, as I found this post during my own search. I have the linkbuds S. They are super lightweight, and fit my tiny ears great. Sound is great and ANC is amazing. However the Bluetooth connection is abysmal. Constant audio drops and glitches and pops. I've adjusted every conceivable setting, priority to stable, AAC instead of LDAC etc.... but it's just shit. I've had several pairs of galaxy buds (none of which particularly fit well) but they never had the Bluetooth problems these have. I have Sony XM4 over ears, and they don't have this problem either. Seems to be just the linkbuds, and a google search will find similar sufferers. Also using the silicone tips I get lots of noise from head movement too, terrible for the gym (but not a problem with 3rd party foam tips). This is using a galaxy S10, then a galaxy s24. Same problem on both phones. The search continues.....

Buds 2 Pro, bro, try it. You will not regret it. I just bought it two weeks ago and use it with my S23 Ultra. I'm a Sony WF-XM4/LinkBuds S user before this, but I really love the sound more than Sony.

i bought the linkbuds s and it has huge body, doesn't fit :(

As a woman who loves comfy earbuds, I’ve tried a few that really stand out. The Sony LinkBuds are super light and comfortable, and I love that they let me hear everything around me while still enjoying my music or calls. The Oladance Wearable Stereo surprised me with how comfy they are too. They sit outside your ears but stay in place, and the sound quality is impressive.

I don't know. It seems anything BT earbuds breaks easily. I tried Bose and Sony link bud s. They only last about 10 months, then warranty replacement. After that they give you 20% discount. Never gonna buy expensive bt earbuds again.

I was very disappointed in the linkbuds s, battery died completely after 2yrs and noise cancelling wasnt nothing to praise

having used XM4, XM5 and Linkbuds, so far 710N are doing better job.. no one complained of call quality. however for call quality Huawei freebuds pro 4 are the best

I do recommend Linkbuds S, you really forget that they are in your ears. Very good fit good for sports, good for sleeping (I can sleep with them on the się but for my wife they're to big)

Those earbuds (I think you may be referencing the A40s?) hurt my ears as well. I find the 1more aero quite comfortable, decent performer all around as well, although I don't see them getting mentioned much. Although, I have too many earbuds throughout the price range, kind of an obsession. I feel like the aero are a solid option if your ears happen to be shaped like mine, which have a relatively shallower concha. Sony linkbuds s are probably the most comfortable \*for me\* besides sleep buds, but above $100. Earfun air pro 4 are reasonably comfortable to me as well and a really good value.

Similar to other folks, I have quite a few \~15 pairs ranging in price. I really enjoy trying out new features and comparing them, so it is a bit of a hobby. I usually have a few on me/in my bag. Lately it is the galaxy buds pro 3 (just recently acquired) and the sony linkbuds s. I usually sleep with the soundcore sleep a20.

>After two years of multiple hours a day one of the buds wouldn't last more than half an hour, but I don't know why and I don't think it is that common. It's unfortunately very common, mine have the same issue, and you can find tons if reports on the /r/Sony sub. Amazing buds otherwise.

Durable will hardly matter if the battery isn't replaceable. The number of brands with any model with intentionally user-replaceable battery is almost zero. Some can still be replaced. I replaced the battery on my Sony Linkbuds S, but it was not for the feint of heart. Otherwise, they've been good. I don't love the app, and I think it should be illegal for apps that you need to interface with hardware that you bought to have any kind of ad (even if its minimal like with Sony's). repair-ability isn't everything, but the batteries in wireless earbuds are tiny and their lifespans are short because of the batteries, and other than the batteries, there is no reason why these devices shouldn't last a decade or more. So knowing that the battery can be replaced (even with some difficulty) is a big deal to me. I think with EU regulations coming into effect in the future, there will start to be more offerings and some might even be sold in the US. Fairbuds are not available in the US and they are the only wireless earbuds I know of with properly user replaceable batteries.

Pretty much any premium choice, like sony, Bose, Samsung, etc. if you want something lightweight, the new Sony link buds are great. Bose has great sound in their quietcomfort earbuds, but call volume is a bit lower than the competition. Galaxy buds are great all around. I have owned a few pairs.

I believe I have a pair of these... they're blue(mine are)...terrible battery life. I like the Sony WF-C500, battery life rules in my experience.I use them more for videos and phone calls vs music though

Sony Linkbuds S are pretty nice.. i think you can get a pair at 500 or slightly above

Sony Linkbuds.. not too expensive, not too cheap, a lot of case customization from shopee can connect to 2 device at same time

Temporarily need new Bluetooth, had Linksbuds S until now and was very happy with them. I want to try out some 'higher class' ones for this time, What can you suggest?

Linkbuds or Linkbuds S? Have mine since February and didn't notice any decline in battery life..

Alright then, I always had a good fit with Linkbuds S

You could try the sony linkbuds S, a cheaper alternative to the xm5 their flagship. Similar quality of noise cancelling and sound quality in my opinion, but with a cheaper price tag

Same issue happened with my linkbuds S-- battery issue after a year. In the same boat trying to find a similar alternative, but struggling to switch because I loved them while they lasted.

