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

How did you get refund after 2years? My Link-buds S is having the same issue rn. Not sure if the battery replacement worthy a try, but I am quite disappointed in Sony.

I’ve been researching this too. +1 for song linkbud s for android and Apple AirPod pro 2 if you have iPhone (gen 2 has xs tips)

Linkbuds S is perfect for small ears!

I have never tried them, but I always had problems when using random earbuds back in the day. I read that these were small and therefore perfect for small ears, so I bought them. I think they fit perfectly, but I have read alot about the battery life on Sony's earbuds (in retrospect), so I dread the day that they stops working. But I've had them for 2 years now and I've had no issues yet :)

I had both the XM5 and the Linkbuds\*-S, the latter were surprisingly so much better

Linkbuds\* earing them right now. upgraded them with comply foam tips and I've never changed them. I got the Bose earbuds, they were out of this world amazing noise cancelling. but the microphone on the Bose were so bad they were basically useless for anything except quite indoors.

You can try Sony Link buds S (renewed) from Amazon for 60$. I know yes they are renewed but in my experience they have been working exceptionally well and you get really good product for very cheap.

I've personally used the pixel buds a, pixel buds pro, and Sony Link buds S. What's your use case going to be? My A's are my favorite to grab for a workout because of the wingtips, but otherwise I don't use them anymore because they hurt my ears. The pros I adored, but lost them and replaced with the Sony's. The pros have better touch controls and seemed to have better microphones on them. The battery life is also amazing. But I prefer the fit and sound on the Sony Link buds S. To me the linkbuds have a richer sound, and as someone who listens to a lot of different music they handle everything I throw at them. They're also usually on sale for $150 or less. (Got mine for $130) All of them have had great integration with assistant. Especially the pros and the linkbuds. While I haven't used the galaxy buds I've heard good things. So.. my suggestion would be to go for the galaxy buds or look at Sony buds.

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.

I love these ear buds buy might are suffering from a battery issue that is common. The left earbud dies 2x faster than the right. I got a full refund for them nearly 2 years layer which was awesome but I don't know if I want to risk the battery issue again or upgrade to something newer.

I use my S21 ultra with LDAC (Linkbuds S and Earfun Pro 4). It is sort of the opposite that is true in that Galaxy Bud's work best on Samsung phones since Samsung phones can use a proprietary high res code exclusovely.

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

They're only $120?

Ordered them a few days ago, replacing my WF1000XM3's. Bought them at Coolblue (in the Netherlands) for 108 euro.

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.

Hey, I'm looking for the best true wireless earbuds that I can take on my long walks (usually 8-10 miles 3-4 times per week). My. main purpose is to listen to music and podcasts and make calls (often work calls). I need great mic quality (as great as it can be on truly wireless earbuds). Fit is important since I don't want to constantly fiddle around with them on longer walks. Sweatproof or sweat resistant is a must. I live in the humid South - and will definitely be sweating during these long walks. What I've Tried Already Sony XM4 and XM5 - XM4s were too big. XM5s were a good size, but I feel like they didn't get loud enough and the bass wasn't strong enough - that mattered more before when I was running with the more. Now I mostly walk, so super strong bass isn't needed. The foam tips were good, but I don't know if I could wear them for long periods of time. Nothing Ear(a) - I really wanted to like these, but they just didn't stay in my ear well when sweating. Linkbuds S - I was a big fan of these - but I kept having a recurring issue with these that has been reported online in that the left ear bud would drain exponentially faster than the right earbud. I swapped it out once and still had the same issue. Call and mic quality were good and the sound was really good and the compact size was awesome - but that persistent battery drain issue was a big buzzkill. OnePlus Buds 3 - That's my current driver. Got it to pair with my OnePlus Open (no longer have that) and really like the bass and how loud they get. However, I'm starting to notice on my longer walks that I constantly have to re-adjust the stems because they move around - and when I do that it'll accidentally pause tracks or even hang up calls. I'd appreciate any recommendations. I'd like to keep it under $100 (I'm okay with buying refurbished from sellers like Secondipity on eBay (what I've done before)) and I'd want them to have a great mic and call quality along with great sound. Being sweat-resistant and/or sweatproof would be awesome - and the fit is crucial.

