Sony LinkBuds S: headphones with incomparable software quality

Sony LinkBuds S – Best prices:

In February 2022, we had the chance to try new Sony headphones of a very particular kind, the LinkBuds. On the program, performance and comfort for these headphones which have the particularity of not entering the ear. We didn’t think we’d see another headphone in the LinkBuds range anytime soon, but Sony has surprised us by launching its LinkBuds S.

Their design is rather traditional. They have active noise cancellation, a feature missing from other headphones in Sony’s lineup. In terms of price as in terms of product, the LinkBuds S fit between the LinkBuds and the WF-1000XM4. While these sound great, they are actually too big to wear comfortably for sports.

The LinkBuds S cost just a handful of dollars more than the LinkBuds, despite having active ambient noise cancellation (ANC) technology. A competitive price compared to its ANC competitors in the market.

Sony quality

Sony’s LinkBuds S are available in black and white for 199.99 euros. The front of the charging case features a status light along the center edge of the opening. The USB-C port and pairing button are on the back. The case doesn’t include wireless charging capability, so you’ll need to use a USB-C cable to charge it.

The design of the headphones is classic, with a large main body on the outside of the ear, then a post with the silicone tip to be inserted into the external ear canal. All parts of the headphones are coated with a matte textured coating. The outer touch surface is rounded and wide, making it easy to touch and hold for various control functions. The label of the right earphone, R, is surrounded by a red color, which makes it easy to determine whether it is the right or left earphone. The headphones also have a sensor near the three charging points to detect if you have inserted them.

Sony LinkBuds S – Best prices:

Powerful magnets are found in the charging case to keep each earbud securely in place in its compartment. A central LED indicates the charging status of the case and earphones. A strong magnet also keeps the lid closed on the charging case. The charging case has rounded edges and a textured matte finish, so it can be carried comfortably in your pocket. A USB-C port sits on the back for wired charging. The charging case is not waterproof, so be sure to store it in a dry place.

A predominant software aspect

Speaking of charging, a quick five-minute charge provides up to 60 minutes of battery life. Sony displays up to 6 hours of battery life for its LinkBuds S, and the charging case an additional 14 hours. You can use each LinkBuds S individually, so you can extend your usage time by swapping out one earbud for another. LinkBuds S reach a full charge in about two hours.

Inside each earphone is the Sony V1 integrated processor which provides better noise cancellation, improves sound quality and reduces distortion. The headphones analyze ambient noise to provide noise cancellation. Automatic wind noise reduction can be activated to compensate when windy conditions are detected.

In order to get the most out of the Sony LinkBuds S headphones, you need to download and install the Sony Headphones Connect app on your Android or iOS device. After installation, simply take out the headphones and place them in your ears to start pairing with your smartphone. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are supported, so connecting to Android and Windows devices is quick and easy.

The Sony Headphones Connect app shows the battery level of each earphone and the charging case. Through the menu option at the top right, you can view a tutorial, check the firmware version of the headphones, backup and restore settings via the cloud, or launch the Music Center app. It has four main tabs: status, sound, system, and services. The status tab displays the music currently playing and provides reverse and forward play buttons with a volume slider below the controls. The adaptive sound control option is also available.

If you tap on the adaptive sound control option, another screen will appear where you can turn this feature on or off. It detects your actions and locations so the earphone settings are changed to allow for some ambient sound. You can enable various controls on this screen, including having the headphones learn locations or maps.

360Reality

In the sound tab, you can choose between noise cancellation, ambient sound or off. If noise cancellation is selected, the automatic wind noise reduction option can also be turned on or off. You can use a slider to control the level of ambient sound and enable the voice focus option in the ambient sound settings.

Under the sound control settings is the option to enable or disable the Speak-to-Chat option. This feature is very useful for those who work from home and want to talk with other family members without having to remove their headphones. You can choose between automatic, high or low sensitivity to voice detection, which can be useful if you like to sing while listening to your music.

Further down the screen is the 360 ​​Reality audio setup area. This requires a subscription to take advantage of a new audio experience available on platforms like Deezer, nugs.net, or Tidal. Below the 360 ​​Reality Audio section is a Bluetooth connection quality switcher where you can choose to prioritize a stable connection or sound quality. Finally, there is a Spatial Sound Optimization setting that measures vertical and horizontal head movement.

A myriad of configurable parameters!

The System tab is where you customize other settings for your headphones. The first option at the top of the screen lets you select your voice assistant. Options include the voice assistant feature of your mobile device, namely Siri on an iOS device, Bixby on a Samsung device, and Google Assistant on an Android device. You can also select and configure Amazon Alexa or choose not to have a voice assistant configuration on the headphones.

The settings below let you select left and right earbuds, single, double, and triple tap options, and press and hold action. Options for ambient sound control/quick access, playback control and volume control are available. You can configure one earbud with a full command set and the other earbud with a different command set so that you can customize the earbud button actions to suit your specific needs.

Finally, an ambient sound control toggle setting is available so that the action you configure only toggles to the settings you want to use, with options for noise cancellation, ambient sound, and mute. Other settings on the System tab let you control auto power off, pause toggle, notification and voice guide language, software download, and settings initialization.

A successful experience

With the Sony WF-1000XM4 headphones the noise cancellation was clear, but on the LinkBuds S it’s not as obvious. You may hear a slight difference between noise cancellation mode and ambient sound mode. The LinkBuds S are, however, more comfortable to wear long term than the WF-1000XM4 due to their lighter weight and smaller size. Unlike their predecessors, the LinkBuds S have proven that they stay in place during a running session, even if comfort is not at its maximum.

Music plays fantastic through the LinkBuds S with solid bass, clear vocals and sound that perfectly matches actors when watching video content. Also, phone calls sound great on both sides. So you can wear the headphones all day to enjoy sound and make calls.

Sony’s LinkBuds S have some competition in the $200 active noise canceling headphones segment. They face the Jabra Elite 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and Apple AirPods Pro, all of which offer this and other advanced features. Active ambient noise cancellation is pretty subtle in all of these cases, except the AirPods Pro, and you’ll have to upgrade to the WF-1000XM4, at least, to really take advantage of the ANC technology. There remains the advanced software dimension of Sony headphones, which makes them extremely recommendable.

Sony LinkBuds S – Best prices:

Source: ZDNet.com