Sony’s original LinkBuds range launched way back in and now we have official confirmation of the 2nd Generation line-up, complete with a tweaked product name and a brand new addition to the family.
You have the LinkBuds Fit, a traditional wireless earbuds design and the LinkBuds Open, which, you guessed it, are an open earbud design. Surprisingly, the third product in the line-up has nothing to do with wireless buds. It is a portable Bluetooth speaker called (drum-roll please) the LinkBuds Speaker.
Sony is aiming the new LinkBuds range at younger users who lead more active lifestyles but who are still into their music. As a result, there have been a couple of significant design tweaks to the earbuds, the biggest of which being the introduction of what Sony calls an “Air Fitting Supporter” to each bud. Think of it as a hollow air cushion (some brands might describe it as a wing tip) that sits just inside the top of your ear to help with comfort and stability. This is used on both the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open models.
The LinkBuds Fit also get revised ear tips that don’t burrow into your ear as far as the tips found on their predecessors, the LinkBuds S. They have been designed to sit shallower so users should find them less intrusive.
Of course, the LinkBuds Open don’t require any tips because they are an open earbud design and use a special ring driver which sits just outside you’re ear opening. This 2nd Gen ring driver has been redesigned so it’s slightly smaller than the previous unit but Sony claims sound pressure in the low and mid-range have both been improved so they can go louder in an outside environment where they are competing with a lot of ambient noise.
They feature Sony’s Integrated Processor V2 which was first used in its superb WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds and they also feature the company’s DSEE music enhancement engine which claims to be able to improve low-quality music files. Battery life is eight hours from a single charge with 22 hours if you add the charging case to the equation.
The LinkBuds Fit add active noise-cancelling into the equation, and they also get the same Dynamic Driver X that Sony uses in the WF-1000XM5 and the same DSEE Extreme processing which is a step up from the engine found in the LinkBuds Open. Battery life is slightly shorter at a claimed five and a half hours with the carry case making it 21 hours in total.
Both pairs include wearer detection so will automatically pause when removed from your ears and resume when back in place. You’ve also got Bluetooth Multipoint and IPX4 rating and precise voice pickup to help when you’re taking calls.
Both the LinkBuds Fit (available in white, black, green and violet) and LinkBuds Open (available in white, black and violet) are available now and cost £179 / €200.
One product we weren’t expecting to see is the new LinkBuds Speaker. This petite Bluetooth speaker comes with its own docking/charging station and in keeping with the buds features Bluetooth Multipoint and an IPX4 rating. Battery life is a solid 25 hours. Its real USP is you can automatically switch from playing music through the LinkBuds Fit or Open earbuds to the LinkBuds Speaker.
Put the buds away and the speaker will start playing (the feature also works with the 1st Gen LinkBuds S, the WF-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM5). Should you wish, you can even pair two speakers and use them as a stereo set-up.
The LinkBuds Speaker is available now and costs £140 / €160 and is available in light grey or black.
MORE:
I love the Sony WF-1000XM5 but there’s one thing I would change (and it isn’t the noise-cancelling)
Read our Sony LinkBuds review
Our pick of the best wireless earbuds