Linkbuds s, profile and comfort. Decent audio.

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.

I've had the c500 and they were great, I tried the c700n and returned them because the anc was literally pathetic. Fast forward, grabbed the linkbuds S last month as they were on offer £118 new amazon UK and Sony were offering an extended 2 year warranty. These buds are extraordinary! The anc is better than the xm5 buds (tried and returned) in my opinion, sound terrific and the fit is just perfect, these buds are so so light weight, you literally don't know you're wearing them. Battery drain on the buds is literally identical, after 5 hour anc on, aac, 70 %volume they both said 37%! I wasn't prepared to spend the usual £180 but at £118 with the extra warranty (applied for and confirmed by Sony) I know I'm covered. If you have the extra cash? It's worth it.

Liberty 4 nc, has excellent anc for the price point. Also galaxy buds FE on a budget. I also have the linkbuds s, check Amazon warehouse for "used like new", you can get them at £80. They are the best earbuds I have ever known!

Like I said, liberty 4nc or buds FE are great, but if you can push the budget the linkbuds s are exceptional.

I have the Sony linkbuds S and these are good in windy conditions. But the best anc buds ever are a bit retro now, they're the Sony wf xm3, you can set the ambient mode to "wind noise reduction" and they work brilliantly.

No I haven't I'm afraid, I'm a big fan of soundcore though, I had a pair of q20 headphones about 6 years ago (Im quite poor) they were £30 and the anc was good, loved the sound aswell "hi res". I also have the liberty 4 nc since release, it's the best £55 I have ever spent. The linkbuds s are very similar to xm3 function wise but the anc is better, the fit really is good because these things are crazy light weight, you genuinely forget they are there.

If you're on a budget the liberty 4 nc from soundcore have excellent anc for the price point. I recently bought the Sony linkbuds s for £120 on amazon and they're sound and anc is incredible. I've had the xm5 buds and sent them back, the linkbuds s have better anc than the xm5! True story..... Another great pair on a budget is the galaxy buds FE, especially if you have a Samsung device so you can use their ssc codec.

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

I can't speak for the buds3 pro but so far the reviews on here for them seem really encouraging. I've had and returned the xm5 and bose ultra earbuds. Xm5, all you get in the box is 3 sizes of sponge tips! I hate sponge tips and for £300 there should be silicone options in the box, totally unacceptable. The buds themselves are tiny and have a shiny /glass like finish and you just can't keep a grip on them, then add the anc being very poor (compared to the ultra) not good. Bose ultra earbuds, fit is exceptional, best fit I have ever known. The sound is mediocre with just sbc aac available unless you have a device with the latest aptx adaptive codec (qualcomm aptx doesn't count) check your Bluetooth list on your device. Anc is best in class, xm5 is insignificant in comparison. Now the bad! And it's a game changer I'm afraid. The bluetooth connection repeatedly drops meaning you have to put them back in the case and out again to reset, I was in town without my case when this happened and I was musicless until I got home. The app is glitchy as hell and is constantly disconnecting then trying to reconnect which kills the connection. Only solution to this is to set up the buds then uninstall the app to stop it from messing with your connection, at £300 this is definitely not acceptable This is my "personal experience" with these 2 buds. I finally bought the linkbuds s, these beat the xm5 and ultra in my opinion because they basically just work and do exactly what they say on the tin!

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.

Have you tried the Pixel Buds Pro 2 yet? I'm currently using Linkbuds S and love the fit and sound but I'd like better Pixel integration.

