REVIEW: SONY LINK BUDS S
Sony is obviously no stranger to bringing the finest audio to our ears, and already has a great range of headphones and earbuds out there.
The LinkBuds S are on the cheaper side of the range, coming in at £139 a pair… and for that price are a very solid option for anyone who cares about both quality and price.
Audio-wise they are strong – there are better options, but at the price you get some good definition at the high end as well as some power at the bottom.
The only minor gripe is that they might just lack the volume punch you find in other Sony earbuds.
That might be down to the fact that, as far as Sony claims, of course, these are the smallest and lightest earbuds with active noise cancellation you can buy.
That may very well be true – I have not measured or weighed them all – but what I can confirm is that you’re not going to be complaining on either front.
The four included ear tips make for a very comparable fit, and the size and weight mean these are, at the very least, among the most discreet on the market.
So, they look great, they sound good enough, and they’re comfortable to wear.
That’s three wins in the major categories, which happens less often than it should.
Compatibility with non Sony phones is good – they will work with iPhone – but they come into their own with Android devices that offer easy pairing, and the ability to playback higher quality LDAC encoding. On iPhone you are stuck with lower resolution ACC playback.
One innovation I’ve not seen elsewhere is the adaptive noise cancellation, which will allow
more ambient sound in when you’re walking than it does while you are sitting still.
To my ears, though, ANC can be confusing as it is, and the adaptive system doubles that – best to have noise cancellation either on or off so you know what’s going on, I say.
These are solid and well-made earbuds that sound great and – at the price – are a bargain.