Forget the AirPods 4, I’m getting Sony’s new earbuds instead
The new auto-switch feature swaps your music to your speaker when you get home and vice versa
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tempting me away from Apple’s AirPods is no easy task, but Sony may be on the verge of doing just that after its announcement of the LinkBuds Open, sport-friendly LinkBuds Fit and new LinkBuds speaker. The two new affordable pairs of wireless earbuds and a Bluetooth speaker include some real game-changing features.
First released in 2022, Sony’s LinkBuds were some of the weirdest earbuds I’d ever tested. Featuring a strange open ring design that let in sound from the outside world, they sounded surprisingly good and had some really neat cheek-tap controls, but the new LinkBuds products might be even better.
Sony has essentially combined all the best parts of Apple’s AirPods, Beats Fit Pro and Dyson OnTrac into two pairs of earbuds, while improving massively on the recently-released Sonos Ace. The LinkBuds Fit look more like a traditional pair of in-ear buds that follow the LinkBuds S with a silicone tip, while the LinkBuds Open are the successor to the original LinkBuds with an open ring design.
Both earbuds feature new silicone wing fins that Sony calls “air-fitting supporters” for a more secure fit. They can be customised and personalised with a range of colourful covers and accessories (including an Olivia Rodrigo purple, who helped configure some of the EQ settings), and have a longer battery life.
But the feature I’m most excited about is that, for the first time ever on any Sony headphones, the tech company is launching a new auto-switch feature that keeps the music going. Following you from home to work and back again, your music will seamlessly transition between your earbuds and the new LinkBuds speaker.
Listening to music at home on your speaker while you’re getting ready for work? Pop the LinkBuds in when you head out, and the music instantly moves to your ears. Drop the earbuds back into their case when you’re back home, and the sound will hop right back to your speaker. It’s exactly what I wanted from the Sonos Ace. Sony also says this feature will also be available on its flagship WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5.
The second exciting feature (exclusively developed for the LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit) that I’m excited to try is something called Background Music Mode. When you’ve got your earbuds in and the feature turned on, your music will be pushed out of your head. Tunes will sound like they’re slightly further away, mimicking the feeling of sitting in a Starbucks while working. You won’t be distracted by music with lyrics I assume, because the music won’t be completely legible.
Launching on 9 October, the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open cost just £179 (the same price as the AirPods 4), while the LinkBuds speaker costs £139. All three LinkBuds series devices are available to pre-order now.
Sony LinkBuds Fit: £179, Sony.co.uk
The LinkBuds Fit feature the same dynamic driver and integrated processor as the XM5, support hi-res audio and better call quality. They have silicone in-ear tips like the previous LinkBuds S model, as well as an auto-noise cancelling optimiser that recognises the sound pressure in your location to adjust the level of ANC. You can still control them using taps on your cheek like the old model, but you can also say “Hey headphones”. Each bud features 5.5 hours of battery life with ANC turned on, and you get 21 hours with the case.
Sony LinkBuds Open: £179, Sony.co.uk
The LinkBuds Open continue the same design philosophy as the original LinkBuds with the open ring design but also have the wing tips for a more secure fit. The hole in the middle of the bud lets real noise seep through, rather than the recreated ambient sound that you get with the AirPods. Sony says it’s reduced the size of the driver while keeping the same sound quality.
The LinkBuds Open also get louder than the previous model, automatically increasing and decreasing the volume based on the sound outside. While it has the same integrated processor as the XM5, it doesn’t have hi-res audio, instead re-building compressed audio from streaming services, making it sound closer to the original. Again, you can control them by saying “Hey headphones” or tapping on your cheek, and battery life has been improved. You now get eight hours on a single charge, with 22 hours in the case. There’s no ANC (these are still open-ear buds after all).
Sony LinkBuds speaker: £139, Sony.co.uk
Lastly, Sony’s LinkBuds speaker is the gadget you’ll need if you want to use the auto-switch feature to keep your music going. Costing £139, it features a similar design to the LinkBuds and comes with a charging dock, so you can drop the speaker into the dock if you’re heading out, and pop it back in when you’re listening at home. It features a woofer, tweeter and two passive radiators on the side, and you get 25 hours on a single charge.
Sony LinkBuds accessories: From £10, Sony.co.uk
In true Gen Z fashion, the three LinkBuds products are super customisable. There are six different ear fit supporter silicone colours that can be bought for £10, as well as five different silicone case cover colours that cost £20 each. Colours include ash blue, ash green, ash pink, ash violet and pure black.
We’ve rounded up the best wireless earbuds for sound, noise cancellation and battery life