I have the Sony linkbuds s and technics az80 Sony wins for comfort/lightness/and ANC The technics wins for all else sound/multipoint/voice calling... While the the technics are "better" they are not the best at and IMHO (they are good but not quite Sony ANC)

Yep one is always 10% left when the other reaches 0%

Most comfy linkbud s, airpods 2 pro most reliable and smoothest with iPhone, very high quality

I really like the Sony Linkbuds S. They're comfortable, have a good battery life, and don't fall out.

Any updates on your experience with the Ear (a)? I am highly doubting between the Nothing Ear (a) and the Galaxy Buds pro 2. Came from Linkbuds S but battery draining issues. Would like earbuds as good as the Linkbuds S.

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 got some Sony SoundBuds S about a year ago. They are my first and only wireless earbuds. I quite like them though their only fault is mic wind noise during a call if you are biking, fairly niche complaint. Great sound and fairly comfortable. Easy to use and good battery life. I got the "Earth Blue" ones. There is a companion app for additional settings of you wanted to dive in quite straight forward.

If you are thinking about using them without playing music just for mere noice isolation keep in mind that most anc earbuds produce more or less slight white noice. I use anc earbuds for meditation as a dad of toddlers and that white noice is a dealbreaker for me. Bose qc earbuds II/ultra have the most of this white noise I ever experienced, while having undeniably the most effective anc on the market these days. I can recommend the Sony linkbuds s for the best balance between effective noice isolation and the least white noice from it. The xm5 also don’t have a lot of white noice, but the foam tips are pretty uncomfortable to wear. If that doesn’t bother you, I’d recommend these too.

That’s very subjective, but I always end up with my AirPods Pro 2, the whole package is just too compelling at least when you are in the apple eco system. They are like amongst the top three best anc earbuds and everything else is so fluid and reliable while the sound is solid but nothing special. My second most used earbuds are the Sony linkbuds s, which I prefer over the xm5 due to the better comfort, at least in my ears. The Bose qc (II,ultra, gen 2) are supposed to have market leading anc, but as far as I tested them, the connection wasn’t reliable enough and there was too much white noise for my taste. And the cases are too bulky for me to carry them always in my pocket - I don’t use what I don’t have at hand anytime. I wish there was something more exciting than the AirPods, but nothing could beat them for me for longer than a week so far. I don’t have tested many over ears, I own the xm4 and the Bose quiet comfort 45. Both are supposed to be great last generation anc headphones but I don’t get more anc out of them than with my AirPods. Since these are way more convenient, I usually don’t come up using overears. When I sit down in order to listen to music concentrated I use my sennheisers or betweens and so on, but that happens very rarely. 99% of the time I use my AirPods especially while commuting, when reliability is key and I want to make sure that a during a long day out of the house my earbuds won’t let me down.

It’s important you buy from a retailer with good return policies, because earbuds are incredibly subjective. You need to wear them for a while and you have no risk then. If you can tolerate the foam tips, the wf1000xm5 are great earbuds with one of the most effective anc and fantastic sound, IF… you have to try it yourself. Keeping AirPods up to date with a MacBook should work, I never tried it myself because they date up clandestinely in the background when connected to my iPhone. There are new Sonys about to be released later this month, the linkbuds fit, but there is no review so far so we can’t tell about their quality. Since I like the linkbuds s a lot, I am very interested in these.

Well a lot of this is very subjective, for example the beats fit pro sit super loose in my ears and I have to readjust especially the left one all the time. I also find myself grabbing earbuds most of thr time you wouldn't consider the best amongst my collection, but they just meet my very own everyday requirement very well. I would say the linkbuds s are very near to perfect to me, if they where more reliable. At the moment my favorite set are the semnheiser Accentum true wireless, which have the advantage of a way smaller case over the mtw4 and they fit me better. Airpods pro 2 are great for their reliability and for consuming media like movies, when you are in the apple ecosystem. For listening to music I clearly prefer the accentum. So you will have to make your own experiences with every set.

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.

