You know the routine: earbuds go in when you’re taking a call or listening to music, they come out when you’re not.
Not so with Sony LinkBuds.
Sony wants you to wear them as much as possible, so they’ve given them a unique open-air design and features that enable you to keep them in longer.
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The LinkBuds almost look as if they’ve been twisted apart, with a hole in the middle that allows you to hear what you’re listening to and be a part of the world around you.
To test out the $180 earbuds, I took them on a run, made some calls and worked at my computer.
The audio quality is excellent, and I like how they don’t shut out the outside world.
Fit does take some getting used to. There are little rubber bands that come in assorted sizes to help them stay in your ears. Part of the band tucks under the concha of your ear, the little flap that hangs from your outer ear.
A few features make the LinkBuds unique, like adaptive volume control. This raises or lowers the volume automatically based on your surroundings. I found it to be just OK.
There’s also an interesting speak to chat feature, and this serves as the basis for being able to leave these in longer. The idea is that if someone is talking to you and you talk back, your audio automatically pauses. Great in theory, but I quickly realized the downsides.
The audio pauses whenever you talk to yourself (if you do that sort of thing), cough or make any sort of noise. Don’t even think of signing along to your favorite songs with this feature on.
Once the audio stops, you can wait for it to restart automatically, or manually press play to resume.
The good news is that you have control over all these more unique settings in the Sony LinkBuds App. But if you turn these features off, these might as well be your typical earbuds.
One more unique feature: special sensors built into the LinkBuds that detect vibration. This means you can tap your cheekbone to play or pause music, as opposed to tapping the LinkBud in your ear, which might be more convenient and comfortable since you’re not putting any pressure on your ear.
Overall, it’s nice to see Sony innovating in this area. LinkBuds are an easier way to mix more music and calls into everyday life.