I don't have battery problems with LinkBuds Open. I had battery problems with LinkBuds and LinkBuds S. On LinkBuds battery died on right bud and on LinkBuds batteries died on both buds. Other Sony buds that I had battery problems was WF-1000XM4. With WF-1000XM5 after 2 years no any battery problems. So, this is not related to all Sony buds, just LinkBuds, LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM4. This is shit batteries or bad firmware optimisation. For this tipe of buds LinkBuds Open are the best buds. Bass is not the best, but they still have bass. Yes, I had some connection problems and after latest firmware update those connection problems has almost gone. If you don't like NC get LinkBuds Open.

I don't have battery problems with LinkBuds Open. I had battery problems with LinkBuds and LinkBuds S. On LinkBuds battery died on right bud and on LinkBuds batteries died on both buds. Other Sony buds that I had battery problems was WF-1000XM4. With WF-1000XM5 after 2 years no any battery problems. So, this is not related to all Sony buds, just LinkBuds, LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM4. This is shit batteries or bad firmware optimisation. For this tipe of buds LinkBuds Open are the best buds. Bass is not the best, but they still have bass. Yes, I had some connection problems and after latest firmware update those connection problems has almost gone. If you don't like NC get LinkBuds Open.

Sony consistently makes bad quality earphones, it's just nobody has had the will to document all cases to sue. I bought a pair of LinkBuds back in 2024 and they broke within the year—sound was like the membrane broke. They replaced for used headphones (they registered with a fucking John Rando's name in Android). Now, battery life is very uneven between the two pieces. Honestly I got tired of looking for service because they make you work too much for it. $150 plus tax I'll never see again. F** Sony.

Sony imo. DISCLAIMER, PLEASE READ!! Every good Bluetooth headphone has an App with an equalizer (EQ) If they don't avoid them like the plague. Download the app to customize the equalizer to your preferred sound and they will sound like perfection. For earbuds Sony wh-1000xm4 for best sound 10/10 but bad fit 5.5/10, link bud S for fit 10/10 and sound 8.5/10 mic is good too for how small they are, and you can get them refurbished for cheap. For headphones the 1000xm4 are better than xm5 imo, 10/10 comfort, mic I'm pretty sure is just alright but the sound is as good as it gets for non open back headphones.

I recently got the pixel buds 2 pro and those things are tiny, have solid noise cancelling and good sound. The pixel buds 2a just came out and are much more affordable and reviews say very comparable. The sony linkbuds s and the linkbuds fit are both pretty small as well with solid features and very good sound, since you're familiar with the sony sound in the xm3s you might go this route.

I use Sony Linkbuds. Super comfortable. Long battery life.

I used Sony Linkbuds S until the battery issue killed them. I enjoyed then but couldn't justify buying Sony again after they died Shirley after 1 year of use. Now I've switched to the Samsung Buds3 Pro. The have been pretty good and are fairly comfortable. I got them for a really good price when I upgraded my Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Agree on Linkbuds S, but the battery isssue is a disgrace. I had to replace the battery on mines a bit after 2 years.

Sony Linkbuds S

I own the AirPods and the Sony and use both with my iPhone. The Sonys are about 120 Euro and there are worlds between both in sound quality. The Sonys sound so much better than the Apple AirPods. Both have a very similar noise cancellation. But the Sonys have way more bass and you can tune them with the eq. And keep one thing in mind: both are not able to change the battery. So in 3-4 years you can throw them into garbage. The Sonys are about 120 Euro. And the AirPods are 270 Euro. I think it’s a no brainer to buy the Sonys.

Not at all.

Own them since may 2024. My wife got a pair first and I’ve tried hers. Before I was AirPods only. I was so blown away by the Sonys that I bought a pair for me. As I don’t have any problems I didn’t search the internet for problems. Bought them on Amazon. So if there’s a problem, I know that Amazon will help men out.

I'm on my second set of the Sony link buds S mainly because I have relatively small ears. They don't move an inch on a 10 mile run and their also super comfy to casually wear in work etc. the ANC and sound quality i would say is very good too but I'm not an audio expert. I feel like their overlooked a lot of the time, I went for them mainly because I wanted something small and I love them.

Do they make a version that doesn't look like a little ding a ling falling out of my ear? I spent a good amount of time a year ago trying to find best buds for phone calls around $150. Settled on Sony Linkbuds S but they've got their own little problems - random disconnects, connect to phone while in case. I'm looking for buds that have good call quality, I can't stand some of my coworkers dollar store buds where my ears are getting echo chamber blasted.

Go with Sony Earbuds with HiRes-Codecs(starting with Linkbuds s and ending with xm5 as premium). Go with Pixel Buds Pro 2, if you dont care about sound quality(they dont offer HiRes-Codecs) (If you choose Earphones with HiRes, also keep in Mind, that you need a streaming-service which offer HiRes like Tidal, Apple Music or Amazon Music. Because Spotify for example only offers mp3-quality and not HiRes)

AirPods Pro 2 aren't listed but are awesome and super comfy for long periods. I use them with my Samsung phone. Sony's earbuds are also very good. Anker typically performs well for their price, but are not the "best". I haven't been impressed with Jabra and find Beats to be lower performing in terms of audio quality.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are also a great choice if you really need top-tier noise cancelling. They’re a little more comfortable for long periods, but in terms of pure ANC power, Sony edges them out slightly. Both will do an awesome job on those low-pitch sounds that most earplugs can’t touch.