Edifier pro 2! Under $150 Huawei freebuds pro 3! Over $150 I am not sure but I don't think it's a coincidence. That Huawei & Edifier only but a few tws models that have 4 mics or 8 total p. Premium / budget use 2/3 mic. the stem design or lack of one. Obviously makes a big difference to the overall call quality. Sony link buds S & 1more Evo are exception. Say this because if anyone tried to use the Sony WF - XM5 for calls outside your office🤮Senn M3/M4 even worse then the Sony. Recently Samsung announced the Galaxy PRO 3 w/ major design change. They are going to a stem like 🍎. If you have ever tried use the GBPRO 2 in dynamic environments whether windy or loud. These buds are some worst on call mic period. I am an android Galaxy Ultra eco system guy. Samsung realized that 🍎 had it right. Call mic quality is important today. If u are hesitant to answering or make calls on your earbuds. They really are not convenient anymore for most now. That is why Samsung is changing there design in my opinion

I received LinkBudsS and here's a quick recap: Sound Quality: Overall very good. Resolution is great but frequency response is flatter than in Bose like in monitor headphones. Good for classic and jazz and we can EQ techno on the phone but it seems the equalizer is on the phone, not in buds so on the workout with Garmin when you need a blast it doesn't work. For workouts the sound is dull, unfortunately. Volume is also well below Bose so when you need a boost on the last mile you can't get it here. Fit: much more insulated than Bose (with largest inserts) and also very secure. Bose used to slip out when I sweat a lot . With Sony I don't have this problem. Due to the very insulated space behind the buds in the ears there are some unpleasant feelings on a run (like small pumps in your ears) but not that much. There's no or very little thudding. I would vote for Sony for fit even though Bose felt loose in ears and it was pretty comfortable, without compromising sound quality and loudness. Controls: taps don't work when you sweat. At all. Other things like ANC: It works. Overall Bose Sport Earbuds were better buds for sports because of being louder, with more appropriate FRC and working controls while sweating. I'll miss them. LinkBudsS with potentially better resolution, flatter FRC and more features like a much better smartphone app, ANC, more modern Bluetooth stack and better build quality are better for everything else.

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.

agree, I got them two weeks ago and no complaints whatsoever. OP, I think they are less than 150, I bought them for 120€

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 

Sony Linksbuds S, love them!

The earbud body yes, but the insertion I dont think so, when i use wfxm3-xm5 and linkbud s, i used M sized for all of them.

Yeah maybe you could try the linkbud s, that is smaller compare to wfxm5-xm4-xm3. If still loose then try stem type earbud.

Linkbuds S was my type because it had the best transparency mode without having features locked on an ecosystem basic lol airpods 2

I use Sony Linkbuds S YY2950 and no one has ever complained about my mic quality on the other end. They work fine.

I really like the Song Linkbuds S. Ran two marathons with them. Decent battery life and sounds.

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.

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!

Probably Linkbud S. The equalizer will fit your sound preferences and is a solid all around bud.

Can try checking out the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, they are releasing them in Malaysia soon, I've watched several reviews and they look really solid for the price. I had the Linkbuds S, and the battery lasted around 1.5 years before it started draining quickly. The right side on mine could barely last 30 minutes. However, I know a repair shop that can replace the batteries for a fair price. Sony forces you to buy a new one 🙄

Yea when the batteries went kaput on my Linkbuds, I thought a battery replacement would be easy but apparently Sony doesn't provide this service. I've seen YouTube videos of someone replacing the batteries by heating it to loosen the glue, but I don't have the proper tools to perform this. Hair dryer didn't work and it warped the plastic a little

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

I love my Momentum TW 4’s audio character the best, over my Sony XM5 earbuds and Linkbud S’s. Sennheiser’s Momentum earbuds sound is a lot like my Momentum 4 headphones, far deeper and more well defined.

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)

The M&D MW09 are way too big for side sleeping. Each earbud weighs 8.1 grams, by comparison: the Soundcore A20's, which are made for sleeping weigh only 2 grams each. If only the A20's had ANC :( The XM5's cannot make it up to 8 hours. EDIT: the Sony Linkbuds S can make it up to 8 hours if you put the volume down: *you can wear them for at least 6 hours on a single charge. That's with Active Noise Cancelling on - and turning the music off or played at very low volume, the Linkbuds S is powerful and comfortable enough for an entire night of side-sleeping. Wonderful.* See also: [https://www.scarbir.com/tws/sony-linkbuds-s-vs-jbl-live-pro-2-review](https://www.scarbir.com/tws/sony-linkbuds-s-vs-jbl-live-pro-2-review) Battery warning can sadly not be turned off for the Sony's: [https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyHeadphones/comments/125eay2/how\_to\_extend\_battery\_life\_linkbud\_s\_and\_how\_to/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyHeadphones/comments/125eay2/how_to_extend_battery_life_linkbud_s_and_how_to/)

I moved to Sony Linkbud S earbuds. Apart from not having wireless charging have been very happy with them.

I have the Linkbuds S, and the fit is perfect on my end. It comes with 4 sets of tips, and they're light enough to stay seated properly in your ear even when moving around.

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 tested all, airpods is superior in every-way possible to be frank.Sound quality on xm4 is nice for sure but ergonomics is killing overall experience unfortunately. Currently on linkbud s and it’s pretty decent, maybe even up to par with xm4

With xm, it was both ergonomics, size, overall comfort alongside with lack of features due to iphone usage for me. Linkbud s is very nice since it’s a fraction of both xm4 and airpods and still very good sound, mic is a so so experience but anything except airpods will have similar experience. Airpods pro though is a beast for iphone… if you could and would like to pay for it. I have money and still not paying for it since I don’t think the pricing is right with that still

I got my linkbud s for 55€. My comment is just to give the idea of my decision, main factor is still the cost of the equipment.

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

Sony linkbuds are good for anc but heads up! mine had faulty batteries and died after a year of use, there were similar cases for other Sony earbuds. That’s why I’m trying to find an alternative to it

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.

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.

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.

Avoid WF xm4, and link buds they have battery problem

Link buds series

TL:DR - I love the pixel buds A, galaxy buds FE, Sony linkbuds S, is recommend those all day. Honorable mention - Jlabs Jbuds mini I love the Sony linkbuds S but keep in mind you can't use the left on its own you have to use the right or both buds. I've personally never met someone who said the Samsung buds pro fit well in their ear, I'd be sitting at work and they'd just fall out. Samsung buds live were my wife's go to and a friend's go to but I think a recent update ruined their call quality, both sounded so bad and both switched to pixel buds A which they love and sound amazing (both seem to have similar shaped ears because nothing fit their ears except the buds live and now years later the pixel buds A) Pixel buds A are great Another great pair to look at are the Galaxy buds FE, I loved those but ended up giving them to my dad who loved them. Personally I just care if earbuds fit well and have good call quality, everything sound wise everything sounds good to me. I use the jlab jbuds mini. They're usually $30 on Amazon, they're very small, they fit on my keychain so I don't need to carry them in my pocket and less likely to lose them. That's what I use now.

I should add that I used to have the Bose Soundsport Free which I loved but call quality wasn't the greatest. I also just purchased the Sony Linkbuds which were supposed to be great for call quality but turns out that's not the case and my clients can't hear me when I'm walking.

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.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro. Sony Linkbuds S and Jabra Elite 10 / 8 cases are fairly compact/flat but not as small as the Samsung. JLab Mini case is tiny but the sound isn't as good as any of the others listed here.

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.

Sony bricked them with a software update. Also looking for an alternative, did you find anything comparable?

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.

My call quality are awful, linkbuds by Sony are better if you plan to use them in calls

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

Buy the Sony link bud S I love them it’s about $230

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

Dude, if you love the 65t's, just get an elite 75t for $50 new. I still have my 75t from....years ago, i have also a pair of mtw3's and Sony Linkbuds S. The 75t's are my go to most of the time - they cannot die. Dropped in the rain, washed in the washing machine....this thing.. is the only thing keeping me back from purchasing the AZ80's lol.

Sony Linkbuds S are a solid option. Sound better, but aren't as feature rich and seamless as the Pixel Buds Pro.

yes linkbuds s after 1 year can just last around 1 hour for me and the left side always drain first

I highly recommend you go out to a sony store and try out the linkbuds s. I didn't consider it much but after trying it at the store only for 5 minutes I know it was gonna be my next earphone.

I loved my Sony link buds s I’d say they were on par with the air pro’s but the quality mine kept breaking maybe that was Apple fucking around or something but I’ve had my AirPods for 2 years and I love them also Apple customer service doesn’t suck balls. I can find them when I put them down, and idk that’s about it it does suck that they don’t exactly have an equalizer but other wise the best earbuds I’ve had. Its Lexus vs Mercedes

Used to swear by my Sony Linkbuds, I ran through rain and even a typhoon with them. But all of a sudden one side just lost battery, died after 10 min. Now I'm using Jabra elite 10s and I won't be switching back, great fit.

The Samsung Buds Fe and Sony c700 have good sound quality. Sony's ANC is poor but the sound is good. The JLab Jbuds line the Air Pro are good. Soundcore Liberty 4 NC and One Plus 3 are good too. Originally missed Linkbuds S. It has good ANC and good sound

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.....

Out of all the buds I tested and tried the least obtrusove ones and probably the most comfortable ones for me personally were the Sony Linkbuds S ones. They are small and somehow shaped to fit weird ears. Subjective opinion of course.

Probably to be more in-line with their competitors. Apple’s AirPods are all standard earbuds while the Pros are in-ear. Sony’s LinkBuds vs LinkBuds S and XM5 in-ears, etc. It brings one babe across two devices instead of having people ask if they want the Buds, Buds Pro, or Buds Live. Given the price and deals on both, the need for a middle in-ear earbud with less ANC than the Pro is negated. Two earbuds, two price points, same naming convention that mashes it easier to spot the upgrade.

Probably to be more in-line with their competitors. Apple’s AirPods are all standard earbuds while the Pros are in-ear. Sony’s LinkBuds vs LinkBuds S and XM5 in-ears, etc. It brings one babe across two devices instead of having people ask if they want the Buds, Buds Pro, or Buds Live. Given the price and deals on both, the need for a middle in-ear earbud with less ANC than the Pro is negated. Two earbuds, two price points, same naming convention that mashes it easier to spot the upgrade.

You’re in a Bose sub so will get Bose recommendations. Are you just looking for sports earbuds or everyday earbuds to use with sports? The phone you have will can also change the recommendations. The Beats Fit Pro are good sports earbuds, but their ANC is lacking and I wasn’t a fan of their audio quality. Bose doesn’t offer a pair of sports earbuds anymore. Just the QC series with the QC earbuds II, QC Ultra earbuds, and their QC open earbuds (whatever they’re called). You’ll get stellar ANC and good audio quality with either the QC earbuds II or Ultra along with sweat resistance and a stable fit. Sony has the LinkBuds S with ok ANC but good sound quality, their fit seems fine for most people though they don’t have a stability fin. There’s also the WF-1000XM5 with ANC second only to Bose and, in my opinion, even better sound quality but their fit is even more divisive. Jabra makes a slew of earbuds with good sound quality and average ANC, especially the Elite 8 series made for exercising. There are others as well. It all depends on your phone, what you want out of them, and how you prioritize ANC.

Jabra switched away from foam ear tips and use standard rubber. Sony is the only big name company that uses foam ear tips with their flagship earbuds by default. Their LinkBuds S use rubber ear tips. One thing to keep in mind is earbuds like the QC earbuds II and Ultra have an audible thud when running. This is due to the seal they make in your ear canal and the only way to get rid of it is to put them in transparency mode (which you should do when running in public). Earbuds from other companies, like Beats or Jabra, have vents that prevent the thudding sound. They have worse ANC because of the vent, but it stops pressure from building up in your ears.

TLDR - bought sony Link buds in 2023, battery problems in 2024, sent for repair in the official sony service centre, they couldn't repair/replace it, so gave full refund after 1.3 years of use, now bought XM5s and after registering the product on sony now I have a contract with 3 years manufacturer's warranty. It is understandable that you don't trust sony again, but here's my experience from 2 weeks ago, I bought the sony Link buds the new ones like 15 months ago and then recently I started getting a problem where the battery on both the buds don't last even 30 minutes. The buds while charging would get abnormally hot (also indicated by the orange indicator light on the case blinking twice). I contacted Sony, I registered my product after 1.3 years on my sony account and then created a repair request and sent my buds to the sony service centre. The buds came with a 2 year warranty (bought from Amazon Germany), so it was a no cost repair. I got feedback that they were not able to repair it or replace my current buds so they offered a full refund after 1.3 years (1,327 Hour use). It was not a good thing that they stopped working after 15 months but they did compensate me for it. I would still buy the same buds again because the experience for me was extremely good, the features, the sound quality and comfort was on point. The battery life was sub-par but me personally would trade battery life over sound quality and comfort any day. Now I bought the sony XM5s (despite the known battery problems) registered the product from the start and got an additional 1 year manufacturer's warranty, so total 3 years manufacturer's warranty. I got a contract from sony with my serial number and purchase date stating that my buds are covered under warranty till 2027. Now using the new buds, super happy with them. So I would say it's okay to go with sony.

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.

I use Sony Linkbuds S. Honestly wouldn’t notice they’re in my ears. The ANC is really decent for the price, and the sound quality I’d say would be on par with my XM4’s.

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

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

The best buds are the iFi Go Pods with a pair of dedicated IEMs. I'm running them with the Theiaudio Hype 4 For traditional earbuds, my personal ranking list: Technics AZ80 > Denon Perl Pro > Sennheiser Momentum TW 4 (w/ Sound Personalization) > Sony Linkbuds S > AirPods Pro 2 > Sony XM5 > Galaxy Buds2 Pro > Beats Studio Buds+/Beats Fit Pro > Powerbeats Pro I end up daily driving the Momentum 4s most days, just given their ANC/Transparency is competitive with other sets, and the app is fairly solid. Sound quality alone, toss up between the AZ80 and Perl Pro.

Sony LinkBuds. As long as you set them up properly for your ears you won't have trouble. Don't leave them in your pocket and wash them in the washer though.

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

Best ANC: Bose Personal favorites: Sony Linkbuds S (awesome multiple ANC options, and the mic turns on when you start talking) Second place: Jaybird Vista 2's. Waterproof as hell. Great ANC. Best fit.

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.

The Buds 2 Pro I have is far worst than the least good earbuds I had from Sony (Linkbuds S that died from the well known battery drain issue). The XM5 I replaced them with is top notch. Noise cancelling is impressive to say the least, battery life great, audio quality superb and the case is small enough. I don't know if they've improved things, but Samsung QC is already questionable on the 3 and reliability is another topic, but I know too much people including myself that had issues with Samsung products

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

What about the Sony LinkBuds S? I love them!

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.

I found the Sony Linkbuds S to be the best. Mine got stolen and I got the JLab Go in the mean time, which I ended up returning for another pair of the Sonys. The Jlabs were in the quiet side comparatively, but they were 1/4 the price of the Sonys

I have a pair of Linkbuds S. They're great the first year but they have a serious battery drain issue. They last a little more than an hour before getting to 20% now, and the charging is mad inconsistent. The case will be green only for me to be greeted with ~75% on each ear. Don't get them for the long-haul.

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)

I have airpod pros too. They work for me. I usually only wear earphones on the train, flying, at work or at the gym. The noise cancellation is enough for my daily life.

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.